FreshBooks vs HoneyBook: What Coaches & Creators Need to Know in 2025

If you're a freelancer, agency, or service-based business, you've likely seen FreshBooks and HoneyBook make headlines in reviews or Facebook groups. And the question is always the same: which is better for you in 2025?

They're not in the business of the same work. FreshBooks is about accounting, invoices, and taxes. In contrast, HoneyBook is for clients, contracts, and workflows. Depending on which you need more, you'll appreciate one and be disappointed in the other.

In this post, we'll be straight with you about easy use, pricing, where the tool falls short of expectations, and whether one can replace the other. And finally, as the bow on this cake: I'll share a product option that solves both sets of problems without forcing you to choose: "great invoicing but weak client tools" or "good workflows but poor accounting."

1. FreshBooks vs HoneyBook: Quick Snapshot

Before we get lost in the details, here’s a FreshBooks vs HoneyBook comparison 2025 at a glance.

So yeah, one looks more like a finance tool with a dash of project features, and the other looks like a CRM/workflow tool with light finance. That’s why most people compare them head to head, they overlap, but they’re not the same breed.

2. Pricing Plans & Affordability (2025)

Now let's compare cost starting here. Who doesn't want to know what the cost comparison is: FreshBooks or HoneyBook.

FreshBooks pricing has tiers. Lite, Plus, Premium, etc. Lite starts around $21/month but the downside to that pricing is that you can only bill about 5 clients. So, even if you are freelancing on a small scale, you will hit that cap quickly. You will upgrade to Plus in the $30's range, which gives you up to 50 clients and recurring invoices & proposals. The Premium pricing is higher, about $55+ a month, has up to unlimited clients and provides a project profitability feature. If you choose to add more users, you will pay that per user. That's where some people find it annoying. It seems cheap at the start, but then you realize the more people you add, the cost goes up (which effectively makes it more expensive).

The pricing model of HoneyBook is different, it is more flat. You typically are looking at about $29 per month to start (annual plan starts even lower than that if you are locked in), and your monthly payment gets you unlimited access to clients/projects right away (no more headache about a cap like FreshBooks). However, they make their money in ways that involves transaction fees. So, each payment that you collect, you are charged a processing fee on (2.9% + 25c). So, if you handle many payments, the expense can accumulate quickly.

Theoretically, based on the features/pricing comparison, FreshBooks looks cheaper on premise. HoneyBook feels like a higher starting price, but gives you that freedom to change your client work whenever you want with no cap on users or projects. In both ways, there are hidden costs - FreshBooks, with added users, HoneyBook, with transaction fees.

3. Invoicing & Payments

Now let's get to the good part, invoicing features, recurring payments, and online payments. This is the area that these two products compare the most.

FreshBooks is built around invoices. It has easy templates, allows recurring invoices, you can add your expenses right into an invoice, and you can track your time to roll into billing. Many freelancers have said, "super easy, even if they hate accounting." It is definitely a part of online payments, be it card or PayPal. FreshBooks also does very well with automatically reminding clients when payments are due.

HoneyBook is different. It connects invoicing with everything else - proposals, contracts, communication. So instead, you send a proposal, client signs, and invoice + payment request is part of that entire flow. It to me seems more professional for a creative. They have a client portal, online payment, and scheduling is built-in. Some users say the only downside is that funds can take 2-3 days to hit your bank, others have said they experienced slow payments, payment being missed entirely, or bills went to spam folder.

Conclusion: If you want raw accounting depth with recurring billing and linking expenses to be paid, Freshbooks has you covered there if you want a seamless client flow that invoice + contracts + payment methods all are intertwined, then Honeybook has an advantage here.

📌 It really comes down. Do you want accounting depth or a client flow depth.

4. Project Management and Workflows

This is where the gap becomes apparent. Is FreshBooks or HoneyBook better at project management? Simple: HoneyBook.

FreshBooks is trying to create some project tracking. You can attach files, share notes, track hours, even invite clients or a team to comment. But it's very light. It isn't a full CRM. It feels more like "extras" add-ons to invoices, instead of a project management system. If all you need to do is get organized around billing with some small notes, it's good.

HoneyBook is more like a pipeline tool. You got workflows, task automation, scheduling built in, and proper client portals. If you're a creative or an agency that juggles clients, it feels much smoother. For example, if you are an event planner, you send a proposal, client signs, HoneyBook automatically schedules a timeline and sends payment reminders, the client has access to all files in one client portal. You don't need 4 different tools.

This is why many designers, coaches, wedding planners lean to HoneyBook. It's not "perfect project management" like you get from Asana or Trello, but it is worlds apart from FreshBooks.

5. Client Communication & Contracts

Time for the part that freelancers always complain about: the famous never-ending email chains. Does HoneyBook offer a better client portal than FreshBooks? Absolutely.

It's pretty obvious that HoneyBook has the advantage - build proposals, contracts, even get an e-signature, all in one flow. The client can log into a portal and see everything they need at a glance, the timeline of the project, invoices, files, and messages. No more "did you get my email" drama. It's like you're running a real client hub, instead of documents floating around.

FreshBooks does have estimates, proposals, and some basic approval. But still no robust client communication. You're still back in Gmail or Outlook to go back and forth. That's fine for businesses that are just dealing with invoices and numbers, but if you are running a business that deals with clients on a tight reign, FreshBooks won't hold up.

So if you are living inside email chains, HoneyBook is a huge upgrade. But if you just need invoicing and math, it's fine.

6. Reporting, Accounting and Integrations

This one's pretty easy to see. FreshBooks is an accounting-first tool. You get expense reports, profit/loss, bank feed, tax prep features, and it feels like a proper small business accounting system that just happens to have invoicing. If financial numbers of any kind matter to you and you want clean books, FreshBooks is stronger.

HoneyBook... not really. Reporting is limited, with more focus on tracking payments, leads and maybe project revenue. But when it comes to real financials, all of this, it just can't stand alone. That's why most people sync it with QuickBooks - which I can tell you people are searching for all the time: HoneyBook vs FreshBooks QuickBooks integration. Basically, FreshBooks is doing the accounting, HoneyBook is using QuickBooks as an accounting crutch.

The human truth is FreshBooks has the edge over double-entry accounting principles. HoneyBook is more so about the client journey, not so much about the books.

7. Pros & Cons (Skimmable Lists)

So let's just get right to it. Here's the Fresh Books vs HoneyBook pros and cons 2025 without sugarcoat.

FreshBooks Pros

• Cheap entry plan IF you have very few clients

• Strong accounting tools, expense tracking, and tax reports

• Easy invoicing, easy time tracking

• Clean UI, very easy for non-accountants to use

FreshBooks Cons

• Client limits on Lite and on Plus plan (5, 50... tight fast)

• Extra user cost... not team-friendly unless you pay more.

• Not a CRM... think about client comms.

• Unsophisticated project tracking, not full workflows.

HoneyBook Pros

• All-in-one workflows, proposals, contracts, invoices and payments all in one place.

• Client communication + client portals make it easy to manage relationships with clients.

• Unlimited clients/projects even on the base plan.

• Automation, pipelines, and scheduling that could not be compared.

HoneyBook Cons

• Higher entry price compared to FreshBooks.

• Weak on accounting reports, (Deep dive needs QuickBooks).

• Transaction fees eat payments - fees... fees... more fees on payments.

• Fewer integrations than Fresh Books.
  
  

8. Who Should Use Which? (Use Cases)

So who in fact should use what. Who should use HoneyBook instead of FreshBooks? It depends on what your business looks like.

• Freelancers / solo accountants → FreshBooks. You want simple books, to send invoices, to do tax prep and not deal with any heavy CRM.

• Creatives / agencies → HoneyBook. This is really about if you need good client flow, proposals, contracts, and client portals, HoneyBook is the better fit.

• Event planners / service businesses → HoneyBook shines here too. Because managing contracts, schedules, payments all in one flow is vastly more important than having deep accounting capabilities.

• Service pros who care about tax prep / expense reports → FreshBooks. It just handles the numbers cleaner.

So in plain English: FreshBooks is the accounting buddy, HoneyBook is the client workflow buddy. Pick carefully based on what hurts you more, clients or books.

9. Limitations & Gaps in Both

Let’s be honest, it is the stigma attached to this that nobody wants to say but I’ll admit it anyway. Each of these tools has shortcomings. If you have looked through the reviews, I am sure you understand what I mean.

FreshBooks

• Lite plan only allows you to send invoices to a maximum of 5 clients. Even the Plus plan, which is a step up, has a limit of 50 clients. That is a road block that a growing business hits quickly.

• It is accounting-focused (primarily), not a full CRM. Which means, client journeys, contracts, and entire workflows cannot really efficiently be managed.

• If you want more than 1-2 other team/members, you will pay extra costs. Those costs add up quickly when applying scale.

HoneyBook

• Definitely positions itself as an “all-in-one” but really does not hit that mark. The accounting is adequate, the number of reports is scant compared to some other tools. Most users add on QuickBooks in addition to this.

• The integrations are fewer, so again the users we have engaged have stated it limits them as well. If you rely on multiple tools to manage client experience, you will feel the boundaries imposed.

• And, yes costs are yet again in play here. The base plan looks appealing, but when you add in transaction fees (2.9% + 25c per payment) when doing it on volume the costs start to hurt.

• Users also complain about little things, such as lag in mobile experience, emails not deliverable and payments that take multiple days to clear.

The question then becomes: what if you really need both - accounting + CRM + automation - all in one? Do you end up paying for two tools, dealing with limits, and stitching them together in Zapier? Or, is there a better way in 2025?

10. Presenting highmMpact: The Improved Option for 2025

Here's the truth: In reality, neither FreshBooks, nor HoneyBook actually delivers everything. That's the important part, and where highMpact assumes it's rightful place.

highMpact is not just another "tool." It is the all-inclusive advancement for the service-based client businesses who are over the app juggling games. You receive

• CRM (manage leads, contacts, pipelines, client communication)

• Marketing & automation (email, SMS, funnels, nurture sequences)

• Accounting integrations (sync with QuickBooks and others, but you don't have to "patch" together anymore)

• Course + membership hosting (again, neither FreshBooks, nor HoneyBook touches on this)

• Payments & checkout are built in-no more Stripe dashboard

• Community + coaching functionality to scale beyond simply working 1:1 with clients

For us to be more effective, instead of your brain being split between "this needs to be worked on FreshBooks for accounting" and "this needs to be here in HoneyBook for workflows", you are able to manage everything in one system.

To be clear, I wanted to quickly point out a few comparisons:

If you're looking for alternatives to FreshBooks, or competing tools to HoneyBook, I've got the solution: no more tooling with two stacks and $100 or $200 fees - you simply need highMpact - the only service for 2025 that is a complete all-in-one CRM.

I mean let's be real. Why manage two tools when you can just maintain and grow with one?

11. Conclusion

So here's the summary. FreshBooks is excellent at accounting, HoneyBook is excellent at client workflows, but both of these require you to pick a side, and typically, most businesses need both.

highMpact is different because it connects everything - CRM, automation, payments, marketing, accounting integrations - into a single platform, with no client caps, and no need to create connections between multiple tools.

If you care about growing for 2025 and beyond then you shouldn't be satisfied with half a system. Check out highMpact today.

12. FAQs

1. Which is better for small businesses, FreshBooks or HoneyBook?

It depends on what you are needing it for. If your pain point is around accounting, tax-preparation, or tracking expenses, FreshBooks is a better choice. If your pain point is around workflows with clients, contracts, or scheduling, HoneyBook is the winner. Small businesses usually want both... and therein lies the problem.

2. Can HoneyBook replace FreshBooks for accounting?

Not really, HoneyBook is weak around accounting. It can help track payments, provide you with basic reporting but for the depth of real accounting, you will still want QuickBooks. FreshBooks is built for accounting.

3. Is it easy to migrate from FreshBooks to HoneyBook?

Short answer is no, it isn't easy or a one-click magic. You can migrate invoices, clients, contracts, but it takes work. A lot of users ultimately end up running both platforms together for a while before they are comfortable cancelling one or merging.

4. Which platform integrates better with QuickBooks?

This is easy... FreshBooks doesn't need QuickBooks because it does accounting already. So it is not a "like to have," it is a "have to have" if you want accounting. Overall FreshBooks wins!

5. What are the alternatives to FreshBooks and HoneyBook?

Yes this is the last and the real question after outgrowing these tools. If you want to not patch something together with two tools, there are always FreshBooks alternatives and HoneyBook competitors.