Key Takeaways:
- Dubsado is a comprehensive CRM designed for service-based industries.
- Despite Dubsado's extensive CRM features, you can choose tools that are more suitable for your business by looking into Dubsado alternatives.
- Cone practice management software, which offers many features that simplify client and project management procedures, stands out among these choices as a strong and affordable choice.
- For companies looking for efficiency and affordability, Cone is an attractive option because of its unified proposal and practice management features, smooth invoicing and payment integration, and user-friendly project management tools.
- This blog examines the features and costs of the top ten Dubsado alternatives, which include well-known competitors like Cone, HoneyBook, Bonsai, and ClickUp.
Dubsado is a client management software that combines automation features with essential business management tools to deliver exceptional services to its clients. Designed to help freelancers, small business owners, and entrepreneurs run their businesses, this feature-rich software offers a wide range of useful features.
You may anticipate smooth client interactions and a reduction in administrative work with Dubsado, which will make client management appear easy. However, much like any other tool, Dubsado has limitations. Consumer complaints have included difficult user interfaces, high costs, and integration problems.
But why settle for less when you can aim for the best?
Let's examine the best 10 Dubsado alternatives in this blog, including Cone accounting CRM, and what makes them a good alternative to Dubsado.
What is Dubsado?
Dubsado is a comprehensive client management platform designed to streamline and automate various aspects of running a small business, particularly in service-based industries. It provides a centralized hub for managing contracts, invoices, forms, client information, and more, all in one place.
Key features of Dubsado include:
- Make branded agreements, surveys, lead collection forms, and bids that are specific to your company's requirements.
- To guarantee on-time payments, send clients expert bills and set up automatic reminders.
- Automate repetitive processes and workflows to save time and keep in touch with clients on a personal level.
- Give customers access to their own client portals so they can see papers, pay for services, and get project details.
- Process payments anywhere on the globe with ease using Stripe-powered Dubsado Payments.
Why Choose an Alternative to Dusbado?
Integration Challenges: Users have reported issues with the Xero integration, with frequent disruptions and inconsistencies. This can hinder workflow efficiency and create frustration for businesses relying on seamless integration with accounting software.
No Proposal integration: Unlike its competitor, Cone, Dubsado does not have an integrated Proposals. Cone's unified platform takes care of everything from proposal to payment in a single software. Without a feature like this, Dubsado users might need to pay and use a third-party alternative.
Budget Constraints: Dubsado's pricing at $50 might not be suitable for freelancers with limited budgets. So users might explore cost-effective Dubsado alternatives or freemium options with features that meet their needs.
Email Inbox Lag: Some users experience delays between their actual email inbox and the Dubsado inbox, leading to potential communication gaps and missed opportunities. This lag can impact timely responses and overall client satisfaction.
Time-Intensive and Clunky Experience: Users have complained that Dubsado can be time-consuming and occasionally clunky, which can result in "Dubsado overwhelm." Inefficient workflows and peculiar interface features have the potential to reduce efficiency and unnecessarily complicate daily tasks.
Limitations on Currency and Branding: Using Dubsado to bill in several currencies can be difficult and necessitates setting up distinct branding for each currency. Additionally, users have found the design options for proposals and forms to be limited, with a need for HTML knowledge to achieve desired aesthetics.
Desire for a CRM Powerhouse: If in-depth sales pipeline management, lead scoring, and advanced analytics are essential, a dedicated CRM might be a better choice than Dubsado's basic client management tools.
Top 10 Dubsado Alternatives
Here are the top 10 Dubsado alternatives that you can try out.
Cone
Cone's proposal and billing software offers a comprehensive suite of tools designed specifically for automating proposals, billing, payments in a single platform.
And the best part? Cone is a fraction of the cost compared to other options, like Dubsado. So why wait?
Sign up for free today and experience the convenience of Cone for yourself!
Best Features
Automated Proposals: Cone offers a flexible proposal editor, allowing firms to create professional, customized proposals efficiently.
Quotes and Invoices: By facilitating the preparation of quotes and invoices, the platform reduces the time spent on administrative duties and does away with the need for manual invoicing.
Billing and Payments Integration: Cone accepts a number of payment options, including credit/debit cards, direct debit, and ACH, and integrates them effortlessly into the proposal workflow.
Sales Pipeline Management: Users can manage their sales pipeline effectively, tracking the progress of proposals and engagements from initial contact to closing deals.
Client Contracts: Cone includes tools for drafting and sending engagement letters, simplifying the client onboarding process.
Billing and Payments Integration: Cone Practice seamlessly integrates billing and payments into project workflows, enabling firms to create invoices from proposals or projects and accept payments faster.
Key Features
- Sales pipeline
- Leads management
- Flexible drag & drop proposal editor
- Templates
- Invoicing and billing
- Integrations with accounting software
- Integrations with payment gateways like Stripe, GoCardless
Pricing
- Essentials: $8 or £6.41/month
- Growth: $11 or £8.83/month.
HoneyBook
HoneyBook, an alternative to Dubsado, helps independent businesses by providing tools for client management. It provides them with the tools and resources, such as interactive proposals, e-signature capabilities, and integrated payment options, to manage their client relationships and ultimately thrive in their respective industries. You can also check out the top 10 HoneyBook alternatives in this article.
Best Features
Proposals: HoneyBook's proposal function integrates contracts, invoicing, and payments into a single, seamless experience. Clients can quickly examine, sign, and pay—all in one location. With its streamlined procedure and configurable templates and designs, it saves time while showcasing the brand.
Online Invoicing: This feature makes the process of creating invoices easier by offering customizable templates and branding options. This expedites payments and enhances customer satisfaction. Customers can easily settle invoices with its support for multiple payment options, including bank transfers, online credit card transactions, and autopay.
Honeybook A: The AI composer in Honeybook AI easily creates customized client responses, and the priority leads tool leverages data intelligence to find high-value leads, increasing booking rates and profitability. Additionally, the AI image studio facilitates the creation of professional images for proposals, branded materials, and more
Key Features
- Unlimited clients and projects
- All professional templates
- Client Portal
- QuickBooks Online integration
- Expense management
- Unlimited team members
- Priority support
- Onboarding Specialist
Pricing
HoneyBook offers three tiers of pricing plans:
- The Starter plan is priced at $8 (billed annually) or $9.50 (billed monthly).
- The Essentials plan is $16 (billed annually) or $19.50 (billed monthly).
- The Premium plan is priced at $33 (billed annually) or $39.50 (billed monthly).
All plans provide a 7-day free trial.
Bonsai
Bonsai wants to make life easier for businesses like professional services organizations, consultancies, and agencies to run their entire business more efficiently. As a Dubsado alternative, it has everything you need in one place—like keeping track of clients, sending proposals, managing schedules, tracking time, and handling payments. It helps you stay organized and manage your money better.
Best Features
CRM Feature: Bonsai's CRM feature offers a comprehensive solution for agencies, consultancies, and professional services to efficiently manage clients and projects. From lead management to project organization and collaboration, it keeps all essential information in one place. Users can track contacts, projects, tasks, and payments seamlessly, ensuring a streamlined workflow.
Payment: Bonsai makes it easy for users and clients worldwide by supporting over 100 different currencies for payments. Customers can pick how they want to pay, whether it's upfront deposits, regular billing, or one-time invoices, whatever suits them best.
Client Portal: Your clients can see all their contracts, invoices, and project details in Bonsai's client portal. This makes communication clearer and projects run smoother. It helps build strong client relationships and makes managing projects easier.
Key Features
- Unlimited Clients And Projects
- Proposals And Contracts
- Scheduling
- Time Tracking
- Forms & Questionnaires
- Utilization, Profitability And Productivity Reporting
- Premium Customer Support
- Expense Tracking
Pricing
Bonsai offers three plans.
- Starter: $21 per month, billed annually or $25 per month, billed monthly
- Professional: $32 per month, billed annually or $39 per month, billed monthly
- Business: $66 per month, Billed annually or $79 per month, billed monthly
Bonsai offers a 7-day free trial.
ClickUp
One of the Dubsado alternative platforms, ClickUp, is a project management software designed to assist both people and teams in organizing their work. It offers a variety of task management solutions to boost collaboration, efficiency, and visibility across projects, such as time tracking, automation, invoicing, and AI-powered features.
Interested in learning more about Clickup alternatives? Explore further in this article - Top 12 ClickUp Alternatives.
Best Features
Automation: ClickUp offers more than 100 pre-configured automation and customization options to help with task assignments, progress updates, and deadline setting. It also easily interacts with other programs, saving you time and effort by doing away with the need for manual procedures.
Document Management: ClickUp's Documents feature centralizes your work, offering a versatile platform to create, collaborate, and organize content seamlessly. With intuitive editing tools, including rich formatting options and Slash commands, you can tailor documents to suit various needs.
Email Management: ClickUp's Email Management feature revolutionizes productivity by seamlessly integrating email into your project management workflow. With automated email triggers and task creation, stay organized and responsive while keeping all communication centralized on one powerful platform.
Key Features
- Single Sign-On (SSO)
- Unlimited Tasks
- Unlimited Free Plan Members
- Collaborative Docs
- Everything View
- Kanban Boards
- In-App Video Recording
- Unlimited Gantt Charts
- Unlimited Custom Fields
- 24/7 Support
Pricing
ClickUp offers a flexible pricing structure tailored to different needs.
- The Free Forever plan suits personal use.
- For small teams, the unlimited plans at $7 (billed annually) or $10 (billed monthly) per user per month provide advanced features.
- The business plan is $12 (billed annually) or $10 (billed monthly) and caters to mid-sized teams.
- Enterprise solutions are available for large teams with custom needs, offering personalized demos and tailored features.
Salesmate
With one easy-to-use platform, this alternative to Dubsado, Salesmate, can help you with marketing, sales, or providing excellent customer service. With its many time-saving features, robust automation, and integrated artificial intelligence, it's easy to use for any business purpose and can be tailored to meet specific requirements.
Best Features
Mobile CRM: Salesmate's Mobile CRM provides access to critical information on the go. The app enables quick responses to customer queries, improving the customer experience. Salespeople can close deals more easily, more productively, and from any location at any time with the help of Salesmate's mobile CRM.
Smart Emails: Email campaigns may be easily created, customized, and automated with Salesmate's smart emails function. You can monitor opens and clicks, send bulk and follow-up emails, and get real-time notifications with it. Pre-defined templates save time, while email threading and smart BCC keep conversations organized.
Automation: You can use this feature to automate processes such as lead scoring, email campaigns, follow-ups, and customer interactions. You can quickly set up automated workflows with a drag-and-drop builder and pre-made templates.
Key Features
- Product Management
- Team Management
- Goal Management
- Team Inbox
- Workflow Automation
- Layout Builder
- Custom Roles
- Field Based Permissions
- Custom Dashboard And Reports
- Dedicated Account Manager
- Personalized Onboarding
- Priority Support
Pricing
Salesmate offers a straightforward and affordable pricing structure with four main plans:
- Basic: At $23 (billed annually) or $29 (billed monthly) per user/month
- Pro: Priced at $39 (billed annually) or $49 (billed monthly) per user/month
- Business: The most popular plan at $63 (billed annually) or $79 (billed monthly) per user/month,
- Enterprise: Custom-priced for larger teams.
Try it for free for 15 days and experience seamless automation.
Practice
For solopreneurs or teams, Practice provides all the necessary tools in one package. Features like automated package tracking, real-time scheduling, and a user-friendly client portal are included. More time can be spent focusing on clients, with less on admin tasks. Help is always available from a real person if needed.
Best Features
Automation: Practice's automation feature saves you time by streamlining tasks like meeting and payment reminders, form collection, and more. With easy setup, you can create seamless workflows using the Smart Action editor to configure triggers and automate actions.
Interactive Client Portal: Practice’s client portal centralizes all your client interactions in one place, accessible on the web, iOS, or Android. Clients can chat, share resources, fill out forms, and manage invoices through the portal. It supports shared to-dos to keep track of tasks and ensures all communication is consolidated, eliminating scattered messages across different platforms. Expand your knowledge of xxx? Check out this article!
Online invoicing and Payments: You may log sessions, create packages, and set up auto-pay for regular payments using the practice's invoicing feature, all of which can speed up your payment processes. You can pick between credit card and ACH payments and set up automated reminders to ensure on-time payments.
Key Features
- Unlimited contacts & storage
- Contract & digital signatures
- Zapier integration
- Custom domain + branding
- Priority support
- Dedicated account manager
- Launch + migration support
Pricing
Practice offers a flexible pricing structure tailored to different business needs:
- Basic: $4/month billed yearly or $5 billed monthly
- Pro: $42/month billed yearly or $60 billed monthly
- Teams: $69/month billed yearly or $99 billed monthly
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Practice also provides a 7-day free trial.
17hats
A CRM, 17hats is intended for independent contractors, small company owners, and solopreneurs. To increase efficiency and organization, it helps to automate and streamline a variety of chores. It is intended to assist users in effectively managing their businesses, lowering stress and freeing up time for expansion. The platform is a complete business management solution since it allows for automation and tool integration.
Best Features
Auto lead Response: The 17hats Lead Response feature helps you capture and respond to leads quickly. Replace your website's contact form with a 17hats Lead Capture Form to gather details like names, email addresses, and services needed. When a lead submits the form, 17hats automatically send a personalized response. You can also attach a questionnaire or invoice to the response.
Online Payments: 17hats makes getting paid easy with its online payment feature. Lien holders have the option to use credit cards for large purchases and to set up automatic payments with reminders and autopay. To make sure you get paid on time, they can store your credit card information for recurring bills.
Complete CRM: 17hats CRM makes project and contact management for businesses easier. All of your customer data, including emails, documents, invoices, and notes, is gathered and stored in one location. This guarantees that on desktop and mobile devices, you can easily access anything you need.
Key Features
- Online invoices, quotes, contracts,
- Email and document templates
- To-do workflows
- Payment plans
- Past-due invoice reminders
- Email organization, and bookkeeping
- Client portal
- Zapier integration
Pricing
17Hats offers a flexible pricing structure with three packages tailored to different business needs:
- Essentials Package ($15/month)
- Standard Package ($30/month)
- Premier Package ($60/month)
17hats offers a 7-day free trial.
Bloom
Bloom is a dynamic software platform designed to revolutionize workflow management and team collaboration. With its intuitive interface and powerful features, Bloom helps teams work better together by making everything easy to use. You can keep track of tasks, chat with your team, and see everything in one place. It's simple, customizable, and helps get things done faster.
Best Features
Invoicing and Payment: Bloom supports recurring payments, allowing clients to set up auto-charge options for convenience. The Cash App, Venmo, and Zelle integrations make it simple for customers to make payments. Users can also simply add contracts to invoices and brand them, eliminating the need for additional tools.
Lead Management: Tracking prospects and turning them into clients is made easier with Bloom's lead management tool. With Bloom, customers can automatically generate fresh leads and collect leads with ease by utilizing customisable lead capture forms. You can set statuses, add tags, and even trigger follow-up emails automatically.
Contract Signing: Bloom simplifies the process of getting work done by offering legally binding eSignatures. With Bloom, you can upload existing contract PDFs or create new templates, making it easy to manage all your contracts in one place.
Key Features
- Workflow Task Management
- Custom Labels
- Quickbooks, Stripe and Square Integration (CC & ACH)
- Bank Transfers
- Recurring Invoices
- Template Library
- Payment Schedules
- Custom Branding
- Sign Digital Contracts
Pricing
Bloom provides customizable pricing options.
- The cost of the starter plan is $7 (paid annually) or $9 (billed monthly).
- The cost of the Standard plan is $17 per year or $22 per month.
- The cost of the Plus plan is $33 (paid annually) or $39 (paid monthly).
Bloom gives you a free 7-day trial.
Plutio
Businesses can easily work together on projects, exchange files, draft proposals, issue bills, collect payments, and automate workflows—all in one location—with Plutio. Plutio provides a consolidated platform that facilitates expansion, increases productivity, and saves time. Plutio's user-friendly layout and straightforward features make it a popular choice among firms looking to optimize their processes.
Best Features
Customizable Proposals: Plutio simplifies the process of creating compelling proposals with customizable templates, dynamic content, and integrated tools like contracts and invoices. Plus, automated functions such as project creation upon proposal approval add efficiency. Plutio's intuitive interface ensures ease of use for both you and your clients, helping you boost visibility and conversions effortlessly.
Project Management: With customizable views like list, timeline, Kanban, and calendar, managing projects becomes effortless. You can collaborate seamlessly with built-in tools for documents, comments, and permissions. Plutio Projects simplify project organization, saving time and boosting productivity for freelancers, agencies, and small businesses.
Time Tracking: Plutio's Time Tracking feature monitors the billing of work hours. With easy one-click timers accessible from any device, you can accurately track time spent on projects. You can gain valuable insights with detailed reporting and integrate seamlessly with other apps via Plutio's API.
Key Features
- Supports 25+ languages, multi-currencies and payment methods
- Single sign-on authentication
- Invite co-owners
- Create easy-to-fill forms
- Custom API or connect with third-party apps to sync data
- Easily view and manage form responses in one place.
Pricing
Plutio offers three plans:
- Solo plan at $19 per month
- Studio plan at $39 per month
- Agency plan at $99 per month
You can try the software for free for 7 days.
FreshBooks
FreshBooks, an online accounting software and invoicing alternative to Dubsado, is made to make financial responsibilities like time tracking, cost tracking, and invoicing easier for independent contractors, small enterprises, and self-employed professionals. It provides an easy-to-use interface with features that make managing finances easier on several levels.
Best Features
Invoicing: FreshBooks' creates professional invoices quickly, customizes them with your logo, and sends them digitally to clients. Users can accept various payment methods, including credit cards and ACH, speeding up payment cycles. It also tracks billable hours and expenses effortlessly, ensuring accurate invoicing.
Timing: Whether at your desk or on the go, you can effortlessly track time for customers and projects with our user-friendly interface. Effectively work together as a team by keeping an eye on how everyone is allocating their time. With only one click, create precise invoices that guarantee payment for each minute of labour.
Payments: Accurate financial tracking is ensured by the automatic recording of payments through seamless connectivity. Select from a range of payment methods, including bank transfers and credit cards, all with clear costs and no additional charges. Enjoy the ease and security of FreshBooks Payments while boosting customer satisfaction with quicker payments.
Key Features
- Send unlimited invoices
- Track unlimited expenses
- Get paid with credit cards and bank transfers (ACH)i
- Run reports for an easy tax time
- Set up recurring invoices and client retainers
- Send unlimited estimates and proposals
- Get paid with credit cards and bank transfers (ACH)
Pricing
FreshBooks offers a diverse pricing structure.
- Lite plan: $9.50 per month or $148.20 annually
- Plus plan: $16.50 per month or $257.40 annually
- Premium plan: $30.00 per month or $468 annually
- Select plan: The pricing and features of the Select plan are tailored to individual business needs
A 30-day free trial is also provided.
Comparison Table: Dubsado Vs. Cone
In this table, let us compare Dubsado with Cone, one of the reliable Dubsado alternatives.
Feature
Dubsado
Cone
Primary Focus
Client management and business automation for small businesses
Comprehensive practice management for small businesses
Automation
Workflow automation for client management
Automated invoicing, scheduling, document management
Proposals and Contracts
Proposal creation, e-signatures
Proposal creation, e-signatures, automated contracts
Payment Processing
Invoice creation, payment processing
Invoice creation, automated payments, international payment support
Client Portal
Yes
Yes, with additional features
CRM Capabilities
Basic CRM functionalities
Robust CRM with client and project tracking
Integrations
Limited, known issues with Xero
Extensive integrations with popular tools and software
Mobile Access
Yes
Yes
Pricing
$50 per month
Starts at $5 per user per month
Free Trial
Available
Available
How To Choose a Dubsado Alternative?
Finding the perfect Dubsado alternative hinges on understanding your specific workflow needs. Here's a breakdown to help you choose wisely:
Consider Your Workflow:
Freelancer/Solopreneur: Prioritize features like proposals, invoicing, and basic project management. Options like Cone or Freshbooks might be ideal.
Project-Heavy Business: Look for robust project management with tasks, deadlines, and client collaboration. Tools like ClickUp or Cone could be strong contenders.
Team Management: If you manage a team, prioritize options with features like user roles and permissions. Consider Cone, Practice or Creatio.
Feature Wishlist:
Proposals And Contracts: Do you need advanced proposal creation and e-signing capabilities?
Project Management: How important are task management, scheduling, and file sharing within projects?
Integrations: Do you need connections with other tools you use (e.g., email marketing, accounting software)?
Answering these questions will help you come to a better conclusion to choosing one of the Dubsado alternatives.
Budget:
Pricing: Compare the pricing plans of different Dubsado alternatives. Consider if the software scales with your business growth. Explore the free trials or demos offered by many platforms to test-drive their functionalities before committing.
User Reviews and Interface: Read user reviews to understand real-life experiences with different software. Look for a platform with a user-friendly interface that feels intuitive for you.
Free Trials: Every Dubsado alternative software offers a trial period. You can use the trial period to learn about the software and its usability. This will help you arrive at a decision.
Why Is Cone The Best Dubsado Alternative?
Your business deserves tools that adapt seamlessly to its unique needs. In line with that, Cone emerges as the superior alternative to Dubsado, offering a cohesive business management platform that eliminates the hassle of navigating multiple platforms.
Here's why Cone stands out:
Unified Platform: Cone eliminates the need to switch between many platforms. Our user-friendly software streamlines the management of your business activities by integrating all necessary capabilities, such as proposal development, project management, and invoicing.
Intuitive Interface: Cone's intuitive interface makes using the program easy. Easily navigate through features and access powerful tools to optimize your business operations.
Affordability: By providing significant savings of up to 90% in comparison to alternatives, Cone makes sure you get the most out of your investment without sacrificing quality.
Exceptional Support: Get unmatched assistance from our committed group of experts. We're dedicated to assisting you in maximizing Cone's advantages for your accounting practice, from onboarding support to continuing assistance.
Book a demo today and witness firsthand how Cone can revolutionize your accounting practice.
Don't just take our word for it – try out Cone today and experience the difference for yourself.
Closing Thoughts
While Dubsado offers a robust set of features, its limitations and challenges may leave you searching for greener pastures. In the end, trying out different options beyond Dubsado can be like searching for the perfect tool to make your business run smoothly. While Dubsado is good, sometimes it's just not the best fit for everyone. Because managing clients and projects shouldn't be a headache.
That's where Cone comes in as a great Dubsado alternative.
With Cone workflow management softwares, you have a powerful ally that simplifies every aspect of your business operations. Its best features include
- Flexible proposal editor for creating professional, customized proposals efficiently.
- Creation of quotes and invoices, eliminating manual invoicing.
- Integrates billing and payments into the proposal workflow, supporting multiple payment methods.
- Manage sales pipeline, and track the progress of proposals and engagements.
- Tools for drafting and sending engagement letters, and simplifying client onboarding.
- Projects start automatically after proposal acceptance, streamlining project execution.
- Workflows to streamline tasks, deadlines, and project progress.
- Client portal for seamless communication and collaboration.
- Billing and payments are seamlessly integrated into project workflows.
- Users gain clear visibility into team tasks, deadlines, and project progress.
So why not give Cone a try? Sign up now to start your free trial and see how it can take your business to the next level!
FAQs
- What is better than Dubsado?
There's no single "better" option; it depends on each business's individual needs. If you are looking for a feature-rich platform with strong project management and built-in communication, you can try Cone’s Practice management software.
- Why choose Dubsado over HoneyBook?
While both excel in client management, Dubsado might be a better fit if extensive project management and automation are crucial. HoneyBook shines in client communication and a more design-centric interface.
- Is Dubsado a good CRM?
Dubsado offers basic CRM functionalities like client data storage and communication tools. But for advanced sales pipelines, lead scoring, and in-depth analytics, a dedicated CRM like Cone or Creatio could be more effective.
- What is the difference between Dubsado and practice?
Both offer project management, proposals, and invoicing. However, Practice caters more towards larger agencies with features like team collaboration and resource management. Dubsado focuses on solopreneurs and freelancers with a simpler interface.
- What is a more comprehensive CRM than Dubsado?
For a powerful CRM with marketing automation and advanced sales features, explore options like Cone or Salesmate. These offer functionalities beyond Dubsado's core client management and project scope.