HoneyBook Reviews

Pros

I love how easy it is to use, and how amenable the HB team is to updating the software if you have a feature request or complaint. It provides very visual, easy user prompts that allow me to easily accomplish what I need in a fraction of the time of other software apps I've tried.

Cons

It's annoying that I can't delete the default emails that came with my account to replace them with my own workflow, so myself or a team member doesn't get confused with their suggested emails vs. the ones I actually want to use.

Pros

Honeybook is incredibly intuitive and easy to use. Luckily, I started using it when I began my business, so I didn't need to transfer any existing CRM or sales data over. When I was onboarding, HoneyBook's support staff loaded in a bunch of pre-designed templates specific to my industry. They also took images I sent them of my products and prices and turned them into usable sales proposals. That alone has saved me WEEKS of time that I would have had to spend learning how to use HoneyBook and manually inputting my content.

Cons

The time tracker does not function to the extent that I need it to. I currently use Time Doctor to track my time, but it would be nice if I could keep everything in HoneyBook.

Also, I oftentimes don't see my reminders for following up with "tasks" for clients in my projects pipeline. If there's a way to have those notifications automatically sync with my personal google calendar and send me an email reminder, that would be helpful. Pipedrive's CRM and sales pipeline does a really great job of showing urgent prospects to follow up with. I think it color-codes them too.

Also, the email feature within HoneyBook can be a bit confusing. Sometimes, I can't tell if an email sent or not. The notes are also not displayed in a way that's very easy to read. It would be nice to add bullets, bold text, underline, etc. Pipedrive does a really great job of showing all of the email threads and notes between clients and multiple team members in their CRM.

Also, the first time I sent an invoice, HoneyBook automatically included a place for gratuity/tip. I've now figured out how to turn that setting off, but I couldn't see that it was automatically included in my invoice ahead of time. With my business (and I think most), they will never need gratuity, so I think that's kind of an odd setting. Maybe instead of having to click and review the settings in the left side bar of invoices, there could be an extra prompt to review those settings before the user sends the proposal to their client.

Pros

Keeps contracts in one place, able to accept credit cards. You can network with other vendors, and they seem to really concentrate more on this than actually developing software that works well.

Cons

I am a "founding" Honeybook user and bought the lifetime membership. At first, HB was very convenient. The learning curve was very frustrating as the online software had many MANY bugs. It still does. The entire premise behind the software was to free up your time, have all your projects in one place, sign contract, get paid, etc. Yes, great idea! However, the software has so many glitches! You're not able to even edit a person in your contacts. Their customer support team used to be great you could actually message a real person - now you have to wait a day or two to get an email answer and most of the time they just send you a link to deal with your problem. Once you email your client the contract, everything goes down the Honeybook "rabbit hole". My clients are tech savvy and they can't even figure out Honeybook - the emails that I've received from frustrated clients is numerous. Save your time and money and get another online software that will actually do the job - like Sprout Studio or Dubsado. Wish I would have done that from the beginning. Regretting my purchase since my lifetime "membership" isn't transferrable and Honeybook continues to make money off of me by accepting credit card payments. I looked at 17hats, which also didn't have great reviews before I purchased Honeybook. Moving on, however, I'm assuming that the process will not be easy transferring existing contracts and other office files.

Pros

Everyone kept telling me, "Honeybook is great, but there's a learning curve." So I was a little intimidated. They were wrong, I could jump in face first and start using it exclusively immediately. Even in the middle of a terrible time for my little business, I will pull all the strings I can find to be able to afford Honeybook. It's easy for me, easy for my clients and keeps me focused. It saves me time and energy and thats the most important thing!

Cons

The only thing I'm having issues with right now is making a brochure. It probably user error, but I wish it there more extensive editing capabilities within the brochure making operation. I will play around with it some more though.

Pros

I love how organized I feel using this product - I can see at a glance where I am in the process with all of my clients and it is amazing to pull up all the correspondence with each client in one place. It has made a world of difference and I am beyond happy with it!

Cons

The thing I like least is the limitation when building templates for contracts, proposals, questionnaires, etc. - I am in the business of photography and delivering beautiful images is what sets my soul on fire! I wish I could add some of my images into some of my documents and have full control over the size and their location in the document. The way it is set up right now is a square crop on any image which can only be left, center, and right page. Dubsado has the leg up on Honeybook in that regard but otherwise I am totally happy with Honeybook.

Pros

I love the brochures and proposals features. It makes things SO easy for me and my clients! I also love that I can use HoneyBook for project specific emails, so I have everything in one place!

Cons

It's not really a con, but I don't use the community aspect of the platform. I'm sure it's amazing too though. 😄

Pros

Booking clients and communicating with them throughout the planning stages of their project has become seamless. I have all emails and files in one place. I can easily make changes to their upcoming appointment, reschedule make suggestions on another location. I am able to send all documents in one proposal email. and get their signature on everything at once. Payments go through easily and client payment reminders have been very helpful.

Cons

I am a new user and it's a little difficult to set up to how I do business. It's taking me a lot longer than I would like to get things just how I want them. There are things I want to change such as the flow of automatic emails. I am having a hard time figuring out exactly where to change those settings.

Pros

I am NOT administratively gifted and have always struggled with organization and client management. HoneyBook makes those tasks so much easier by keeping everything in one place with tools easily accessible. The learning curve is fairly quick and painless and the customer service is wonderful! This software has given my business a much needed professional face lift and improved the client experience tenfold! I offer luxury services to high end clients and now I feel confident that every interaction supports and compliments my luxury brand!

Cons

No I'm very happy. There's honestly nothing I would change.

Pros

I like how integrated HoneyBook is. There's a scheduler that integrates with Google Cal, a Chrome extension you can add to Gmail, and it connects with the contact form on my website.

The templates are SO helpful and also connect with one another for internal integration within the HB platform. When you send a client a pricing brochure, they can click what they'd like to invest in, then you can turn it into a proposal and a contract in one. They can review their project services, payment plan (set up auto pay - YAY), and legal agreement.

Cons

It would be nice if there was a bit more customization within the templates for brochure layouts to stay on brand with fonts and better, more custom image blocks.

Pros

Ease of use! It keeps track of my finances and all of my contacts and forms.

Cons

I would love if my Questionnaire could be customized some (colors, pictures, font, etc.). Would love if I could "search" for a client (search bar). Spacing is sometimes "wonky" when sending emails. I would like if it didn't look like an error within the template.

Pros

I love the pipeline, where each client's project is categorized by stage (new inquiry, tour scheduled, proposal signed, etc.). I can pull up all clients who are in the "Planning" stage of the pipeline, for example.

Under each client's project is absolutely everything related to their project: all emails exchanged, contracts, payment schedule, separate workspaces with vendors who will be working on the project, and more. I have templates for emails and have them sent automatically. One goes out when we receive an inquiry, a different one 5 days after client signs the contract, and another 30 days before their event date. There are also templates for brochures, contracts, and payment plans. I can't imagine having to do all of that manually!

I set the system up for my business with no outside assistance. It was easy to understand.

Cons

Would like to have more ability to make formatting changes (bullets, numbering, bold, etc.) when editing a document. I can do this on a new document, but not when editing an existing one.
Workflows could be improved to have more triggers and the ability to automatically send files.

Pros

Running my own business where clients contract via email and forms through my website can get overwhelming when trying to keep track of small but important details. Invoicing, payment processing, contracts, client communication, client surveys and now they have a feature where you can connect with other local professionals on projects. Very useful.

Cons

I wish it was a little more upscale looking on fonts, colors and the user experience. My brand is more of a luxury brand so I want customers to feel like when they're being transferred to the contract or payment portion of our interactions that they're still receiving a luxury experience.

Pros

1.Template building for sure. Not having to hand customize every single contract has saved so much time.
2. The fact that, in the wedding industry, it is heavily female dominant.... which means a lot of us are moms.... which means that this app allowed me to take care of critical work while on my phone. THAT is a lifesaver with kiddos. If you know you know!
3. The time between sending a proposal and getting paid (depending on how ready to book a client was) was minutes at most. I’d get live feedback when they opened the file, signed the contract, and made a payment. I never had to guess.
4. Customer service was great!!! They actively ask for feedback from their customers and even go granular with their questions so they can consider the nuances of each client’s industry!

Cons

1. The email communication side of the app is very hit or miss. Where they soar with sending files and making payments a BREEZE, the ability to create a streamlined, semi-automated Follow-up process for leads that come in is sorely lacking. Even if HoneyBook never intends to be the best at that portion of sales, I feel it is a simple task to add a feature that makes it easy to add tags to leads so that you can export those contacts to a service that DOES soar in email communication and lead nurturing.
2. There is still a lot of room for more organization in the communication process from sales to project completion.

Pros

I love how seamless and easy to use it is. It may be a transition at first but once you get changed over you will NEVER go back. The workflow is so easy to use and very customizable. Other softwares i've tested are not even comparable to how simple honeybook is to use.

Cons

The only thing i wish were better is the calendar system. It would be nice to be able to block dates out on the calendar to avoid booking, like if you had planned a vacation. I also with it would sync directly to ical. I hate having to make it use google becuase if google runs out of space it doesnt tell me and then i have a calendar issue.

Pros

User friendly for both myself and my clients, ease of set up (love that they do most of the upload work & it’s easily changeable!), the community it’s created, & the “opportunities” section.

Cons

1. I wish there was more internal automation, like the workflow applied just sent out the emails and not prompted me to act.
2. While “linked” with Calendly, it’s not linked in the correct way. I wish when someone signed up for a slot in Calendly, it could generate an automatic proposal that I could look over before sending, or sent automatically. When adding my “Calendly link” to a honeybook email, the link always fails. I don’t use Calendly enough to have this be a major issue, just a nuisance.
3. More flexibility in personal branding & branding the contact form. I don’t currently use the form on my site because of this.

Pros

There is a very small learning curve using Honeybook. When I convinced my previous employer to purchase Honeybook, I realized how very quick and easy it was to integrate into the company. Now, as a business owner, my employees can utilize Honeybook as well and our company can have full transparency on where we are at with each client.

Cons

I really wish that Batch Emailing had more options. We often need to send specific batch emails to our clients dependednt on which stage they are at on our timeline. Only having the options to hand select each client to send the batch emails to or to send them to our entire client list is an inefficient use of our time and thus we find no use for this tool that has so much potential to be so valuable to our business.

Pros

When singing up with Honeybook they took my exhausting contracts, forms, questionnaires and placed them into their system. This saved me so much time switching from DIY client management to this online resource.

Cons

When responding to an email through the software, it makes a new email. Some clients have more questions and I’d like a way to organize with in a project the emails.

Pros

I love that they are constantly evolving with the features of this software:
1) I am in love with the email scheduling that is connected to my gmail.
2) I love that i can now schedule sessions with my clients within Honeybook instead of sending links to my clients to schedule with outside scheduling platforms.

Cons

I would love to see a connection to Quickbooks Self Employed Software.
I would love more compatibility with the software on apple products. Honeybook's app does not have rotate-screen functionality on ipads, neither does the program fill the screen. It appears to be more of a trial or beta program when you use the Honeybook app on an apple device.
I would love to see a little more assistance with contracts. Automation for standard clauses.
A little on the expensive side per month compared to competition. Discounts promoted are basically the same promotion only for the first year. Would love to see some occasional additional discounts here and there.

Pros

The ability to work from anywhere at any time is one of the best features. I can access all the information for our clients from home and answer any questions. Since leads go directly to this program, all emails are attached to each project so you have a record of everything you said. The Library stores all our documents and handouts. I love the report section--last month the owner was starting a project to see what months was our best months for bookings. He said he was going to have to dig through Quickbooks for the information. I pointed out that the information was already in the Honeybooks!

Cons

The only thing have to say that is bad about this program is when there is an update of change. Opening up the program to do something and finding that things have changed with no notice is frustrating.

Pros

Honeybook is essential to running my business and now that I've been a user for more than 2 years, I can't imagine not using it. As a photographer, it is important for me to keep all of my scheduling, contracting, payments, and details as organized as possible so that I don't miss a meeting, or special detail for a wedding or photo session. Every part of my business is streamlined now that I use Honeybook. Reporting on Honeybook is made very easy from being able to see what % I've booked based on the number of signed contracts, where most of my clients find me, and how much money in taxes I need to pay for the quarter. Additionally, Honeybook has an opportunity board where creatives can post about need for associates, styled photo sessions. Finally, if you refer 2 people per year to Honeybook, your cost for the entire year is covered.. can't beat that!

Cons

There are times when I donate photo sessions to non-profits and want to be able to send an invoice showing how much the session would have cost, then adding a discount to show a $0 invoice but there is not a way to send that without charging the invoice and refunding. I wish that I could do more on the mobile app, but new features are being added frequently.

Pros

Honeybook provides many tutorials to help you get the most out of the program. Setting it up is fairly simple and worth the effort for the ease of use in managing your clients and how much time you save when using the features such as email and contract templates and task management. I love having everything about my couples in one place - the contract, tasks, payments, all messages and any notes. Plus, I can see the details at a glance and love the ability to integrate my own pictures so my clients and I can all see the beautiful eye catching graphics of my choosing.

Cons

I honestly can't think of anything I don't like. I thought I liked my old program a few years ago, but when it went defunct and I had to change, I was so grateful I was forced into an upgrade. I did not know what I was missing. This program simplified the management of my business beyond what I thought was possible.

Pros

I have been with HoneyBook since it’s inception, I was fortunate enough to be one of the founding fathers. In the beginning, what attracted me about the platform was the ability to focus on getting my clients booked quickly by keeping everything in one spot through the iOS app or web-based interface and it has been relatively easy for them to use as well. They were already an amazing company with an outstanding product, and with each update they release, they continue to exceed my expectations and help me run my business on the go by making the complicated tasks seem quick and easy. BEST INVESTMENT EVER!! Thank you so much for bringing me and my entertainment company to the 21st century!!!

Cons

Definitely Would like to see a review questionnaire or rating system with an HTML generator plugin that could be used to post on my website or google ad. Updated training videos for the new features.

Pros

Task automation
Easy to use invoice management with built in payment link
Modern and easy to read brochures and proposals
Contract integration with E signature capabilities
Easy to use platform
Manages all client communication with Gmail integration
Unbeatable customer service
AFFORDABLE

Cons

Difficult for clients to find current versions of proposals when looking for it from emails
Some shortcomings when working with teams (sharing proposals / contracts / invoices)

Pros

That everything is at my fingertips no matter where I am. I also like that I can track a clients contract, contact info, entire email exchange, invoicing at once. I like the reports and data that I can access easily. I like the ease of seeing the pipeline and where I'm at with my bookings. I like the daily reminders to follow up on my clients.

Cons

I would like the ability to look up a clients files by date - the calendar only shows bookings that have a retainer paid. I'd like to search by date and find prospectives. I'd like to search by category - for instance school dances versus weddings versus company parties. And, I'd like to see reports of how many of each type of gig we do each year.

Pros

I loved the interface and unique ways in which one could customize it for their own brand or company or client. I also LOVE that I can send a brochure, proposal, invoice, contract AND receive payment seamlessly all through Honeybook. And that I have an archive of all my client projects in one place.

Cons

There was a bit of a learning curve for me. It took me at least a good month before I felt "fluent" in Honeybook. Then I had to brief my clients on how to to work in the space as well. But once they were there in Honeybook land, they LOVED it.

In the first year, photo quality seemed to be compromised and had a few glitches with knowing when new messages from clients came in.