HoneyBook review
Client management and payments for small service businesses: proposals, contracts, invoices, scheduling and automations.
HoneyBook is the best pick for a wedding pro whose main headache is getting contracts signed and invoices paid, from $36/mo (or $29/mo billed yearly). It has no guest list, RSVP or seating, so a couple should not use it: you'd be paying for business software that doesn't plan a wedding.
- Price
- From $36/mo
- Platforms
- Web, iOS, Android
- Rating
- 4.8/5 on Apple App Store (16,301)
- Last checked
- September 30, 2026
Who HoneyBook is for
Pick it if: Wedding planners, photographers and other vendors who want contracts, invoices and payments handled in one client portal.
Skip it if: Couples planning their own wedding, and planners who need guest lists, seating or timelines built in.
What we like, and what to watch out for
What we like
- Proposals, contracts, invoices and payments sit on the same project, so 'did they sign and pay' is one screen.
- Unlimited clients and projects on every plan, even the $36/mo Starter.
- Prices are public; 30-day free trial with no credit card, and a 60-day money-back guarantee.
- Highly rated by users: 4.7/5 from 691 Capterra reviews and 4.8/5 from 16,301 App Store ratings.
- iOS and Android apps for replying to inquiries and checking payments on the go.
Watch out for
- No guest list, RSVP, seating chart or wedding website, so planners need a second tool for event logistics.
- February 2025 price rise: Starter went from $19 to $36/mo and Premium from $79 to $129/mo, per third-party reviews.
- Card processing from 2.7% + 10¢ per payment on top of the subscription.
- Automations and QuickBooks sync need Essentials ($49–$59/mo); more than 2 team members needs Premium.
- Several users report slow payouts compared with Square or Stripe.
How much does HoneyBook cost?
$36/$59/$129 per month billed monthly, or $29/$49/$109 per month billed yearly
| Plan or add-on | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $36/mo monthly, $29/mo billed yearly | Unlimited clients and projects, invoices, payments, proposals, contracts, client portal, up to 2 live lead forms. |
| Essentials | $59/mo monthly, $49/mo billed yearly | Adds scheduler, automations, QuickBooks Online, up to 2 team members, 10 lead forms, SMS reminders, removes HoneyBook branding. |
| Premium | $129/mo monthly, $109/mo billed yearly | Unlimited team members, multiple companies, priority support, advanced reports, unlimited lead forms. |
Costs that are easy to miss
- Card payments from 2.7% + 10¢; ACH bank transfers 1.5%.
- Prices rose on February 4, 2025 (Starter from $19 to $36/mo, per third-party reviews).
- Projects CSV report only on Essentials and Premium.
Features
| Feature | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Guest list | Not available | No guest list; HoneyBook's own content suggests pairing it with The Knot or Zola for guests. |
| Online RSVP | Not available | |
| Seating chart | Not available | No native seating charts; Prismm floor plans can be shared in client workspaces through a partner integration. |
| Budget tracker | Limited | Business finances (invoices, payments, expenses, reports), not a couple's wedding budget. |
| Checklist | Limited | Tasks, project pipeline and automated workflows (automations from Essentials). |
| Vendor tracking | Limited | Contacts and projects; no wedding vendor tracking per event. |
| Vendor marketplace | Not available | |
| Wedding website | Not available | Lead forms and a client portal, but no wedding website. |
| Registry | Not available | |
| Invitations | Not available | |
| Partner access | Included | Client portal; 2 team members on Essentials, unlimited on Premium. |
| Data export | Limited | Contacts to CSV; payments and projects CSV reports (projects report Essentials+ only). |
| Multi-event | Included | Unlimited clients and projects on every plan. |
| Mobile app | Included | iOS and Android apps with a reduced feature set (no workflows, reports or template editing on Android). |
Privacy: what happens to your data?
No ads inside the product and no vendor lead-sharing. The privacy policy covers interest-based advertising partners and analytics on its sites, with a 'Do Not Sell or Share' opt-out for CCPA purposes.
What couples say about HoneyBook
Summarized from app store reviews, Trustpilot and Reddit threads. Paraphrased, not quoted.
Praised for
- Users say it cuts admin time by putting contracts, invoices, scheduling and payments in one place.
- Automations and templates are frequently credited with a more professional client experience.
- Support is described as responsive and helpful.
- The interface is often called easy to learn.
Complaints
- The 2025 price increase is the most-cited complaint in 2025–2026 reviews and Reddit threads, with some pros switching to cheaper tools.
- Payment deposits can take several days to arrive.
- The mobile app is slower and more limited than the web version.
- Some users report features being removed or changed without compensation.
- Email deliverability and bulk messaging are limited.
Alternatives to HoneyBook
- Amovera8.8/10 · $129 once. Couples who want one calm, ad-free place for guests, RSVPs, seating and budget, especially for multi-event or multi-currency weddings, and would rather pay once than be marketed to.
- Aisle Planner6.7/10 · From $49.99/mo. Independent wedding planners and small planning firms who want seating, timelines and guest RSVP inside the same tool as their proposals and invoices.
- Planning Pod6.2/10 · From $199/mo. Wedding and event venues (and caterers) that need BEOs, floor plans, bookings and payments in one system.
Sources (11)
- HoneyBook pricing checked September 30, 2026
- HoneyBook llms.txt product overview checked September 30, 2026
- HoneyBook privacy policy checked September 30, 2026
- HoneyBook on Capterra checked September 30, 2026
- HoneyBook reviews on Trustpilot checked September 30, 2026
- HoneyBook on the Apple App Store checked September 30, 2026
- HoneyBook blog: HoneyBook vs. Aisle Planner (April 2026) checked September 30, 2026
- HoneyBook help: export your contacts list checked September 30, 2026
- HoneyBook help: about reports (downloadable CSV reports) checked September 30, 2026
- HoneyBook help: download and export your contacts list checked September 30, 2026
- Agiled: HoneyBook review 2026 after the price hike checked September 30, 2026