The main difference between HoneyBook vs QuickBooks is the primary need they cater to. While HoneyBook is an all-in-one client and business management platform designed specifically for service-based businesses, QuickBooks is primarily accounting software, focusing on financial management.
Rather than choosing one over the other, consider integrating HoneyBook with QuickBooks to combine the strength of the business management tools. To enable this integration, you must have an Essentials or Premium HoneyBook plan and a Simple Start, Essentials, or Plus QuickBooks Online plan.
- HoneyBook: Best for businesses seeking a comprehensive solution to manage their client relationships, projects, and basic financial tasks
- QuickBooks Online: Best for businesses focused on detailed accounting and payroll management
As an entrepreneur myself, I am dedicated to researching the software and services that will streamline accounting processes, ultimately saving time and money. I leverage my expertise and extensive research capabilities to address the questions that the Fit Small Business audience has—and this ensures that content is rooted in knowledge and accuracy.
The Fit Small Business editorial policy is rooted in the company’s mission, which is to deliver the best answers to people’s questions. Fit Small Business maintains stringent parameters for determining the “best” answers, including accuracy, clarity, authority, objectivity, and accessibility, and these see to it that our content is trustworthy, easy to understand, and unbiased.
HoneyBook vs QuickBooks: Quick Comparison
 |  | |
|---|---|---|
Primary Uses | Client and business management | Bookkeeping and payroll |
Monthly Pricing | $19 to $79 | $35 to $235 |
Free Trial | 7 days | 30 days |
Discount | Two months free if you enroll in annual plan | 50% off for three months without the free trial |
Multi-company Accounting | Premium plan only | ✕ |
Payroll | ✕ | Add-on |
Inventory Management | ✕ | Limited |
Unlimited Transactions | ✓ | ✓ |
Accessibility | Cloud-based | Cloud-based |
Mobile App | iOS and Android | iOS and Android |
Ease of Sharing With External Accountants | ✕ | External accountants can be set up as accountant users to grant them full access to your books |
Scalability | Each plan includes a set number of users; up to unlimited seats in Premium | Each tier includes a set number of seats; up to 25 users in Advanced |
Ease of Use | Easy to use; doesn’t require any accounting experience | Easy to use; doesn’t require any accounting experience |
Customer Service | Email, live chat, and free file setup | |
Average Rating on Third-party Sites | ||
Use Cases & Pros & Cons
HoneyBook is particularly well-suited for service-based businesses that rely heavily on client relationships and project management. Here are some common use cases that often benefit from the software:
- Businesses wanting both a strong accounting system and client management tools: QuickBooks Online leads our roundup of the best small business accounting software, and HoneyBook is our the top freelance client management software in our list of the best CRM for freelancers. Because HoneyBook integrates with QuickBooks, you can enjoy the benefits of both software on one platform.
- Creative professionals: Photographers, artists, graphic designers, illustrators, web designers, and other creatives needing to manage client projects, proposals, contracts, and invoices will like HoneyBook’s clientflow management tools like a project pipeline and client portal.
- Freelancers and consultants: Writers, editors, marketing consultants, business coaches, virtual assistants, and other freelancers seeking to streamline their client onboarding process and manage projects efficiently will benefit from HoneyBook’s productivity tools like time tracking and the ability to automate certain tasks.
- Health and beauty professionals: Therapists, nutritionists, personal trainers, hair stylists, makeup artists, and other health and beauty professionals needing to book appointments, send reminders, manage client information, and process payments will appreciate HoneyBook’s scheduling and payment features.
Pros
- Intuitive and easy to use
- Ability to accept online payments
- Custom tasks can be automated
- All-in-one client management tool
- Customizable file templates
Cons
- No free tier
- Limited reports
- Missing some CRM features
- Lack of features for big teams
- No phone support
QuickBooks Online is a good fit for the following types of businesses:
- Businesses seeking a full bookkeeping software: If you’re looking to manage all aspects of your company’s bookkeeping, then QuickBooks Online, our overall best small business accounting software, is a great solution. It is a full-featured accounting system that lets you invoice clients, pay bills, generate reports, manage payroll, track time and expenses, and more.
- Businesses often requiring bookkeeping support: If you need professional bookkeeping support often, you can sign up for QuickBooks Live, QuickBooks Online’s assisted bookkeeping add-on, or find a ProAdvisor in your area. You can read our QuickBooks Live review for more information or our guide on how to find a QuickBooks ProAdvisor to help you through the process.
- DIY business owners: QuickBooks Online is designed to be used by business owners and office managers without a formal accounting or bookkeeping education. It’s easy to use, and there are plenty of resources available to help you, like our free QuickBooks Online tutorials.
- Businesses needing to track business mileage: QuickBooks Online’s mobile app can track business mileage with GPS, which can benefit businesses like delivery companies. We also selected QuickBooks Online’s app as one of our top mobile accounting apps.
Pros
- Complete bookkeeping system
- Can be accessed remotely
- High quality mobile app
- Scalable subscription options
- Easy to find a bookkeeper familiar with QuickBooks Online
Cons
- Requires separate subscription for each additional company
- No reports outside of accounting
- Not a CRM or project management tool like HoneyBook
While HoneyBook and QuickBooks Online are versatile tools, they may not be the ideal fit for every business. Here are some examples of businesses and their specific needs that might require different solutions:
- Product-based businesses with complex inventory management needs: Businesses selling physical products online often require robust inventory management systems to track stock levels, manage orders, and handle shipping logistics. While QuickBooks Online can integrate with some ecommerce platforms, dedicated inventory management or ecommerce platforms with built-in inventory management features may be more suitable. Check out our roundup of the top inventory management software for options.
- Field service businesses: Businesses providing on-site services like HVAC, plumbing, and electrical companies need software that enables scheduling, dispatching technicians, tracking job progress, and generating invoices in the field. Field service management software or mobile apps tailored for these industries are often more appropriate than general purpose tools. While our evaluation of the leading construction accounting software includes QuickBooks Online, you’ll also find a few other options.
- Professional services firms with complex billing: Law firms, consulting firms, and accounting practices often need time tracking and billing software that can track billable hours, generate detailed invoices, and manage client retainers. They may also need project management software with the ability to track project progress, allocate resources, and generate invoices based on project milestones. Our list of the best time tracking software contains useful recommendations, like Clockify.
User Reviews: HoneyBook Wins
| | |
|---|---|---|
Average Rating on Third-party Sites | ||
Users Like | Ability to automate workflows Tools to onboard and book new clients Ability to invoice clients and accept payments Can collect digital signatures | Easy to use Excellent accounting feature set Can be accessed from different locations Many features can be accessed through the mobile app |
Users Dislike | Customer service not always responsive Not a lot of apps integrate with HoneyBook | Can’t manage multiple companies in a single account Lacks inventory assembly management |
Both HoneyBook and QuickBooks Online received mostly positive reviews, but I’m more impressed with HoneyBook because of its consistently high scores when it comes to its ease of use and efficiency tools. While QuickBooks is a much more robust software, it can be enhanced with a HoneyBook integration, which some users commented upon. Therefore, I selected HoneyBook as the winner of this category.
One satisfied user shared that HoneyBook helps them automate workflows to streamline their performance and daily tasks. They also commented on the easy to use contact forms and simple tools for booking new clients. I commend HoneyBook’s ability to send invoices, and contracts, as well as collect digital signatures..
On the downside, some users have complained about HoneyBook’s customer service not being as responsive as it could be. Others felt some things that seem so simple are overly complicated. A few users wished that there could be more applications that integrate with HoneyBook and also alternative payment options.
As of this writing, here’s how HoneyBook is rated on top review websites:
QuickBooks Online receives high praise for its ease of use and customization options, especially with invoices and reports. One user commented on its ability to categorize bank transactions and expenses. Because HoneyBook isn’t a double-entry accounting system, QuickBooks is more comprehensive in many areas.
Looking at the flip side, a reviewer was critical of the fact that they were unable to manage multiple companies in a single account—which is possible in HoneyBook’s Premium plan. Also, another shared that the program doesn’t have an “undo” button, so if you make a mistake, you have to know how to reverse or correct it.
QuickBooks Online earned the following average scores on popular review sites:
Pricing: HoneyBook Wins
| | |
|---|---|---|
Plans & Monthly Pricing |
|
|
Starting Monthly Price for Software + Payroll | N/A | Payroll starts at $50 plus $6 per employee; is an add-on to each of the plan prices listed above |
Number of Users Included |
|
|
Free Trial | 7 days | 30 days |
Discount | Two months free if you enroll in annual plan | 50% off for three months without the free trial |
While QuickBooks has a couple of advantages over HoneyBook—like a longer free trial period and a payroll add-on—HoneyBook takes the lead with its less expensive pricing and ability to accommodate unlimited seats with its Premium plan. If you have several users, it makes more sense to upgrade to Premium at $79 a month since QuickBooks Online’s Advanced plan is priced at $235 monthly and only accommodates 25 users. You’ll also receive the first two months free if you enroll in HoneyBook’s annual plan.
Features: QuickBooks Online Wins
Comparing the features of QuickBooks Online vs HoneyBook is a bit like comparing apples and oranges. QuickBooks is a bookkeeping system with just a few CRM features, while HoneyBook is a CRM system with a few bookkeeping features. When I was looking at the primary features of each program, I found very little overlap.
| | |
|---|---|---|
Invoicing | ✓ | ✓ |
Banking & Cash Management | ✕ | ✓ |
Accounts Payable | ✕ | ✓ |
Inventory Management | ✕ | ✓ |
Online Contracts | ✓ | ✕ |
Online Scheduling | ✓ | ✕ |
Invoicing & A/R Management: QuickBooks Online Wins
Invoicing and A/R management is the one area where there is a lot of overlap between QuickBooks Online and HoneyBooks.
| | |
|---|---|---|
Create & Issue Invoices | ✓ | ✓ |
Customize Invoices | ✓ | ✓ |
Email & Print Invoices | ✓ | ✓ |
View Outstanding Invoices | ✓ | ✓ |
Create Recurring Invoices | ✓ | ✓ |
Accept Short Payments From Customers | ✓ | ✓ |
Calculate Sales Tax Rate Based on Customer Address | ✕ | ✓ |
Issue a Refund Check | ✕ | ✓ |
While both HoneyBook and QuickBooks offer useful A/R features like the ability to create, customize, and issue invoices via email, as well as to create recurring invoices and accept short payments from customers, QuickBooks is the only one that lets you calculate the sales tax rate based on the customer’s address and issue refund checks, so I chose it as the winner of this category.
Integrations: QuickBooks Online Wins
When it comes to integrations, QuickBooks Online has over 750, whereas HoneyBook integrates with just a handful. Therefore, QuickBooks takes the lead in this category.
HoneyBook offers the following integrations:
- Email and calendar: Integrate your Gmail, Outlook, iCloud, or other email provider to streamline your client communication and calendar.
- QuickBooks: Sync your information from HoneyBook to QuickBooks via one-way sync.
- Calendly: Integrate HoneyBook with Calendly to sync meetings or pull information from your HoneyBook calendar into Calendly.
- Facebook: Integrate with Facebook lead ads and populate your leads into HoneyBook.
- Pic-Time: Photographers can use this integration to create new galleries and connect existing ones.
- Zapier: Zapier can be used to automate other tools like Trello, Asana, Google Drive, Clickup, and more.
In addition to its 750+ integrations, QuickBooks has three direct integrations that can be accessed within the software:
- QuickBooks Payroll: Click on QuickBooks Payroll from within QuickBooks and access full payroll functionality.
- QuickBooks Time: Use the mobile app to track time and then bill customers or use it for payroll within QuickBooks Online. Time has many advanced features, including GPS tracking of employees and timeclock terminals with facial recognition.
- QuickBooks Payments: This built-in payment processor lets QuickBooks Online users accept in-person, check, cash, and credit card payments.
There are also many third-party apps that integrate with the software. These include PayPal, Stripe, Shopify, Expensify, HubSpot CRM, and BILL. I believe a few stand out—and these are featured in our guide to the best QuickBooks Online integrations.
Mobile App Functionality: QuickBooks Online Wins
| | |
|---|---|---|
Accessibility | iOS and Android | iOS and Android |
Create & Send Invoices | ✓ | ✓ |
Accept Payments Online | ✓ | ✓ |
View Reports | ✓ | ✓ |
Capture Expense Receipt | ✕ | ✓ |
Categorize Expenses From Bank Feeds | ✕ | ✓ |
Track Business Mileage | ✕ | ✓ |
Record Time Worked | ✓ | ✕ |
Assign Time Worked to a Customer or Project | ✓ | ✕ |
Enter Bills & Bill Payments | ✕ | ✕ |
Both HoneyBook and QuickBooks Online offer a mobile app for iOS and Android users, but HoneyBook lacks many features that come with the QuickBooks app, which is why QuickBooks wins this category. HoneyBook doesn’t let you capture expense receipts or categorize expenses from bank feeds and doesn’t track business mileage.
Ease of Use: Tie
| | |
|---|---|---|
Accessibility | Cloud | Cloud |
Shortcut buttons | ✓ | ✓ |
Ease of Setup | Easy | Easy |
Intuitive dashboard | ✓ | ✓ |
Overall Ease of Use | Moderate | Moderate |
I declared this category a tie since both software are easy to set up and offer an intuitive dashboard. I also appreciated that they have shortcut buttons and are accessible via the cloud.
Customer Support: QuickBooks Online Wins
Both HoneyBook and QuickBooks offer email and live chat support, but only QuickBooks offers phone support once you fill out a form online to request a callback; and if you subscribe to the Advanced tier, you will be able to call support. Also, while you can access 24/7 support with QuickBooks Online’s Advanced plan, HoneyBook doesn’t offer this option. Therefore, I chose QuickBooks Online as the leader of this category.
How I Evaluated QuickBooks vs HoneyBook
Here’s a breakdown of the key factors I used when evaluating HoneyBook vs QuickBooks:
- Pricing: I checked how much the software costs and whether a free trial version is offered.
- Features: I looked at the features offered, including invoicing, banking and cash management, accounts payable, inventory management, online scheduling, and online contracts.
- Mobile app functionality: I compared the mobile app functionality for each platform and checked whether apps are available for both iOS and Android users.
- Integrations: I researched the available integrations for each software and reviewed how easily they integrate with each other as well.
- Ease of use: I evaluated how easy it is to set up to use HoneyBook and QuickBooks Online, especially for users without extensive technical expertise. I also considered whether the dashboard contains shortcut buttons and other tools that make navigating more intuitive.
- Customer support: I looked into the available customer support options, such as phone, email, live chat, chatbot, and self-help resources. I also considered whether 24/7 support is available.
- Customer reviews: I reviewed customer feedback on popular third-party review websites.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
You can use HoneyBook for some aspects of your bookkeeping, but it’s not a comprehensive bookkeeping solution like QuickBooks Online. While HoneyBook allows you to create and send invoices, accept online payments, and track payment statuses, it is not a double-entry accounting system and doesn’t have a built-in inventory reconciliation feature or payroll management capabilities. It also lacks features like automatic importing of transactions or receipt scanning.
HoneyBook and QuickBooks work together seamlessly through an integration that allows for a smooth flow of financial data between the two platforms. This integration primarily focuses on synchronizing payment information from HoneyBook into QuickBooks Online. You need to have an Essentials or Premium HoneyBook plan and a Simple Start, Essentials, or Plus QuickBooks Online plan to enable the integration.
You should consider adding the HoneyBook integration to QuickBooks Online when you use HoneyBook extensively for client management and invoicing and want to streamline your financial processes by automatically syncing invoices, payments, and client information between the two platforms. You may also want to improve your financial reporting and analysis by having a more complete and accurate picture of your income and expenses, including details from your HoneyBook transactions.
Yes, HoneyBook does take a percentage of payments processed through its platform. The specific fees depend on the type of payment and how it’s processed. Card payments range from 2.9% plus 25 cents per transaction, up to 3.4% plus 9 cents per transaction. Direct bank transfers are 1.5% per transaction.
HoneyBook offers a range of benefits that can streamline your business operations and improve your client experience. Some of the key advantages include centralized client management, streamlined workflows, the ability to accept online payments and send invoices, time tracking, project management tools, and a client portal where clients can view project details, access documents, and make payments.
Bottom Line
The choice between QuickBooks vs HoneyBook ultimately boils down to your specific needs and priorities. If your primary focus is on robust accounting and financial reporting, then QuickBooks stands out with its in-depth features and scalability. On the other hand, if you’re a service-based business prioritizing client relationship management, project organization, and streamlined workflows, HoneyBook offers a user-friendly platform that is tailored to your needs.
Also, it’s important to keep in mind that these platforms aren’t mutually exclusive. The integration between QuickBooks and HoneyBook allows you to leverage the strengths of both, ensuring a combination of efficient financial management and seamless client interactions.
[1]Capterra | HoneyBook
[2]G2 | HoneyBook
[3]Capterra | QuickBooks Online
[4]G2 | QuickBooks Online