Last updated October 31, 2026 · Pricing verified October 2026 on vendor sites
17hats vs HoneyBook comes down to one flat plan with every feature against three tiers that start cheaper and grow with you.
Think of 17hats as the all-inclusive resort: one price, every amenity. HoneyBook is the hotel where you pick the room size and add the spa later.
If you’re a solo service business owner (photographer, coach, designer, consultant), the real decision is usually about two things: what you’ll actually pay over 12 to 24 months, and whether you want a single “everything” plan or a tiered setup where key features show up later.
Quick answer: 17hats vs HoneyBook in 2026
17hats (pick it if…)
You want one all-features plan from day one, with three ways to pay for it: $60 a month billed monthly, $600 a year billed yearly, or $800 for two years.
- Pick 17hats if you want every feature included at one price
- Pick 17hats if you already use Stripe or Square
- Pick 17hats if you’re ready to commit for one or two years
HoneyBook (pick it if…)
You want the lowest starting price, a longer trial, and the option to move up tiers as your needs grow (especially for automation and team access). Starter, Essentials and Premium cost $29, $49 and $109 a month billed yearly, or $36, $59 and $129 billed monthly.
- Pick HoneyBook if you want the lowest first-year price on Starter
- Pick HoneyBook if you want payments built in (cards, ACH, Apple Pay, Google Pay)
- Pick HoneyBook if you want a longer 30-day trial and a 60-day refund window
- Pick HoneyBook if you want a small team on the Essentials plan
Prices verified on 17hats’ and HoneyBook’s official pricing pages on October 26, 2026.
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17hats vs HoneyBook at a glance
| Category | 17hats | HoneyBook |
|---|---|---|
| Plans | One all-features plan | Starter, Essentials, Premium |
| Lowest price billed yearly | $600/year (about $50/month) | Starter: $29/month billed yearly ($348/year) |
| Price billed monthly | $60 | $36 / $59 / $129 (Starter / Essentials / Premium) |
| Longer commitment | Two years for $800 | None published beyond yearly |
| Free trial | 7 days (can be restarted) | 30 days (no credit card) |
| Money-back guarantee | 30 days | 60 days |
| Payments | Stripe or Square | HoneyBook payments: cards, ACH, Apple Pay, Google Pay |
| Automations | To-Do Workflows and Advanced Workflows | Essentials and Premium only |
| Team | Extra users can be added (no price stated) | Up to 2 team members on Essentials; unlimited on Premium |
| Clients and projects | Unlimited | Unlimited |
17hats in 2026: one plan, three ways to pay
17hats keeps pricing simple: one all-inclusive plan, and you decide how long you want to commit. It’s less like “choose your tier,” and more like “choose your billing rhythm.”
Here are the official options (USD):
- Monthly: $60 per month
- Yearly: $600 per year
- Bi-Yearly (two years): $800 for two years
Trial and guarantee details are straightforward too:
- 7-day free trial with all features and support included
- The trial can be restarted after it ends
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Add-ons exist, but the pricing is only stated for some of them:
- Bank Connect add-on: $5/month
- Extra users and extra brands are available (no price stated)
You’ll sometimes see promotional banners on the pricing page. Those change often, so they’re not used in this comparison.
Source: 17hats’ official pricing page (checked October 2026)
HoneyBook’s three plans: Starter, Essentials and Premium
HoneyBook is tiered by design. That’s great when you want to start lean, but it also means certain features (like automations and team access) are tied to specific plans.
Here’s the clean breakdown, using the official plan pricing and the key “why you’d move up” triggers.
- Starter: $29/month billed yearly ($348/year) or $36/month billed monthly. What pushes people up a tier: no automations, plus limits like up to two live lead forms and a scheduler limited to one session with email-only reminders.
- Essentials: $49/month billed yearly ($588/year) or $59/month billed monthly. Adds automations, unlimited scheduler sessions with SMS reminders, QuickBooks Online and 10 live lead forms. What pushes people up a tier: you want more than a small team (Essentials supports up to two team members).
- Premium: $109/month billed yearly or $129/month billed monthly. Adds unlimited team members, multiple companies, priority support and unlimited live lead forms.
For the deeper breakdown, see every HoneyBook plan, fee and limit explained.
Source: HoneyBook’s official pricing page (checked October 2026)
What each costs over 12 and 24 months
Most people settling 17hats vs HoneyBook don’t pick based on the monthly price. They pick based on what it costs across a full client season, plus whether they’ll still like the tool a year from now.
Here are the 12-month and 24-month totals (subscription only). Processing fees are a separate line item and depend on how you get paid.
| Tool / Plan | Cost over 12 months | Cost over 24 months |
|---|---|---|
| 17hats (billed monthly) | $720 | $1,440 |
| 17hats (Yearly) | $600 | $1,200 |
| 17hats (Bi-Yearly) | n/a | $800 |
| HoneyBook Starter (billed monthly) | $432 | $864 |
| HoneyBook Starter (billed yearly) | $348 | $696 |
| HoneyBook Essentials (billed monthly) | $708 | $1,416 |
| HoneyBook Essentials (billed yearly) | $588 | $1,176 |
| HoneyBook Premium (billed monthly) | $1,548 | $3,096 |
| HoneyBook Premium (billed yearly) | $1,308 | $2,616 |
Three quick takeaways that usually decide it for people:
- Cheapest first year: HoneyBook Starter at $348 (billed yearly).
- Closest match (year one): 17hats yearly ($600) vs HoneyBook Essentials billed yearly ($588) are almost the same price.
- Big two-year swing (if you’ll commit): 17hats Bi-Yearly is $800 for two years vs HoneyBook Essentials billed yearly at $1,176 over two years.
Getting paid: online payments and processing fees
In a 17hats vs HoneyBook comparison, payments are where the two feel most different. 17hats connects you to processors you may already be using, while HoneyBook runs payments itself and publishes its rates right on the pricing page.
17hats payments
17hats supports payments via Stripe or Square. No processing rate is stated on the 17hats pricing page because the processor’s own fees apply.
If you’re already standardized on either processor across your business, 17hats can feel like “bring your own payment rails,” which some owners prefer.
HoneyBook payments (fees published)
HoneyBook lists multiple payment methods and publishes these fees:
- Cards: fees “start at 2.7% + 10¢” in its fees section and FAQ, while its plan comparison table says “fees starting at 2.9% + 25¢”
- ACH bank transfer: 1.5%
- Instant deposit: 1%, pending eligibility
- Supported payment methods: cards, ACH, Apple Pay, Google Pay
Rates can change, and the two card figures don’t match, so confirm what your account shows before you price your packages.
Worked example: a $2,000 invoice
Here’s how the math works on a $2,000 HoneyBook invoice, using only the published rates:
- ACH at 1.5%: $30
- Card at 2.7% + 10¢: $54.10
- Card at 2.9% + 25¢: $58.25
The gap looks small once, but it’s noticeable across dozens of invoices. If you’re on tight margins, it’s worth steering clients toward the cheaper method.
Proposals, contracts, invoices and questionnaires
For most solo service businesses, these are the “core four.” If the tool makes these painless, you’ll tolerate a lot of other quirks.
17hats
17hats positions itself as an all-in-one platform, and the pricing model matches that: one plan with everything included. Its feature list covers quotes, contracts with e-signing, invoices, questionnaires with If/Then logic, templates, and document reminders and confirmations.
It also has a 3-in-1 document: quote, contract and invoice in one, so a client can select, sign and pay in a single step.
If you run a studio style business (especially photography), this is often the deciding line: you want every client to follow the same steps every time, without wondering if you’re missing a feature because you’re on the wrong tier. To see how both fit next to other options, compare more tools for photography studios.
HoneyBook
HoneyBook’s strength is that it can start simple on Starter, then expand as your process matures. Every plan includes proposals, contracts, invoices, all professional templates and a client portal.
Its free file setup is handy if you’re switching: HoneyBook’s team turns your existing documents into templates. The catch is that Starter is intentionally limited, so you may outgrow it quickly if you’re trying to build a more automated intake and booking pipeline.
HoneyBook is often a fit when you want a guided client experience and you like the idea of “pay for what you need today, move up when you earn into it.”
Scheduling, workflows and automation
This is where the tiering difference becomes real.
If your business lives and dies by consistent follow-up, reminders, and multi-step client onboarding, the automation rules matter more than the headline monthly price.
17hats: workflows included
17hats includes To-Do Workflows and Advanced Workflows in its single plan. If you like building a repeatable machine (lead comes in, consult gets scheduled, contract gets signed, invoice goes out, reminders trigger), 17hats is built around that mindset.
It’s the difference between a checklist that shows up every time and hoping you remember the next step when you’re busy. Online scheduling comes with booking questions, pay upon booking, calendar cross-checking, Zoom integration and group booking, and lead capture forms can fire auto-responders and workflow triggers.
HoneyBook: automations start on Essentials
HoneyBook includes automations only on Essentials and Premium. Starter is meant to get you going, but if your goal is “set it up once and stop chasing people,” Essentials is the practical starting line.
The scheduler follows the same split: one session with email-only reminders on Starter, and unlimited sessions with email and SMS reminders from Essentials up. QuickBooks Online also starts on Essentials.
If you’re a coach booking sessions, this can be a big deal. You’re usually juggling scheduling, reminders, and the client’s next step, and manual follow-ups get old fast. If you want more comparisons that are specifically coach-friendly, see options built for coaching practices.
Free trial, refunds and switching
Trials and refunds are your safety rails. Use them like you actually mean it.
17hats trial and refund policy
- Free trial: 7 days
- Trial includes all features and support
- Trial can be restarted after it ends
- Money-back guarantee: 30 days
- Upgrades get credit for unused time
17hats also advertises a switching sale for HoneyBook members, but it doesn’t publish a fixed discount amount. If you’re switching, you’ll need to check whatever offer is live at that moment.
HoneyBook trial and refund policy
- Free trial: 30 days
- No credit card required
- Trial has minor limitations on some advanced features
- The trial does not turn into a paid plan automatically
- Money-back guarantee: 60 days
- You can upgrade or downgrade any time
- You can cancel any time from company settings
The “no credit card and no auto-convert trial” detail sounds small, but it’s a real stress reducer. It lets you try HoneyBook without setting a calendar reminder to cancel.
Who should pick 17hats, who should pick HoneyBook
If you want the simplest way to decide 17hats vs HoneyBook, ignore branding and focus on how you like to run your business: all-in-one from day one, or tiered growth.
Pick 17hats if…
- You want every feature from day one at one price
- You already use Stripe or Square
- You’re ready to commit for one or two years
Pick HoneyBook if…
- You want the lowest first-year price on Starter
- You want payments built in (cards, ACH, Apple Pay, Google Pay)
- You want a 30-day trial and a 60-day refund window
- You want a small team option on Essentials
Don’t mess this up: 5 tips before you switch
- Run both trials back to back, not at the same time. 17hats’ trial is 7 days, so if you overlap, you’ll waste the short one while you’re still distracted setting up the other.
- Price your services with processing fees included. Whether it’s HoneyBook’s published rates or Stripe/Square rates in 17hats, decide if you’re eating those fees or building them into your packages.
- Check how many team members you need before choosing a HoneyBook tier. Essentials supports up to two team members, Premium supports unlimited. If you already know you need more than two, skip the mid-tier limbo.
- Export clients, contracts and open invoices from your old tool before the trial clock starts. Trials go fast when you’re hunting for data you should have downloaded last month.
- Pick yearly or two-year billing only after the trial and refund window are clear. Longer billing can be the smartest move, but only after you’ve confirmed your workflows, payment setup and client experience feel right.
FAQs: 17hats vs HoneyBook questions
What are the main differences between 17hats and HoneyBook pricing plans in 2026?
17hats offers one all-inclusive plan with three payment options: $60 a month, $600 a year, or $800 for two years. HoneyBook has three tiers: Starter ($29/month billed yearly), Essentials ($49/month billed yearly) and Premium ($109/month billed yearly), so you can scale up as needed.
Which platform is better for solo owners who want all features from day one?
17hats. It offers every feature at a single price, which suits photographers, coaches, designers and consultants who are ready to commit for one or two years.
How do the free trials and money-back guarantees compare?
17hats offers a 7-day free trial that can be restarted after it ends and a 30-day money-back guarantee. HoneyBook offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card and a 60-day money-back guarantee, which gives you more time to decide.
What payment options do 17hats and HoneyBook support?
17hats connects to Stripe or Square. HoneyBook runs payments itself, with cards, ACH bank transfers, Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Can I add team members on both platforms?
Yes. 17hats offers extra users and brands as add-ons, with no price stated. HoneyBook’s Essentials plan supports up to two team members, and Premium allows unlimited team members.
Which platform offers better automation for growing businesses?
17hats includes To-Do Workflows and Advanced Workflows in its all-inclusive plan from day one. HoneyBook limits automations to Essentials and Premium, so if automation matters from the start, you’d skip Starter.
