How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- HoneyBook is the most polished all-in-one for creative freelancers, with proposals, contracts, invoices and AI built in.
- Dubsado offers the deepest workflow customization for service businesses that want every step branded.
- Bonsai and Moxie target freelancers specifically, with Bonsai leaning into finance and Moxie into simplicity.
- HubSpot CRM is the only genuinely free option here, best for teams that need a CRM without client portals.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 HoneyBook | Creative freelancers and event pros | $29 per month (billed annually) | Free trial |
 Dubsado | Custom branded client workflows | See website | Free trial |
 Bonsai | Freelancers who want finance built in | See website | Free trial |
 Moxie | Solo freelancers who want simple | See website | Free trial (14 days) |
 HubSpot CRM | Free CRM for growing teams | $0 (free CRM) | Yes |
 Assembly | Branded client portals for firms | See website | Yes |
 Pipedrive | Pipeline-driven sales teams | See website | Free trial (14 days) |
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We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
The best client management app
Starting price$29 per month (billed annually)
Free planFree trial
HoneyBook is the category leader for independent service businesses, and its homepage reads like a checklist of everything a freelancer juggles: capture leads, send proposals, sign contracts, invoice, get paid, track projects. The Starter plan at $29 per month billed yearly includes unlimited clients and projects, invoices and payments, proposals and contracts, a client portal and HoneyBook AI. Essentials at $49 adds automations, a scheduler and QuickBooks integration, while Premium at $109 brings priority support and unlimited team members. AI features now include email drafts, project recaps, business trend insights and a meeting notetaker, and HoneyBook even works inside ChatGPT.
The honest catch is scope. HoneyBook serves the US and Canada only, so international freelancers need Moxie or Bonsai instead. Reporting stays basic compared with a real accounting tool, and power users occasionally outgrow the workflow customization. For photographers, designers, planners and coaches who want clients to feel the polish, it is the benchmark.
What we like- Proposals, contracts, invoices and payments in one flow
- AI email drafts, meeting notes and project recaps
- 100K+ small businesses on the platform
Watch out for- Reporting is basic
- US and Canada only
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
Dubsado is the tinkerer's choice. Where HoneyBook gives you a polished path, Dubsado gives you building blocks: lead capture forms, scheduling, proposals, contracts with e-sign, invoices with payment plans, automated workflows, questionnaires, time tracking and a branded client portal. The signature move is combining proposal, contract and invoice into a single send, with payment reminders that chase themselves. The company claims 30,000 creative businesses, $8 billion in payments processed and 2.5 million contracts signed.
That flexibility costs setup time. New users regularly spend a weekend building their workflows before the system pays off, though Dubsado's support team will help you ramp up. Pricing is not published on the homepage, so expect to start a trial to see plans. Choose Dubsado when your client journey is specific enough that a template product feels constraining.
What we like- Deeply customizable workflows and branding
- Proposal, contract and invoice in one send
- Loyal community and responsive support
Watch out for- Setup takes real time
- Pricing not shown on the homepage
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
Bonsai positions itself as the unified platform for service businesses: client management for estimates and onboarding, project management for delivery, and finance management with detailed reports, recurring payments and retainers. Automations handle the repetitive work, and the company offers tailored onboarding for teams of 10 or more, with data migration and training. More than 10,000 firms and freelancers use it, per the homepage.
The tradeoff is that Bonsai's breadth can feel like more than a solo freelancer needs, and pricing is not visible without starting the signup flow. It fits best when your pain is financial: late payments, messy profitability reporting and retainers you track in spreadsheets. If that is the job, Bonsai's finance-first design earns its place.
What we like- Client, project and finance management unified
- Recurring payments and retainers
- Onboarding for teams of 10+
Watch out for- Pricing hidden behind signup
- Broader than some freelancers need
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial (14 days)
Moxie was built by freelancers for freelancers, and the copy shows it. One app covers client records, projects and tasks, proposals with attorney-vetted legal terms, scheduling, time tracking, expenses with profit-and-loss reporting, invoicing with Stripe and PayPal, a customizable client portal and even a business phone line. The pricing philosophy is "everything included, no gimmicks," with a 14-day free trial and no credit card required. Unlike HoneyBook, Moxie lets you invoice and get paid across borders.
The catch is depth. Workflow automation exists but does not match Dubsado's branching complexity, and the built-in phone and messaging features work in the US, Canada and UK only. Moxie is the pick for the freelancer who wants one simple system that works on day one without a certification course.
What we like- One inclusive price with no add-ons
- Works across borders
- Human support with personality
Watch out for- Less workflow depth than Dubsado
- US, Canada and UK communications only
Starting price$0 (free CRM)
Free planYes
HubSpot's Smart CRM is the free anchor of this list. Contacts, companies, deals, tickets, email tracking, meeting scheduling and reporting cost nothing, and the data model connects to Marketing, Sales, Service and Content Hubs when you are ready to grow. With 306,000+ customers worldwide and a 4.5-star rating from thousands of reviews on its homepage, it is the safest free CRM a small business can adopt. AI agents for support and sales now sit on top of the same data.
It is not a client management app in the HoneyBook sense. There is no branded client portal, no proposal or contract builder, no invoice chasing. You get it for the CRM foundation and pair it with other tools, or you accept that client-facing polish lives elsewhere. For teams that need pipeline truth more than pretty portals, the free tier is unmatched.
What we like- Free CRM with contacts, deals and tickets
- 500+ app ecosystem via HubSpot platform
- Scales from solo to enterprise
Watch out for- No client portal or proposals
- Paid Hubs get expensive fast
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes
Assembly is the new name for Copilot, the white-label client portal that agencies and firms give their clients. Each client gets a branded home for messaging, payments, file sharing, contracts, forms and help centers, with 30+ ready-made apps and an AI app builder for anything missing. The homepage advertises a free forever plan alongside the CRM and portal. Notably, Assembly undercuts HoneyBook on ACH payment processing fees, which matters at volume.
Two caveats. First, the September 2025 rebrand from Copilot means old reviews and comparisons still use the old name, and copilot.com now belongs to Microsoft, so make sure you are evaluating the right product. Second, there is no proposal builder, so quoting lives in another tool. For firms whose clients need a professional front door, Assembly is the portal specialist.
What we like- White-label client portal with 30+ apps
- Free forever plan
- AI app builder for custom workflows
Watch out for- Rebrand from Copilot still confuses search results
- No proposal builder
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial (14 days)
Pipedrive is the sales CRM on this list, built from the salesperson's point of view. The kanban pipeline, activity reminders, email sync, automation and forecasting keep deals moving, and newer additions like Nova meeting intelligence transcribe calls and draft CRM updates. With 100,000+ companies in 179 countries and 500+ marketplace integrations, it is the most proven pure CRM here. A 14-day free trial requires no credit card.
It earns its place in a client management roundup with an asterisk: Pipedrive manages your side of the relationship brilliantly but offers little for the client's side. No portal, no proposals, no onboarding workflows. Pair it with Assembly or a proposal tool if clients need a front door, or choose it when your bottleneck is pipeline discipline rather than client experience.
What we like- Visual kanban pipeline salespeople actually use
- 500+ integrations
- AI sales assistant and meeting intelligence included
Watch out for- Client-facing tools are thin
- Pricing not on the homepage
How we chose
We opened every vendor's homepage and recorded what each company currently claims about pricing, trials and free plans, using only first-party pages. A notable correction shaped this list: copilot.com now resolves to Microsoft Copilot, because the client-portal company rebranded to Assembly in 2025, so the portal is listed under its current name and verified URL. We cross-checked positioning against G2, Capterra and Reddit's freelancer communities, and excluded any tool whose homepage could not be opened. The final set covers all-in-one freelancer platforms, a free CRM, a portal specialist and a sales pipeline CRM. No hands-on testing was involved.
What separates a client management app from a CRM
The terms get used interchangeably, but the distinction matters for buyers. A CRM like HubSpot or Pipedrive manages your view of the relationship: contacts, deals, activities, pipeline. A client management app manages the client's experience of you: the proposal they sign, the portal they log into, the invoice they pay, the onboarding sequence they receive. HoneyBook, Dubsado, Bonsai, Moxie and Assembly live on the client-experience side. HubSpot and Pipedrive live on the internal side.
Most growing service businesses eventually need both, which is why integrations matter. HoneyBook's QuickBooks sync, Dubsado's Zapier connections and Pipedrive's 500+ integrations exist because no single tool covers the full back office. When evaluating, list the three client-facing moments that matter most to you: usually the proposal, the payment and the project updates. Then pick the tool that makes those three moments excellent, and let the CRM handle the rest.
Buying guide: choosing client management software
Start with your business model. Solo freelancers and creatives should shortlist HoneyBook, Bonsai and Moxie. Service firms and agencies that need deep customization lean toward Dubsado or Assembly. Sales-led teams that live in a pipeline need Pipedrive or HubSpot, possibly paired with a portal.
Then count the real cost. Subscription price is only the start: add payment processing fees on your annual volume, since a point of difference there can dwarf the monthly fee. Check availability in your country, since HoneyBook is US and Canada only. Trial the onboarding flow with a real client, not a test contact, because the client's experience is the product. And be honest about setup appetite: Dubsado rewards a weekend of configuration, Moxie and HoneyBook reward none.
Finally, plan for the money. Every tool here processes payments, but reconciliation with your accounting still needs QuickBooks, Xero or a bookkeeper. The smoothest stacks we see pair the client management app with accounting software from day one, so tax season never involves exporting CSVs and crying.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best client management app for freelancers?
HoneyBook is the most popular all-in-one for creative freelancers, with proposals, contracts, invoices and AI starting at $29 per month. Bonsai suits freelancers who want stronger finance features, and Moxie suits those who want the simplest setup. All three offer free trials, so test the client portal experience before committing.
Is there a free client management app?
HubSpot CRM is free and excellent as a CRM, but it has no client portal or proposals. Assembly offers a free forever plan with its branded client portal. For the full proposal-to-payment workflow, expect to pay: the free options cover the CRM or portal side, not the whole journey.
What happened to Copilot client portal?
The client-portal company formerly known as Copilot rebranded to Assembly in 2025, partly to avoid confusion with Microsoft Copilot and GitHub Copilot. The product is the same white-label client portal with CRM, payments and 30+ apps, now at assembly.com. Note that copilot.com now belongs to Microsoft.
HoneyBook vs Dubsado: which is better?
HoneyBook is easier to start and more polished out of the box, with AI features and a ChatGPT integration. Dubsado is more customizable, letting you build exactly the workflow and branding you want, but it takes longer to set up. Pick HoneyBook for speed, Dubsado for control.
Do these apps handle contracts legally?
They provide e-signature and contract templates, and Moxie notes its legal terms are attorney-vetted. Templates are a starting point, not legal advice: for unusual terms, high-value deals or regulated industries, have your own attorney review the language before you rely on it.
Can I use these tools outside the US?
It depends. HoneyBook is US and Canada only. Moxie supports invoicing and payments across borders, though its phone features are US, Canada and UK only. Bonsai, Dubsado, Assembly, HubSpot and Pipedrive all serve international users. Always confirm payment processing works in your country before committing.
Sources we checked (7)
- https://honeybook.com/
- https://dubsado.com/
- https://hellobonsai.com/
- https://www.withmoxie.com/
- https://hubspot.com/
- https://assembly.com/
- https://www.pipedrive.com/
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.