17hats Alternatives: 6 Better Options for Solopreneurs in 2026
You've built your entire client workflow inside 17hats - contracts, invoices, scheduling, the works. Then the add-ons start stacking. Bank connect is $5/mo, extra brands run $10/mo each, additional users cost $5/mo each, and suddenly your real monthly bill is well beyond the $60/mo base price. The interface still feels dated. The mobile app has UX quirks that bite you at the worst moments, like when you're trying to send a quick invoice from a parking lot. Despite a solid 4.6/5 on G2 across 114 reviews, mobile frustrations keep coming up in every Reddit thread and forum post about switching.
Here's the thing: sometimes the problem isn't your CRM. It's an empty pipeline. We've tested the tools that solve both. If you're diagnosing why deals aren't moving, start with these common pipeline issues.
Our Picks (TL;DR)
| Tool | Best For | Starting Price | Trial |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubsado | Deep customization | ~$28/mo (annual) | 21 days |
| HoneyBook | Clean, simple setup | $29/mo (annual) | 7 days |
| Prospeo | Finding new clients | Free (75 emails/mo) | Free tier |
| Bonsai | Budget freelancers | $9/user/mo (annual) | 7 days |
Dubsado wins on flexibility, HoneyBook wins on ease, and Bonsai is the cheapest seat in the house.
The Best 17hats Alternatives
Dubsado - Best for Customization
Dubsado 3.0 started rolling out in November 2025, and it's a genuine leap forward. In our testing, the new node-based "Flows" automation builder, real inbox, and Kanban project views make it feel like a modern platform instead of a legacy form builder with duct tape holding it together. If you found 17hats' workflows rigid, Dubsado gives you far more control over every step of the client journey, from initial inquiry to final payment follow-up. One heads-up: Dubsado 2.0 sunsets sometime in 2026, so go straight to 3.0.
Pricing lands at ~$28/mo for Starter or ~$44/mo for Premier on annual billing. The 21-day free trial is the longest in this category - full Premier access, no credit card. Additional users run $25-60/mo, and extra brands cost $10/mo each.
Use this if you want granular control over every client touchpoint. Skip this if you need something working in an afternoon - the setup curve is real, and we've seen solopreneurs spend a full weekend just building their first workflow.
HoneyBook - Best for Simplicity
HoneyBook is the tool you recommend to a friend who just wants things to work. The UI is clean, the mobile app is genuinely good, and you can send a branded proposal within an hour of signing up. No exaggeration.
New plan pricing rolled out on Feb 4, 2025. Starter now runs $29/mo annual or $36/mo monthly. Payment processing is 2.9% + $0.25 per card, 1.5% for ACH - and HoneyBook uses its own payment processing, not a bring-your-own-processor setup. One dealbreaker for some: HoneyBook is limited to the US and Canada. International clients paying in other currencies? Look elsewhere.
Prospeo - Finding New Clients
Every tool on this list manages clients you already have. Prospeo helps you find the next ones - and that's the upstream problem no CRM can fix. If you're building a repeatable outbound motion, pair it with a simple prospecting workflow.
The Chrome extension pulls verified contact info from any website or company page in one click. Search by 30+ filters - industry, job title, company size, location - and export a targeted prospect list in minutes. The database covers 300M+ professional profiles and 143M+ verified emails with 98% accuracy on a 7-day refresh cycle. If you want to compare stacks, see our roundup of sales prospecting platforms.
The free tier gives you 75 verified emails and 100 Chrome extension credits per month. Paid plans run about $0.01 per email with no contracts. For a solopreneur spending hours on manual outreach, this pays for itself after one landed client. To keep bounce rates low, use an email checker tool before you send.
Bonsai - Best for Budget Freelancers
Cheapest entry point at $9/user/mo on annual billing. Built-in accounting and tax prep that 17hats doesn't offer. Solid for freelancers who want invoicing, contracts, and bookkeeping in one place without juggling three subscriptions. If contracts are your main bottleneck, these DocuSign alternatives can also be worth a look.
The downsides are real, though. Per-user pricing adds up fast. The Elite plan requires a 3-user minimum ($147/mo), which defeats the purpose for solopreneurs. And the 7-day trial barely scratches the surface.
Let's be honest: if your average deal size is under $5k and you just need contracts plus invoicing, Bonsai at $9/mo beats every tool on this list on price alone. The moment you need team features, the math gets ugly.
Plutio - Best for Small Agencies
Use this if you're a 2-5 person agency that needs white-labeling and client portals on a budget. The Pro plan at $49/mo covers unlimited clients and 30 contributors. White-label requires the Max plan at $199/mo.
Skip this if you're a solopreneur drawn to the $19/mo headline. The Core plan caps you at 9 active clients per month, 800 AI credits, and 900 workflow actions. That's not enough for most service businesses doing steady work.
FreshBooks - Accounting First, CRM Second
FreshBooks starts at $9.20-$28.00/mo based on current promo rates, with a 30-day trial. It's accounting software that bolted on client management, not the other way around. The Lite plan caps you at 5 billable clients; team members cost $11/mo each. Great if your main pain is bookkeeping. Not great if you need real CRM workflows. If you're trying to reduce manual admin, consider AI CRM data entry automation instead of switching platforms.
monday.com - Overkill for Solopreneurs
monday CRM runs ~EUR12-EUR28/seat/mo on annual billing with a 3-seat minimum, and seat counts scale in increments of 5. It's a team project management tool that added CRM features - overkill and overpriced for a solopreneur replacing 17hats. We've talked to freelancers who tried it and came back within a month. If you're evaluating outreach + CRM together, these cold email marketing tools are a better starting point than a heavy PM suite.
Switching CRMs won't fix an empty pipeline. Prospeo gives solopreneurs access to 300M+ profiles with 98% email accuracy - search by industry, job title, company size, and 30+ filters to build targeted prospect lists in minutes instead of hours.
Stop managing an empty CRM. Start filling it with real prospects.
Pricing at a Glance
| Tool | Annual Price | Monthly Option | Trial | Key Gotcha |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17hats | $600/yr ($50/mo) | $60/mo | 7 days | Promo: $300 first year |
| Dubsado | ~$28/mo | ~$35/mo | 21 days | User add-ons $25-60/mo |
| HoneyBook | $29/mo | $36/mo | 7 days | US/Canada only |
| Bonsai | $9/user/mo | $15/user/mo | 7 days | Per-user pricing |
| Plutio | $19/mo (Core) | Same | 14 days | 9-client cap on Core |
| FreshBooks | $9.20-$28.00/mo | Same | 30 days | Lite = 5 clients |
| monday.com | ~EUR12-EUR28/seat/mo | ~EUR18-EUR41/seat/mo | 14 days | 3-seat minimum |
Every tool above manages clients you already have. Prospeo solves the upstream problem: finding them. The free tier gives you 75 verified emails per month - no credit card, no contracts, no annual lock-in. One landed client pays for a year of Prospeo.
Pick your CRM, then let Prospeo fill it for free.
When to Stay on 17hats
If your workflows are humming, switching might not be worth the pain. We've seen solopreneurs spend 20+ hours rebuilding templates, re-linking payment processors, and re-training muscle memory only to end up with roughly the same setup on a different platform. If you locked in the promo rate ($300/yr = $25/mo), you're paying less than every alternative except Bonsai Basic. The dated UI doesn't matter if your clients never see the backend.
FAQ
Can I migrate data out of 17hats?
You can export contacts and invoices as CSVs, but there's no one-click migration tool. Templates and automations need rebuilding from scratch - budget 10-20 hours for a full migration depending on how many workflows you've built up over the years.
Is there a free alternative to 17hats?
No full CRM offers a permanent free plan worth using for client management. Dubsado's 21-day trial is the longest. For lead generation specifically, Prospeo offers a permanent free tier with 75 verified emails per month - useful for filling whichever CRM you pick.
Which 17hats alternative is best for photographers?
Dubsado if you want deep customization of booking flows and client portals. HoneyBook if you want a polished mobile app for on-location work. The consensus on r/photography and photographer forums leans about 60% HoneyBook for its speed; power users who build complex shoot-day workflows prefer Dubsado.
