In February 2025, HoneyBook sent their users an email that burned. The Starter plan was going from $19/month to $36/month. Overnight. With 30 days notice.
The forums lit up. Reddit threads filled with people asking the same question: "Is HoneyBook even worth it anymore?"
Here's the honest answer: for some freelancers, yes. If you need a full CRM with lead capture forms, booking flows, pipeline management, and client portals, HoneyBook earns that $36. It is genuinely feature-rich.
But a lot of the people flooding those Reddit threads didn't need any of that. They had been using HoneyBook to send invoices and proposals. That's it. And now they were being asked to pay $36/month for a suite of features they never opened.
What freelancers are actually paying for
HoneyBook's pitch is "all-in-one." But "all-in-one" means you're paying for everything whether you use it or not.
At $36/month, you're paying for:
- A client portal most clients never log into
- Lead capture forms (useful if you're driving inbound traffic through a website funnel)
- Pipeline management (useful if you have enough volume to track deals)
- AI dashboards that require months of history before they're meaningful
- Financial reporting on top of whatever accounting software you already use
If you're a solo creative with a handful of ongoing clients and new work coming mostly through referrals, you're paying for a platform you're using 20% of.
The alternative isn't a downgrade
Nvoyce is $19.99/month on the Solo plan. That's exactly what HoneyBook used to cost before the hike.
What you get: send proposals, send invoices, get paid. The proposal includes your scope and line items, auto-generates a Stripe payment link, and when a client clicks Accept, the invoice creates itself. No separate invoicing step. No template customization. No lead pipeline to configure.
It's not "all-in-one" because it doesn't try to be. It's the one flow that freelancers actually need every time: describe the project, set the price, send it, get paid.
What you don't get: a CRM. If you're managing a sales pipeline, tracking dozens of leads, or running an inbound funnel, HoneyBook still makes sense for you. Nvoyce doesn't claim to replace that use case.
The pricing math
HoneyBook Starter (Feb 2025): $36/month, billed annually.
Nvoyce Solo: $19.99/month. Unlimited invoices and proposals. AI-generated documents. Automated overdue reminders at 14 and 30 days. Payme AI follow-up drafts.
That's $193/year in savings. More if you were on any of HoneyBook's higher tiers.
What to actually do if you're evaluating
Look at your HoneyBook usage for the last 30 days. Which features did you actually open? If it was mostly proposals and invoices, you've been paying for a lot you don't use.
Try Nvoyce free for 7 days. Send your next invoice or proposal through it. First document takes under 5 minutes. No configuration required.
FAQ
How much did HoneyBook raise their prices?
HoneyBook increased their Starter plan from $19/month to $36/month in February 2025 — an 89% increase announced with 30 days' notice. The Essential plan (formerly the mid-tier) also moved up proportionally.
Is there a HoneyBook alternative for solo freelancers that's actually cheaper?
Nvoyce Solo is $19.99/month — exactly what HoneyBook's Starter plan cost before the hike. It covers proposals, invoices, automated overdue reminders, and AI-drafted payment follow-ups. What it doesn't have is a CRM or client portal, which is the tradeoff.
Does Nvoyce replace all of HoneyBook's features?
No — and we say so directly. If you need lead capture forms, a booking flow, a client portal, or pipeline management, HoneyBook's feature set still justifies the price for the right business. Nvoyce is for freelancers who need the invoicing and proposal side only.