Bigin by Zoho CRM vs HoneyBook: Complete Comparison 2026
An in-depth comparison of features, pricing, and user experience to help you make the right choice.
Bigin by Zoho CRM
8.0(450 reviews)
Lightweight CRM from Zoho designed for small businesses that find full CRM platforms too complex.
HoneyBook
8.5(2,480 reviews)
Client management platform for creative professionals with proposals, contracts, invoicing, and scheduling in one tool.
Quick Comparison
| Aspect | Bigin by Zoho CRM | HoneyBook |
|---|---|---|
| Best For | Micro-businesses and solopreneurs needing their first CRM under $10/month | Freelance photographers, videographers, and designers managing client bookings end-to-end |
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Free Trial |
| Starting Price | Free | $19/mo |
| Deployment | cloud | cloud |
| Platforms | WEB, IOS, ANDROID | WEB, IOS, ANDROID |
| Rating | 8.0/10 | 8.5/10 |
Pros & Cons
Bigin by Zoho CRM
Pros
- Incredibly affordable at $7/user/month for the Express plan
- Setup takes under 30 minutes with minimal learning curve
- Clean mobile app with built-in dialer and business card scanner
- One-click migration path to full Zoho CRM when you outgrow it
- Connected pipelines let you manage sales, onboarding, and support together
Cons
- No advanced reporting or custom analytics dashboards
- Automation limited to basic rules without complex workflow branching
- No custom modules - you work with what Bigin provides
- Free plan restricted to just 1 user and 500 contacts
- Teams over 15-20 people will likely outgrow it within a year
HoneyBook
Pros
- Proposals, contracts, and invoicing live in one interactive client file — no app-switching
- Flat monthly pricing means your cost stays the same whether you have 5 clients or 500
- The mobile app is surprisingly complete — you can close deals from your phone between shoots
- Payment processing is built in, with ACH transfers at lower fees than credit card processing
- Templates for proposals and contracts save hours when you book similar projects repeatedly
- Workflow automations handle follow-ups and reminders without any coding knowledge
Cons
- Reporting is basic — you'll see revenue and booking trends but not deep business analytics
- Payment processing fees (2.9% + $0.25 per card transaction) eat into margins on small invoices
- Not designed for product-based businesses or traditional B2B sales pipelines
- Limited integrations compared to mainstream CRMs like HubSpot or Salesforce
- The learning curve for setting up automations is steeper than HoneyBook suggests
Pricing Comparison
| Product | Pricing Model | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|
| Bigin by Zoho CRM | freemium | Free0 |
| HoneyBook | free trial | $19/mo |
Our Verdict
Choose Bigin by Zoho CRM if...
Micro-businesses and solopreneurs needing their first CRM under $10/month
Choose HoneyBook if...
Freelance photographers, videographers, and designers managing client bookings end-to-end
Still Not Sure?
Explore more alternatives or read in-depth reviews to make your decision.