Phlostate vs HoneyBook
HoneyBook is the CRM most wedding photographers start on. This page is for the ones asking what a HoneyBook alternative would have to do to be worth the switch. Public facts, side by side.
Side by side
Public facts from each company’s own pricing page, checked September 2, 2026. If HoneyBook changes something, tell us and we’ll fix the row.
| Phlostate | HoneyBook | |
|---|---|---|
| Leads, projects, inbox | Yes | Yes |
| Contracts with e-signature | Yes | Yes |
| Invoices with installments and autopay | Yes | Yes |
| Client galleries | Yes | Added July 2026 |
| Print store in the gallery | Yes | No |
| Public booking page and scheduler | Yes | Yes |
| Website, built and hosted | Yes | No |
| AI assistant | Phlo — runs the back office, 150+ actions | Drafting, lead alerts, meeting notes |
| Talk to it out loud | Yes | No |
| QuickBooks / Zapier integrations | No | Essentials plan and up |
| Team seats | 3 on Pro | Unlimited on Premium |
| Free trial | 14 days, card required | 7 days |
| Platform fee on client payments | 0% — clients pay you direct through your own Stripe | Built into their processing rates |
| Credit card, client-entered | 2.9% + 30¢ (Stripe) | 2.9% + 25¢ |
| Card on file / autopay | 2.9% + 30¢ (Stripe) | 3.4% + 9¢ |
| Bank transfer (ACH) | 0.8%, capped at $5 (Stripe) | 1.5%, no cap |
| Client can be billed the fee | Yes — on by default, per payment method | Manual line item where legal |
| Subscription, from | $100/mo | $36/mo |
What is the same
Both handle the core of a photography business: leads, projects, an inbox, contracts with e-signature, and invoices with installments and autopay. If that is all you use, either one does the job.
Where they differ
Phlostate includes the parts a photographer usually pays for separately. Client galleries with a print store, a public booking page with calendar sync, and a hosted website with an inquiry form that lands in the same pipeline. HoneyBook added galleries in 2026 and does not build or host a website.
Payments run differently. HoneyBook processes payments itself and sets its own rates. Phlostate connects your own Stripe account, so clients pay you directly at Stripe’s published rate and nothing is taken on top. Phlostate can also bill the processing fee to the client per payment method, which is on by default.
Phlo is the other difference. She is an assistant wired into your real business: she finds the thread, drafts the reply in your voice, builds the contract or invoice from the project, moves stages, blocks dates, and remembers client preferences. Anything that would reach a client waits for you to send it. You can also talk to her out loud.
Where HoneyBook is stronger
- A lower entry price, and unlimited team seats on its top plan.
- A QuickBooks integration on Essentials and up.
- A larger ecosystem of templates and tutorials, because it has been around longer.
The full five-product table, including a worked year of twenty weddings, is on the compare page.
Questions
- Can I move my clients from HoneyBook to Phlostate?
- Yes. Phlostate has an import for contacts and projects from a CSV export, and during the trial you can ask for help moving your existing clients over.
- Does Phlostate take a percentage of client payments?
- No. Clients pay through your own Stripe account at Stripe’s published rate. Phlostate adds nothing on top, and you can have the client cover the processing fee.
- Is there a free trial?
- Fourteen days with a card on file. Nothing is charged until the trial ends, and you can cancel before then from Settings.
Try it on your own business
Fourteen days free with a card on file. Nothing is charged until the trial ends, and you can cancel before then from Settings.