Consulting and agency software
Last reviewed: September 2026
Simple gives consultants, agencies and coaches proposals with e-signature, project and time tracking, a client CRM and invoicing on one plan for up to 5 or 10 users. Every card, including Amex, costs 2.79% on invoices, with no per-transaction fee.
Competitor pricing last reviewed September 2026. Published rates change; check the vendor's current pricing page: HoneyBook pricing, Dubsado pricing, Bonsai pricing, FreshBooks pricing.
What does a consulting firm need from its software?
An engagement moves through the same stages every time: you win it, you scope it, you deliver it, you bill it and you get paid. Good consulting software keeps each stage attached to the same client record, so nobody retypes a scope into an invoice. Here is how each stage maps to Simple for professional services.
| Stage | What Simple does |
|---|---|
| Proposal and contract | Proposals with scope, pricing and terms, view tracking and e-signature |
| Estimate | Estimates that convert to invoices in one step |
| Project | Project tracking with milestones and task assignments |
| Time | Billable hours logged by project, task or team member, with invoices generated from tracked time |
| Invoice | Recurring and retainer billing, split and partial payments, automated reminders and late fees |
| Payment | Payment links for card, Apple Pay, Google Pay and ACH |
| Reporting | Revenue and utilization dashboards, expense tracking with a live P&L |
The client CRM keeps communication history, documents and project records together, which is what most people mean by client management software or a CRM for consultants. The same record works as a CRM for coaches and a CRM for freelancers. Simple also has a branded customer support portal, but it is not a client portal software product: clients cannot log in to see project files.
Plan note: /pricing puts time tracking tools (time clock and tasks) in the Operations Hub, which starts on Medium at $199/mo for 10 users. Every Simple figure for a team that tracks project time on this page uses Medium.
How much do consulting and client management tools cost?
| Software | Monthly price | Users | Card on invoices | Amex / corporate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | $99 / $199 / $399 | 5 / 10 / unlimited | 2.79% | 2.79% |
| HoneyBook | $36 / $59 / $129 | 1 / 2 / unlimited | 2.9% + 25¢ | 3.4% + 9¢ (blog); pricing page says no premium card fees |
| Dubsado | About $35 / about $55 (reported); $335 or $525 per year (published) | Owner + 3 free, then $25/mo for 4 to 10 | 2.9% + 30¢ | Not listed separately |
| Bonsai | $15 / $25 / $39 / $59 per user | Priced per seat | 2.9% + 30¢ | 3.25% + 30¢ |
| FreshBooks | $23 / $43 / $70 | 1 included, $11 per extra seat | 2.9% + 30¢ | 3.5% + 30¢ |
Published by each vendor on its pricing page, reviewed September 2026. Dubsado monthly prices are reported by raoura.com; Dubsado does not publish them. Bonsai Basic has no invoicing.
What does a 5-person firm pay per year?
Take a 5-person consulting firm invoicing $25,000 a month by card: 20 invoices averaging $1,250, with 40% of the volume paid by Amex or corporate cards. Because the team tracks project time, Simple is on Medium.
Simple Medium: $25,000 x 2.79% = $697.50/mo + $199 = $10,758/yr
HoneyBook Premium: $15,000 x 2.9% + 12 x $0.25 + $10,000 x 3.4% + 8 x $0.09 = $778.72/mo + $129 = $10,893/yr
FreshBooks Plus + 4 seats: $15,000 x 2.9% + 12 x $0.30 + $10,000 x 3.5% + 8 x $0.30 = $791/mo + $87 = $10,536/yr
Bonsai Essentials x 5: $15,000 x 2.9% + 12 x $0.30 + $10,000 x 3.25% + 8 x $0.30 = $766/mo + $125 = $10,692/yr
Dubsado Premier + 1 user: $25,000 x 2.9% + 20 x $0.30 = $731/mo + about $80 = about $9,732/yr
At this size the totals sit within about $1,100 of each other. Simple saves about $135 a year against HoneyBook Premium. FreshBooks is about $222 cheaper, Bonsai about $66 cheaper and Dubsado about $1,026 cheaper. If the firm does not need project time tracking, Simple Small is $9,558/yr and beats all four except Dubsado, which is about $174 more.
Why do Amex and corporate cards matter for consultants?
Business clients pay invoices with company cards, and company cards are often Amex or corporate cards. Those are the cards other tools charge extra for. HoneyBook's blog lists 3.4% + 9¢ on Amex and card on file, though its pricing page says there are no premium card fees, so the two conflict. FreshBooks charges 3.5% + 30¢ and Bonsai 3.25% + 30¢.
Simple charges 2.79% on every card that pays an invoice, Amex and corporate cards included, and 2.19% when a client pays in person. On standard Visa and Mastercard invoices the gap with 2.9% + 25¢ is small. The real difference shows up when a large share of your billing comes from corporate cards, when you have a team, and when you also sell products.
Which consulting tool is best for which firm?
- Simple is best for consulting firms and agencies of 3 to 10 people that bill by card, including corporate cards, and want one plan for the team.
- HoneyBook is best for solo creative businesses that want polished client-facing proposals.
- Dubsado is best for small teams that want deep workflow automation at a low price.
Who should choose HoneyBook, Dubsado or FreshBooks instead?
- Solo operators: HoneyBook Starter at $36 or Essentials at $59 costs less than a Simple plan when one person does all the work.
- Firms that need full accounting: FreshBooks or QuickBooks give you a general ledger and reconciliation that Simple does not.
- Firms paid mostly by ACH: capped bank fees at Dubsado (0.8% up to $5) make it cheaper when card volume is low.
For head to head detail, see Simple vs HoneyBook, Simple vs Dubsado, Simple vs Bonsai, Simple vs FreshBooks and the best HoneyBook alternatives. Invoicing details live on Simple invoicing.
Frequently asked questions
Most consultants combine a proposal tool, a time tracker, an invoicing app and an accounting package. Simple puts proposals with e-signature, project and time tracking, a client CRM and invoicing on one plan, and firms keep an accountant or bookkeeping tool for the ledger.
Yes. Simple's client CRM keeps communication history, documents and project records on each client, and connects them to proposals, time and invoices. It works the same way for coaches, freelancers and small agencies.
For a small team, expect roughly $80 to $200 a month in software plus card fees. Simple is $99 for 5 users or $199 for 10 users with time tracking tools, plus 2.79% on invoice payments and no per-transaction fee.
Most tools charge about 2.9% plus 25¢ to 30¢ per invoice paid by card, and 3.25% to 3.5% on Amex. Simple charges 2.79% on every card, Amex and corporate cards included, and 2.19% in person.
No. Simple has expense tracking and a live P&L, but no general ledger, bank reconciliation, tax filing or payroll. Keep your accounting software or bookkeeper and use Simple for proposals, projects, time and getting paid.
Run every engagement in one place
Proposals, projects, time and invoices on one plan for your whole team.