Comparison guide
Handl vs Dubsado: Billing Automation vs Workflow Customisation
Different Problems, Different Tools
Dubsado and Handl are both popular with freelancers — but they're built around very different problems. Dubsado is a highly customisable CRM and client workflow tool: you can build almost any process you want, from lead capture to contract to invoice. Handl is narrower and more opinionated — it focuses specifically on the billing relationship once a project is underway. Milestone-based invoicing, AI-driven payment reminders, change order management, and integrations with the PM tools and accounting software agencies actually use. This comparison breaks down where each tool is strong, where it falls short, and how to pick the right one.
Written by Darren Clark — Founder of Handl — 20+ years building software and running agencies
Last updated 11 June 2026
Quick verdict
Dubsado is the better choice if you want total workflow flexibility and love customising your client systems. Handl is the better choice if you want billing that works out of the box, connects to your PM tools, and handles payment follow-up automatically.
Side by side
How they stack up
Handl
Best for: Agencies and freelancers who want billing tied to project milestones, automated payment chasing, and integrations with Jira, Asana, Xero, and time tracking tools.
Dubsado
$20–$40
per month
Best for: Solopreneurs and freelancers who want a deeply customisable CRM and workflow system they can mould to their exact process.
- Starter: 3 active projects
- Premier: unlimited
- Custom forms + workflows
- Client portals
- Automated scheduling
- Built-in contracts
Feature by feature
Handl vs Dubsado: feature comparison
| Feature | Handl | Dubsado |
|---|---|---|
| Milestone-based billing | ✅ | ❌ |
| Automated payment reminders | ✅ AI-driven | ⚠️ Workflow-triggered canned emails only |
| AI-native (not bolt-on) | ✅ | ❌ |
| Client portal | ✅ | ✅ |
| Quote / proposal builder | ✅ | ✅ |
| Digital signatures | ✅ | ✅ |
| Change order management | ✅ | ❌ |
| Revenue forecasting | ✅ | ❌ |
| PM tool integrations (Jira, Asana, Monday) | ✅ | ❌ |
| Xero / MYOB integration | ✅ | ⚠️ Xero on Premier plan only; no MYOB |
| Time tracking integrations | ✅ Harvest, Hubstaff, Toggl | ⚠️ Basic time tracking on Premier only |
| Multi-currency | ✅ | ⚠️ Limited |
| Project health scoring (AI) | ✅ | ❌ |
| Custom workflow automation | ⚠️ Billing-focused automations | ✅ Highly flexible |
| Lead capture forms | ❌ | ✅ |
| Scheduling | ❌ | ✅ Premier plan |
| Free trial | ✅ 7-day free trial | ✅ 21 days full access / 3 clients free forever |
| Starting price | From $29/mo | $35/mo (monthly) / $335/yr |
| Per-seat pricing | ❌ Plan tiers — Agency $199/mo = unlimited users | ⚠️ Extra user fees from 4+ users |
A closer look at Dubsado
Dubsado launched in 2016 and built a dedicated following — particularly among solopreneurs, designers, and service-based freelancers who want total control over how their client system works. The platform's strength is flexibility. You can build complex automated workflows that trigger based on almost any client action: form submissions, contract signatures, payment receipts, task completions. Canned emails, custom forms, lead capture, scheduling, and a client portal are all included.
That flexibility is also Dubsado's biggest challenge. The learning curve is real. Most users spend weeks — sometimes months — setting it up properly. There's a large community of Dubsado consultants who exist specifically to help people configure it. For businesses with a consistent, repeatable client process, that investment can pay off. For agencies with variable project scopes, it often doesn't.
What Dubsado doesn't do: milestone-based billing. There's no way to tie invoices to project progress or phase completion. There are no PM tool integrations — no Jira, Asana, or Monday connection. AI features are not part of the platform. And while the Premier plan includes Xero and QuickBooks connections, the Starter plan doesn't.
It's a powerful tool for the right user. But "right user" is very specific.
Strengths
What are our strengths?
- Milestone-based billing — invoices tied to actual project progress, not just arbitrary dates
- AI-driven payment reminders — automated, intelligent follow-up without you having to write another awkward email
- No setup marathon — Handl is opinionated and ready to use without weeks of configuration
- Change order management — scope changes are captured, documented, and billed properly
- PM tool integrations — Jira, Asana, and Monday connect directly; billing reflects real project data
- Xero and MYOB on all plans — not gated behind a higher tier
- Revenue forecasting — know what's coming before it hits your bank
- Project health scoring — AI surfaces projects at risk before they blow up
- Plan pricing from $29/month — no per-brand fees, and the Agency plan caps at $199/mo with unlimited team members
- Unmatched workflow customisation — if you have a specific, repeatable process, Dubsado can model it almost exactly
- Generous free trial — 21 days full access, plus 3 clients free forever to test before committing
- Lead capture and CRM — intake forms, lead pipelines, and client records built in
- Canned email library — templated client communications for every stage of the process
- Strong community — large, active user community with Dubsado-certified consultants and shared workflow templates
- Scheduling included — no need for Calendly or similar on the Premier plan
Which one is for you?
When to choose each tool
Handl is the right call when you want your billing to actually reflect how your projects work — not shoehorn your process into a generic invoice structure.
If you're billing in phases, Handl handles that. If a client requests additional work mid-project, Handl has change orders built in. If you're tired of chasing payment, the AI-driven reminder system handles it without you having to compose another polite-but-firm email.
Critically, Handl connects to the tools agencies already use. If your team runs in Jira, Asana, or Monday, that data feeds into Handl. If your accountant is on Xero or MYOB, it syncs properly. Time tracking through Harvest, Hubstaff, or Toggl comes across cleanly.
You shouldn't have to spend weeks setting up a billing tool. Handl is opinionated — it's built around how agency billing actually works — and it's ready to use fast.
Dubsado makes sense if you have a very consistent, repeatable client process and you're prepared to invest time in setting it up properly. If you're a designer, photographer, or consultant who runs the same client journey from inquiry to delivery dozens of times a year, and you want fine-grained control over every automated email and form, Dubsado's flexibility is genuinely hard to match.
The 3-client free plan is also worth noting — it lets you use Dubsado indefinitely at no cost for very small volumes, which is useful for someone just starting out. If workflow customisation and a highly branded client experience are more important than billing intelligence, Dubsado is worth the learning curve investment.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use both Handl and Dubsado?
Yes. Some agencies use Dubsado for lead capture and client onboarding, then switch to Handl once a project is signed for ongoing milestone billing and payment automation. It depends where your biggest pain is.
Does Handl have a CRM?
No. Handl focuses on billing and client payment operations. It integrates with CRM tools rather than trying to replace them.
Why did Dubsado raise prices in 2025?
Dubsado increased from $20/$40 to $35/$55 per month in December 2025. The company cited infrastructure costs and feature development. Some users have explored alternatives following the increase.
Does Dubsado have milestone billing?
No. Dubsado has standard invoicing with payment plans. You cannot tie an invoice to a project deliverable or trigger billing when a milestone is completed.
Which is better for a team?
Handl is flat-rate ($29/month regardless of team size). Dubsado is also flat-rate per plan tier. For teams, the decision comes down to whether your main gap is onboarding (Dubsado) or billing (Handl).
The verdict
The honest comparison here comes down to one question: do you want flexibility or does the billing problem need to be solved?
Dubsado gives you flexibility. You can build almost any workflow you want. But you'll spend real time configuring it, milestone billing isn't available, and the AI capabilities aren't there. It's built for the front end of the client relationship — getting them in and signed up — not for managing ongoing project billing.
Handl is more opinionated. It's built specifically around the billing relationship that happens once the project is running: milestones, change orders, payment follow-up, forecasting. It connects to the tools agencies already use and doesn't require a certification course to get running.
If billing, payment chasing, and scope management is your actual pain point — Handl is the more direct solution. Try it free for 7 days.
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