New: Chip can now take voice calls from your website chat (beta). Hear how it works

The founding cohort is open: 6 months free for the first 20 teams, picked by hand. Apply

startbuddi vs Dubsado: an honest comparison

Dubsado is client management software for service businesses, with lead capture forms, contracts, invoices with payment plans, client portals and, on the Premier plan, scheduling and automated workflows, priced per year. startbuddi covers bookings, forms, contracts, invoices and client portals in a workspace that also holds a shared inbox, marketing and Paystack payments, so pick Dubsado for its workflow depth and startbuddi if you want client work and customer conversations together with a free plan to start.

We make startbuddi, so we're biased. We've tried to be fair: we list where Dubsado is stronger, every fact about Dubsado links to its source, and anything we couldn't confirm on their own site is marked "not published". Checked in September 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it.
startbuddi

startbuddi is best for

Service businesses that want bookings, forms, contracts, invoices and an inbox together

Dubsado logoDubsado

Dubsado is best for

Solo service businesses that run each client through forms, contracts and invoices

At a glance

Best for
startbuddiService businesses that want bookings, forms, contracts, invoices and an inbox together
DubsadoSolo service businesses that run each client through forms, contracts and invoices
Free plan
startbuddiYes, the Free plan
DubsadoNone on the published plans
First paid plan
startbuddiStarter, $29 a month
DubsadoStarter, $335 USD per year, annual plan
Checked
startbuddiPrice book, October 2026
DubsadoSeptember 2026

Where each one is stronger

The short version. Dubsado first, because it does some things better than we do.

Dubsado logoDubsado is stronger at

Payment plansDubsado invoices can be split into payment plans on both plans.
Bookkeeping and Zapierthe Premier plan adds a bookkeeping integration and a Zapier integration.
More payment processorsDubsado connects Dubsado Payments (powered by Stripe), Square or PayPal.
Several brands in one accountextra brands are $10 per month each, and you swap between them with one click.
Mobile appDubsado includes mobile app access on both plans; startbuddi is web only.

startbuddi is stronger at

Free planstartbuddi has a Free plan with bookings, a form, invoicing and contacts; Dubsado offers a 21-day trial before an annual plan.
Scheduling on every planbooking pages with deposits and no-show follow-ups are on the Free plan too, where Dubsado keeps scheduling on Premier.
Customer conversations in one inboxWhatsApp, email, SMS, website chat, Instagram and Facebook messages sit on the same client record as invoices and deals.
Paystack for African paymentsclients pay invoices and booking deposits by card, bank transfer or USSD through Paystack, or by card through Stripe.
Projects, time tracking and marketingWork projects with billable time, plus email, WhatsApp and SMS campaigns on paid plans, share the same contact list.

Feature by feature

Each Dubsado value links to where we found it. Anything their site doesn't state is marked "not published".

startbuddi and Dubsado, feature by feature
FeaturestartbuddiDubsado
Free plan Yes NoSource (opens in a new tab)
Lead capture forms1 form on Free, 20 on Starter, unlimited from Growth Yes 1 on Starter, unlimited PremierSource (opens in a new tab)
Contracts with e-signatureSigned on startbuddi's own signing page Yes YesSource (opens in a new tab)
InvoicesPartial payments can be recorded against an invoice Yes Yes, with payment plansSource (opens in a new tab)
ProposalsOne built-in proposal template Yes Premier plan onlySource (opens in a new tab)
Client portalsFree lets you build and preview a portal, not invite clients Paid plans YesSource (opens in a new tab)
Appointment schedulingBooking pages with deposits on every plan Yes Premier plan onlySource (opens in a new tab)
Automated workflowsAutomations are not on the Free plan Paid plans Premier plan onlySource (opens in a new tab)
Calendar connectionPushes bookings to Google or Outlook; doesn't read busy times One-way push YesSource (opens in a new tab)
Payment processors Paystack, Stripe Stripe, Square, PayPalSource (opens in a new tab)
Bookkeeping integrationNo QuickBooks or Xero sync No Premier plan onlySource (opens in a new tab)
Mobile app Web only YesSource (opens in a new tab)

What each one looks like

Real screens, captured by us or taken from the official press kit, each dated.

startbuddi: Estimates and proposals
startbuddi · Estimates and proposals. Captured from our own account, personal details blurred.
startbuddi: Invoices
startbuddi · Invoices. Captured from our own account, personal details blurred.
startbuddi: Client portals
startbuddi · Client portals. Captured from our own account, personal details blurred.

Dubsado's own screens are on Dubsado's website. We don't show another company's product without a dated capture from a trial or its press kit.

Pricing side by side

List prices as each company publishes them. We never convert currencies.

See startbuddi pricing

startbuddi

  • FreeFree
  • Starter$29 a month
  • Growth$79 a month
  • Scale$199 a month

Prices in US dollars, billed monthly. From our pricing page, updated 3 Oct 2026.

Dubsado logoDubsado

Checked in September 2026. Check Dubsado's site for current plans.

Switching from Dubsado

What moving across involves.

  1. Export your clients from DubsadoDubsado lets you export clients and projects as a CSV file that opens in Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers.
  2. Import your clients as contactsIn startbuddi, go to Customers → Contacts → Import, upload the CSV, map the columns and review before importing.
  3. Rebuild forms, contracts and workflowsRecreate your lead capture forms in Forms, your contracts and proposals in Money Manager → Get Paid, and your workflows in Automations. There's no automatic importer for Dubsado templates or workflows.
  4. Set up bookings and portalsCreate your services in Bookings with any deposit you need, then add a client portal in Work for each active client and invite them by email link.

Sources

Checked in September 2026. startbuddi prices come from our own price book. Dubsado's website.

Questions people ask

Can I move my clients from Dubsado?

Yes. Dubsado exports clients and projects as a CSV, which you can import into startbuddi Contacts. Forms, contracts and workflows are rebuilt by hand.

Can clients accept a proposal or estimate online in startbuddi?

Contracts and proposals are signed online on startbuddi's signing page. Estimates are accepted by replying to the email, and you mark them accepted before converting them to an invoice.

Does startbuddi have a free plan?

Yes. The Free plan includes bookings, one form and up to 5 invoices a month, and every paid plan has a 30-day trial.

Does startbuddi connect to bookkeeping software?

No. startbuddi covers invoices, expenses, cash flow and simple profit and loss, but it has no QuickBooks or Xero sync.

Other comparisons

Dubsado alternatives
Mailchimp logovs Mailchimp 17hats logovs 17hats Plutio logovs Plutio Zoho logovs Zoho

Try startbuddi alongside Dubsado.

Start on the free plan with a copy of your contacts and see how it fits before you decide.

Start freeBook a demo
Free plan available. Every paid plan starts with a 30-day trial.