ClauseryHoneyBook alternative when you only need contracts
HoneyBook is an all-in-one client platform that takes a booking from inquiry to contract, invoice and payment. If contracts are the part you actually use, Clausery gives you free Word contract templates that you fill in on your own computer, with no monthly subscription.
HoneyBook raised its prices in February 2025; the Starter plan went from $19 to $36 a month on monthly billing. If you mostly use it to send contracts, that is worth a second look.
| Clausery | HoneyBook | |
|---|---|---|
| Where contracts are created | Your browser only; nothing is uploaded | HoneyBook's cloud |
| Account needed | No | Yes |
| Works offline | Yes | No |
| Free contract templates | Yes, 87 Word templates | Yes |
| Use your own Word contract | Yes: add {tags} to any .docx | Add your wording in HoneyBook's contract editor |
| Contract download | Word (.docx), or print to PDF | |
| E-signature | No: sign on paper or with any e-signature service | Yes |
| Invoicing and payments | No | Yes, with a fee on each card or bank payment |
| Client portal, scheduling and CRM | No | Yes; scheduling and automations from the Essentials plan |
| Price | Free library templates, plus 3 of your own; Pro $19 per user per month | No free plan. Starter $36, Essentials $59 and Premium $129 a month; $29, $49 and $109 a month billed yearly |
Based on public information checked in September 2026. Products and prices change; check with the vendor.
Choose HoneyBook if
- You want clients to sign, get invoiced and pay in one flow
- You use a branded client portal, scheduling or automated follow-ups every week
- You would rather pay for one subscription than combine separate tools
Choose Clausery if
- You mainly need a solid contract for each client, not a whole client platform
- You want contracts as editable Word files that you keep
- You would rather not pay monthly for features you rarely use
- Client details should stay on your own computer
Moving your contracts from HoneyBook
- Copy your contract wording out of HoneyBook into a Word document, or start from one of the free freelance contract templates.
- Replace each detail that changes with a tag such as
{client_name}, and wrap optional terms, such as a deposit or kill fee, in{#has_deposit}…{/has_deposit}. - Check the file with the free template tag checker, then drop it into the app.
- Send each finished contract for signature the way you prefer. Keep HoneyBook or another tool for invoices if you use it.
What Clausery deliberately leaves out
Clausery only prepares documents, and it never holds your clients' details. It has no invoicing, payments, scheduling, client portal, CRM or built-in e-signature. If you use those every week, HoneyBook may be worth its subscription. If what you need is a good contract for each client, a template and a questionnaire may be all it takes.
Questions
Can I use Clausery and HoneyBook together?
Yes. You could keep HoneyBook for the parts you use, such as invoicing and payments, and prepare contracts in Clausery. Clausery needs no integration: it produces a Word file you can send, sign and store however you like.
How much does Clausery cost compared with HoneyBook?
Every Clausery library template is free, you can automate up to three of your own templates free with unlimited documents, and Pro is $19 per user per month. The table above summarises HoneyBook's published pricing as of 2026; check the vendor for current prices.
Can clients sign a Clausery contract?
Clausery does not collect signatures itself. Send the Word file, or a PDF printed from it, through any e-signature service, or sign on paper. Several e-signature services have a free plan for a limited number of documents.
What happens to my templates if I stop using Clausery?
They are ordinary Word files with tags, and your data exports as plain JSON. Nothing is locked into Clausery.
Try it with your own template
Open the app, drop in a Word document with tags like {client_name}, and you have a questionnaire. Or start from one of the free templates.