You're Switching from HoneyBook. Here's Why Photographers Choose Nexa.
HoneyBook
$36/mo
$432/year — every year, forever
Nexa
$279
Once. Own it forever.
or 3 payments of $99
Break even in 7.8 months. Then it's free forever.
"Switched from HoneyBook after the last price increase. Nexa does everything I needed for $279. Wish I'd done it sooner."
— Verified photographer, former HoneyBook customer
The Bottom Line
Photographers on HoneyBook pay $36/month — $432/year. Over three years, that's $1,296. Nexa is $279 once. Break-even runs about 7.8 months. The median photographer earns $42,000/year, so HoneyBook's annual cost is roughly 1.0% of typical revenue — every year, forever.
Key Numbers
$42,000
Median photographer income
4.2%
Typical SaaS spend as % of revenue
7.8 mo
Break-even vs HoneyBook
$1,017
3-year savings switching to Nexa
What HoneyBook Is Costing You
The Damage
HoneyBook monthly$36/mo
Annual drain$432/yr
Year 2 (at today's price)$432
Year 3$432
3-year total$1,296
That's $1,296 gone. And you don't own anything. Stop paying, lose access.
Your HoneyBook subscription has cost you $0.00 since you opened this page.
Why Photographers Leave HoneyBook
✗Starter rose from $19 to $36/month on Feb 4, 2025 (+89%).
✗Payment processing fees add up
✗Limited geographic availability
✗Team member caps on lower tiers
✗Not suited for complex workflows
✗My least favorite thing is the price. As a solo entrepreneur, budget is tight and the barrier to entry is around $40 a m
Photographers are leaving HoneyBook every week.
You're not the only one who's had enough.
Why This Matters for Photographers
The shoot is the smallest part of a wedding. Weeks before, I've walked the venue at the same hour the ceremony starts to see where the light falls, built a shot list with the couple, and confirmed timing with the planner so the portraits don't get squeezed. On the day it's ten hours on my feet with two bodies, three lenses and backup cards, reading the room so I'm in position before the moment happens, not after. Then the real work starts. A wedding comes back as three to four thousand frames; I cull that to around six hundred, then edit every one for exposure, colour and skin, which is thirty to forty hours at the desk. The gallery goes out in six to eight weeks, and in between I'm answering where-are-our-photos emails. The money side is its own job: a retainer to hold the date months out, the balance before the wedding, album upsells after, and second-shooter pay on my side. In the off-season I'm doing engagement sessions and family minis to keep cash coming, and I'm always booking next year while I edit this one.
Photographers face unique challenges: HoneyBook takes a percentage of every contract payment on top of the monthly fee. Managing deposits, payment plans, and final balances across 15+ active clients. Contract management — sending, signing, tracking for every shoot. Tracking expenses across shoots (travel, second shooters, prints). Dubsado has a brutal learning curve that takes weeks to set up. On top of all that, HoneyBook charges $36/month ($432/year) — money that comes directly from your revenue. The median photographer earns $42,000/year. Software at $432/year is a meaningful percentage of that income, every year, forever. And you do not own anything.
Your Camera bodies (Canon R5/R6, Sony A7IV, Nikon Z6 — $2,500+ each) is yours. You bought it once. Nexa works the same way — $279 once for invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, and full accounting. All connected. All offline-capable. You own it like you own your tools.
Your Full Stack Cost
HoneyBook is just one piece. What else are you losing money on?
Want this breakdown emailed to you?
Your exact HoneyBook cost, full stack total, and what switching saves. 10 seconds.
"I was paying HoneyBook $36/month and didn't question it until I did the math. $1,296 over 3 years for tools I don't even own. Nexa was $279. Once. Done."
— Photographer business owner
What You Get Instead
Feature
HoneyBook
Nexa
Invoicing
✓
✓
Scheduling
✓
✓
CRM
✓
✓
Time Tracking
—
✓
Full Accounting
—
✓ (SIMPL)
Task Management
—
✓
Works offline
—
✓
Price
$36/mo forever
$279 once or 3 × $99
3-Year Cost
$1,296
$279
Stop paying?
Lose everything
Keep everything forever
Switching Takes 1-2 Days
Most photographers are fully switched before the weekend.
1
Export your data
Go to Company Settings → export contacts and projects. Download templates separately.
2
Set up Nexa
15-minute setup. Import your contacts and recreate your key templates.
3
Parallel run
Run both for 1-2 weeks. Transition active projects after they complete.
4
Cancel HoneyBook
Cancel before renewal. Save any contract templates as PDFs.
✓ Run both in parallel. Cancel HoneyBook when you're confident. Zero risk.
What photographers actually deal with
HoneyBook takes a percentage of every contract payment on top of the monthly fee
Managing deposits, payment plans, and final balances across 15+ active clients
Contract management — sending, signing, tracking for every shoot
Tracking expenses across shoots (travel, second shooters, prints)
Dubsado has a brutal learning curve that takes weeks to set up
A day in the life of a photographer
The shoot is the smallest part of a wedding. Weeks before, I've walked the venue at the same hour the ceremony starts to see where the light falls, built a shot list with the couple, and confirmed timing with the planner so the portraits don't get squeezed. On the day it's ten hours on my feet with two bodies, three lenses and backup cards, reading the room so I'm in position before the moment happens, not after. Then the real work starts. A wedding comes back as three to four thousand frames; I cull that to around six hundred, then edit every one for exposure, colour and skin, which is thirty to forty hours at the desk. The gallery goes out in six to eight weeks, and in between I'm answering where-are-our-photos emails. The money side is its own job: a retainer to hold the date months out, the balance before the wedding, album upsells after, and second-shooter pay on my side. In the off-season I'm doing engagement sessions and family minis to keep cash coming, and I'm always booking next year while I edit this one.
The tools a working photographer actually owns
Camera bodies (Canon R5/R6, Sony A7IV, Nikon Z6 — $2,500+ each)
Lens collection ($1,000-$2,500 each)
Speedlights and studio strobes
Light stands, softboxes, modifiers
Memory cards and card readers
Editing workstation with calibrated monitor
Camera bags and hard cases
Why photographers leave the big platforms
honeybook: $39/month plus they take a cut of every payment processed. On a $5,000 wedding, that's real money gone. And the templates look generic.
dubsado: Took me 40 hours to set up properly. Workflows are powerful but the UI is confusing. Every update breaks something.
17hats: The interface feels like it hasn't been updated since 2017. Clunky, slow, and missing basic features other CRMs have.
Where photographers actually talk shop
r/photography (Reddit)
r/WeddingPhotography (Reddit)
r/photobusiness (Reddit)
r/AskPhotography (Reddit)
Fred Miranda Forums (Forum)
DPReview Community (Forum)
Peter McKinnon (YouTube)
Vanessa Joy (YouTube)
Local photographers on Nexa
Real photographers near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee.
Are you a photographer? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time.
Or browse every photographer on Nexa →
FAQ
Is Nexa really a HoneyBook replacement for photographers?
For solo operators and small teams (1-5), yes. Nexa includes invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, task management, and full accounting. HoneyBook may be better if you have a large team (10+) or need enterprise-specific features.
$279 seems like a lot.
It's $7.75/month over 3 years. HoneyBook is $36/month — that's $1,296 over 3 years. Which is more? And if you'd rather split it, Nexa is also available as 3 payments of $99.
Can I pay in installments?
Yes. Nexa is $279 as a one-time payment, or 3 payments of $99 ($297 total). Either way it's a one-time purchase — no subscription, no recurring fees ever.
What if I don't like it?
30-day money-back guarantee. Full refund. If Nexa doesn't save you $500 in year one, you get every penny back.
Can I import my HoneyBook data?
Export your data from HoneyBook as CSV, import into Nexa in about 5 minutes.
Photographers in Portland
The average solo operator there spends about $2,688/year on software — and photographer face their own version of that math. ME state licensing requirements apply.
Numbers reflect typical solo operators in the Portland metro. Your situation will vary.
If You Need These — Nexa Has Them
Specific gaps Photographers run into with HoneyBook, and what Nexa does instead.
✗
HoneyBook gapLimited for product-based businesses
✓
NexaBuilt into Nexa’s $279 once purchase — no separate add-on.
✗
HoneyBook gapNo inventory management
✓
NexaInventory tracking included for product and service businesses.
✗
HoneyBook gapBasic reporting
✓
NexaP&L, balance sheet, and 21 reports — built in.
Where Photographers Talk Shop
If you want to compare notes or see how other photographers are running their tools, here's where the conversation happens.
Peter McKinnon, Vanessa Joy, Taylor Jackson, Pat Kay
Podcasts
The Business of Photography, Bokeh Podcast, Six Figure Photography, The Photographer's Podcast
"HoneyBook raised prices again and I was done. Found Nexa — $279 once. I own it. No more 'we're updating our pricing' emails. Best business decision this year."
— Photographer, switched from HoneyBook
Stop Losing $432/Year to HoneyBook
$1,296 over 3 years. Or $279 once (or 3 × $99). Own your tools.