It’s no secret that coaching can be an incredibly rewarding experience. As a business coach or life coach, you’re able to help your clients develop skills and habits to reach their goals. By sharing your insight and recommendations, you bear witness to their progress and help them along the way. And in order to run your business smoothly you want to optimize your client management to get the most out of your time. One way to do this is by using a client relationship management (CRM) tool to help streamline your daily workflow.
If you’re a coach, you’ve probably heard of Paperbell, a CRM platform that combines project management software to aid coaches automate their tasks. But in a digital world constantly developing new and improved tools, are there other project management tools you should consider? In this article, we’re looking into 7 alternative CRM software to help coaches with task management, automation, and client management.
What is Paperbell?
Paperbell is a CRM platform created by Lauren Roeder, a coach and businesswoman. She designed a platform with all the features and tools coaches use in one place to minimize the need to work out of multiple platforms. Automation, group meetings, and storage space are some of the features users can enjoy through Paperbell.
Key Features
Unlike other CRM software, Paperbell provides users with access to all their features—with the exception of how many clients you can onboard. Aside from that, whether you choose the free plan or the paid plan, you can take advantage of features such as:
- Client portal and management tools
- Invoicing, billing, and payment processing
- Custom landing pages and packages
- Group coaching capabilities
- Content delivery
- App integration
- Appointment scheduling
- Contract signing
- Automated tasks
- Intake surveys
It should be noted that Paperbell is not HIPAA compliant. This may affect life coaching businesses that operate in the health and wellness industry.
Interface
Paperbell is designed in a way that makes navigating its software easy for both coaches and clients. Paperbell reviews show that most people find the system to be clean and modest, taking a minimalistic approach. As one life coach mentioned in a review about the design, “I like the aesthetics of the Paperbell platform for myself and my clients using the portal. It is simple, clean, intuitive, and relatively user-friendly.” Other platforms often overcomplicate the platform with too many features which can be overwhelming. Paperbell puts ease-of-use first so you’ll enjoy the experience from start to finish.
Pricing
Anyone can sign up for a free Paperbell account. This gives you access to all features with the limitation of onboarding 1 client, which is a great place to start. Paperbell pricing is relatively straightforward, with its free plan that allows you 1 client and its paid plan will allow you to onboard an unlimited number of clients, meaning you’ll have ample room to grow your business. Here is what the Paperbell pricing looks like:
- Free Plan: Free (onboard 1 client)
- Paid Plan: $57 per month (onboard unlimited clients)
Customer Support
If you need to contact Paperbell’s customer support team you can reach them through an email request which can be found on their support page (or email them at hello@paperbell.com). Paperbell has also pulled together its resources of articles, tutorials, and guides in its digital Help Center which can be accessed 24/7. This makes it easy to troubleshoot your problems in case you need an immediate fix outside of normal business hours.
What To Look For in a Coaching CRM
There are a few areas to consider when deciding which CRM software to use. Think about where you are as a life coach or business coach and how you want to continue to grow. Specific features and workflow tools may or may not be suited to your needs depending on your goals. You also want to know your budget before choosing a CRM. Keep these things in mind to help pick which software is best for you.
Features
As a coach, your time is one of the most valuable assets you have. Using tools that support your workflow and free up your time will put you on the right path toward growth. You may be content with your standard features, like appointment scheduling and task management, but consider looking for advanced features that could potentially further support your business. Keep an eye out for features such as:
- Intake forms and surveys
- Proposals and contracts
- Time tracking
- Customizable templates
- Accounting and expense tracking
- App integration (through Zapier or direct-to-app integration)
Automation
A good coaching CRM will assist with basic automation needs (like appointment scheduling) but a great business management software will go beyond that. To work as efficiently as possible, think about finding a system that can also send automated reminders or nudge your client about payments, sync your calendar, and has any additional tracking features you may need. The more automation available, the more time you’ll have to focus on your clients and growing your business.
Pricing
Like it or not, keeping within your budget is an essential part of your business operation. Most coaching CRM tools require paid subscriptions that charge on a monthly or annual basis—some may even offer discounted pricing if you choose to pay annually. Many platforms offer first-time users the chance to try their system with a free trial, which can range from 7 days to 30 days. You’ll want to take advantage of any free trial (or even a free plan) before committing to a paid subscription.
Interface Design
Not all platforms will be designed in the same way, or have the same learning curve when it comes to adjusting to their software. In general, the best CRM tool is one that works for you, not one that makes you work. Even if a platform comes with all the bells and whistles and looks the most professional, is it still simple to use? Can you easily navigate around your dashboard? Is the system intuitive? Do clients struggle using their portal? These are all important factors to think about that will help influence your decision in order to provide the best experience for both yourself and your clients.
Customer Service
Most, if not all business management software companies have dedicated customer service teams. You’ll want to check out what types of support are available, such as live online chat, email requests, or even a live phone line. In most cases, you can find additional support through digital Help Centers that include tutorials and articles for a variety of topics—from onboarding clients into their portal to app integration. This can be an especially useful resource if you need immediate assistance outside of business hours.
7 Paperbell Alternatives
1. Honeybook
In the debate between Paperbell vs Honeybook, both platforms are great options for freelancers, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. Honeybook combines client management with a robust business management system to give users a fully functional platform with all the necessary tools in one place. Track projects, automate reminders, and integrate apps like Zoom, Google Calendar, and Quickbooks all from your dashboard. Take a look at some of their key features:
- Unlimited clients and projects
- Proposal and contract templates
- Full-scope automation
- Appointment scheduling
- Individual client portals
- App integration through Zapier
- Invoicing, billing, and payment processing
- Cloud-based companion mobile app
Coaches and freelancers appreciate Honeybook’s customization capabilities. Advanced plans come with financial tracking, profit and loss reports, expenses, and the ability to connect to your Quickbooks account. Honeybook’s customer service team is also available 7 days a week through email and live chat support. You can find helpful articles and guides in their Help Center, which you can access 24/7.
Honeybook offers users a 7-day free trial to test out their software. Users can subscribe to a monthly plan and pay monthly or annually. If you choose to pay annually you’ll also receive 2 months free. This is what Honeybook’s standard subscription prices look like:
- Starter Plan: $19 per month
- Essentials Plan: $39 per month
- Premium Plan: $79 per month
Honeybook Pro: Unlimited clients included in every plan.
Honeybook Con: Appointment scheduler and automation are not part of the Starter Plan.
2. Coachaccountable
Like Paperbell, Coachaccountable is a business management software designed specifically for coaches. Coachaccountable aims to free up your time spent on administrative tasks so you can give more to your clients instead. Users can schedule meetings and appointments, send invoices, plus track projects and task progress for individual or group clients. App integration includes linking with Zoom, Google and Outlook Calendars, plus PayPal, Square, and Stripe for billing and payments. More features available to Coachaccountable users include:
- Invoicing and payment processing
- Shared client portal
- Appointment scheduling and reminders
- Calendar sync and availability updates
- Form templates and contracts
- Program and course creation
- Companion mobile app
If you have an organization with multiple coaches, there’s good news. Coachaccountable has created its Teams Edition specifically aimed at organizations with a team of coaches. The Teams Edition gives you access to all your coaches so you can track their progress and reports. You can see what’s working and use that to create a standard coaching process for your team to implement.
Coachaccountable offers a generous 30-day free trial, much longer than many other comparable platforms. Its pricing structure is based on the number of clients you have, so the more clients you work with the higher-tiered plan you’ll need to subscribe to. The cool thing is that only active clients will count toward your total client list. Here is the breakdown of Coachaccountable’s pricing plan for up to 100 clients:
- Starter Plan: $20 per month, 2 clients
- Level 1 Plan: $40 per month, 5 clients
- Leven 2 Plan: $70 per month, 10 clients
- Level 3 Plan: $120 per month, 20 clients
- Level 4 Plan: $250 per month, 50 clients
- Level 5 Plan: $400 per month, 100 clients
Coachaccountable pro: 1 month free trial period for any plan.
Coachaccountable con: Interface design may be outdated for some users and clients.
3. Quenza
Quenza is a multi-purpose CRM platform for coaches, trainers, and healthcare workers. As this software is tailored more towards health and wellness small businesses, you’ll have access to patient charts, reports, intake forms, and assessments that can further support your practice. Additionally, Quenza is a great tool for teams or group clinics who may want to use the platform for staff training. These are some of the main features you’ll find with Quenza:
- Client management
- Personalized client portal
- Automation capabilities
- Document and content sharing
- Drag-and-drop activity builder
- Pre-designed library of activities
- Direct chat communication with clients
- Group coaching ability
- 16 available languages
- HIPAA compliant
Quenza does offer a free trial period of 30 days, although it’ll come with a non-refundable $1 payment. If you decide to proceed with their platform you can choose any of their paid subscription plans with the option of monthly or annual billing. Here are Quenza’s plans, based on how many clients you can onboard:
- Lite Plan: $49 per month (15 clients)
- Standard Plan: $89 per month (50 clients)
- Unlimited Plan: $149 per month (500 clients)
Quenza pro: 30 trial period for any plan.
Quenza con: Platform is targeted toward healthcare professionals which may be limiting for other users.
4. Simply.Coach
Simply.Coach is another all-around client management software for coaches to track and support their clients. The team behind Simply.Coach touches on several different areas within the coaching world—coaching and mentoring, business and growth consulting, training and development, and therapy and counseling. This structure provides support in multiple areas of your coaching business, making it a comprehensive tool that not only supports your current needs but addresses your future goals. Here’s a short list of some of the features you’ll have access to within Simply.Coach’s platform:
- Shared client portal
- Automated forms and reminders
- Invoicing and payment processing
- Custom action plans and tracked progress
- Automated reminders and nudges
- Form and contract templates
- Subscription and packages creation
- Custom branded landing pages
- HIPAA compliant platform
Coaches find the design and interface of Simply.Coach to be, well, simple. It’s clean and easy to use, making navigation and accessibility straightforward. If you ever do need help with the platform, however, you can reach out to the customer service team via email. One thing to note about the platform is that Simply.Coach is not a .com platform, in case you come across a different website when researching this software.
You can try any Simply.Coach plan with a 14-day free trial, whether you’re a solopreneur coach or work on a team or for an organization. Simply.Coach’s solopreneur plans are based on how many clients you have, whereas their business plans are based on the number of team members you add—roughly an additional $39 for every coach. Take a look at each subscription plan if paid on a month-to-month basis:
- Solo Starter Plan: $19 per month (5 clients)
- Solo Essentials Plan: $39 per month (10 clients)
- Solo Growth Plan: $59 per month (30 clients)
- Solo Leap Plan: $89 per month (unlimited clients)
- Business CoCreate Plan: $99 per month (1 coach), $138 per month (2 coaches)
- Business Surge Plan: $199 per month (1 coach), $238 per month (2 coaches)
Simply.Coach pro: HIPAA compliant for healthcare workers and coaches.
Simply.Coach con: Team pricing may be out of budget for larger teams.
5. Bonsai
Bonsai (also known as HelloBonsai) is a CRM software popular among freelancers, coaches, and small business owners. Time tracking for individual tasks is one of Bonsai’s key features, with additional project management tools, such as file sharing, invoicing, proposals, and contracts. Bonsai integrates many apps, like Zoom and Calendly, which automatically syncs your information. Other notable features part of Bonsai’s platform include:
- Unlimited clients and projects
- Send invoices and accept payments
- Appointment scheduling
- App integration through Zapier
- Allows for multiple collaborators
- Library of template forms
- Accounting functionality
You may or may not already use contracts and proposals, but they can be a great asset to your business. Bonsai’s team has curated a library of forms, worksheets, and contracts, vetted by professionals. You can also track expenses and create reports to help with accounting during tax season. Connect your account to Quickbooks to import and export the information you need.
Bonsai’s customer support team is available through in-app chat or by email. Users can also find helpful information in the Help Center which includes a section of frequently asked questions. You can test out the software with a free 7-day trial and then upgrade to one of Bonsai’s paid subscription plans. Yearly subscribers receive 2 months free, otherwise, you can pay on a monthly basis at these rates:
- Starter Plan: $24 per month
- Professional Plan: $39 per month
- Business Plan: $79 per month
Bonsai Pro: Vast library of personalized and customizable templates.
Bonsai Con: Time tracker feature doesn’t allow for detailed project tracking.
6. Dubsado
Like other CRM systems on our list, Dubsado offers a well-rounded platform catered to coaches, freelancers, and small business owners. Through automation and project management tools, users can streamline daily tasks in order to spend more time growing their business. Dubsado’s customer support team is available 7 days a week. You can even schedule a call with a team member (Monday through Friday) for a one-on-one experience to help troubleshoot any issues. Take a look at some of the features you’ll have access to with Dubsado:
- Email integration
- Unlimited projects and clients
- Built-in time tracking
- Client portals and project management
- Customizable form and email templates
- Invoicing and payment plans
- Calendar connection and sync
- Lead capture forms
Dubsado offers interested coaches the opportunity to try their platform for free for an unlimited time. Yes, your free trial can last as long as you’d like, with the ability to book up to 3 clients on your trial. Once you’re ready to book more clients you can upgrade to one of their paid subscription plans:
- Starter Plan: $20 per month (unlimited clients)
- Premier Plan: $40 per month (unlimited clients)
Dubsado pro: Unlimited free trial
Dubsado con: Features like Zapier integration and automated workflows are only available through higher-tiered plans.
7. Practice
We want to close out this list of Paperbell alternatives with our own platform. Our team at Practice has developed a CRM software to help coaches, consultants, and freelancers spend less time on administrative tasks and more time meeting with clients and growing their businesses. We’ve prioritized a smooth and professional interface design with automation to enhance both your experience and your client’s. Here are some key features Practice offers its users:
- Unlimited clients and storage space
- Share documents with clients
- Automated workflows
- Integrate Stripe, Zoom, and Google Calendar apps
- Private client portals
- Companion mobile app
Practice has created an interface that is intuitive and easy to use. Our client portal is particularly special, as it eliminates the need for third-party apps. You can share documents, send voice memos, and text or message your clients directly from your dashboard. This makes staying in contact with your clients that much easier.
We offer a free 7-day trial for any of our plans. And in case you’re working in a business with two or more team members, we have exciting news. Our Teams Plan is coming soon and could be just the solution to your business operations. Feel free to contact us for more information about our Teams Plan, or check out our live plans if you’re a solopreneur:
- Basic Plan: $35 per month
- Pro Plan: $60 per month
- Teams Plan: Coming Soon
Practice pro: Unique client portal with direct client communication capabilities.
Practice con: Our Teams Plan is not yet live but will be available soon.
Which Coaching CRM Is Right For Your Business?
Deciding which CRM platform is best for your coaching business, you’ll need to consider your current needs along with your goals for growth and expansion. The right business management software will offer automation, help manage your clients, track progress, and stick within your budget. Paperbell is a capable tool, but there are other choices you may want to think about. Practice can help support your small business and set you up for success. Learn more about our free 7-day trial and our platform today.
FAQ
Is Paperbell a CRM?
Yes, Paperbell is a well-rounded client management software designed to help coaches streamline their businesses. It helps with automation, appointment scheduling, and project management.
How does Paperbell work?
Paperbell users have access to their Paperbell dashboard where they'll find tools to assist with scheduling meetings, accessing client records and documents, as well as automating tasks like reminders. Clients can also log in to their client portal to share content and track their progress.
Is Paperbell HIPAA compliant?
No, Paperbell is not a HIPAA compliant platform. If you're a coach who runs a health and wellness business, you may need another software that is HIPAA compliant to ensure your client's data and information are secure.
Is Honeybook good for coaches?
Honeybook is a CRM platform that offers client and business management tools. Although it's not designed specifically for coaches, coaches can benefit from its tools to help streamline their tasks.
Does Paperbell integrate with Calendly?
Paperbell does not integrate with Calendly. Instead, it has its own built-in appointment scheduler that can sync directly to your Google Calendar.
What is the difference between Paperbell and Honeybook?
Paperbell is a CRM with a straightforward design that was created with coaches in mind. Honeybook is a CRM software for all freelancers or entrepreneurs with a modern interface similar to other platforms. The biggest difference is in their pricing plans. Paperbell's paid plan allows access to all features plus unlimited clients. Honeybook's subscriptions are tiered with advanced features included in more expensive plans.
