The Dubsado alternative you can set up in an afternoon
Dubsado is powerful once it’s configured, and plenty of people pay someone to do that. MonoDesk gives you Leads, Proposals, Invoices and a Client Portal out of the box, plus the project boards and weekly planning you’d otherwise run in another tool.
Free during beta · No credit card required
The short answer
- You rely on detailed workflows, forms and a booking scheduler.
- Contracts and card payments are central to how you book clients.
- Your setup is built, and it works.
- You never finished setting Dubsado up, or you dread changing it.
- You run delivery in a separate project tool.
- You want an AI Co-Worker to plan your week and draft the admin.
MonoDesk vs Dubsado, feature by feature
Dubsado details are from its public website, checked October 2026.
| Feature | MonoDesk | Dubsado |
|---|---|---|
| Task boards | Yes: Every project To Do, Doing and Done, with labels, subtasks, files and comments | Partly: Task lists and boards Dubsado says it isn’t built to replace team project tools |
| Clients and leads | Yes: Built in client records and a Leads pipeline | Yes: Built in lead forms: one on Starter, unlimited on Premier |
| Proposals | Yes: Built in branded, open tracking, e-signature (Core and Pro) | Yes: Built in public proposals on Premier |
| Contracts | Partly: Inside the Proposal e-signed with the Proposal; no separate contract tool | Yes: Built in with online signing |
| Invoices | Yes: Built in from the project, with deposits, part payments and recurring invoices | Yes: Built in payment plans and recurring invoices |
| Payments | Partly: Bank transfer or PayPal log each payment as it arrives | Yes: Dubsado Payments card payments via Stripe; PayPal and Square too |
| Time tracking | Yes: Built in by task, across the day, week or month | Yes: Built in billable hours to an invoice |
| Client Portal | Yes: Client Portal one branded link per client, no client logins | Yes: Included on every plan |
| Automations | Partly: Through Zapier plus recurring tasks; no built-in workflow builder | Yes: Workflows on Premier |
| AI | Yes: Co-Worker plans your day, drafts updates, Proposals and Invoices | Partly: Email summaries and a notetaker |
| Zapier | Yes: Yes | Partly: Premier only |
| Pricing | Free during beta, with a Free plan that stays | Dubsado pricing flat plans per account; free trial, no free plan |
Dubsado details from dubsado.com, checked October 2026. MonoDesk isn’t affiliated with Dubsado.
Why creatives move from Dubsado to MonoDesk
Dubsado rewards the people who configure it. Not everyone has the weeks to spare.
Set up in an afternoon
Add your clients, pick a Proposal design and you’re ready. No workflow map to build first.
Delivery has a home
Once the work is won, MonoDesk turns it into a project with a task board, Milestones, files and a timeline your client can follow.
An AI that does the admin
Your Co-Worker drafts Proposals, Invoices and Client Updates from real project data, and plans your day.
Your week in one view
The Planner pulls tasks from every client into one week, alongside your Google Calendar.
Where Dubsado is better
If you live in your workflows, Dubsado goes further.
- Deep, customisable workflows
- Forms, questionnaires and a booking scheduler
- Contracts and card payments in the booking flow
- Companion mobile apps
Moving takes an afternoon
No consultants, no rebuild.
- 1 Bring your work across. Export from Dubsado to CSV or a spreadsheet, then import clients, projects, tasks or time. MonoDesk shows every row before anything is saved.
- 2 Pick a Proposal design. Ten designs in your brand colours, or upload your own PDF or Figma file.
- 3 Plan your week. Pull tasks into the Planner, start a timer, and bill from the project.
Switching from Dubsado: your questions
Is MonoDesk easier to set up than Dubsado?
Yes. MonoDesk works the way creative client work already runs, so there are no workflows to map before you start. Most people add their clients and send a first Proposal in an afternoon.
Does MonoDesk have contracts and e-signatures?
Clients e-sign MonoDesk Proposals online, but there isn’t a separate contract tool. If you send standalone contracts, Dubsado covers that natively.
Does MonoDesk have workflows like Dubsado?
Not a workflow builder. MonoDesk connects to Zapier, supports recurring tasks, and your Co-Worker drafts the admin for you. If you rely on detailed automated workflows, Dubsado goes further.
How much does MonoDesk cost compared with Dubsado?
MonoDesk is free during beta, and has a Free plan that stays free afterwards. Current plans are on the MonoDesk pricing page. Dubsado has no free plan; its plans are a flat price per account after a free trial.
Can I bring my Dubsado clients across?
Yes. Export your client list to CSV or a spreadsheet, then use Import in MonoDesk. MonoDesk matches the columns and shows every row before anything is saved.
Comparing other tools?
See every comparison, or jump straight to one.