Are you trying to manage clients, invoices, and contracts all at once? Staying organized doesn’t have to cost a fortune.
Bloom’s lifetime deal plan is perfect if you’re running a small side hustle with it’s simple, affordable, and quick to set up.
But with only a three-project limit, it can slow you down once your client list grows.
If you’ve outgrown Bloom or need more automation, here are top 6 bloom alternatives that scale with your business.
Here is the Best 6 alternatives of bloom
- HoneyBook – Best for creatives wanting polished proposals/workflows.
- HubSpot – Best for growing teams needing a free, scalable CRM.
- monday.com CRM – Best for teams wanting a visual, customizable CRM.
- Zoho CRM – Best for budget-friendly, flexible CRM needs.
- Keap – Best for small businesses wanting strong automation.
- Pipedrive – Best for sales teams needing a simple pipeline CRM.
Comparison Among Bloom Alternatives
| Tool | Key Features | Starting Price* | Free Plan | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloom | Client portal, invoicing, scheduling, workflows | ~$7/mo | No | Solo creatives & small agencies |
| HoneyBook | Proposals, contracts, invoices, automations | ~$36/mo | No (trial only) | Creatives & service providers |
| HubSpot | CRM, email marketing, automation, portal | Free; paid from ~$20/user | Yes | Growing businesses |
| monday.com CRM | Visual boards, pipelines, automations | ~$12/user/mo | Limited (work mgmt only) | Teams wanting visual CRM |
| Zoho CRM | Deals, workflows, AI tools, invoicing add-ons | ~$14/user/mo | Yes, up to 3 users | Budget-focused teams |
| Keap | CRM + marketing automation + invoicing | ~$199+/mo | No (trial only) | Small businesses needing automation |
| Pipedrive | Sales pipeline CRM, email sync | ~$14/user/mo | No | Sales-focused teams |
Why You Might Need a Bloom Alternative?
Bloom works well if you’re just starting out. The AppSumo lifetime deal costs only $19. Read our Bloom lifetime deal review.
But that deal comes with serious restrictions. You get just 3 active projects, 1 automation, and 1 workflow.
Those limits become a problem fast. Once you land your fourth client, you’re stuck upgrading or turning away work.
Here’s what Bloom users commonly struggle with:
The project cap problem: Sarah, a web designer, hit her 3-project limit within two months. She had to choose between upgrading immediately or putting new clients on hold.
Limited automation: With only 1 automation slot, you can’t set up both a welcome sequence and payment reminders. You pick one and handle the rest manually.
Single workflow constraint: Your onboarding process and project delivery process compete for the same workflow slot. Most businesses need separate flows for different client types.
Unclear upgrade costs: Users report confusion about when the 50% lifetime discount applies and what website features actually cost extra.
What to Look for in Client Management Software?
You need different features depending on your business type. Service providers need scheduling and contracts. Sales teams need pipeline tracking.
Think about your current needs and future growth. A platform that works for 5 clients might crash when you hit 20.
Consider these factors before choosing:
- Monthly cost per user or project
- Invoice and payment processing fees
- Automation capabilities
- Client portal features
- Integration with tools you already use
- Storage limits for files and documents
- Contract and proposal templates
- Scheduling and booking options
1. HoneyBook: Built for Creative Professionals
HoneyBook targets freelancers and creative agencies. The platform handles everything from first contact to final payment.
How It Compares to Bloom
Unlimited projects: HoneyBook removes Bloom’s 3-project cap completely. Manage as many clients as you can handle without artificial limits.
Better automation: Even the starter plan includes multiple automation workflows. Set up separate sequences for inquiries, bookings, and payments.
Professional templates: The proposal and contract templates look more polished than Bloom’s basic options. Clients see you as more established.
Higher price point: You pay $36 monthly versus Bloom’s $7. The difference is justified if you have 5+ active clients.
Key Features
You get lead capture forms that feed directly into your workflow. Proposals and contracts come with professional templates you can customize.
The client portal lets your customers view project details and make payments. Recurring billing works well for retainer clients.
Automations save you time on repetitive tasks. Set up email sequences that trigger when clients take specific actions.
Real-World Use Case
Marcus, a photographer, switched from Bloom after booking his fourth wedding. HoneyBook’s automated booking flow handles inquiry to contract signing without his involvement. He now manages 12 active projects with less time spent on admin work than he had with 3 projects in Bloom.
Pricing Structure
HoneyBook starts at $36 per month for the Starter plan. The Essentials plan costs $59 monthly and adds more automation.
Premium runs $129 per month with unlimited everything. Annual billing drops these prices significantly.
A free trial lets you test the platform before committing. This helps you avoid buyer’s remorse.
Best For
HoneyBook suits established freelancers with steady client flow. Creative professionals like photographers and designers love the polished templates.
You need at least 5-10 active clients to justify the cost. Below that, the price feels steep compared to Bloom.
2. HubSpot CRM: Scalable Sales and Marketing Platform
HubSpot takes a different approach than Bloom. It focuses on sales pipelines and lead nurturing rather than project delivery.
How It Compares to Bloom
Free forever tier: HubSpot’s free CRM beats Bloom’s paid limitations. You get unlimited contacts and basic features without paying anything.
Better for sales: If you’re constantly pitching new clients, HubSpot tracks every conversation and follow-up. Bloom focuses more on existing client work.
Weaker invoicing: HubSpot requires add-ons or integrations for full invoicing capabilities. Bloom has this built-in.
Steeper learning curve: Expect to spend 2-3 days learning HubSpot versus a few hours with Bloom.
Key Features
The free CRM tier gives you contact management and deal tracking. Email templates speed up your outreach efforts.
Live chat and shared inbox keep customer conversations organized. Basic automation handles routine follow-ups.
You can add marketing and service hubs as you grow. Each hub unlocks more advanced features.
Real-World Use Case
Jennifer runs a consulting business with a long sales cycle. She uses HubSpot’s free tier to track 40+ prospects through her pipeline. Email sequences nurture cold leads automatically. When she closes a deal, she switches to separate project management software. This split works because her sales process matters more than project delivery.
Pricing Structure
The free plan works well for small teams. Paid plans start around $15 per user monthly in the first year.
Professional and Enterprise tiers cost hundreds per month. You pay per seat, so team size affects your budget.
Many small businesses stick with the free tier for years. Upgrade only when you need advanced reporting or automation.
Best For
HubSpot works best for businesses prioritizing sales growth. You need a clear sales process with defined stages.
The learning curve is steeper than Bloom. Plan time for training your team on the platform.
Skip HubSpot if you mainly need project delivery tools. It lacks strong invoicing and contract features compared to alternatives.
3. monday.com: Flexible Work Operating System
monday.com offers extreme flexibility. You build custom workflows using visual boards.
How It Compares to Bloom
Visual project tracking: monday.com shows project status at a glance with color-coded boards. Bloom uses a simpler list view.
Team collaboration: Multiple people can work on the same board simultaneously. Bloom feels more solo-user focused.
Requires setup time: You build your own workflows from scratch. Bloom comes pre-configured for client management.
Better for growing teams: monday.com scales from 3 to 30 team members smoothly. Bloom works best for solopreneurs.
Key Features
Boards organize tasks, projects, or client information however you want. Automations trigger actions when items change status.
Dashboards combine data from multiple boards into visual reports. Your team can collaborate in real-time on shared boards.
The platform adapts to CRM, project management, or operations needs. You’re not locked into one workflow style.
Real-World Use Case
A three-person design agency switched from Bloom when they hired their first employee. monday.com let them create separate boards for sales, active projects, and post-delivery support. Each team member sees only relevant information. Automations notify the right person when tasks need attention. They now handle 20+ concurrent projects that would have been chaos in Bloom.
Pricing Structure
A free tier covers individuals and very small teams. Paid plans start around $12 per user monthly.
Higher tiers unlock more automations and integrations. Enterprise plans add security and support features.
You pay per seat regardless of how many boards you create. This makes costs predictable as you scale.
Best For
monday.com suits teams needing visual project tracking. It works well when multiple people manage different client touchpoints.
The flexibility becomes overwhelming for solopreneurs. You spend time building systems instead of serving clients.
Choose monday.com if you have 3 or more team members. Solo operators find simpler platforms easier to manage.
4. Zoho CRM: Affordable Full-Featured Platform
Zoho offers two paths. You can use Zoho CRM alone or buy Zoho One for the entire suite.
How It Compares to Bloom
More affordable scaling: Zoho CRM at $14 per user gives you more features than Bloom’s $17 standard plan.
Ecosystem advantage: Zoho One bundles 40+ apps for the price of 2-3 separate tools. Bloom requires multiple integrations.
Sales-first design: Zoho emphasizes pipeline management over project delivery. Bloom balances both better.
Complex interface: New users take longer to learn Zoho than Bloom’s straightforward layout.
Key Features
Zoho CRM handles contacts, deals, and sales workflows. Custom reports show you exactly how your pipeline performs.
Email integration connects to Gmail or Outlook. Workflow automation reduces manual data entry.
Zoho One adds 40+ apps including email marketing, help desk, and project management. Everything works together in one ecosystem.
Real-World Use Case
A marketing consultant started with Bloom but needed email marketing and proposal tools. Buying separate subscriptions would cost $60+ monthly. Zoho One provided CRM, email campaigns, document management, and invoicing for less. The learning curve took two weeks, but consolidating six tools into one platform saved $40 monthly and eliminated switching between apps.
Pricing Structure
Zoho CRM starts around $14 per user monthly. Higher tiers add AI features and advanced customization.
Zoho One costs more upfront but includes dozens of apps. It makes sense if you need multiple business tools.
Both options offer free trials. Test the interface before buying.
Best For
Zoho CRM works for businesses wanting room to expand. The ecosystem grows with you without switching platforms.
New users sometimes feel overwhelmed by options. The interface takes getting used to compared to simpler tools.
Choose Zoho if you plan to add team members within a year. Solo freelancers might find it too complex.
5. Keap: CRM Plus Marketing Automation
Keap combines client management with serious marketing power. It targets sales-driven small businesses.
How It Compares to Bloom
Advanced email sequences: Keap handles complex multi-stage nurture campaigns. Bloom’s single automation slot can’t compete.
E-commerce ready: Keap processes product sales and subscriptions natively. Bloom requires Stripe integration with limited features.
Much higher cost: Keap starts at $50+ versus Bloom’s $7. You’re paying for sophisticated marketing automation.
Overkill for simple services: If you don’t actively generate leads, most of Keap’s features go unused.
Key Features
Sales pipelines organize your deals visually. Email sequences nurture leads automatically over time.
Landing pages capture new leads. Quote and invoice tools handle the money side.
E-commerce features support product sales and recurring billing. The platform does more than simple client management.
Real-World Use Case
A business coach ran lead generation ads on Facebook. With Bloom, she manually followed up with each inquiry. After switching to Keap, new leads enter a 30-day email sequence automatically. The sequence educates prospects and promotes her discovery call. Her booking rate doubled while her follow-up time dropped to zero. The $79 monthly cost pays for itself with one additional client.
Pricing Structure
Entry plans cost more than basic alternatives. Expect to pay $50+ monthly depending on contact count.
Pricing scales with your contact list size. More leads mean higher costs.
Advanced automation features sit in higher pricing tiers. Budget accordingly if you need complex sequences.
Best For
Keap suits businesses with active sales funnels. You need it if you’re constantly generating and nurturing leads.
Service businesses focused on project delivery might find it overkill. The marketing features go unused for many consultants.
Choose Keap if you spend significant time on lead generation. Skip it if most clients come from referrals.
6. Pipedrive: Sales Pipeline Management
Pipedrive keeps things simple. It focuses purely on moving deals through your sales process.
How It Compares to Bloom
Pure sales focus: Pipedrive excels at tracking deals from first contact to close. Bloom tries to handle both sales and delivery.
Visual pipeline: Drag-and-drop deal cards make it obvious what needs attention. Bloom’s interface is less visual.
No project delivery: Once you close the deal, you need other tools for actual client work. Bloom handles the full client lifecycle.
Similar pricing: Pipedrive at $14 per user costs about the same as Bloom’s standard plan but specializes in one thing.
Key Features
Visual pipelines show every deal at a glance. Activity management ensures you never miss a follow-up.
Deal tracking shows win rates and bottlenecks. Reports help you forecast revenue.
Add-ons extend functionality for lead generation and automation. The core product stays lean and focused.
Real-World Use Case
A software sales team switched from Bloom because they needed better pipeline visibility. With 50+ active prospects, Bloom’s simple list view became unmanageable. Pipedrive’s visual board shows exactly which deals need attention and which are stalling. The sales manager can forecast monthly revenue by looking at deal stages. However, they still use separate software for onboarding new customers after the sale closes.
Pricing Structure
Plans start around $14 per user monthly. Mid-tier plans add automation and forecasting.
Higher tiers unlock advanced reporting and team features. Annual billing saves about 17% versus monthly.
A free trial lets you build test pipelines. This helps you see if the visual approach fits your thinking.
Best For
Pipedrive works best for pure sales teams. You need it when closing deals is your primary activity.
It lacks project delivery and invoicing features. You’ll need separate tools for client work after the sale.
Choose Pipedrive if you have a clear sales process with multiple stages. Skip it if you need all-in-one client management.
When Bloom Is Your Best Option
Before exploring alternatives, understand when Bloom actually fits your needs perfectly:
You’re testing a business idea: The $19 appsumo lifetime deal lets you try client management without monthly commitments. Risk-free experimentation matters when you’re not sure if your business will stick.
You have 1-3 steady clients: Bloom’s limitations don’t hurt you at this scale. You get all essential features for less than a coffee per month.
You need quick setup: Bloom requires minimal configuration. Create your first invoice within 30 minutes of signing up.
Budget is your top priority: At $7-17 monthly, Bloom costs less than lunch. No other platform matches this price point with comparable features.
Try Bloom if these scenarios describe your current situation. Upgrade to alternatives only when you actually hit the limits.
Check the bloom lifetime deal pricing and plan.
Choosing Based on Your Business Type
Your business model determines which platform fits best.
Solo Freelancers Just Starting
Stick with Bloom or HubSpot’s free tier. You don’t need advanced features yet.
Keep costs low until you have steady income. Upgrade only when limitations become real problems.
When to switch: Move to HoneyBook once you consistently have 5+ active projects monthly.
Established Freelancers
HoneyBook gives you professional polish without complexity. The automation saves hours each week.
You can justify the $36 monthly cost with just 2-3 clients. The time savings pay for themselves.
When to switch: If HoneyBook feels too expensive, consider HubSpot’s free tier for sales and keep Bloom for delivery.
Small Creative Agencies
HoneyBook or monday.com work well for creative teams. Both handle collaboration and client communication.
Choose HoneyBook for simpler workflows. Pick monday.com if you need custom processes.
When to switch: Move to monday.com when you add your third team member or exceed 15 concurrent projects.
Sales-Focused Businesses
Pipedrive or Keap serve sales teams best. Both focus on moving prospects through your pipeline.
Keap adds marketing automation. Pipedrive stays lean and sales-focused.
When to switch: Start with Pipedrive. Add Keap only if you’re actively running paid advertising or complex lead nurture campaigns.
Growing Service Businesses
Zoho or HubSpot scale with your team. Both offer enterprise features when you’re ready.
HubSpot works better for outbound sales. Zoho fits service businesses with diverse needs.
When to switch: Move to these platforms when you need multiple team members accessing the same data or require advanced reporting.
Making the Switch
Moving platforms feels daunting. These tips make it easier.
Start with a free trial before canceling your current tool. Run both platforms in parallel for a week.
Export your client data from Bloom. Most platforms import CSV files for contacts and basic information.
You’ll need to manually recreate templates and automations. Take screenshots of your current setup first.
Test invoicing and payment processing thoroughly. Money problems damage client relationships fast.
Train your team before going live. Everyone needs to understand the new system.
Timeline for switching: Budget 1-2 weeks for the transition. Week one for setup and testing. Week two for team training and parallel operations.
Final Thoughts
Bloom serves a specific niche well. If you’re managing 1-3 clients as a side hustle, stick with Bloom. The $7/month pricing beats every alternative, and you won’t use advanced features anyway.
But most growing businesses outgrow it quickly. The 3-project limit becomes a real constraint when opportunities arrive.
Here’s when to make the switch:
Switch to HoneyBook when you consistently manage 5+ client projects monthly. The $36 cost justifies itself through automation and unlimited projects.
Switch to HubSpot when sales pipeline management becomes more important than project delivery. Start with the free tier before committing to paid plans.
Switch to monday.com or Zoho when you add team members who need collaborative access to client data.
Stick with Bloom if your client count stays stable at 3 or fewer. Don’t pay more for features you won’t use.
Take advantage of free trials. Spend a week actually using each platform with real client work before canceling Bloom.
The right choice depends on your specific needs and growth trajectory. Consider where you’ll be in six months, not just where you are today.
Your client management platform should support your growth, not limit it. Start with Bloom for affordability, but switch to alternatives when those limits become problems. Don’t let software limitations hold your business back.
