The best invoicing and payment software for a wedding planner depends on billing volume, payment mix, recurring versus milestone billing, contractor operations, and the client experience you want to deliver. Maroo leads this guide on connected financial operations and configurable fee-passing where permitted; HoneyBook emphasizes polished templates and client workflow; Dubsado combines customizable automation with a $5 maximum on US ACH fees. The cost examples below are illustrations, not universal outcomes.
Wedding planners commonly need deposits, milestone payments, recurring invoices for ongoing services, reminders, and a clean way to keep contractor records organized. Treat recurring billing separately from a one-project payment schedule: the former creates new invoices on a cadence, while the latter divides one project total into dated installments.
A general invoicing tool can cover billing and payment collection. A wedding-focused operating system can connect the broader lifecycle: inquiry and questionnaire → proposal → e-signature → invoice or recurring billing → payment → contractor operations.
The six criteria that matter most:
Maroo started as an invoicing and payments platform for wedding and event professionals and is rapidly expanding its connected workflow. Its current CRM and lead management capabilities sit alongside questionnaires, proposals, contracts, invoices, payment schedules, recurring invoices, contractor payments, and W-9/1099 operations. Its fee-passing configuration can shift disclosed client payment fees at checkout where permitted; verify the current setup and requirements at Maroo pricing.
Evaluate: Fee-passing availability and requirements depend on jurisdiction, transaction type, disclosures, and current network rules. Starter is intended for businesses invoicing under $5,000 per month; a planner averaging $150,000 per year is not eligible at the modeled revenue and should use Business or another qualifying plan.
Current public Maroo proof checked July 23, 2026: over 15,000 successful businesses, $450M worth of invoices created, and 94% paid on time. Recheck public proof before reusing the figures elsewhere.
HoneyBook emphasizes a polished client experience, reusable Smart Files, pipeline visibility, and HoneyBook AI across its current plans. HoneyBook's current US pricing and feature details are available on its official pricing page.
HoneyBook's current US ACH table lists 1.5% of the payment total and does not state a maximum. A $10,000 ACH payment therefore produces a $150 processing fee; at $150,000 collected entirely by ACH, the illustrative total is $2,250 before subscription cost.
Evaluate: HoneyBook's strength is its client-facing workflow. HoneyBook Payroll was sunset in 2026 and is no longer onboarding new members. HoneyBook has no built-in surcharge, though its current invoice guidance describes a manually added processing-fee line item where legally permitted.
Dubsado is a customizable client-management platform for service businesses. Its current plans combine proposals, contracts, invoicing, scheduling, forms, recurring invoices, and automated workflows, while Dubsado Payments supports US ACH at 0.8% up to a $5 maximum.
The ACH maximum means a $10,000 US ACH payment costs $5 at the published rate. A $5,000 US card payment costs $145.30 before any eligible surcharge recovery. Dubsado's surcharge guidance says the collected surcharge can offset some or most processing costs, but it does not remove the underlying processing fee.
Evaluate: Dubsado's core product focuses on client-facing workflows rather than a connected contractor-payment and tax operation. Its automation and scheduling tools are part of Premier. For a focused side-by-side, read Maroo vs. Dubsado.
Harpsen is a wedding-planner CRM that connects proposals, contracts, invoices, payment plans, workflows, timelines, questionnaires, and event operations. Harpsen Essentials is $19 per month or $15.83 per month billed yearly; Professional is $39 per month or $32.50 per month billed yearly, according to its current public page checked July 23, 2026.
Harpsen accepts payments through Stripe. Processing rates and available payment methods can depend on the connected account and configuration, so this guide no longer assigns Harpsen an unverified ACH cap or fixed processor total. Evaluate its current contractor and tax-document workflow separately if those operations are important.
Plutio is a general-purpose business-management platform with CRM, projects, proposals, contracts, invoices, forms, scheduling, and client portals. Current monthly plans are Core $19, Pro $49, and Max $199; annual billing is discounted. Plutio lists no platform transaction fee, while the connected Stripe, PayPal, or Square account still applies its own rates.
Core supports a solo user and up to nine active clients per month; Pro adds unlimited active clients and team contributors; Max adds unlimited contributors, white-labeling, and SSO. Match the plan to capacity rather than treating $19 as an unlimited-team comparison.
Plutio offers a broad cross-industry toolset that can suit planners who also need project management, time tracking, and client collaboration. Compare its general workflow with the wedding-specific templates, vendor operations, and tax-document processes your team needs.
Square Invoices pricing currently lists three tiers. Square Free has no monthly subscription fee, Square Plus is $49 per location per month, and Square Premium is $149 per location per month. Free online invoice payments are 3.3% + $0.30; Plus and Premium list 2.9% + $0.30. ACH via invoice is 1% with a $1 minimum, and Plus/Premium list a $10 maximum.
Square is strongest as a broad payments and commerce platform. Its invoices support deposits, flexible schedules, recurring invoices, reminders, and multiple payment methods; planners should compare its contracts, event-specific workflow, contractor records, and tax operations with dedicated planner platforms.
FreshBooks is an accounting-first invoicing platform with recurring invoices, expense tracking, reports, and online payments. Current standard US rates include 2.9% + $0.30 for standard cards and 1% for ACH, with caps available on Select; see the FreshBooks Payments fee table.
At FreshBooks pricing, regular monthly list prices checked July 23, 2026 are $23 for Lite, $43 for Plus, and $70 for Premium before temporary promotions; Select is custom. Client limits and accounting needs may make Plus or Premium a more realistic planner comparison than Lite.
FreshBooks is a good fit for businesses prioritizing accounting, expense tracking, and recurring billing. Compare its financial depth with the wedding-specific milestone, client-workflow, contractor-payment, and W-9/1099 operations offered by specialist platforms.
| Feature | Maroo | HoneyBook | Dubsado | Harpsen | Plutio | Square Invoices | FreshBooks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly subscription (entry) | Free / $50 | $29 | ~$28 | $19 monthly / $15.83 annual equivalent | $19 | Free / $49 | $23 Lite / $43 Plus |
| ACH fee | 1.5% (passable to client) | 1.5%; official table lists no maximum | 0.8%, $5 cap | Processor/account-dependent; verify | Processor/account-dependent; verify | 1%, $1 min; $10 cap on Plus/Premium | 1%; caps available on Select |
| Card fee | 3.5% (passable to client) | Starting at 2.9%+$0.25 | 2.9%+$0.30 | Processor/account-dependent; verify | Processor/account-dependent; verify | 3.3%+$0.30 Free / 2.9%+$0.30 Plus | 2.9%+$0.30 |
| Fee pass-through to client | Native configuration where permitted | Manual invoice line; no built-in surcharge | Eligible credit-card surcharge | Verify processor/configuration | Verify processor/configuration | Verify processor/configuration | Verify processor/configuration |
| Free B2B contractor ACH | (all plans) | Payroll sunset; no new onboarding | No connected workflow listed | No connected workflow listed | No connected workflow listed | No connected workflow listed | No connected workflow listed |
| 1099-NEC e-filing | No integrated filing listed | No integrated filing listed | No integrated filing listed | No integrated filing listed | No integrated filing listed | No integrated filing listed | |
| Milestone payment schedules | Limited | Limited | |||||
| Contracts + e-signature | |||||||
| Automatic payment reminders | |||||||
| Book Now, Pay Later | Available; terms and eligibility apply | Verify current financing availability | Affirm/Klarna where available | Not listed | Not listed | Afterpay available | Affirm/Afterpay available |
| Wedding-industry-specific | Partial | Partial |
Sources were checked July 23, 2026 on each vendor's official pricing, product, and Help pages. Promotional prices, eligibility, payment methods, processor rates, and regional availability can change; verify current fees and contract terms before purchase.
This table models selected annual out-of-pocket costs for a US planner billing $150,000 per year. It assumes 50% ACH and 50% card, 75 transactions per payment method, current regular subscription prices, Maroo Business with configured fee-passing where permitted, and processing fees absorbed on HoneyBook, Dubsado, Square, and FreshBooks. Harpsen and Plutio are not given processor totals because connected-account pricing varies.
| Platform | Annual Subscription | ACH Fees on $75k | Card Fees on $75k | Illustrative annual out-of-pocket cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maroo Business | $600 | ~$0 in modeled fee-passing setup | ~$0 in modeled fee-passing setup | $600 |
| Maroo Starter | $0 | Not eligible at modeled revenue | Not eligible at modeled revenue | N/A |
| HoneyBook Essentials | $588 | $1,125 (1.5%) | ~$2,194 (2.9% + $0.25 × 75) | ~$3,907 |
| Dubsado Premier | $525 | $375 (~$5 cap × 75 txns)* | ~$2,198 (2.9% + $0.30 × 75) | ~$3,098 |
| Harpsen | ~$190 (annual billing) | Processor/account-dependent | Processor/account-dependent | Not modeled |
| Plutio Core | $228 | Processor/account-dependent | Processor/account-dependent | Not modeled |
| Square Free | $0 | $750 (1%) | ~$2,498 (3.3% + $0.30 × 75) | ~$3,248 |
| FreshBooks Plus | $516 regular list price | $750 (1%) | ~$2,198 (2.9% + $0.30 × 75) | ~$3,464 |
| Platform | Annual Subscription | Net Processing Cost to Planner | Total Annual Cost | Annual Savings vs. HoneyBook Essentials |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maroo Starter | Not eligible at modeled revenue | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Maroo Business | $600 | ~$0 in modeled fee-passing setup | $600 | ~$3,307 |
Dubsado ACH is modeled at its $5 maximum across 75 $1,000 transactions. Card totals include the fixed per-transaction fee. The HoneyBook ACH table lists 1.5% and no maximum; Square and FreshBooks ACH use 1%. Maroo Starter is excluded at this revenue because the modeled average exceeds $5,000 per month. These are approximations, not quotes.
Key takeaway: Under these assumptions, Maroo Business with configured fee-passing where permitted has an illustrative out-of-pocket total near $600, about $3,307 below HoneyBook Essentials at roughly $3,907. The comparison is driven by the fee-policy assumption; recalculate with your transaction count, card mix, payment methods, jurisdiction, and client policy.
Wedding payment structures commonly combine a retainer, milestone installments, and a final balance. Ongoing planning or advisory services may instead use recurring invoices that generate on a repeating cadence.
The best invoicing tools for planners let you build this schedule once and automate reminders:
Recurring billing check: Maroo's invoice resources document the current invoice workflow; HoneyBook supports weekly, monthly, or custom recurring invoices; and Dubsado supports configurable recurring invoice intervals with optional autopay. Square and FreshBooks also list recurring invoices. Compare editing, reminders, end conditions, and client payment controls rather than treating recurring billing as the same as one-project installments.
Planners who use second coordinators, assistants, or specialist vendors need a reliable contractor-payment trail and a process for collecting and reviewing tax information. The number of contractors varies widely, so model this workflow with your own team rather than an assumed annual count.
Within this comparison, Maroo offers the most connected contractor operation: its contractor-payment workflow combines free B2B ACH on current plans with W-9 collection and reporting. Its W-9 and 1099-NEC reporting guide documents how to review forms and file or download eligible 1099-NEC records. Verify filing eligibility and tax obligations with a qualified professional.
For an illustrative Business-plan user filing six eligible 1099-NEC forms at the currently listed $3 per form, subscription plus filing fees would total about $618 before any other charges. Client-payment processing depends on the business's configured fee policy and applicable rules.
If your business invoices under $5,000 per month, Maroo Starter offers a way to test invoicing, client payments, and contractor operations without a monthly subscription. Businesses above that volume can evaluate Business and its higher included limits.
Start a Maroo account or use the plan and fee assumptions above to compare your real payment mix before choosing a platform.
The lowest-cost method depends on the platform, transaction size, who absorbs the fee, and what is legally permitted. Dubsado's US ACH fee reaches a $5 maximum, while HoneyBook lists 1.5% of payment total and no maximum in its current table. Maroo can pass configured card or ACH fees at checkout where permitted. Compare client experience and disclosure requirements alongside the rate.
Each platform in this guide can support online payment collection, but deposits, payment schedules, contracts, and reminders are packaged differently. Maroo, HoneyBook, Dubsado, Harpsen, Square, Plutio, and FreshBooks all warrant a representative test using one real booking and payment workflow. Client financing availability and payout timing remain subject to current terms and eligibility.
Some platforms support native surcharging or fee-passing, while others rely on manual invoice lines or the connected processor. Availability and limits vary by jurisdiction, card type, payment method, disclosure, and network rules. Dubsado restricts its native surcharge to eligible credit cards in supported US and Canadian regions; it does not apply to debit or ACH, and the surcharge does not remove the underlying processing fee.
Maroo, HoneyBook, Dubsado, Harpsen, Square, Plutio, and FreshBooks support payment schedules, recurring invoices, or both, but those are distinct workflows. For weddings, test a deposit plus milestone balance; for ongoing services, test the recurring cadence, reminders, edit behavior, end conditions, and autopay controls.
Maroo connects W-9 collection, contractor payment records, reporting, and eligible 1099-NEC filing in the same workflow. The other platforms in this guide primarily focus on client invoices, payments, CRM, or accounting; confirm their current tax-document integrations before choosing a separate accountant or filing service.
Maroo Starter has no monthly subscription for businesses invoicing under $5,000 per month and includes core CRM, proposals, contracts, invoicing, payment schedules, reminders, client payments, and contractor operations. Square Free also has no monthly subscription but uses its published processing rates. Dubsado currently offers a 21-day trial with Premier access rather than the three-active-client free plan described in the previous version of this article.
