ClientJoy vs Dubsado: Honest Comparison for 2026

ClientJoy (now Synup OS): $15/user/mo Starter, CRM pipeline, email sequences, proposal tracking. Dubsado: $35/mo flat with 3 users, conditional forms, workflow automation (Premier only). ClientJoy was acquired by Synup in January 2024, and users report declining support. Dubsado 3.0 launched December 2025 with time tracking and redesigned Flows. Pricing verified April 2026.

If you are comparing ClientJoy and Dubsado, you are likely a freelancer, agency owner, or service provider who wants one platform for proposals, invoicing, and client management. Both tools aim to replace scattered apps, but they solve different problems: ClientJoy is a CRM-first tool built around outbound sales, while Dubsado is a form-builder-first tool built around client intake and workflow automation.

One factor that now matters: ClientJoy was acquired by Synup in January 2024. The product has been rebranded as Synup OS, and multiple users report declining support and increased downtime since the acquisition. TrustRadius lists ClientJoy as "discontinued." The product still functions and accepts new signups, but long-term platform stability is an open question.

This comparison covers pricing from ClientJoy and Dubsado, current features including Dubsado 3.0 changes, and user feedback from G2, Capterra, and Trustpilot so you can decide which one fits your workflow or whether neither does.

TLDR

Factor	ClientJoy (Synup OS)	Dubsado
Best for	Outbound sales, proposal tracking	Client intake, workflow automation
Starting price	$15/user/month (Starter)	$35/month (3 users included)
5-user monthly cost	$75 (Starter) to $245 (Enterprise)	$55-$80 (Premier + 2 extra seats)
CRM pipeline	Full Kanban with deal stages	Project-based (no sales pipeline)
Email sequences	Yes, drip campaigns	No
Proposal tracking	View + sign activity	No
Form builder	Basic	5 types, conditional logic, CSS
Automation	Basic (reminders, sequences)	Flows with conditional logic (Premier)
Time tracking	No	Yes (Dubsado 3.0)
Acquisition risk	Acquired by Synup Jan 2024	Independent
Ratings	Capterra 4.7/5 (78), G2 4.6/5 (56)	Capterra 4.2/5 (60), G2 4.3/5 (75)

Choose ClientJoy if you need a CRM with pipeline stages, email sequences for outbound prospecting, and document tracking that shows when clients view proposals. Best for solo operators or small teams (1-3 people) who actively pursue leads.

Choose Dubsado if you need deep form customization (conditional logic, CSS styling), polished client intake flows, and mature workflow automation. Better for teams of 3+ where flat-rate pricing saves money.

The honest gap: Neither platform handles what comes after signing the contract. No Gantt charts, no task dependencies, no milestones. ClientJoy has zero project management. Dubsado 3.0 added basic task boards and a time tracker, but nothing suitable for managing complex deliverables. Once the deal closes, you will need other tools to manage the work.

CRM and sales pipeline

ClientJoy: proper CRM, built for outbound sales

ClientJoy has a full CRM at its core. Unlimited leads, custom fields, a Kanban-style sales pipeline, and web forms for lead capture. Two-way email integration with open tracking lets you know when prospects read your messages. The sales activity tracker, auto-calculated lead stage values, and one-click lead-to-customer conversion make this a genuine sales tool, not just a contact list.

Strengths: Unlimited leads, visual Kanban pipeline, email open tracking, sales activity tracking, lead stage values, one-click lead-to-customer conversion, sales reports.

Weaknesses: The Starter plan ($15/user/month) does not include multi-currency or custom fields. Those require the Agency plan ($25/user/month). Since the Synup acquisition, some users report CRM downtime and delayed syncs.

Dubsado: project-centric, no sales pipeline

Dubsado organizes everything around "Projects" rather than deals or leads. Each project contains contacts, forms, invoices, contracts, and communication history. Lead capture forms can automatically create projects and trigger automation flows. Project Source Tags let you track where leads come from. Dubsado 3.0 added a Kanban board view for project statuses and improved task boards, but there are no visual deal stages, no pipeline boards for tracking sales progress, and no lead scoring.

Strengths: Project-based organization, lead capture forms, Project Source Tags, Kanban project view in 3.0, task boards.

Weaknesses: No sales pipeline, no lead scoring, no deal stage tracking, no email open tracking.

Verdict

ClientJoy wins on CRM and sales pipeline. If your business actively pursues leads and tracks deal progression, ClientJoy's pipeline gives you that visibility. Dubsado's project model works once clients are onboarded but does not help you manage the sales process.

Email sequences and outreach

ClientJoy: drip campaigns built in

ClientJoy includes email sequences on all plans, including the $15/month Starter. Drip campaigns with scheduled follow-ups and performance analytics let you build a sequence, add prospects, and send timed follow-ups until you get a response. Combined with email open tracking, it covers the outbound workflow for agencies and freelancers who do cold outreach.

Dubsado: no email sequences

Dubsado does not have email sequences, drip campaigns, or scheduled outbound follow-ups. You can send individual emails from within a project and trigger emails through automation Flows, but there is no way to build a multi-step outreach sequence targeting prospects who have not yet become clients.

Verdict

ClientJoy wins. If outbound prospecting is part of your growth strategy, ClientJoy's email sequences fill a gap that Dubsado does not address. If all your leads come inbound through forms and referrals, this feature matters less.

Proposals and contracts

ClientJoy: templates with tracking intelligence

ClientJoy supports unlimited proposals and contracts with e-signature support on all plans. Document templates include items and packages for structured pricing. The standout feature is document tracking: you can see exactly when a client views your proposal and when they sign. This helps you time follow-ups and gauge interest without guessing.

Strengths: Unlimited proposals and contracts, e-signatures, document tracking (view and sign activity), items and packages in templates.

Weaknesses: No conditional logic in proposals, no CSS customization, no branching forms.

Dubsado: conditional logic and deep customization

Dubsado's form and proposal builder is its defining feature. Five form types (lead capture, questionnaires, contracts, proposals, and general forms) support conditional logic, branching paths, smart fields, and CSS customization. Proposals can combine pricing tables, contracts, and payment collection into a single branded flow. E-signatures include time-stamped records and IP tracking.

The trade-off is setup time. Conditional forms, custom CSS, and workflow triggers take real effort to configure. An entire cottage industry of Dubsado setup specialists charges $500 to $2,000+ to build out the platform.

"The form builder is incredible -- conditional logic lets me create exactly the experience I want." -- Capterra verified reviewer

Strengths: 5 form types, conditional logic and branching, CSS customization, smart fields, combined proposal + contract + invoice packages, e-signatures with IP tracking.

Weaknesses: Steep learning curve. Capterra ease-of-use score: 3.6/5. Many users hire a paid setup specialist ($500-$2,000+).

Verdict

A split decision. Dubsado wins on customization depth: conditional logic, branching, and CSS give you granular control over the client experience. ClientJoy wins on tracking intelligence: knowing when a prospect views your proposal is valuable data that Dubsado does not provide. Choose based on whether your bottleneck is proposal design or proposal follow-up.

Invoicing and payments

ClientJoy: One-time, split, and recurring invoices on all plans. Stripe, PayPal, and Payoneer. Multi-currency support on the Agency plan ($25/user/month) and above. Automated payment reminders. Indian payment gateways (Razorpay, Instamojo) also supported.

Dubsado: Invoicing on all plans. Dubsado Payments (powered by Stripe) at standard rates, ACH at 0.8% capped at $5 per transaction. Square and PayPal also supported. Payment processing available in 39+ countries.

Both handle invoicing competently. ClientJoy has the edge for international teams with multi-currency and Payoneer (though multi-currency requires the Agency plan). Dubsado has the edge on payment processing costs: the ACH fee cap of $5 is meaningful for large invoices. On a $5,000 invoice, Dubsado's ACH fee is $5. Standard ACH percentages without a cap could be significantly more.

Automation

ClientJoy: basic workflow support

ClientJoy offers basic automation around its CRM: automated payment reminders, email sequences, and lead-to-customer conversion. It is not a visual workflow builder. Automation is functional but limited to CRM-adjacent tasks.

Dubsado: mature Flows, Premier plan only

Dubsado's Flows (renamed from Workflows in 3.0) are a visual, node-based builder triggered by events like lead form submissions, contract signings, and payment receipts. Actions include sending emails, generating invoices, sharing forms, activating client portals, and updating project statuses. Flows support conditional logic, time delays, and multi-step sequences.

The limitation: Flows are only available on the Premier plan ($55/month). Starter plan users ($35/month) get zero automation.

"Once it's set up, automation runs my entire client onboarding without me touching anything." -- Capterra verified reviewer

Verdict

Dubsado wins. Flows are a mature, visual system with conditional logic and multi-step sequences. ClientJoy's automation is limited to reminders and email drips. If automating client onboarding matters, budget for Dubsado Premier ($55/month).

Time tracking

ClientJoy: none

ClientJoy has no time tracking feature.

Dubsado: new in 3.0

Dubsado 3.0 introduced a global time tracker accessible from the top bar on every screen. You can assign time to a project, set a billable rate, and track in real-time. A "money making mode" shows earnings accumulating instead of minutes. Premier plan users can generate invoices from tracked time.

Verdict

Dubsado wins by default. If you bill hourly, Dubsado 3.0's built-in time tracker eliminates the need for a separate tool. ClientJoy users will need a third-party time tracker.

Client portal

ClientJoy: Agency and Enterprise plans

ClientJoy's client portal is available on the Agency plan ($25/user/month) and Enterprise plan ($49/user/month). It includes white-labeling, custom branding, onboarding templates, and data rooms. The Enterprise plan adds custom domain support.

Dubsado: all plans, CSS customizable

Dubsado includes a client portal on all plans with CSS customization, so you can match your brand without plan upgrades.

Verdict

Dubsado is more accessible: a client portal on a $35/month plan versus ClientJoy's Agency requirement ($25/user/month). ClientJoy's white-labeling and data rooms offer a more polished branded experience, but only for teams willing to pay for the Agency or Enterprise tier.

Scheduling

ClientJoy: included on all plans

ClientJoy includes a built-in meeting scheduler on all plans, starting at $15/user/month. Basic scheduling functionality without plan-gating.

Dubsado: Premier plan only

Dubsado's scheduler includes calendar integration (Google, Apple, Microsoft), conflict checking, buffer times, video conferencing integration, and the ability to require payment to book with pre-session questionnaires attached. Dubsado 3.0 added automated calendar invites that update on reschedule. But scheduling is Premier plan only ($55/month).

Verdict

ClientJoy wins on accessibility: scheduling is included at $15/user/month. Dubsado's scheduler is more feature-rich (conflict checking, paid booking, pre-session forms, auto-updating invites) but locked behind the Premier plan. If basic scheduling is enough, ClientJoy is the simpler path.

Pricing comparison (April 2026)

ClientJoy pricing

Plan	Price	Key features	Limits
Starter	$15/user/month	CRM pipeline, proposals, invoicing, email sequences, scheduling	No multi-currency, no custom fields, no client portal
Agency	$25/user/month	Everything in Starter + multi-currency, custom fields, white-label portal, API access	No SSO, no 2FA
Enterprise	$49/user/month	Everything in Agency + SSO, 2FA, EMM, dedicated account manager, priority support	Unlimited

• Per-user pricing on all plans: costs scale linearly with team size
• 14-day free trial on all plans
• Lifetime deal options available via AppSumo (one-time payment per user)
• Indian payment gateways (Razorpay, Instamojo) supported on all plans

Dubsado pricing

Plan	Monthly	Annual
Starter	$35/month	$335/year (~$28/month)
Premier	$55/month	$525/year (~$44/month)

Additional user tiers (December 2025 pricing):

Users	Monthly cost
1-3 additional users	Free (included)
4-10 additional users	$25/month
11-20 additional users	$45/month
21-30 additional users	$60/month
30+	Contact Dubsado

• Additional brands: $10/month per brand
• No client account limits on any plan
• Free trial: 21 days with full Premier access, no credit card required (limited to 3 clients)
• Payment processing: Dubsado Payments (Stripe), ACH at 0.8% capped at $5; Square and PayPal supported
• Automation, scheduling, time-to-invoice: Premier only
• Existing customers before December 1, 2025 keep old pricing

Cost analysis

Solo freelancer:

• ClientJoy Starter: $15/month
• Dubsado Starter: $35/month (~$28/month annual, no automation or scheduling)
• ClientJoy is cheaper for a solo user and includes email sequences and scheduling. Dubsado Starter lacks automation and scheduling.

Small agency (5 people):

• ClientJoy Starter: $75/month (5 x $15/user)
• ClientJoy Agency: $125/month (5 x $25/user, adds portal and multi-currency)
• ClientJoy Enterprise: $245/month (5 x $49/user, adds SSO and priority support)
• Dubsado Premier: $55/month + $25/month for 2 extra users = $80/month (annual: ~$69/month)
• Dubsado saves $625 to $1,980/year compared to ClientJoy plans at the 5-user level

Large agency (15 people):

• ClientJoy Enterprise: $735/month (15 x $49/user)
• Dubsado Premier: $55/month + $45/month (users 11-20 tier) = $100/month
• ClientJoy costs 7.35x more than Dubsado at 15 users

ClientJoy's per-user pricing is cheaper at the solo level ($15 vs $35) but becomes a structural disadvantage at scale. A 5-person agency pays $75-$245/month for ClientJoy versus ~$80/month for Dubsado Premier with full automation. At 15 users, the gap widens to $735 versus $100.

What real users say

ClientJoy

G2: 4.6/5 (56 reviews) | Capterra: 4.7/5 (78 reviews) | AppSumo: 4.37/5 (51 reviews)

Pre-acquisition reviews are largely positive: users praise the all-in-one CRM, ease of setup, and proposal tracking. Post-acquisition reviews tell a different story.

"ClientJoy was an excellent tool in its earlier days. However, since being acquired by Synup, the quality has significantly declined. The CRM experiences frequent downtime, support is virtually non-existent, and overall reliability has taken a major hit." -- Trustpilot reviewer

"Since being bought out, support has become virtually non-existent. Tickets go unanswered and are simply closed without communication." -- Trustpilot reviewer

The high Capterra and G2 scores (4.7 and 4.6) reflect mostly pre-acquisition reviews. Recent feedback consistently flags support decline. TrustRadius lists ClientJoy as "discontinued."

Dubsado

G2: 4.3/5 (~75 reviews) | Capterra: 4.2/5 (60 reviews, ease-of-use: 3.6/5, customer service: 4.3/5)

Users praise the form builder and automation but consistently flag the learning curve, setup complexity, and occasional bugs.

"The initial setup was quite confusing and took a long time. I needed help from the Facebook group." -- Capterra verified reviewer

"Sometimes the tool can be quite buggy, with pages loading old information that don't update quickly enough." -- Capterra verified reviewer

Dubsado's ease-of-use score of 3.6/5 on Capterra confirms what most reviews say: the platform is powerful but not intuitive out of the box. Dubsado 3.0 aimed to address this with a redesigned interface, but the learning curve remains a common complaint.

Full feature comparison

Feature	ClientJoy (Synup OS)	Dubsado
Starting price	$15/user/month (Starter)	$35/month (~$28 annual)
Users included	1 (per-user pricing)	3 additional users free
Client limits	Not confirmed for current plans	Unlimited
CRM pipeline	Kanban with deal stages	Project-based (Kanban in 3.0)
Lead management	Unlimited leads, custom fields (Agency+)	Lead capture forms, Source Tags
Email sequences	Yes, drip campaigns	No
Email open tracking	Yes	No
Proposals	Templates with document tracking	5 form types, conditional logic, CSS
E-signatures	Yes	Yes, with IP tracking
Document tracking	Yes (view and sign activity)	No
Invoicing	One-time, split, recurring	All plans
Payment gateways	Stripe, PayPal, Payoneer, Razorpay	Stripe, Square, PayPal; ACH capped at $5
Multi-currency	Agency plan and above	Not confirmed
Automation	Basic (reminders, sequences)	Flows with conditional logic (Premier only)
Time tracking	No	Yes (3.0, Premier for time-to-invoice)
Scheduling	All plans	Premier only
Client portal	Agency and Enterprise	All plans, CSS customizable
SSO/Security	SAML SSO, 2FA, EMM (Enterprise)	Not available
AI features	JoyAssist (email writing)	No
Task management	No	Task boards (3.0)
Global availability	90+ countries (per ClientJoy)	39+ countries
Free trial	14 days	21 days, full Premier access
Acquisition status	Acquired by Synup (Jan 2024)	Independent

Who should NOT choose ClientJoy

• You have a team of 5+ and cannot justify per-user pricing ($75-$245/month for 5 users)
• You depend on reliable customer support. Post-Synup acquisition reviews consistently flag unresponsive tickets and vanishing support.
• You need workflow automation beyond basic email sequences and payment reminders
• You need time tracking. ClientJoy has none.
• You need deep form customization (conditional logic, branching, CSS)
• You want a platform from a company with clear long-term product direction. TrustRadius lists ClientJoy as "discontinued," and the Synup OS rebrand raises questions about independent product development.
• You need a client portal without paying $25+/user/month

Who should NOT choose Dubsado

• You need a sales pipeline with deal stages, lead scoring, and conversion tracking
• You do outbound prospecting and need email sequences or drip campaigns
• You need to know when clients view your proposals (document tracking)
• You are a solo freelancer on a tight budget. ClientJoy Starter ($15/month) is cheaper than Dubsado Starter ($35/month) and includes more features.
• You want automation but cannot afford Premier ($55/month). Dubsado Starter has zero automation.
• You need enterprise security (SSO, 2FA, EMM). Dubsado does not offer these.
• You are not willing to invest significant setup time. Dubsado's ease-of-use score is 3.6/5 on Capterra, and many users hire paid setup specialists ($500-$2,000+).

Consider Agiled for the full picture

Both ClientJoy and Dubsado focus on the front end of client management: lead capture, proposals, contracts, and invoicing. Neither handles what comes after: managing the project, tracking time across tasks, or running your team. ClientJoy has zero project management. Dubsado 3.0 added basic task boards and a time tracker, but no Gantt charts, dependencies, or milestones.

Agiled covers the full business lifecycle in one platform, from first inquiry through project delivery to financial reporting.

What Agiled adds that neither ClientJoy nor Dubsado offers:

• Project management: Kanban boards, Gantt charts, task dependencies, milestones, subtasks, and project templates. Proposals that convert into projects with pre-assigned tasks.
• Integrated time tracking: The time tracker runs on any task. Generate invoices directly from time logs with per-client billable rates.
• CRM with unlimited contacts: Full sales pipeline, lead scoring, and deal tracking with no client account caps on any plan.
• HR and payroll: Attendance tracking, leave management, and payroll on the Business plan.
• AI across modules: AI-assisted proposals, reports, and content, not limited to email writing.

Feature	ClientJoy	Dubsado	Agiled
Starting price	$15/user/month	$35/month	Free (1 user), $25/month Pro
Users included	1 (per-user)	3 free	3 on Pro
CRM pipeline	Kanban, unlimited leads	Project-based	Full pipeline, unlimited contacts
Proposals	Templates + tracking	Conditional logic + CSS	Drag-and-drop + AI drafting
Project management	No	Task boards (3.0)	Kanban, Gantt, dependencies
Time-to-invoice	No	Yes (Premier, 3.0)	Yes
Email sequences	Yes	No	Yes
Automation	Basic	Flows (Premier)	Visual workflow builder (Pro)
HR/Payroll	No	No	Yes (Business plan)

If you are paying for ClientJoy or Dubsado plus a project management tool plus a separate time tracker, consolidating into one platform can reduce both cost and context-switching.

Start Free With Agiled

Frequently asked questions

Is ClientJoy still an independent product?

No. ClientJoy was acquired by Synup in January 2024 and rebranded as Synup OS. The product still accepts signups at clientjoy.io, but the team now operates under Synup. Multiple post-acquisition reviews on Trustpilot report declining support quality and increased downtime. TrustRadius lists the product as "discontinued."

Is ClientJoy better than Dubsado?

It depends on your workflow. ClientJoy is better for outbound sales: it has a CRM pipeline, email sequences, and document tracking that tells you when prospects view proposals. Dubsado is better for client intake and onboarding: conditional forms, CSS-customizable proposals, and mature automation Flows. Dubsado is significantly cheaper for teams (flat-rate vs per-user). Neither is categorically better.

How much does ClientJoy cost vs Dubsado?

ClientJoy uses per-user pricing: Starter $15/user/month, Agency $25/user/month, Enterprise $49/user/month. Dubsado is flat-rate: Starter $35/month ($28 annual) and Premier $55/month ($44 annual), with 3 users included free. Additional Dubsado users cost $25/month for seats 4-10, $45/month for 11-20, and $60/month for 21-30. For a solo user, ClientJoy is cheaper ($15 vs $35). For a 5-person team, Dubsado Premier ($80/month) costs less than ClientJoy Starter ($75/month) while including automation and scheduling.

Does Dubsado have email sequences?

No. Dubsado can send individual emails and trigger emails through Flows, but does not support multi-step outbound sequences or drip campaigns. If outbound prospecting is part of your strategy, you will need a separate tool or a platform like ClientJoy that includes sequences.

Does Dubsado 3.0 include time tracking?

Yes. Dubsado 3.0 introduced a global time tracker accessible from the top bar on every screen. You can assign time to a project, set a billable rate, and track in real-time. Premier plan users can generate invoices from tracked time. ClientJoy has no time tracking.

Can I track when clients view my proposals?

ClientJoy includes document tracking that shows when a client views your proposal and when they sign. This is useful for timing follow-ups. Dubsado does not offer document view tracking. You will know when a client signs, but not when they first open the document.

Does either platform include full project management?

No. ClientJoy has no task management at all. Dubsado 3.0 added basic task boards but lacks Gantt charts, dependencies, milestones, or subtasks. If you need project management alongside CRM and invoicing, consider a platform like Agiled that includes both.

Which platform works for international businesses?

Dubsado supports payment processing in 39+ countries. ClientJoy claims availability in 90+ countries with multi-currency invoicing (Agency plan, $25/user/month) and supports Payoneer, Razorpay, and Instamojo alongside Stripe and PayPal. Both are more globally accessible than some competitors restricted to the US and Canada.

Related comparisons:

• Agiled vs ClientJoy
• Agiled vs Dubsado
• Dubsado vs HoneyBook
• ClientJoy vs HoneyBook
• Best Dubsado Alternatives