Finding the right business management software is essential if you want to keep your coaching practice running smoothly. Tools like 17hats promise to handle everything from payments to scheduling, but are they really the best fit for coaches?

In this guide, we’ll cover:

• A breakdown of what 17hats offers 
• Paperbell: The best alternative for coaches
• Five other tools coaches can consider

What Is 17hats?

17hats is an all-in-one business management platform created for solo business owners and small teams. It aims to simplify admin by bringing multiple tasks under one roof, including:

• Sending invoices and collecting payments
• Creating quotes, contracts, or combined 3-in-1 documents
• Scheduling appointments online (basic features included; advanced scheduling available as an add-on)
• Automating lead capture and responses
• Managing projects, contacts, and workflows
• Saving email templates for client communication

Its “multiple hats” name reflects its goal of replacing dozens of separate apps with one platform. Many users appreciate how quickly they can get set up and the integrations with tools like Gmail, QuickBooks, PayPal, and Zoom.

That said, 17hats isn’t built with coaching in mind. For example:

• Scheduling is somewhat limited: While 17hats supports calendar availability, booking limits, and availability rules, it doesn’t offer the flexibility of blocking time by session type that many coaches prefer.
• Some users find the experience clunky: The platform is a tad complex with a learning curve and occasional glitches in user experience, especially in the mobile app.
• The 3-in-1 document system isn’t built for coaches: It combines quote, contract, and invoice into one workflow, which is great for variable pricing, but for coaches with fixed packages, the quote step can feel unnecessary.

17hats is currently $60 a month with discounts for long-term subscriptions.

Paperbell: The Best 17hats Alternative

If you’re looking for a simpler, more coach-focused alternative to 17hats, Paperbell is a strong choice. It’s an all-in-one platform built specifically for coaches, with features that streamline the admin side of your business so you can stay focused on your clients.

Easy to Use (Even If You Hate Tech)

Paperbell’s interface is clean and intuitive, so you don’t need to be “tech-savvy” to set up your business on it. You’ll find exactly what you need as a coach without the clutter of unnecessary features designed for photographers, designers, or general freelancers.

Sell Coaching Packages, Not Sessions

Instead of building custom proposals for each client, Paperbell lets you create ready-made coaching packages with your pricing and terms. You simply share a link, and clients can shop for your packages using their card.

This means you’re selling results, not just hours, and your clients get a clearer picture of the value you deliver.

Your Coaching Website, Built for You

Paperbell doesn’t just give you landing pages; it gives you an entire done-for-you coaching website. Add your bio, photos, brand colors, and logo, and you’ll instantly have a polished homepage that showcases your business.

Your site includes:

• A professional homepage with your brand assets
• A list of all your packages, each linking to its own purchase-ready landing page
• Space for testimonials and FAQs to build trust
• An email opt-in to grow your list

Instead of piecing together multiple tools or paying for a web designer, you get a coach-friendly website and sales platform in one place.

Intake Forms Built In

You can attach customizable intake forms to each package, so you gather the right details from clients upfront. Forms and surveys can also be automated to send at key points, such as:

• Immediately after purchase
• A set number of days after a session
• After the final session in a package
• After a group session

This makes onboarding consistent while still keeping it personal.

Simple Scheduling

Unlike generic schedulers, Paperbell tracks how many sessions each client has left in their package. Clients can only book within what they’ve purchased, preventing confusion or over-booking.

You can also set different availability rules for different packages. For example, reserving certain days for group programs and others for 1:1 sessions.

Easy Email Automation

Paperbell’s email automation is built around how coaches work. For each package, you can schedule emails, no complicated funnels required.set up as many automated emails as you’d like – no complex funnels involved. All you need to do is click the “Add automated email” when you’re in the Emails section of a coaching package:

Choose when the message should be sent (e.g., right after purchase, a day before a session), write (or generate) your email, and you’re done.

You can even add reminders to book, ensuring clients stay engaged without you chasing them.

Effortless Payments

Platforms like 17hats, Dubsado, or Honeybook are built around invoices, which makes sense for service providers who quote custom projects. For coaches, that system is unnecessarily complex.

You don’t need to draft a new invoice for each client. You just need a simple, automated way to get paid on time for your services.

With Paperbell, every package you create comes with its own payment link and checkout page, allowing clients to purchase it just like in a store.

You can:

• Accept payments via Stripe or PayPal
• Offer one-time payments, recurring subscriptions, or custom payment plans
• Decide whether clients can book sessions before or only after paying
• Automatically tie payment to session tracking, so clients can’t book more than what they’ve purchased

Instead of chasing invoices or manually tracking who has paid, Paperbell handles it all in the background. You get paid in your sleep, and your clients enjoy a frictionless booking and checkout process.

Dedicated Client Portals

Paperbell also improves the client experience through self-service portals where they can:

• Book, reschedule, or cancel sessions
• View contracts and payment history
• Download resources you shared with them
• Purchase additional packages

This makes clients more self-sufficient while keeping everything organized in one place.Paperbell is free with your first client, all features included. After that, it costs $57 a month or $570 a year.

5 More 17hats Alternatives For Coaches

When choosing software for your coaching business, it’s worth exploring a few different options. While Paperbell is designed specifically for coaches, other platforms may fit if you want broader functionality or different workflows.

1. Dubsado

Known for its customization options, Dubsado offers a wide range of features for creative teams, such as:

• Custom forms and contracts
• Workflow automation
• Integrations with other tools like QuickBooks and Google Calendar
• Client portals where your customers can access documents, communicate with you, and make payments

Dubsado is more versatile than 17hats, but also more complex. This is because it’s designed for creative teams, not for coaches and service providers.

For example, you can set up workflow automations, but you can’t tie specific coaching sessions and downloadables to a project.

Dubsado currently costs $20 a month.

2. HoneyBook

HoneyBook is a 17hats alternative that offers a range of tools designed to streamline your business, from managing leads to creating contracts and invoices. 

With HoneyBook, you can easily track your projects, communicate with clients, and automate your payment reminders.

Unlike Dubsado and 17hats, Honeybook’s interface is clean and user-friendly for both the business owner and their clients. However, it does have several drawbacks:

• You have to create a new project for every coaching client
• The scheduler is limited for a coaching practice
• Like the other alternatives, you can’t tie coaching sessions to a project
• Can’t offer discount codes to clients
• Can’t offer group coaching

Finally, Honeybook offers a 7-day free trial, whereas Paperbell lets you play with it for free, forever, with your first client.

Honey book charges $29 for its starter package, $49 for essentials, and $109 for its premium tier.

3. CoachAccountable

CoachAccountable offers features like goal tracking with set milestones, progress reports, and a customizable client portal.

It allows you to create personalized coaching programs and automate your client onboarding process. You can set up automated reminders, send out assignments, and even track your clients’ engagement with your coaching materials. 

However, the look and feel of this platform is quite outdated, and its interface isn’t the most user-friendly. It also gets more expensive as you scale your business, from $20 per month for up to two clients to $200 with 35, and so on. With group programs, the price goes up quickly.

4. Bonsai

Bonsai is another 17hats alternative to help business owners manage their operations. It suits several industries, including:

• Consulting
• Recruiting
• Marketing
• Photography
• Software development
• Architecture
• Event planning
• Legal
• Coaching

While versatile, this platform is bloated with several features that coaches don’t need, which can make using it overwhelming.

You can use Bonsai for:

• Proposals
• Time tracking
• Task management
• Invoices
• Collaboration with other contractors

While these features are helpful, they add complexity for coaches, especially when they’re just starting out.

Bonsai costs $9-49 per month, depending on the number of features you want to use.

5. monday.com 

Monday describes itself as a “work OS” and includes products for work management and sales CRM.

It allows you to:

• Build dashboards and automate workflows
• Use integrations with tools like Zoom and Google Calendar
• Add new functionality through its large app marketplace

It’s extremely customizable and works well for large teams or organizations running multiple coaches. For solo coaches or small practices, though, the time and cost to set it up can outweigh the benefits. Many hire consultants just to design their monday.com environment.

Monday has a free plan with limited features and costs around $105-222 a month for its full functionality.

Choose the 17hats Alternative Built for Coaches

You now have a clear picture of the top alternatives to 17hats. The right platform will save you hours of admin, simplify your systems, and give you more space to practice coaching.

If you’re looking for software designed specifically for coaches, Paperbell is the clear choice. It brings together scheduling, payments, contracts, client portals, and even a ready-made coaching website.

You can try it free with your first client and see how much easier running your business can be.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in October 2023 and has since been updated for accuracy.