Client Portal for Freelancers: What It Is, What It Costs, How to Choose
One link per client: quotes to accept, contracts to sign, files to download, invoices to pay — without a login, an account, or digging through email.
Start on the Free plan — 1 client, 3 projects, 3 documents/month. No card required.
“where are we?” / “where’s the invoice?”
What a client portal is
A client portal is a private page where your client sees everything about their project: the quote you sent, the contract they signed, the files you delivered, and the invoices they owe. Instead of five email threads, there is one link.
What clients actually do in it
Your clients ask two questions: "where are we?" and "where's the invoice?" A good portal answers both without an email. In [BRAND] the client opens one link — no signup — and sees project status, signs the contract, downloads deliverables and downloads invoices.
What a client portal costs
At list prices (verified 2026-10-31): all-in-one tools run $35–129/mo (HoneyBook $36–129/mo; Dubsado $35–55/mo) or $15–59/mo per seat (Bonsai). [BRAND] runs the core loop for Free (with limits) or $9/mo, and $299 once for lifetime access.
| List price (verified 2026-10-31) | |
|---|---|
| HoneyBook | $36–129/mo |
| Dubsado | $35–55/mo |
| Bonsai | $15–59/mo per seat |
| [BRAND] | Free（with limits） / $9/mo / $299 once |
Source: honeybook.com official pricing pages; checked 2026-10-31. Cross-checked: agencykit.tech/blog/honeybook-pricing (2026-10-08), taskip.net/honeybook-pricing (2026-08). · Source: raoura.com/blog/dubsado-pricing (2026-07, citing Dubsado's pricing page); cross-checked: caitpotter.com/dubsado-pricing, schedulingkit.com/pricing-guides/dubsado-pricing; checked 2026-10-31. · Source: hellobonsai.com/pricing (official), verified 2026-10-31; cross-checked: superfounder.io (2026-10-09), taskip.net, assembly.com.
How to choose: the 5 questions
- Do you need the core loop or a full CRM?
- What's the price model — flat, per seat, or tiered?
- Do you need white-label, and which tier is it on?
- What does payment processing cost on top of the subscription?
- What happens when you stop paying — do your clients keep access to documents?
White-label: your portal, your brand
If clients see your work under your studio's name, the portal should carry that name too. Free plan shows a "Powered by [BRAND]" badge; Pro ($9/mo) removes it and adds your logo, colors and domain.
How it works in [BRAND]
Create a quote
Pick a template, add line items, set the price.
Send one link
Your client opens the quote online and accepts it — no account needed.
Sign the contract
The accepted quote becomes a contract; your client signs with a click and both sides keep a PDF.
Deliver and get paid
Upload files to the portal and send an invoice with a payment link（Payment links — rolling out at launch.）
Start on the Free plan — 1 client, 3 projects, 3 documents/month. No card required.
What [BRAND] does not do
No CRM or email pipelines. No tax or bookkeeping. No scheduling. No multi-seat teams (v1 is one user per account). No mobile app (responsive web only). No AI features. We leave those to HoneyBook — that's why [BRAND] costs $9/mo instead of $36/mo.
Frequently asked questions
Do my clients need an account to use the portal?
No. Each client gets one link (magic link / access code) to view status, sign documents, download files and download invoices. No signup, no password.
What's the difference between a client portal and a CRM?
A CRM manages leads and marketing; a client portal is where an existing client sees the work. [BRAND] is the portal plus the quote → contract → deliver → get paid loop — no CRM, on purpose.
How much does a client portal cost?
From free to $35–129/mo at list prices for all-in-one tools (verified 2026-10-31). [BRAND] is Free with limits, $9/mo Pro, or $299 Lifetime.
Can I use my own logo and domain?
Yes on Pro ($9/mo) and Lifetime: white-label the portal and point your own domain at it. The Free plan shows a "Powered by [BRAND]" badge.
Is there a free client portal?
Yes — [BRAND]'s Free plan includes the full loop for 1 client, 3 projects and 3 documents/month, with a 200 MB file limit. It's not a time-limited trial.
Start with the free plan
Start on the Free plan — 1 client, 3 projects, 3 documents/month. No card required.