COMPARE
The best client portal software for small business in 2026
Eight client portal tools for small businesses, with prices from each company's own site: Assembly, Aventide, Bonsai, Dubsado, HoneyBook, Moxie, Plutio and SuiteDash. In short: SuiteDash for full white-labeling and unlimited staff from $19 a month, Plutio or Moxie for a low solo price, Assembly for a portal on your own domain with messaging, HoneyBook or Dubsado for one business that wants a full client manager, and Aventide for proposals, contracts, invoices and booking in one branded portal for each business you run.
CQ
Christian Quiver
Written November 5, 2026
SHORT ANSWER
The best client portal software for a small business depends on what your clients need to do in it. If they mostly read updates, send messages and swap files, SuiteDash and Plutio cost the least (both from $19 a month), and Assembly puts the portal on your own domain from its Professional plan. If clients need to accept a proposal, sign a contract, pay an invoice and book a time in the same place, look at HoneyBook, Dubsado or Aventide. Aventide gives every business you run its own branded client portals on one $39-a-month plan with unlimited team members, and clients can send you files from their portal. Prices are as of November 2026, billed monthly.
We make Aventide. Prices, plans and plan limits come from each company's own pricing page and help center, read on November 5, 2026, with links. Three facts about running more than one business (Moxie, Plutio and Bonsai) come from their help centers as of October 3 and October 18, 2026. Where a company's site doesn't say, we write "not stated" rather than guess.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
What a client portal should do
A client portal is a private page where one client finds everything you’ve shared with them, so nothing gets lost in email. We judged each tool on six things:
One place per client. Each client sees only their own files, documents and invoices.
Easy sign-in. A link sent to the client’s email is easier than one more password.
Your brand. Your logo and colors, and ideally your own web address.
Decisions, not just files. Can the client accept a proposal, sign a contract, pay an invoice and book a time without leaving the portal?
Talking and swapping files. Some portals have messages and client uploads; some only share one way.
The real price. What it costs for a team of three, and whether a second business costs extra.
The tables and sections below answer those six for each tool.
QUICK PICKS
Quick picks
A solo designer on a budget: Plutio ($19 a month) or Moxie Pro ($25). A small team: SuiteDash or Dubsado, which include team members. More than one business: Aventide, $39 a month for all of them.
WHAT IT COSTS
What a team of three costs
If three of you work with clients, here is the lowest monthly price on each tool for a plan with a client portal and room for all three, billed monthly.
The cheapest portal isn’t always the cheapest setup. SuiteDash’s proposals start on its $49 Thrive plan, Dubsado’s scheduling needs Premier ($55), and HoneyBook’s booking with payment covers one session type on Starter.
PAYMENTS AND FEES
Who handles your clients' payments
Most of these portals let a client pay an invoice. What differs is whose payment account the money goes through and whether the tool adds a fee on top.
With Aventide the money goes straight to your own Stripe or QuickBooks account, the same as if you sent the invoice yourself. On a $5,000 invoice paid by bank transfer through Stripe that’s $5 (0.8%, capped at $5); HoneyBook’s 1.5% would be $75.
THE ALTERNATIVES
The eight client portals
Assembly
A portal-first platform: messages, files, contracts and payments under your brand, with a free plan to start.
BEST FOR
Firms that want clients messaging them in a branded portal on their own domain
PRICE
Starter $49 a month (1 user, 50 active clients), Professional $139 (3 users, 500 clients), Advanced $599, billed monthly; $29, $99 and $499 a month billed yearly
TRIAL
Free plan (5 active clients, 1 user)
MORE THAN ONE BUSINESS
Not stated
Formerly called Copilot. Clients sign in with an email link or Google and land in a branded portal where they message your team, share files, fill in forms, sign contracts and pay. Assembly is now also an AI app builder: you describe a tool for your clients and it builds it into the portal.
STRENGTHS
Messaging, file sharing, intake forms, contracts with e-signature and billing on every plan, including Free.
Your own domain and no Assembly badge from Professional.
A HIPAA agreement (BAA) on Advanced, for health-related work.
GOOD TO KNOW
Priced by active clients: Starter stops at 50. A team of three needs Professional, $139 a month.
It adds a fee on invoices paid through it (0.5% on Starter, on top of 2.9% + 30¢ for cards).
Proposals and booking aren’t listed among its features.
Aventide
Proposals, contracts, invoices and booking in one branded portal, for every business you run.
BEST FOR
Owners who want clients to accept, sign, pay and book in one place, across one or more businesses
PRICE
Starter $39 a month or $390 a year; Pro $99 a month or $990 a year. Both have every feature, unlimited team members and unlimited businesses; Pro adds AI credits and storage
TRIAL
14 days, no card
MORE THAN ONE BUSINESS
As many as you run, on Starter or Pro; three during the trial
Aventide is a client management platform like HoneyBook or Dubsado, built for people running more than one business, with an AI assistant that drafts the work and asks before anything goes to a client. Each client gets one private portal in your Brand Kit’s logo, colors and fonts. They sign in with a link sent to their email (no password), and you choose what shows: documents and files, proposals to accept, contracts to sign, invoices to pay and a Book a time button, and clients can message you from it, with the conversation landing in your team inbox. See how Aventide’s client portal works.
STRENGTHS
A client accepts a proposal by typing their name, signs your already-countersigned contract and pays your invoice in the portal; the money goes to your own Stripe account and Aventide takes 0%.
Each business has its own Brand Kit, so its clients only see that business’s brand, and all of it is one plan.
Unlimited team members and every feature on both plans.
Spotlight pins one thing to the top of a client’s portal, such as the proposal to read first. If you record a booked Zoom or Google Meet call, you can share the recording and a short summary in the client’s portal.
Clients write to you from their portal or by replying to your email, and it lands in one conversation per client in your team inbox.
Files a client sends are checked for viruses before anyone downloads them.
GOOD TO KNOW
Clients can send you files from their portal, and Aventide’s AI never reads them.
Portals open on app.aventide.ai in your logo and colors, with a small “Powered by Aventide” line.
On a phone, the owner and the team use the Aventide app on iPhone or Android, installed from a link. Clients open their portal on any device.
Founded in 2025. Not HIPAA compliant.
Bonsai
A portal inside an all-in-one tool for agencies and consultancies, priced per person.
BEST FOR
Small agencies that want projects, time tracking and tax tools with the portal
PRICE
Essentials $25 per user a month, Premium $39, billed monthly; $19 and $29 per user billed yearly. The cheaper Basic plan has no portal
TRIAL
7 days
MORE THAN ONE BUSINESS
No: "Each Bonsai account can own only one company." (help center, October 3, 2026)
Bonsai’s portal holds the invoices, contracts and files you share with a client, with your logo, header image and colors. It comes with Essentials, alongside proposals, contracts, invoices, forms and scheduling.
STRENGTHS
Projects, time tracking and expenses in the same app as the portal.
Client tasks and messaging on Premium.
iOS and Android apps.
GOOD TO KNOW
Every team member is a paid seat: a team of three on Essentials is $75 a month.
Removing Bonsai branding needs Premium, and its pricing page lists a custom domain as expected in 2026.
Using Stripe or PayPal where Bonsai Payments is available adds a 1% fee.
Dubsado
A full client manager with portals on both plans, strong on forms and workflows.
BEST FOR
One business that wants detailed forms and automated workflows, with a team of up to four
PRICE
Starter $35 a month or $335 a year; Premier $55 a month or $525 a year
TRIAL
21 days, no card
MORE THAN ONE BUSINESS
$10 a month per extra brand
Dubsado gives each client a portal on both plans. Send a client their own link and they sign in with just their email; a public portal link also works for clients you’ve set a password for. With your own domain connected, portal links show your address instead of Dubsado’s.
STRENGTHS
Proposals, contracts, invoices and forms in the portal on both plans.
Three extra users included, so a team of three is $35 a month.
Your own domain for portal and form links.
GOOD TO KNOW
Scheduling, automated workflows and public proposals are on Premier ($55) only.
Each extra business (brand) is $10 a month.
Comparing it with us? Read Aventide vs Dubsado.
HoneyBook
The best-known all-in-one, with a client portal on every plan.
BEST FOR
One business that wants HoneyBook's own payments, templates and an App Store app with Tap to Pay
PRICE
Starter $36, Essentials $59, Premium $129 billed monthly; $29, $49 and $109 a month billed yearly
TRIAL
30 days, no card
MORE THAN ONE BUSINESS
Premium only: $129 a month, or $109 a month paid yearly
HoneyBook’s portal gives each client one page for the files and project details you share, with your brand colors, fonts and logo. Clients sign in with a temporary link sent to their email, or with a password.
STRENGTHS
The longest free trial on this list: 30 days, no card.
Proposals, contracts and invoices on every plan, and a mobile app.
GOOD TO KNOW
“Powered by HoneyBook” shows on the portal until Essentials ($59).
HoneyBook is the payment processor: cards from 2.7% + 10¢, bank transfers 1.5%.
More than one company needs Premium, $129 a month.
Moxie
A white-labeled portal for one person at a low price, from the Pro plan.
BEST FOR
Solo freelancers who want a branded portal on their own domain for under $30
PRICE
Pro $25 a month ($20 yearly), Teams $40 ($32 yearly) for up to five people; Starter $12 has no client portal
TRIAL
14 days
MORE THAN ONE BUSINESS
Several workspaces under one login; the price of extra workspaces isn't stated (help center, October 18, 2026)
Moxie’s portal is white-labeled with your logo, colors, welcome message and your own web address. You choose which files, projects and messages each client sees, and you can swap notes and files with them there.
STRENGTHS
White label and your own domain on Pro, $25 a month.
Proposals, contracts, invoices and meeting scheduling on every plan.
A mobile app.
GOOD TO KNOW
Starter ($12) has no client portal.
Team members only on Teams, which stops at five.
Plutio
A portal plus project management on every plan, from $19 a month.
BEST FOR
Solo owners who want task boards and a client portal for up to 9 active clients
PRICE
Core $19 a month, Pro $49, Max $199; or $190, $490 and $1,990 a year
TRIAL
7 days, no card
MORE THAN ONE BUSINESS
As many workspaces as you need, each billed on its own (October 18, 2026)
Plutio’s portal shows a client their project and tasks, the files you’ve shared, every invoice with a payment button, and your message thread. Clients reach it from a unique link without needing a Plutio account.
STRENGTHS
Every core feature on every plan: projects, proposals, contracts, invoices, scheduling, forms and the portal.
Messages and files in the portal.
No fee on your payments.
GOOD TO KNOW
Core is for one person and 9 active clients; a team needs Pro, $49 a month.
White label and your own domain are a $9-a-month add-on on Core and Pro (included on Max).
SuiteDash
The most white-labeling for the price, with unlimited staff and clients on every plan.
BEST FOR
Small teams that want a fully branded portal with messaging, files and onboarding at a flat price
PRICE
Start $19 a month, Thrive $49, Pinnacle $99; or $180, $480 and $960 a year
TRIAL
14 days, no card
MORE THAN ONE BUSINESS
Not stated
SuiteDash gives clients a branded sign-in, a dashboard and the portal pages you assign them, with projects, files, forms, documents and secure messages. Its login page can offer a magic link by email, and clients can install it on their phone as a branded web app.
STRENGTHS
White labeling, your own branded login and unlimited portals on the $19 Start plan.
Unlimited staff and clients on every plan, so a team doesn’t change the price.
Portal messaging, file exchange, support tickets and courses (courses on Pinnacle).
GOOD TO KNOW
Proposals start on Thrive ($49), and onboarding flows on Pinnacle ($99).
The pricing page doesn’t say which plan includes contracts, scheduling or which payment processors.
It does a lot, so there’s more to set up than in the simpler tools here.
FEATURE BY FEATURE
Feature by feature
A tick means the job is covered on the plan priced above. A circled dash means it is partly covered, on a higher plan or with a workaround. A cross means it is not available. Where a cell has words instead of a mark, the words say what you get. Partial marks are explained in the note under each feature.
WHY PEOPLE SWITCH
Who switches to Aventide
People who switch to Aventide for their client portal usually want one of these:
Branded client portals for every business you run, on one $39 plan with unlimited team members.
Clients who accept, sign, pay and book in the same portal.
Client messages: a client writes from their portal or replies to your email, and it lands in your team inbox.
Files clients send you from their portal.
METHOD
How we chose and compared
We started with the tools that rank for client portal searches in Google and the ones AI assistants named most when we asked 19 client portal questions in October 2026 (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Google AI Mode, Copilot and Perplexity): SuiteDash, HoneyBook, Plutio, Assembly, Dubsado and Bonsai came up most. We added Moxie as a low-cost pick for one person, and Aventide because we make it.
We compared each on what a client can do in the portal, how clients sign in, branding and your own domain, messages, proposals, e-signature, invoices and payments, booking, and the price for one person and for a team of three. Prices and plan limits come from each company’s own pricing page and help center, read on November 5, 2026, and linked in each section. Rules about more than one business that sit in help centers are as of October 2026, dated where we use them. We recheck this page every month.
Assembly, Bonsai, Dubsado, HoneyBook, Moxie, Plutio and SuiteDash are trademarks of their owners. This page isn't affiliated with or endorsed by them.
QUESTIONS
Questions about client portal software
What is client portal software?
Client portal software gives each client a private page, usually behind a sign-in, where they find what you've shared with them: files, proposals, contracts, invoices and sometimes messages or a booking link. It replaces a chain of email attachments with one place the client can come back to.
What is the best client portal software for a small business?
It depends on what clients do in it. For the lowest price, SuiteDash and Plutio start at $19 a month. For messages and a portal on your own domain, look at Assembly. For proposals, e-signed contracts, invoices and booking in the same portal, look at HoneyBook, Dubsado or Aventide; Aventide is $39 a month for every business you run, with unlimited team members (prices as of November 2026, billed monthly). We make Aventide.
Is there free client portal software?
Assembly has a free plan for up to 5 active clients and one user (as of November 2026). The other seven tools on this list have no free plan but offer a free trial: 7 days for Plutio and Bonsai, 14 days for Aventide, SuiteDash and Moxie, 21 days for Dubsado and 30 days for HoneyBook.
Which project management software has a client portal?
Plutio, SuiteDash, Bonsai and Moxie all combine projects and tasks with a client portal. Plutio includes task boards and a portal on every plan from $19 a month; Moxie's portal starts on Pro at $25 a month; Bonsai's portal starts on Essentials at $25 per user a month (as of November 2026, billed monthly). Aventide is a client manager, with to-dos alongside its client portal.
Can a client portal carry my own brand (white label)?
Yes, on most of these tools. SuiteDash white-labels on every plan, Assembly and Moxie add your own domain on their Professional and Pro plans, and Plutio charges $9 a month for white-label on Core and Pro. Aventide uses your logo, colors and fonts, with a small "Powered by Aventide" line, on an aventide.ai address.
Do my clients need a password for a client portal?
Not always. Aventide sends clients a sign-in link by email, so there's no password to make. Assembly uses email links or Google, HoneyBook and Dubsado offer an email link as well as a password, and SuiteDash can offer a magic link on its login page.
What's the best client portal for designers, consultants or coaches?
A solo designer on a budget often does well with Plutio or Moxie. Consultants who need messages and a portal on their own domain tend to look at Assembly or SuiteDash. Coaches who sell sessions want booking and payment in the portal, which HoneyBook, Dubsado and Aventide offer. If you run more than one business, Aventide gives each its own branded portals on one plan.
