HONEST COMPARISON
Allio vs HoneyBook for portrait studios: phone built in versus a paid add-on
Allio is the CRM for portrait studios at $297 a month with the phone built in. HoneyBook runs $29 to $109 a month billed yearly, with team size capped by tier rather than charged per seat. Since August 2026 it also sells a Business Phone & SMS add-on, from $8 a month, for members in the US and Canada. That's a real feature worth stating plainly. In Allio the phone isn't an add-on: calls, texts and recordings sit on the client record as part of the one plan.
$297 per month. Card required. AI and phone usage is billed at cost, on top of the $297.
Who each one is built for
HoneyBook
Freelancers and small teams across many service industries, not just photography, who want proposals, invoicing and payments in one polished tool.
Allio
Any portrait photographer, from someone just starting out to a studio with a full front desk, who wants the phone line and every channel run from the client record.
The facts, with sources
Every row was checked against HoneyBook’s own published pages on the date shown. Prices move, so if you are reading this later, check the source.
| HoneyBook | Allio | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $29/month billed yearly (Starter), no team members | $297/month, whole team included | honeybook.com, checked 2026-10-22 |
| Mid tier | $49/month billed yearly (Essentials), up to 2 team members | Same $297/month plan, no team cap | honeybook.com, checked 2026-10-22 |
| Top price | $109/month billed yearly (Premium), unlimited team members | Same $297/month plan | honeybook.com, checked 2026-10-22 |
| Team cap | Team size is a tier cap, not a per seat fee: none listed on Starter, up to 2 on Essentials, unlimited only on Premium | No cap at any plan | honeybook.com, checked 2026-10-22 |
| Phone and texting | Paid Business Phone & SMS add-on, $8, $15 or $20 a month for 300, 700 or 1,000 texts: one 800-style number shared by the team, for one brand, members in the US and Canada only | Built into the one $297 plan: a studio number for calls and texts, with usage billed at cost | help.honeybook.com, checked 2026-10-22 |
| How calls are handled | Incoming calls forward to the account holder's own phone; outgoing calls ring you first, then connect the client | Inbound and outbound calls made inside Allio and logged to the client record, with recordings | help.honeybook.com, checked 2026-10-22 |
| Unified inbox | With the add-on, texts sit in each project's timeline alongside email; no Facebook or Instagram messages found | Calls, texts, email and social messages in one inbox per client | help.honeybook.com, checked 2026-10-22 |
| Trial | 30 days, no card required, plus a 60 day money back guarantee | 7 days, card required | honeybook.com, checked 2026-10-22 |
| Adding staff | Two team members on Essentials at $49/month; a third means jumping straight to Premium at $109/month | Add staff at no extra charge | honeybook.com, checked 2026-10-22 |
HoneyBook's phone add-on, stated plainly
HoneyBook launched Business Phone & SMS in August 2026. Its help centre describes a paid add-on, from $8 a month for 300 texts, that gives your account one 800-style business number shared by the whole team. Incoming calls forward to the account holder's own phone, outgoing calls ring you first and then connect the client, and incoming calls from known contacts are recorded and summarised. It works for one brand, is available to members in the US and Canada, and doesn't support picture messages. Texting waits on the same carrier approval any business number goes through, Allio included. That's a real step forward, and a good fit for a solo photographer. The difference with Allio is that the phone isn't an add-on: it's part of the one plan, and every call and text lands on the client record next to email and social messages.
The real monthly number, not the sticker price
HoneyBook's Essentials plan caps a studio at two team members for $49 a month; a third person means jumping to Premium at $109 a month, and the phone and text add-on is extra on any plan, from $8 a month, with another bundle bought automatically when the texts run out. Allio is $297 a month for the whole team, with the phone system, the inbox and the client record built in. AI and phone usage is billed at cost, on top of the $297.
Where HoneyBook genuinely wins
HoneyBook has shipped real, working AI inside the product, not a marketing label: it drafts client inquiry email replies in the business owner's own tone, auto generates meeting notes and daily to do summaries from calendar activity, and flags which leads are statistically likely to book. On higher plans it adds an AI automation builder for trigger based workflows. Its entry price is also far lower than Allio's, which matters when you're just starting out.
Which one you should pick
Choose HoneyBook if
you work alone or with one assistant, you want AI drafting your replies, and a shared number that forwards to your own phone covers your calls.
Choose Allio if
you want the phone built into the client record from day one, and room to add staff later without a tier jump or a phone add-on, whether you're starting out or already busy.
See it running in a studio like yours.
The trial is seven days, card required, and you can be in within minutes.
Want the story first? Read who built Allio and why, or see what a call about Allio covers.
$297 per month. Card required. AI and phone usage is billed at cost, on top of the $297.