You're Switching from HoneyBook.
Here's Why Birthday Party Planners Choose Nexa.

HoneyBook
$39/mo
$468/year — every year, forever
Nexa
$279
Once. Own it forever.
or 3 payments of $99
Break even in 7.2 months. Then it's free forever.
"Switched from HoneyBook after the last price increase. Nexa does everything I needed for $279. Wish I'd done it sooner."
— Verified Birthday Party Planner, former HoneyBook customer

The Bottom Line

Birthday Party Planners on HoneyBook pay $39/month — $468/year. Over three years, that's $1,570. Nexa is $279 once. Break-even runs about 7.2 months. The median Birthday Party Planner earns $42,000/year, so HoneyBook's annual cost is roughly 1.1% of typical revenue — every year, forever.

Key Numbers

$42,000
Median Birthday Party Planner income
3%
Typical SaaS spend as % of revenue
7.2 mo
Break-even vs HoneyBook
$1,291
3-year savings switching to Nexa

What HoneyBook Is Costing You

The Damage

HoneyBook monthly $39/mo
Annual drain $468/yr
Year 2 (11.4% SaaS inflation) $521
Year 3 $581
3-year total $1,570

That's $1,570 gone. And you don't own anything. Stop paying, lose access.

Your HoneyBook subscription has cost you $0.00 since you opened this page.

Why Birthday Party Planners Leave HoneyBook

✗89% price increase in February 2025
✗Payment processing fees add up
✗Limited geographic availability
✗Team member caps on lower tiers
✗Not suited for complex workflows
✗My least favorite thing is the price. As a solo entrepreneur, budget is tight and the barrier to entry is around $40 a m
✗89% price hike - is it still worth it to stay or switch?
Birthday Party Planners are leaving HoneyBook every week.

You're not the only one who's had enough.

Why This Matters for Birthday Party Planners

A birthday party planner mostly manages two clients at once: the parent paying the bill and the kid whose entire happiness rides on whether the theme is exactly right. The day is full of vendor coordination, confirming the bounce house delivery window, holding the magician's two o'clock slot, checking that the bakery got the note that the dinosaur cake needs to be a T-rex specifically and not 'a dinosaur.' Weekends are gold and book out fast, so you're constantly juggling which Saturday is free and reminding parents that the popular character actor is reserved months ahead. Theme execution is the heart of it: a five-year-old asked for unicorns, so the backdrop, the balloon arch, the plates, the goody bags, and the cake all have to sing the same tune, because that kid will notice a single off-color balloon faster than any adult. You build a timeline that keeps a roomful of sugar-loaded children on track, because if the entertainer arrives while pizza is being served and the cake comes out too early, the whole afternoon descends into chaos. Outdoor parties add a weather gamble, since a bounce house can't run in rain or wind, so you've got a backup plan ready. On the day you're inflating balloons, staging the favor table, cueing the entertainer, and managing the cake moment so the birthday photo is perfect.

Birthday Party Planners face unique challenges: Booking entertainers (clown, magician, character actor, petting zoo) who get snapped up months ahead for prime weekend slots. Keeping a kids' party on a tight timeline so the entertainer, cake, and pizza don't all collide. Matching a very specific kid-chosen theme (dinosaurs, a particular cartoon, unicorns) across décor, cake, and favors. Weather backup plans for outdoor parties with a bounce house that can't run in rain or wind. On top of all that, HoneyBook charges $39/month ($468/year) — money that comes directly from your revenue. The median Birthday Party Planner earns $42,000/year. Software at $468/year is a meaningful percentage of that income, every year, forever. And you do not own anything.

Your a themed décor and backdrop inventory is yours. You bought it once. Nexa works the same way — $279 once for invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, and full accounting. All connected. All offline-capable. You own it like you own your tools.

Your Full Stack Cost

HoneyBook is just one piece. What else are you losing money on?

Want this breakdown emailed to you?

Your exact HoneyBook cost, full stack total, and what switching saves. 10 seconds.

"I was paying HoneyBook $39/month and didn't question it until I did the math. $1,570 over 3 years for tools I don't even own. Nexa was $279. Once. Done."
— Birthday Party Planner business owner

What You Get Instead

Feature HoneyBook Nexa
Invoicing ✓ ✓
Scheduling ✗ ✓
CRM ✗ ✓
Time Tracking ✗ ✓
Full Accounting ✗ ✓ (SIMPL)
Task Management ✗ ✓
Price $39/mo forever $279 once
or 3 × $99
3-Year Cost $1,570 $279
Stop paying? Lose everything Keep everything forever

Switching Takes 1-2 Days

Most birthday party planners are fully switched before the weekend.

1

Export your data

Go to Company Settings → export contacts and projects. Download templates separately.

2

Set up Nexa

15-minute setup. Import your contacts and recreate your key templates.

3

Parallel run

Run both for 1-2 weeks. Transition active projects after they complete.

4

Cancel HoneyBook

Cancel before renewal. Save any contract templates as PDFs.

✓ Run both in parallel. Cancel HoneyBook when you're confident. Zero risk.

What birthday party planners actually deal with

A day in the life of a birthday party planner

A birthday party planner mostly manages two clients at once: the parent paying the bill and the kid whose entire happiness rides on whether the theme is exactly right. The day is full of vendor coordination, confirming the bounce house delivery window, holding the magician's two o'clock slot, checking that the bakery got the note that the dinosaur cake needs to be a T-rex specifically and not 'a dinosaur.' Weekends are gold and book out fast, so you're constantly juggling which Saturday is free and reminding parents that the popular character actor is reserved months ahead. Theme execution is the heart of it: a five-year-old asked for unicorns, so the backdrop, the balloon arch, the plates, the goody bags, and the cake all have to sing the same tune, because that kid will notice a single off-color balloon faster than any adult. You build a timeline that keeps a roomful of sugar-loaded children on track, because if the entertainer arrives while pizza is being served and the cake comes out too early, the whole afternoon descends into chaos. Outdoor parties add a weather gamble, since a bounce house can't run in rain or wind, so you've got a backup plan ready. On the day you're inflating balloons, staging the favor table, cueing the entertainer, and managing the cake moment so the birthday photo is perfect.

The tools a working birthday party planner actually owns

Local birthday party planners on Nexa

Real birthday party planners near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee. Are you a birthday party planner? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time. Or browse every birthday party planner on Nexa →

FAQ

Is Nexa really a HoneyBook replacement for birthday party planners?

For solo operators and small teams (1-5), yes. Nexa includes invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, task management, and full accounting. HoneyBook may be better if you have a large team (10+) or need enterprise-specific features.

$279 seems like a lot.

It's $7.75/month over 3 years. HoneyBook is $39/month — that's $1,570 over 3 years. Which is more? And if you'd rather split it, Nexa is also available as 3 payments of $99.

Can I pay in installments?

Yes. Nexa is $279 as a one-time payment, or 3 payments of $99 ($297 total). Either way it's a one-time purchase — no subscription, no recurring fees ever.

What if I don't like it?

30-day money-back guarantee. Full refund. If Nexa doesn't save you $500 in year one, you get every penny back.

Can I import my HoneyBook data?

Export your data from HoneyBook as CSV, import into Nexa in about 5 minutes.

Birthday Party Planners in Portland

The average solo operator there spends about $2,500/year on software — and Birthday Party Planner face their own version of that math. Oregon has no sales tax but income tax up to 9.9%. Portland Metro levies a 1% Supportive Housing Services tax on high earners. Oregon CCB license required for contractors. Portland requires a business license. Vancouver, WA side requires separate Washington UBI registration.

Numbers reflect typical solo operators in the Portland metro. Your situation will vary.

If You Need These — Nexa Has Them

Specific gaps Birthday Party Planners run into with HoneyBook, and what Nexa does instead.

✗
HoneyBook gapLimited for product-based businesses
✓
NexaBuilt into Nexa’s $279 once purchase — no separate add-on.
✗
HoneyBook gapNo inventory management
✓
NexaInventory tracking included for product and service businesses.
✗
HoneyBook gapBasic reporting
✓
NexaP&L, balance sheet, and 21 reports — built in.
"HoneyBook raised prices again and I was done. Found Nexa — $279 once. I own it. No more 'we're updating our pricing' emails. Best business decision this year."
— Birthday Party Planner, switched from HoneyBook

Stop Losing $468/Year to HoneyBook

$1,570 over 3 years. Or $279 once (or 3 × $99). Own your tools.

Get Nexa — $279 Once
or 3 payments of $99
✓ 30-day money-back guarantee — save $500 or full refund

Still want HoneyBook?

We think Nexa is the better deal at $279 once vs $39/mo. But if you've decided on HoneyBook, here's the link. No hard feelings.

HoneyBook — $39/mo →

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