You're Switching from HoneyBook.
Here's Why Face Painters 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 Face Painter, former HoneyBook customer

The Bottom Line

Face Painters 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 Face Painter earns $42,000/year, so HoneyBook's annual cost is roughly 1.1% of typical revenue — every year, forever.

Key Numbers

$42,000
Median Face Painter 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 Face Painters 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?
Face Painters are leaving HoneyBook every week.

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

Why This Matters for Face Painters

The day starts laying out the kit: palettes of cosmetic-grade paints, round brushes for line work and flats for the big fills, sponges, glitter, and the design board kids will point at. The first job is a backyard birthday, where you set up the chair and mirror and immediately a parent asks whether the paint is safe for their kid's sensitive skin, so you explain what FDA-compliant means before the first stroke. Then the line forms, twenty kids deep, and every one of them wants the elaborate full-face tiger while the clock is ticking on a two-hour booking, so you triage: quick cheek-art butterflies to keep the line moving, the showpiece designs for the ones who'll sit still. You work fast and clean, swapping water between kids, watching for anyone who rubs their face mid-paint. The afternoon is a festival booth where the heat is melting your own work as fast as you paint it, the per-hour fee structure is different from a private party, and the line never ends. You keep the paints from drying out and the brushes from getting muddy. The day ends cleaning every brush and sponge, restocking the colors that ran low, and checking tomorrow's outdoor birthday against a forecast that's threatening rain.

Face Painters face unique challenges: Kids' parties pay per-hour or per-face, but a line of twenty excited children means triaging fast designs against the elaborate butterfly every kid points to on the board. Skin-safety and allergy questions are constant, so you have to know your paints are cosmetic-grade and have answers when a parent asks before you touch their child. Outdoor festivals mean heat, sweat, and humidity smearing the work, plus the booth-fee or per-hour math festivals impose changes the whole pricing model. Booking volume is weekend-heavy and weather-dependent, so an outdoor birthday that rains out is a same-day cancellation and a hole in the day. On top of all that, HoneyBook charges $39/month ($468/year) — money that comes directly from your revenue. The median Face Painter 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 Professional FDA-compliant face paints and palettes 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."
— Face Painter 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 face painters 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 face painters actually deal with

A day in the life of a face painter

The day starts laying out the kit: palettes of cosmetic-grade paints, round brushes for line work and flats for the big fills, sponges, glitter, and the design board kids will point at. The first job is a backyard birthday, where you set up the chair and mirror and immediately a parent asks whether the paint is safe for their kid's sensitive skin, so you explain what FDA-compliant means before the first stroke. Then the line forms, twenty kids deep, and every one of them wants the elaborate full-face tiger while the clock is ticking on a two-hour booking, so you triage: quick cheek-art butterflies to keep the line moving, the showpiece designs for the ones who'll sit still. You work fast and clean, swapping water between kids, watching for anyone who rubs their face mid-paint. The afternoon is a festival booth where the heat is melting your own work as fast as you paint it, the per-hour fee structure is different from a private party, and the line never ends. You keep the paints from drying out and the brushes from getting muddy. The day ends cleaning every brush and sponge, restocking the colors that ran low, and checking tomorrow's outdoor birthday against a forecast that's threatening rain.

The tools a working face painter actually owns

Local face painters on Nexa

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

FAQ

Is Nexa really a HoneyBook replacement for face painters?

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.

Face Painters in Allentown

The average solo operator there spends about $2,352/year on software — and Face Painter face their own version of that math. PA state licensing requirements apply.

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

If You Need These — Nexa Has Them

Specific gaps Face Painters 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."
— Face Painter, 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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