River Guides 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 River Guide earns $42,000/year, so HoneyBook's annual cost is roughly 1.1% of typical revenue — every year, forever.
That's $1,570 gone. And you don't own anything. Stop paying, lose access.
You're not the only one who's had enough.
River Guides face unique challenges: Trips depend on river flow (CFS) and weather, so a dam release or a flash storm can cancel or move a trip on short notice. Permitted rivers cap launches and group size, so a no-show on a booked seat is a launch slot I can't resell. Multi-day expeditions need deposits far ahead and per-person waivers and gear sizing tracked for everyone in the party. The season is short and weather-dependent, so summer bookings flood in and have to be scheduled around flows and permit dates at once. On top of all that, HoneyBook charges $39/month ($468/year) — money that comes directly from your revenue. The median River Guide 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 whitewater raft or dory with spare oars and a paddle set 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.
HoneyBook is just one piece. What else are you losing money on?
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Your exact HoneyBook cost, full stack total, and what switching saves. 10 seconds.
| 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 |
Most river guides are fully switched before the weekend.
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I check the flow gauge before I check my coffee, because the river writes the day. Too low and the rapids turn to bony rock gardens, too high and a run gets genuinely dangerous, and a dam release upstream can change everything by morning. When the numbers are right, I rig the raft at the put-in, lash the dry bags, and size every client into a PFD, a helmet, and a wetsuit, because cold-water shock is real and a loose life jacket is useless. The safety talk comes before we launch, how to high-side if we hit a hole, what to do if you swim, where to put your feet, because the river doesn't care that they paid for fun. Then we are on the water, reading the current, calling strokes, threading the line through the big drop while keeping the boat off the rocks that would wrap us. I run the shuttle logistics in my head the whole time, the vehicle waiting at take-out miles downstream. On a multi-day expedition the planning multiplies, deposits collected months ahead, a signed waiver and correct gear sizing for every soul in the party. Summer is a flood of bookings, and I am fitting them all around permit launch dates and whatever the flows decide to do.
Real river guides near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee. Are you a river guide? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time. Or browse every river guide on Nexa →
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.
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.
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.
30-day money-back guarantee. Full refund. If Nexa doesn't save you $500 in year one, you get every penny back.
Export your data from HoneyBook as CSV, import into Nexa in about 5 minutes.
The average solo operator there spends about $2,160/year on software — and River Guide face their own version of that math. TN state licensing requirements apply.
Numbers reflect typical solo operators in the Knoxville metro. Your situation will vary.
Specific gaps River Guides run into with HoneyBook, and what Nexa does instead.
$1,570 over 3 years. Or $279 once (or 3 × $99). Own your tools.
Get Nexa — $279 Once