Why Consultants Who Sell Sessions Need Something Different
Consider the typical workflow for a consultant who sells 60-minute advisory sessions:
A client finds them and wants to book a call. In a Dubsado setup, the consultant sends a lead form, Dubsado triggers a proposal email, the client approves the proposal, a contract is sent, the contract is signed, an invoice is generated, the payment is processed, a Zoom link is sent separately, and a pre-session questionnaire may or may not be attached to the workflow.
That is 7 or 8 steps for what should be: client picks a time, fills out intake questions, pays, gets a call link.
The Dubsado workflow is appropriate when the sale is a multi-week project with scope, revisions, and milestones. It is significant friction for a straightforward paid session booking.
The workflow mismatch creates real problems:
- Clients drop off between steps when the process is too complex
- Consultants spend time managing the tool rather than delivering sessions
- Dubsado's monthly or annual fee adds to overhead before a single session is booked
- A separate Zoom subscription adds another $13 or more per month
For a practical look at what your consulting rate should be before you optimize your booking workflow, see the how to charge for consulting calls guide.
What to Look for in a Dubsado Alternative
For a session-based consulting practice, the right platform needs to do five things well:
Built-in live video. No separate Zoom subscription. Clients join directly from the booking confirmation. HD quality, reliable infrastructure.
Intake forms tied to services. Not a generic lead form, but specific questions per service type. A client booking a financial planning session should answer different questions than one booking a growth strategy call.
Calendar sync and self-booking. Clients pick a time based on your real availability. No back-and-forth email coordination.
Payment at booking. Collected automatically before the session. No proposals, no contracts, no invoices for straightforward session-based work.
Session recording. Automatic, not manual. Consultants who share recordings with clients see higher satisfaction and return rates.
Note what is not on the list: proposals, contracts, project milestones, workflow automation. Those are valuable for project-based work. They are overhead for session-based consulting.
Talkspresso as the Live-Video Alternative
For consultants who sell sessions rather than projects, Talkspresso covers every requirement above without the CRM overhead.
Live HD video. Platform-native video. No Zoom required. Clients join from a single link in the booking confirmation.
Intake forms per service. Create different intake questionnaires for each consulting service you offer. The right questions appear automatically based on what the client booked.
Scheduling with calendar sync. Connect Google Calendar, set your availability, and clients self-book in under 60 seconds.
Payment at booking. Clients pay when they book. No invoicing step. Payouts go to your connected bank account automatically.
Automatic session recording. No button to remember. Every session is recorded. Share it with clients or archive it for your own reference.
Setup time. Most consultants are live with their first service in under 90 minutes. No week-long configuration process.
Fees. Free plan: 10% per session. A $200 consulting call keeps $172.30 after fee and processing. Pro plan: $29.95/month, 0% platform fee, keeping $194.30 per $200 session after processing only.
Take-home math: 10 sessions/month at $200 on the free plan keeps $1,723.00. On Pro at $29.95/month, the same 10 sessions keeps $1,913.00. Versus Dubsado at $200/year ($16.67/month) plus Zoom at $13/month, the total subscription overhead on Dubsado is $29.67/month before the Zoom call even starts, and with no recording, no intake automation, and no built-in video.
For context on how to automate more of the booking process once you are set up, the automate your booking process as a coach or consultant guide covers what can be systematized without complex CRM tooling.
Other Alternatives Worth Knowing
HoneyBook. Similar to Dubsado in scope, with a slightly cleaner interface. No native video. Same fundamental mismatch for session-based consulting. Better for project-based creative services.
Calendly + Zoom + Stripe. The lightweight DIY stack. Calendly for scheduling ($10/month), Zoom for video ($13/month), Stripe for payments (2.9% + $0.30). Total: $23/month plus processing. Cheaper per transaction than a 10% fee at high volume, but no intake forms tied to services, no automatic recording, and no client history.
Topmate. Clean interface, 15% fee, designed for expert calls in tech and startup niches. No automatic recording or AI summaries. Faster setup than Dubsado but lighter feature set than Talkspresso.
Cost Comparison
| Tool | Platform Fee | Monthly Cost | Built-in Video | Recording | Intake Forms | Setup Time |
|---|
| Dubsado + Zoom | ~0% | $29.67+ | No (Zoom) | Manual | Via workflow | 5-10 hours |
| Talkspresso (Free) | 10% | $0 | Yes (HD) | Yes (auto) | Yes |
Note: Dubsado pricing is as of mid-2026. Check their site for current plan details.
How to Switch in an Afternoon
If you are currently using Dubsado primarily for session bookings rather than project management, here is how to move to a simpler setup:
Step 1: Create your Talkspresso profile. Sign up at app.talkspresso.com. Add your bio and upload a professional photo.
Step 2: Set up your consulting services. Create one service for each type of session you sell. Name them by outcome: "Brand Strategy Session" rather than "90-Minute Call."
Step 3: Add intake questions. For each service, add 3-5 pre-session questions. These replace the Dubsado lead form and questionnaire workflow in one step.
Step 4: Connect your calendar and set your price. Google Calendar sync shows real availability. Set your rate at booking time.
Step 5: Get your link and update your touchpoints. Copy your profile link. Update your website, bio, and any client communications to point to your new booking page. For intake form best practices specific to consulting and coaching, the coaching intake forms save time guide covers what questions get you the most useful information.
For a full comparison of the best platforms for paid advisory calls in 2026, the best platforms for paid 1:1 expert calls guide ranks 7 options by fee structure, features, and niche fit.
The Bottom Line
Dubsado is a serious CRM that earns its keep for project-based service businesses. For consultants who primarily sell paid sessions, it is the wrong architecture: too complex to set up, no native video, and a monthly fee that competes with a 10% platform fee at low session volumes.
The choice comes down to your workflow. If your consulting work involves proposals, contracts, project milestones, and invoice management, Dubsado or HoneyBook make sense and a separate video tool is a reasonable add-on. If your work is primarily paid advisory calls with scheduling, intake, and session recording, a platform built for that workflow gets you live faster and keeps more of each session.
For most solo consultants selling sessions, the simpler path is also the less expensive one. No week-long setup. No separate Zoom subscription. One link that handles booking, video, intake, and payment. That is what session-focused tools are built to do.
