Clearmargin vs Dubsado
Dubsado is a workflow engine that takes weeks to learn. Clearmargin is AI-guided from day one. Plus the financial features Dubsado has never built.
Pricing and feature data scraped directly from Dubsado’s site — last verified April 17, 2026.
Pricing, side by side
Best monthly rate (paid annually). Both products show the same way: lowest publicly advertised annual price.
Clearmargin
- Get Found$19/moor $23/mo billed monthlyWebsite + inquiry form + CRM. For people who need a website that actually captures leads.
- Get Paid$19/moor $23/mo billed monthlyProposals, invoices, expenses, taxes, AI. The full business platform minus the website.
- Everything$34/moor $42/mo billed monthlyGet Found + Get Paid. Custom Domain & SEO ($9/mo value) included. Save $13/mo vs buying separately.
Unlimited clients on every plan. 14-day free trial, no credit card.
Dubsado
- Starter$27.92/moor $35/mo billed monthly
- Premier$43.75/moor $55/mo billed monthlyAdds workflows, scheduler, public proposals
Only one has an AI assistant.
In 2026, your business software should answer questions, draft proposals, and read receipts — not just store them.
Clearmargin AI
Click it. Ask it. Both work.
Every workflow has two ways in: a clean UI to click through, and an assistant to ask. Draft a proposal, scan a receipt, look up profit on a project — same data, same result. Use whichever is most natural for you.
- Ask anything: "How profitable was the Smith wedding?", "Show overdue invoices over $1k" — answers come from your own data
- Snap a receipt with your phone, forward an invoice from your inbox, or drop in a PDF — the assistant reads it and queues a categorized expense for you to approve
- Send a questionnaire, then one-click draft a proposal from the response
- The assistant can act anywhere in the app — drafting invoices, finding clients, looking up files, suggesting next steps
- Optional onboarding helper: describe your business in plain English, get a configured workspace
- Real-time web search for market rates and pricing benchmarks when you need them
Safety rail: The assistant drafts and proposes; it never sends, deletes, or charges. Every action waits for your click — so you can move fast without worrying about a runaway agent.
Dubsado AI
Dubsado does not advertise AI features. The product leans on rule-based workflow automation rather than generative or analytical AI.
No AI features advertised on the pricing or product pages.
Where it shines: Deterministic, scriptable workflows.
Dubsado’s gap: No conversational AI, no document extraction, no AI-drafted proposals or emails.
Feature comparison
Every cell verified against Dubsado’s public pricing & feature pages.
| Feature | Clearmargin | Dubsado |
|---|---|---|
| Proposals | ||
| Contracts & e-signatures | ||
| Invoicing | ||
| Recurring billing | ||
| Payment schedules | ||
| ACH payments | ||
| Time tracking | ||
| Rate cascading | ||
| Minimum billable hours | ||
| Expense tracking | ||
| Receipt capture | ||
| Mileage tracking | ||
| Recipe / BOM costing | ||
| Per-client profitability | ||
| Schedule C tax exports | ||
| Quarterly estimated tax | ||
| Inquiry form | lead capture forms | |
| Pipeline / kanban | ||
| Client questionnaires | ||
| CRM messaging & timeline | email only | |
| Client portal | ||
| Meeting scheduler | Premier only | |
| Calendar sync | ||
| AI assistant | ||
| Receipt & document scanning | ||
| Workflow automation | via Zapier | Premier only |
| REST API | ||
| Webhooks | ||
| Zapier | ||
| Unlimited clients |
The honest take
Where each tool genuinely wins. No spin.
Where Clearmargin wins
- A real AI assistant — not just rule-based automation
- Time tracking, expense tracking, and mileage built in
- Schedule C reports, tax exports, and profitability reporting
- Same capabilities on every plan — no "Premier-only" feature gating
- AI-guided setup in minutes, not weeks — no paid specialists required
Where Dubsado wins
- Most powerful rule-based workflow builder in the freelancer category
- Fine-grained form & contract customization
- 21-day free trial of full Premier plan
Frequently asked questions
What is the real difference between Clearmargin and Dubsado?+
Dubsado is the most powerful rule-based workflow builder in the freelancer category — it can automate almost any client journey if you invest the time to script it. Clearmargin takes a different angle: AI-guided onboarding sets up your workspace in minutes, advanced features hide until you need them, and instead of a workflow builder we use Zapier, n8n, Make, and HMAC-signed webhooks for automation. Dubsado has no time tracking, no expense tracking, no mileage, and no AI.
Is Dubsado really that complicated?+
Dubsado has a well-documented learning curve — there are professional Dubsado setup specialists who charge for configuration as a service, and an active community exists specifically for setup help. Clearmargin's setup is the opposite: AI assistant builds your initial templates, the navigation adapts to your business type, and advanced features stay hidden until you need them.
Does Dubsado have AI like Clearmargin?+
No. Dubsado does not advertise AI features. Their automation is rule-based — workflows fire on triggers you script. Clearmargin's assistant drafts proposals from questionnaire responses, answers plain-English financial questions from your data, and reads receipts and contracts you snap or forward in.
How does pricing compare?+
Dubsado is $35/month (Starter) or $55/month (Premier — adds workflows, scheduler, public proposals). Clearmargin Get Paid is $19/month billed annually ($23 monthly) with proposals, contracts, invoices, payments, expenses, time, taxes, and AI — no feature gates. Everything (Get Paid + a public website + Custom Domain & SEO) is $34/month billed annually.
Can I switch from Dubsado to Clearmargin?+
Yes. Clearmargin supports CSV import for clients and contacts. Your proposals, contracts, and forms can be recreated using Clearmargin's templates and merge-field system — and the AI proposal co-pilot can draft a proposal from a questionnaire response in one click, often replacing a multi-step Dubsado workflow.