17hats Reviews: Honest Analysis, Pros & Cons

Managing clients, projects, and payments often means using too many tools, and that’s where 17hats promises to help. But do real users agree? 

In our deep exploration into 17hats reviews, we’ve found plenty to like, from smooth automation, solid CRM, to simple client management.

However, we also noticed frustrations like extra fees, limited customization, and missing features. Here’s our honest take, plus, Agency Handy, a better alternative that could fit your workflow and budget even better.

What is 17hats?

17hats is a business management platform that centralizes project management, client communication, invoicing, scheduling, and bookkeeping. It’s built for small businesses, freelancers, and creative professionals who want to reduce the complexity of managing separate tools. 

17hats Reviews: The Key Features

Each feature of 17hats is designed to save time, reduce manual work, and keep your business organized.

• Lead Management and CRM: Capture inquiries automatically, organize leads with tags, and track status for a clear sales pipeline view.
• Automation and Workflows: Automate multi-step processes like sending documents, reminders, or tasks with customizable triggers and delays.
• Invoicing: Design branded invoices, set payment terms, add taxes or discounts, and automate from approved quotes.
• Payment Processing: Accept secure online payments via Stripe, log manual payments, and offer deposits, retainers, or installment plans.
• Contracts and Digital Signing: Upload or use templates, enable e-signatures, and link contracts to quotes and invoices for seamless onboarding.
• Quotes and Proposals: Send professional, customizable quotes with service packages, add-ons, and online approval for faster client commitment.
• Bookkeeping and Financial Tracking: Track income, expenses, and taxes in real time with automated logging from paid invoices.
• Scheduling and Calendar Integration: Let clients book online, sync with Google Calendar, and send automated reminders to reduce no-shows.
• Client Portal: Provide password-protected access to quotes, contracts, invoices, and forms in a branded space.
• Contact and Lead Capture Forms: Create customizable forms that auto-generate contacts, trigger workflows, and send instant personalized responses.
• Project and Task Management: Organize projects with milestones, assign tasks, and track deadlines while storing related documents and emails.
• Questionnaires and Client Intake: Build and send customizable questionnaires to gather essential client details before starting work.
• Dashboard: View upcoming events, client activity, pending tasks, and key updates in one daily overview.
• Incoming Emails: Sync client emails directly into project files to ensure all communication stays organized and accessible.
• Custom Fields: Create unlimited custom data fields for contacts and projects, usable in documents, emails, and reports.
• 3-in-1 Document: Combine quotes, contracts, and invoices into a single file for streamlined client booking and payment.
• Related Contacts: Link and manage vendors, collaborators, or family members directly within relevant projects.

How to Sign Up and Use 17hats

Setting up 17hats is quick and just follow these steps in order.

1. Create Your Account: Sign up for the 7-day trial, complete the basic form, and activate your account instantly.
2. Access Settings: Open the gear icon to configure branding, services, email, payment links, and automation preferences.
3. Customize Branding and Subdomain: Upload your logo, set brand colors/fonts, and create a custom subdomain for all shared links.
4. Add and Organize Contacts: Enter leads, clients, or partners, assign contact types, and apply tags for quick filtering later.
5. Set Up Lead Capture Forms: Build branded forms with key questions to collect contact details and automatically create records.
6. Build Services, Quotes, and Contracts: Add services, create quote templates with add-ons, and link them to contracts and invoices.
7. Automate with Workflows: Design step-by-step workflows to send documents, reminders, and forms with customizable timing and personalization.
8. Organize Projects and Tasks: Create projects for each client, assign milestones and tasks, and store related files and communication.
9. Set Invoice and Payment Preferences: Create branded invoice templates, add tax/discount settings, and connect Stripe for secure payment processing.
10. Use the Client Portal: Enable portals for secure client access to quotes, contracts, invoices, and event details with custom messages.

17hats Pricing

17hats offers one all-inclusive plan with full access to features. You can choose a payment schedule that matches your budget —

1. Monthly Plan: $60 per month (Ideal for flexibility without long-term commitment.)
2. Yearly Plan: $600 per year (Save $120 compared to monthly payments.)
3. Bi-Yearly Plan: $800 every two years (Save $640 for the best long-term value.)

All plans include the same features, customer support, and free trial option. 

Drawbacks of 17hats

17hats delivers a wide range of tools in one platform, but there are trade-offs you should analyze before committing.

• Limited Invoice Customization: You can’t configure regional tax settings within invoices, which may cause compliance issues in some locations.
• Paid Time Tracking Add-on: Time tracking is not included in the base plan and costs an additional $5 per month.
• Additional Bank Connect Fee: Bank account integration also requires a separate $5 monthly payment.
• Complex Initial Setup: Syncing email and bank accounts can be challenging for first-time users.
• Cluttered Interface: The dashboard can feel overwhelming until you learn the navigation and feature layout.
• Data Loss After Cancellation: Client and financial records become inaccessible immediately unless exported in advance.
• No Live Chat: The platform doesn’t offer built-in real-time messaging with clients.
• No Ticketing System: There’s no native tool for managing and tracking structured support requests.

User Experience of 17hats

Using 17hats can be both efficient and occasionally frustrating, depending on what you expect from it. We’ve spoken with users, read detailed feedback on platforms like G2 and Capterra, and compiled a balanced view. Let’s check them — 

Smooth Onboarding

Many small business owners and freelancers praise how quickly they can get set up and see results. 

As Staci T. notes, “You can set up workflows to automate emails and keep track of tasks as a project develops.” Likewise, Cevdet Ö., a project engineer, said “17hats has an easy-to-use interface…”

However, he also complained that, “The platform has a steep learning curve..” that’s difficult to understand at first.

Effective Automation 

From lead capture to invoice reminders, automation is a major draw. Megan E., an owner/CEO, said, “I can send invoices and contracts without having to manually go in… it’s super user friendly.” 

For Kate C., she could “automate everything so that I’m not recreating the wheel for all the work I do.” to simplify her workflow.

Support Support

17hat’s customer support gets praise for being fast, friendly, and solution-focused. Liz A., a long-time user and even an ambassador for the brand, says the team “has your back 24/7.”

However, Kodie K.’s experience is completely different. He notes, “I emailed them about this since there was no customer service number and the guy i spoke with was rude and did not offer any solutions”

Friction Points and Limits

Not every note is glowing. Users like Taylor J. wish invoices were “more customizable,” while others mention the interface can feel busy at first. 

There’s also the matter of paid extras, like time tracking and bank connections add small but recurring costs. A few coaches, like Iryna I., feel the platform isn’t clearly positioned for their industry, even if it works well once set up.

17hats Reviews on Reddit: What Do Redditors Say About It?

Reddit feedback on 17hats shows clear strengths and recurring frustrations. Users tend to agree that it works well for some workflows but falls short in certain areas.

Positive

Several users see 17hats as a dependable all-in-one platform for quotes, contracts, invoicing, and workflow automation. u/spokenmoistly describes it as easy to use, with better feature integration than alternatives like Táve. 

Again, u/space-heater points to its straightforward setup. Submissions from the contact form go directly into the CRM with immediate mobile alerts. Meanwhile, long-term adopters such as u/420catmama continue using it for its simplicity and Square payment integration.

Negative

Other users report persistent issues. u/roadrunner1978 left after significant QuickBooks sync errors that created double payment records. Again, u/jalsphotography criticizes the slow pace of development and calls the mobile app poorly designed. 

Also, u/dewthedrew90 mentions system downtime and limited customization options, especially for lead forms. For these users, missing features and occasional technical problems outweigh the benefits.

Our Review: What Do We Think About 17hats?

We understand people like 17hats as it puts CRM, invoicing, scheduling, and contracts together so you don’t have to switch tools. For freelancers or small teams, it can help you breathe a little easier. 

But when we ran it through actual agency workflows, the shine faded. You’re locked into a $60/month plan, and on top of that, time tracking and bank connections cost extra. Even basic tax setup is limited. Paying more for less flexibility feels like a poor trade.

There’s no built-in ticketing system to manage client requests and no advanced tax settings for different regions. You’re also limited to Stripe and ACH for payments. Plus, if you want time tracking or bank integration, it’ll cost you an extra $5 per month for each. 

With Agency Handy, you get all those features plus built-in ticketing, time tracking, service add-ons, and file feedback, starting at just $19/month. There are no hidden charges, no paying extra for essentials, and you can accept payments in more ways. 

On top of that, its role-based access also means your whole team works smoothly in one place without outside tools.

The Best Alternative to 17hats: Agency Handy

If you want a single platform that offers broader capabilities, deeper customization, and better value for money, Agency Handy is a clear step up from 17hats.

If you’ve looked into 17hats, you already know it covers invoicing, CRM, scheduling, and automation in one place. But for agencies that are growing fast, it can feel like you’re still missing essential tools. 

With Agency Handy, you get those missing features right away without extra charges. Every plan includes a ticketing system so you can track and respond to client requests without switching platforms. 

In addition, tax settings are flexible enough to handle country, state, or zip-level differences. It’s a lifesaver if you work with clients across multiple regions. File feedback is built in, so your clients can leave comments directly on PDFs, images, or live web previews without a single extra app.

You also get more ways to get paid, like Stripe, PayPal, Wise, bank transfer, and even crypto. And none of them come with extra fees. On top of that, time tracking is part of the package, so you can log hours and pull accurate timesheets instantly.

And here’s the kicker: while 17hats starts at $60/month ($600/year) plus those add-ons, Agency Handy’s full set of tools comes in at $19/month. If you want one system that can run your agency smoothly without surprise costs, Agency Handy is the smarter choice.

Conclusion

Looking at recent 17hats reviews, it’s clear that the platform delivers strong basics like CRM, invoicing, and automation. Freelancers and small teams appreciate the all-in-one setup, though extra fees for essentials and limited customization can hold it back. 

If you like its simplicity and can work within its limits, it’s a solid pick.

For agencies that need more, Agency Handy offers built-in ticketing, flexible tax settings, multi-gateway payments, and time tracking without add-on costs. At $19/month, it’s a leaner, more adaptable option for running client work and support in one space.