17hats vs. Paperbell: Choosing the Right Tool for How You Want to Run Your Business

TL;DR: Which Platform Is Right for You?

If your priority is…	Better Fit	Why?
Automation that runs your business for you	17hats	Advanced workflows reduce manual work as you grow
Simple coaching packages with minimal setup	Paperbell	Designed specifically for coaches who want scheduling + payments without complexity
Running multiple services or offers	17hats	Built to support varied workflows and client journeys
Owning your website and scaling long-term	17hats	Works behind your site and adapts as your business evolves
Staying intentionally small and simple	Paperbell	Purpose-built for a narrow, straightforward use case

When you’re choosing a business platform, it’s tempting to look for a side-by-side feature comparison. But sometimes the better question isn’t “Which tool does more?” — it’s “Which tool matches how I want to run my business?”

That’s especially true when comparing 17hats and Paperbell.

While both platforms help business owners manage clients and get paid, they were built with very different goals in mind. One is designed to support a flexible, scalable business ecosystem. The other is intentionally streamlined for a specific use case.

Platform Philosophy at a Glance

	17hats	Paperbell
Core Focus	All-in-one business management	Simple coaching packages
Ideal User	Service-based businesses with growth goals	Solo coaches with minimal setup needs
Scalability	High	Limited by design
Website Dependency	Works behind your own website	Often acts as the front-facing site

Business Management & Workflow Automation

The biggest difference between these platforms shows up in how much of your business they’re designed to run for you.

Workflow Capability Comparison

Workflow Feature	17hats	Paperbell
Create tasks & to-dos	✓	✓
Automated emails	✓	✓
Questionnaires & forms	✓	✓
Quotes, contracts & invoices	✓	✓
Start workflows automatically	✓	—
Pause / resume workflows	✓	—
Assign tasks to team members	✓	—
Change calendars automatically	✓	—
Archive projects automatically	✓	—
Tag-based automation	✓	—

Paperbell covers essential actions. 17hats connects those actions together into repeatable, automated systems.

Scheduling & Client Experience

Both platforms offer scheduling, but they serve very different business models.

Online Scheduling Feature Comparison

Scheduling Feature	17hats	Paperbell
Service descriptions	✓	✓
In-person / phone / Zoom	✓	Limited
Payment required to book	✓ (full, fixed, %)	✓ (limited)
Custom booking questions	✓	—
Terms of service	✓	—
Automatic tags on booking	✓	—
Start workflow on booking	✓	—
Website embed	✓	✓
Multiple services, shared availability	✓	—
Calendar cross-checking	✓	—
Advanced availability rules	✓	Limited

Bottom line: Paperbell is great for straightforward coaching calls. 17hats supports complex client journeys and multiple service types.

Quotes, Contracts & Payments

Quotes

Quote Feature	17hats	Paperbell
Standard line items	✓	✓
Required “Choose One” options	✓	Limited
Optional add-ons	✓	✓
Interactive client experience	✓	✓

Contracts

Contract Feature	17hats	Paperbell
Tokens	✓	✓
Checkboxes	✓	✓
Short & long text fields	✓	✓
Initials	✓	✓

Invoices & Payments

Invoice Feature	17hats	Paperbell
Online payments	✓	✓
Recurring billing	✓	✓
Payment schedules	✓	✓
Saved payment methods	✓	✓
Automatic payments	✓	✓
Tips / gratuity	✓	✓

Key difference: Paperbell ties payments strictly to coaching packages. 17hats supports invoices and payments across any service model.

Bookkeeping & Reporting

This is where the platforms clearly diverge.

Reporting Feature Comparison

Reporting Feature	17hats	Paperbell
Profit & Loss	✓	Limited
Sales tax reports	✓	—
Upcoming receivables	✓	✓
Aged receivables	✓	✓
Client sales reports	✓	—
Product / service sales	✓	—
Expense tracking	✓	✓
Bank account linking	✓	—
Custom categories	✓	—
Visual monthly reporting	✓	—

Why this matters: 17hats gives you forward-looking financial clarity. Paperbell gives you visibility into packages sold.

Integrations

Integration	17hats	Paperbell
QuickBooks	✓	✓
Gmail	✓	✓
Zapier	✓	✓
Zoom	✓	✓
Photography-specific tools	✓	—

Mobile App Experience

Mobile Feature	17hats	Paperbell
Dedicated mobile app	✓	✓
Push notifications	✓	✓
Full desktop functionality	✓	—

Who Each Platform Is Best For

Business Type	Best Fit	Why
Solo coaches with a single package	Paperbell	Simple setup, minimal moving parts
Multi-service providers	17hats	Handles complexity without chaos
Creative professionals	17hats	Built for varied workflows
Business owners focused on scale	17hats	Automation + reporting support growth

Behind the Scenes

Initial Log in

17hats

Designed to get work done. The Dashboard offers insight into what’s happened, what’s current, and what’s ahead.

Paperbell

As soon as you open Paperbell, you’re greeted with your upcoming appointments, but not much else.

Contacts

17hats

Contacts are color-coded into different categories based on leads, clients, and “other”, and can be searched through via name, email, phone number, tag, or status.

Paperbell

Paperbell also lists out your clients and has the ability to search for certain clients based on their email, name, and status. Though you can’t search by phone number or tag, you can search by “package” which is pretty neat.

Bookkeeping/Sales

17hats

When it comes to Bookkeeping, 17hats is VERY detailed, offering a transaction report as well as reports for Profit & Loss, Sales Tax, Upcoming Receivables, Aged Receivables, Client Sales, and Product Sales.

Paperbell

Paperbell’s “Sales” page leaves room for improvement; however, it does also list out recent sales, which is still good to know.

Website Editor

Paperbell

A website editor is something that Paperbell has that 17hats doesn’t, and is certainly a neat tool. For those who are not looking for a comprehensive web presence but would rather keep things as simple as humanly possible, Paperbell does a great job of keeping the web presence light and easy.

Online Scheduling (Settings)

17hats

There is SO MUCH you can do with 17hats Online Scheduling. Even though Online Scheduling is simply a part of the 17hats Platform, it’s fully integrated and allows you to build out and customize your process in a multitude of incredible ways.

Paperbell

Paperbell, again, takes things to a very simplistic level, which can be beneficial for some if simple is all they want/need.

Lead Management

17hats

17hats has sections to show where all of your leads are, their recent activity, your recent activity with them, where they are coming from, how many are converting to clients, how much money various revenue streams are bringing in, and more.

Final Takeaway

Paperbell and 17hats are not direct competitors — they’re answers to different business goals.

Paperbell works best when your business is intentionally simple and likely to stay that way.

17hats is built for business owners who want flexibility, automation, and room to evolve without changing systems every year.

If you want a tool that supports where your business is going — not just where it is today — 17hats provides the infrastructure to grow with confidence.