How to Migrate from Dubsado Without Losing a Client

To migrate from Dubsado without losing a client, export your client and project data to CSV from a desktop browser, rebuild your forms, contracts and workflows in the new platform (they do not come out in the export), let existing payment plans finish or ask clients to re-enter their card at a new checkout, and switch over on one announced date. As an example, a solo coach can plan on about two weeks. This guide covers each step: what Dubsado lets you export, where each piece lands, the emails to send clients, how to handle payments, and a cutover checklist.

We make Coachful, so we have a stake in where you end up. Everything below about Dubsado comes from its own pricing page, its information page and its help center as listed in October 2026. Everything about Coachful comes from our product documentation. Where something does not move, we say so.

Why do coaches migrate from Dubsado?

Coaches usually leave Dubsado because it manages the paperwork around a client (forms, contracts, invoices, scheduling) but not the coaching itself. Dubsado is a client workflow CRM built for service businesses. Coaches who deliver programs often find they are paying for Dubsado plus three or four other tools to cover what happens between sessions.

Here is what Dubsado documents, as listed in October 2026:

• Two plans. Starter is $35 a month ($335 a year) and Premier is $55 a month ($525 a year). These prices apply to new subscribers since December 1, 2025; earlier subscribers keep their old rates, so your own invoice may be lower.
• Starter has no scheduler and no automated workflows. Both are on Premier, along with unlimited lead forms, public proposals, a bookkeeping integration and Zapier. Starter allows one active lead-capture form.
• No website and no email marketing. Dubsado states it does not include website building and is not an email marketing platform, so most coaches run a separate site builder and email tool next to it.
• No coaching delivery. There are no courses, client community, habits or check-ins.
• Desktop first. The mobile app is a companion; full functionality needs the desktop web app.
• Team and brand add-ons. Up to 3 additional team members are included; 4 to 10 users add $25 a month, 11 to 20 add $45, 21 to 30 add $60. Each additional brand is $10 a month.

None of that makes Dubsado a bad product. It means the reason to move is usually structural: you want one login where the client signs, pays, books and then actually does the program, instead of being sent from a Dubsado portal to a course tool, a community app and a habit tracker. If your practice is mostly one-off sessions and paperwork, Dubsado may still be the better fit, and you should stay. Our Coachful vs Dubsado comparison lays out the differences side by side.

What does Coachful replace when you leave Dubsado?

Coachful covers what Dubsado does for coaches (booking, contracts, payments, invoices, client records) and adds the program delivery, website and email that Dubsado leaves to other tools. The comparison below is ranked on one line: one login for the whole client journey, delivery between sessions, total stack cost, and setup effort.

Coachful charges a 0% platform fee (since August 2026); you pay only Stripe or Razorpay processing. Plans are flat monthly, lower plans cap the number of clients, Pro is unlimited, and monthly plans cancel in one click. If you coach 15 people at a time, the relevant line is Solo: $49/month for up to 20 clients.

What can you export from Dubsado?

Dubsado exports client and project information as a CSV file, from a desktop browser only. Its help center article "Export data from Dubsado in 2.0" describes the steps, and it is worth reading in your own account before you start because the menu labels have changed between versions.

What the help center documents:

1. Go to the Projects tab and select a project status. Every project in the status you are viewing is included in the file.
2. Click Export. A popup asks which client and project fields to include. Tick everything you might need; extra columns are easy to delete later.
3. Click Export again. The file downloads as CSV, the only format offered, and opens in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets.
4. Repeat for each project status (leads, active jobs, completed, archived) so nobody is left behind. Filters narrow the export to whatever is visible on the Projects page, so clear them first.

Details that matter when you clean the file:

• "Lead or job" exports as the word Lead or Job, which is a quick way to separate prospects from paying clients.
• Contract status exports as "Needs sending", "Sent" or "Signed". Sort by it to find anyone with an unsigned agreement before you switch.
• Primary invoice and Total amount paid export as plain numbers without a currency symbol. If you bill in more than one currency, add a column before you lose track.
• Custom-mapped fields export under the names you gave them in Dubsado settings.
• Only an admin multi-user can export a customizable file. Basic or accountant users get a fixed file with name, phone, email and street address only, so run the export from the account owner's login.
• If the download fails, Dubsado recommends Chrome with browser extensions turned off.

The help center also has a separate article on bulk importing or exporting your contact list, and our September 2026 profile of Dubsado notes that invoices and bookkeeping data can be exported too. What does not come out: we found no documented export for form templates, contract templates, proposals or workflows. Dubsado's own information page documents migrating into Dubsado, not out of it. Plan to copy the text of your forms and contracts by hand, or with the help described later in this guide.

Before you close anything, also save:

• Signed contracts as PDFs, one folder per client.
• Paid invoices and receipts for the current and previous tax year, for your records.
• Completed questionnaire answers you want to keep (intake forms, session prep).
• Your coaching hours, if you log them for an ICF credential. Write down past totals now; a new platform only counts sessions held in it.

Where does each piece of Dubsado data land?

Each Dubsado object has a direct home in Coachful, but only the client list moves as data. Forms, contracts and workflows are rebuilt from their text. The table maps every object, how it leaves Dubsado, where it lands, and who does the work.

A good habit before handing over the CSV: delete clients you would not want to email again, merge duplicates, and add a column for each client's status (active, paused, alumni). Your import is only as clean as the file. For a broader version of this exercise, see how to migrate from a discontinued coaching CRM.

What is the step-by-step migration timeline?

An example plan for a solo coach takes about two weeks: one week to build, a few days of overlap, then a hard switch. Stretch it if you run cohorts, a team or many payment plans.

Days 1 and 2: audit and export

• List every Dubsado form, contract template, workflow, scheduler link and package. Note where each link appears (website buttons, email signature, social bios).
• Run the CSV exports for every project status from the account owner's login.
• Save signed contracts, invoices and questionnaire answers into folders.
• Check your Dubsado billing date. If you are on an annual plan, plan the switch before renewal.

Days 2 and 3: open Coachful and request the build

• Start a free trial and connect your Stripe account through Stripe Connect (or Razorpay).
• Send your cleaned CSV for the onboarding import.
• Open a white-glove build request for the pieces you would rather not rebuild: forms, an intake funnel, a welcome email sequence, a sales page, or your whole website. Attach your form questions, contract text and brand files.

Days 3 to 6: rebuild the client path

• Create booking pages for each session type with availability, buffers and minimum notice. Connect Google, Apple/iCloud or Outlook calendars so nothing double-books with Dubsado during the overlap.
• Paste your contract template into a coaching agreement so it goes out with e-signature before the first call.
• Set up offers: one-time payments, subscriptions or payment plans, with coupons if you use them.
• Choose video: built-in, or auto-created Zoom, Meet or Teams links.

Days 6 to 8: test as a client

• Book a session with a test email, sign the agreement, pay a small amount with your own card, then refund it.
• Check that reminders arrive and the session lands on your calendar.
• Open the client app on a phone and confirm your branding and program content appear.

Days 8 to 10: announce

• Send the heads-up email (template below) to active clients.
• Replace Dubsado scheduler and form links on your website, link in bio and email signature with the new booking page and funnel links.
• Stop new Dubsado leads: deactivate lead-capture forms and scheduler links, or point them to a short "we've moved" page.

Days 10 to 14: switch and close out

• Send the switch-day email with the client app invitation.
• Move each payment plan client using the payment section below.
• Pause or turn off every Dubsado workflow so clients do not get automated emails from both platforms.
• Keep Dubsado on a monthly plan for one more billing cycle as read-only backup, then export once more and cancel.

Coachful's onboarding walkthrough shows the first-run setup:

How do contracts and signed agreements carry over?

Signed Dubsado contracts stay valid as signed PDFs; you do not need clients to re-sign an agreement they already signed. Download each signed contract and keep it with the client. Rebuild only the template, so new clients sign in the new system.

In Coachful, coaching agreements are sent with e-signature before the first call and stored on the client record. The Agreements tab also has a drop area for a signed PDF, which is a clean place to file the Dubsado copy so it lives next to the client's sessions and payments.

If your Dubsado CSV shows anyone with a contract status of "Sent" or "Needs sending", resolve those before the switch: either get the Dubsado copy signed or send the new agreement in Coachful as their first step. More on agreement wording and timing is on the coaching contracts page.

What should you tell your clients, and when?

Tell clients twice: a short heads-up about a week before, and a switch-day email with exactly one action to take. Clients do not need to know why you changed software. They need to know what changes for them, what stays the same, and the date.

Copy, paste and adjust the bracketed parts.

Email 1: the heads-up (about 7 days before)

Subject: A small change to how we work together from [date]

Hi [first name],

From [date], I'm moving my coaching practice to a new home. You'll get one app where you can book sessions, see your program, track your habits and message me between calls, instead of the separate links you use now.

What stays the same: our sessions, your package, your price and your next booking on [session date].

What you'll need to do: nothing yet. On [date] you'll get an invitation email. It only takes a moment to accept.

Any questions, just reply to this email.

[Your name]

Email 2: switch day

Subject: Your new coaching space is ready

Hi [first name],

As promised, here is your invitation: [invitation link].

Once you're in, you'll see your next session, your program and a short welcome check-in. From today, please book and reschedule through the app, not the old booking link, which will stop working on [date].

Your past contract and invoices are safe and I've kept copies. If you want a copy of anything, reply and I'll send it.

See you on [session date],
[Your name]

Email 3: for clients on a payment plan or subscription

Subject: Updating your payment details for [package name]

Hi [first name],

Your [package name] plan has [number] payments left. To keep things simple, your remaining payments will move to my new system from [date].

Please use this secure link to set up the remaining payments: [checkout link]. The amount and schedule are the same: [amount] on [day] each [month/week], ending [final date].

Your last payment through the old system was on [date], so you won't be charged twice. If you'd rather finish the plan where it is, just reply and tell me.

[Your name]

Email 4: for past clients and leads

Subject: New booking link

Hi [first name],

A quick note that my booking link has changed. If you'd like to book a session or a free consultation, you can now do it here: [booking page link].

If you'd rather not hear from me, use the unsubscribe link below and I'll remove you.

[Your name]
[Business postal address]

Emails 1 to 3 are relationship messages to existing clients. Email 4 and any newsletter you send to imported leads count as commercial email in the US, so the FTC's CAN-SPAM compliance guide applies: accurate sender details, an honest subject line, a valid physical postal address, and an opt-out that you honor within 10 business days. Rules differ in other countries, so check what applies where your clients live.

On switch day, clients land in your branded home inside the Coachful app. Program content, habits and check-ins sit in the same place as their bookings, which is usually the change they notice most after Dubsado's portal.

What happens to payments, payment plans and subscriptions?

Recurring payments do not move automatically from Dubsado to any other platform. A payment plan or autopay set up in Dubsado keeps charging through Dubsado until it finishes or you stop it, and the client's saved card stays with the processor Dubsado used. The CSV export contains amounts paid, not card details. Each active plan needs a decision.

Dubsado runs payments through Dubsado Payments (which runs on Stripe), PayPal or Square. Coachful takes payments through your own Stripe Connect or Razorpay account. Even though both sides involve Stripe, neither platform documents a way to carry saved cards from Dubsado Payments into the Stripe account you connect to Coachful, so plan for clients to enter their card once at a new checkout.

For each active payment plan, choose one of three routes:

1. Let it finish in Dubsado. Best when only one or two payments remain. Keep Dubsado on a monthly plan until the last charge clears, then cancel. Deliver the coaching in Coachful in the meantime and mark the client as paid in their record.
2. Move it on a set date. Best for plans with many payments left or ongoing monthly subscriptions. Cancel the remaining Dubsado schedule right after a successful charge, then send Email 3 with a Coachful checkout for the remaining payments on the same day of the month. Confirm the first new charge before you treat it as done.
3. Close it and start fresh. Best when a client is renewing anyway. Let the Dubsado plan end and sell the renewal as a new offer in Coachful.

Three details catch people out:

• Double charges. Cancel in Dubsado before the new schedule's first charge date, never after. Keep a simple list with each client's last old charge and first new charge.
• PayPal clients. Coachful does not support PayPal. Clients who paid by PayPal in Dubsado will need a card, Apple Pay or Google Pay at the new checkout. Tell them in Email 3.
• Surcharging. Dubsado Payments offers optional surcharging that passes card costs to the client. If you used it, decide whether your new prices absorb that cost, and say so before the first new charge.

Coachful supports one-time payments, subscriptions, payment plans, order bumps, coupons, refunds, Apple Pay and Google Pay, and Stripe Tax, with an invoice for every transaction plus manual invoices when you need one. Keep your Dubsado invoice and bookkeeping exports with your accounting records; how long to keep them depends on your country, so check with an accountant. Our coaching payment software page covers checkout setup in more depth.

What should the cutover checklist include?

The cutover checklist pairs every Dubsado item with its replacement and a date, so nothing is left running in two places. Print it or paste it into a note and tick it off.

Once the checklist is done, the parts Dubsado never covered are where the move pays off. Coaching flows let you schedule a welcome flow and morning or evening check-ins, so clients hear from you between sessions without a separate tool.

Is Coachful the right place to move to?

Coachful fits coaches who deliver programs, not just sessions, and who want to replace four to six tools with one. It is a weaker fit if you need clinical records or PayPal. Here is the short version you can hold it against:

• What it is. A coaching platform where one subscription covers booking, payments, contracts, program delivery with habits and check-ins, courses, a community, a website with funnels and email, and an AI assistant called Michelle. One login for the coach, one branded app for the client.
• Who it is for. Solo coaches growing into a small team, coaches who run multi-week programs or cohorts, and anyone paying for Dubsado plus a site builder, an email tool and a course platform. Team plans add coach seats with per-coach availability and staff permissions.
• What it does not do. It is not HIPAA-certified and offers no BAA, so it is not for clinical record-keeping or insurance billing. There is no PayPal and no permanent free plan. There is no multi-stage sales deal board for large teams, and no Salesforce or HubSpot integration. The client app runs under the Coachful listing with your branding, not under your own App Store account.
• How to start. Start a free trial, then use the free white-glove build service to have your client list imported and your website, funnels, forms or programs built inside your account.

Current plans: Lite: $29/month for up to 5 clients; Solo: $49/month for up to 20 clients; Pro: $99/month with unlimited clients; Studio: $199/month with unlimited clients. Niche setups are covered on pages for life coaches, business coaches and health coaches. If you came to Dubsado mainly for onboarding paperwork, our guide to running client onboarding without Dubsado walks through that flow on its own, and the Dubsado alternative page summarizes the switch.

How does the Coachful white-glove import and build work?

The Coachful team imports your clients, programs and content during onboarding, and builds the pieces Dubsado could not export, inside your own account, usually within about 24 hours of a request.

Why Coachful stands out: a free white-glove service. On every plan, you open Create > We'll build it for you · FREE (or the "Want us to build it for you?" card on the Website, Funnels and Programs pages) and describe what you need: a website, funnel, offer or sales page, program, course outline and written material, coaching flow, form or worksheet, email sequence, link in bio, lead quiz, event, automation, or something else. You can attach up to 8 reference links and up to 10 files, such as your Dubsado form questions, contract text, logo, photos or brand guide (no video files).

For a Dubsado migration, a useful first request bundles: your intake questionnaire rebuilt as a form, your lead-capture form turned into an application or booking funnel, and your Dubsado welcome workflow rewritten as an email sequence. Nothing gets invented. The team will not add credentials, testimonials or prices you did not supply, and gaps are left for you to fill. The service does not cover recording videos, logo design, ad management or ongoing marketing.

Because Dubsado does not build websites, many coaches leaving it also have a site elsewhere that needs new links. Recent anonymized builds show the range: a leadership coach with a Squarespace renewal days away got one clean homepage with a repeated "talk with me" button; a business mentor for beauty professionals got a 12-week mentorship sales page, a free start-up-guide funnel and rewritten follow-up emails; a menopause and midlife health coach starting from nothing got a five-page site in sage and cream with every button leading to a free 20-minute consultation. More examples are in the white-glove service guide, and the coach website builder page covers the templates and the Import website option.

What do other coaches ask before they migrate from Dubsado?

These are the questions that come up most often before a switch.

Can I export everything from Dubsado?

No. Dubsado's help center documents a CSV export of client and project information from the Projects tab, desktop only, and a separate contact list export. We found no documented export for form templates, contract templates, proposals or workflows, so plan to copy their text or have them rebuilt.

Do clients have to re-sign their contracts?

Not for agreements they already signed. Save each signed contract as a PDF and file it on the client record. Only new clients, or existing clients starting a new package, sign the new agreement.

Will my clients' payment plans transfer automatically?

No. Recurring charges set up in Dubsado stay with Dubsado and its processor, and card details are not in the export. Either let short plans finish in Dubsado or cancel the remaining schedule after a successful charge and send a new checkout link for the rest.

How long does it take to migrate from Dubsado?

For a solo coach, about two weeks is realistic: a week to export and rebuild, a few days of overlap, then a switch date. Coaches with teams, cohorts or many payment plans should allow longer and move payment plans in batches.

Should I cancel Dubsado before or after the switch?

After. Keep Dubsado on a monthly plan until the last old payment clears and you have run a final export. If you are on an annual plan, schedule the switch before the renewal date.

What is the free white-glove service, and what does it cost?

It is a build service included on every Coachful plan at no extra charge. You describe what you want (forms, funnels, a website, an email sequence, a program) and attach links and files, and the Coachful team builds it inside your account, usually within about 24 hours. It does not include video recording, logo design or ad management.

Can I keep using PayPal after I leave Dubsado?

Not in Coachful, which takes payments through your own Stripe Connect or Razorpay account. Clients can pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay instead. If PayPal is essential to your clients, weigh that before you switch.

Is Coachful suitable for therapists or clinical practices leaving Dubsado?

No. Coachful is not HIPAA-certified and does not sign a BAA, so it is not for clinical record-keeping or insurance billing. It is built for coaching, which is not treatment.

What happens to my ICF coaching hours?

Coachful counts coaching hours and distinct clients against ACC, PCC and MCC thresholds from the sessions you hold in it, and exports an ICF client coaching log. Record your past hours from Dubsado before you cancel and keep that log alongside. The ICF hour tracking page explains how it works.

I'm also leaving another tool. Is there a guide for that?

Yes. There are step-by-step guides to migrate from Paperbell, migrate from Practice Better and migrate from Kajabi, which pair well with this one if you are consolidating several tools at once.