Does Honey Really Save You Money in 2025? Full Review, Real Savings, and Hidden Drawbacks

Browser extensions promising automatic savings have become a staple for online shoppers, and Honey remains one of the most well-known names in the space. With its coupon-finding tool, price-drop alerts, and cashback rewards, Honey claims to help users save both time and money. But how well does it actually perform in 2025?

To find out, I used Honey across dozens of online purchases over a 60-day period. Below is a full breakdown of how the extension works, the real savings it delivered, and the limitations that users should understand before relying on it.

Website: https://www.joinhoney.com/

How Does Honey Work?

Honey is a browser extension that automatically searches the internet for coupon codes when you check out at online retailers. It supports thousands of stores, including major brands like Macy’s, Nike, Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy.

The extension primarily offers three key features:

Automatic Coupon Search Honey instantly tests available coupon codes during checkout and applies the one with the best discount.
Honey Gold (Cashback Rewards) Users earn Gold—Honey’s reward currency—when shopping at participating retailers. Gold can be redeemed for gift cards.
Price Tracking (Droplist) For certain products, Honey can track price changes and alert you when items drop in price.

Honey’s technology has become faster and more accurate. It has expanded its coupon database and added more partners for cashback rewards. However, the performance varies significantly by retailer.

How Often Do Honey Coupons Actually Work?

This is one of the biggest questions shoppers ask. Over the 60-day testing period, Honey automatically tested 439 coupon codes across 32 checkouts.

Coupons successfully applied: 7 times

Success rate: Approximately 22 percent of retailers tested, but only 7 out of 32 checkouts produced savings

The coupon success rate has not dramatically improved since previous years, and this is largely because retailers have tightened restrictions or have shifted to targeted, one-time-use codes that coupon databases cannot easily capture.

However, Honey was most effective on:

Clothing sites
Home decor retailers
Beauty brands
Subscription companies offering seasonal promotions

Honey was least effective on:

Large big-box retailers
Grocery delivery services
Tech retailers with highly controlled pricing

In short, Honey does apply coupon codes, but the success rate remains low enough that users shouldn’t rely on it as their primary discount source.

How Much Did I Actually Save Using Honey?

Across all test purchases, Honey delivered:

$0.00 savings on 25 checkouts
Between $1–$5 savings on 4 checkouts
$6–$12 savings on 3 checkouts

Total savings over 60 days: $42.18

The biggest single discount came from a mid-priced retail clothing order where Honey applied a 20-percent-off code.

These savings were real, but they were not as frequent or as dramatic as Honey’s advertising suggests. Still, for shoppers who frequently buy from clothing brands or lifestyle retailers, Honey can deliver occasional—but meaningful—discounts.

How Valuable Is Honey Gold in 2025?

Honey Gold remains a strong feature, especially as cashback partnerships have expanded.

During testing, Gold earned: 1,450 points

Cash value: Approximately $14.50

Payout threshold: 1,000 Gold (equal to $10)

Redemption options include retailers like:

Amazon
Target
Walmart
Sephora
eBay

Honey Gold earnings often matched or exceeded the coupon savings, particularly when shopping from brands that participate in Honey’s cashback program.

Honey Gold works most effectively when users:

Buy products from major partnered retailers
Make medium-to-large purchases
Stack seasonal promotions with Gold earnings

The combination of coupons and Gold is where Honey delivers most of its value.

Is Honey Safe to Use?

Honey is owned by PayPal, which helps reinforce its credibility. The extension has undergone multiple security audits and does not collect personally sensitive data like passwords or credit card information.

However, it does track:

Retailers you visit
The prices of items you view
Purchase-related data
Performance of coupon codes

This information is used to improve the extension and is shared with partnered merchants.

For most users, the data tracking is a reasonable trade-off for the savings potential, but privacy-focused shoppers may prefer a more limited or opt-in extension.

Hidden Drawbacks You Should Know

While Honey is a legitimate savings tool, there are limitations that often aren’t mentioned in promotional materials.

1. Coupon Codes Are Often Expired or Single-Use

Retailers increasingly use individualized promo codes, which Honey cannot access.

2. Savings Are Inconsistent by Retailer

You might save $10 on one store and nothing at five others.

3. Amazon Savings Are Limited

Honey’s Amazon tool highlights price changes and sellers but rarely offers coupon savings.

4. Price Tracking Is Not Available for Every Product

Droplist works only with participating merchants.

5. Cashback (Honey Gold) Requires Patience

Gold can take weeks to confirm and may require several purchases to reach the $10 threshold.

Does Honey Really Save You Money? The 2025 Verdict

Honey is not a magic savings tool, but it is a valuable extension for shoppers who frequently buy online from partnered retailers. The savings are real, but they are modest and occasional.

You’ll benefit from Honey if:

You shop often from clothing, home, or beauty retailers
You enjoy collecting cashback rewards
You’re patient enough to let small discounts add up

You might be disappointed if:

You expect consistent or large discounts
You primarily shop from big-box stores
You want guaranteed savings every time you check out

Across the 60-day test, Honey delivered $42.18 in coupon savings and $14.50 in Honey Gold, totaling $56.68 in value.

It’s not life-changing, but for a free extension that runs automatically, the savings add up over time.