Bonsai vs Plutio
We give Bonsai and Plutio the same GPA: 2.4 out of 4.0. They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Bonsai
Client, project and billing software for agencies and freelancers
Plutio
All-in-one freelance app: projects, proposals, contracts and invoices
How we grade them
| 2.4GPABonsaiFair | 2.4GPAPlutioFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CBasic is $9 a user a month billed yearly, but it can't send an invoice. Billing starts on Essentials at $19 a user yearly or $25 monthly, near this category's middle, and every extra person pays the same again. | CCore is $15.83 a month billed yearly, or $19 monthly, just past the cheaper quarter of accounting tools at $15. It's for one person and 9 active clients. More clients, or anyone helping you, means Pro at $40.83 billed yearly. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 7-day free trial with full access, and the card only comes in when it ends. A week is short for judging something you'd run your business on, and there's no free plan. | CA 7-day free trial with no card needed, but only 3 active clients while it runs. A week is short for judging something you'd bill clients from, and there's no free plan. |
| Features | CProposals, contracts, forms, scheduling, a CRM, projects, time tracking, invoices and expense tracking. But the listing says itself that it's not a full accounting ledger, and the QuickBooks and Xero links that fill the gap need Premium. | CUnlimited invoices, proposals and e-signed contracts, projects with boards and Gantt charts, time tracking, scheduling, forms and a client portal. But it keeps no books: the listing says accounting apps such as FreshBooks connect through Zapier. |
| Ease of use | C4.3 from 311 App Store ratings, just enough ratings to count. There's plenty to set up, too: clients, projects, proposal templates and a bank connection before it all hangs together. | CNo store rating on record. It does a lot, which means building it out first: clients, projects, proposal templates, forms and the workflows that chase people for you. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Mac, iPhone, Android and a browser extension, with QuickBooks Online, Xero, Zapier, Calendly, Gmail and Slack, plus an MCP connection for AI assistants like Claude and ChatGPT. | AWeb, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, with Stripe, PayPal, Square, Zapier, Google Calendar, FreshBooks, Calendly and DocuSign. That's the full spread. |
| Best for | freelancers who want proposal to invoice in one app | freelancers who want projects and invoices in one place |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Bonsai and Plutio. How we grade
Price against what you get
Bonsai starts at $9 a month for each person and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Plutio starts at $15.83 a month and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and Bonsai starts $6.83 a month lower. Of the other accounting and invoicing tools on the chart, 1 scores higher than Bonsai for less, and 2 score higher than Plutio for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Bonsai starts at $9 per user / month, billed annually. Plutio starts at $15.83 per month, billed annually ($19 billed monthly).
- Only Bonsai lists a browser extension.
- Only Plutio lists a Windows app.
- Bonsai also covers reports, bookkeeping and expense tracking.
- Plutio also covers booking links and kanban boards.
At a glance
| Bonsai | Plutio | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $9 per user / month, billed annually | $15.83 per month, billed annually ($19 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial with full access, then a card is needed to continue | 7-day free trial, no credit card required, with up to 3 active clients |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Bonsai Technologies Inc. | Plutio Ltd |
| Price read from | hellobonsai.com | plutio.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Bonsai
- Freelancers and small agencies that bill clients by the hour or by retainer
- Studios that want proposals, contracts, projects and invoices in one app
- Teams that keep their ledger in QuickBooks Online or Xero
Plutio
- Freelancers who want proposals, contracts, projects and invoices in one place
- Agencies that bring contractors and clients into shared projects
- Businesses that want automated follow-ups on proposals and late invoices
Worth knowing
Bonsai
- Basic has no invoices, payments or expense tracking; billing starts on Essentials at $19 per user a month, billed annually.
- It is not a full accounting ledger; the QuickBooks Online and Xero integrations that fill that gap need Premium.
- Every plan is priced per user, and Elite needs at least 3 users.
- Online payments carry processing fees that vary by method; the pricing page points to a help article for the figures.
Plutio
- Core is for one person and 9 active clients; contributors need Pro, which includes 30 and charges for more, or Max.
- White-label is a $9 a month add-on on Core and Pro, and single sign-on $5 a month on Pro; Max includes both.
- AI credits and workflow actions are capped each month by plan; extra AI credits and storage are sold separately.
- It is built around clients, projects and invoices; accounting apps such as FreshBooks connect through Zapier.
Key features
Bonsai
- Proposals, contracts and forms
- Send proposals and contracts from templates, collect answers with forms and questionnaires, and book calls with scheduling links.
- Invoices and payments
- Unlimited, retainer and subscription invoices with time and expenses attached, online card and ACH payments, and billing in several currencies.
- Time tracking and timesheets
- Track billable and non-billable time on every plan, with timesheet reminders, and lock timesheets on Elite.
- Projects and resourcing
- Unlimited projects and tasks with kanban views, hourly or fixed-fee budgets, task estimates and workload planning on higher plans.
- Bookkeeping
- Connect a bank account to categorize expenses by client project, see revenue dashboards, and send invoice data to QuickBooks Online.
- Bonsai MCP
- Connect an AI assistant such as Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini to update clients, create projects or draft invoices in Bonsai.
Plutio
- Invoices and payments
- Unlimited branded invoices that clients pay through Stripe, PayPal or Square. Plutio adds no transaction fee of its own.
- Proposals and contracts
- Interactive proposals and contracts that clients sign electronically, with tracking of when they view and sign.
- Projects and tasks
- Unlimited projects with Kanban boards, lists, calendars and Gantt charts, plus one-click time tracking onto invoices.
- Scheduling and forms
- Clients book meetings against your availability, and intake forms, questionnaires and surveys can be embedded or shared.
- Client portal
- Each client gets a login to see their projects, invoices, files and messages. White-labeling it costs extra below Max.
- Plutio Pal and workflows
- An AI assistant drafts proposals, contracts and emails using monthly credits, and workflow actions automate follow-ups and reminders.
Plans
Bonsai
Basic$9
per user / month, billed annually
$15 billed monthly. Time tracking, tasks, unlimited projects and clients, a CRM and the mobile apps. No invoicing or payments.
Essentials$19
per user / month, billed annually
$25 billed monthly. Adds invoices and online payments, proposals, contracts, forms, scheduling, a client portal, and income and expense tracking.
Premium$29
per user / month, billed annually
$39 billed monthly. Adds project insights, workload, a deals pipeline, profit reports, no Bonsai branding, and QuickBooks, Xero and Zapier.
Elite$49
per user / month, billed annually
$59 billed monthly. Minimum of 3 users. Adds custom permissions, timesheet locking, markups on expenses and custom data import.
Plutio
Core$15.83
per month, billed annually ($19 billed monthly)
$190 a year. Solo use: 9 active clients, no contributors, 500 AI credits and 500 workflow actions a month, and 100 GB storage.
Pro$40.83
per month, billed annually ($49 billed monthly)
$490 a year. Unlimited clients, 30 contributors, 2,500 AI credits and 5,500 workflow actions a month, and 500 GB storage.
Max$165.83
per month, billed annually ($199 billed monthly)
$1,990 a year. Unlimited clients and contributors, 10,000 AI credits and 50,000 actions a month, 2 TB storage, white-label and single sign-on.
Ways to pay less
Bonsai
- Annual discount
Up to 4 months free with yearly billing
Yearly billing brings Basic from $15 to $9 per user a month, Essentials from $25 to $19, Premium from $39 to $29 and Elite from $59 to $49.
- Other savings
Reduced rate for teams of 30 or more users
The pricing page says a reduced rate is available for teams of 30 or more users, without giving the figure.
Plutio
- Annual discount
Two months free with yearly billing
Yearly billing costs $190 for Core, $490 for Pro and $1,990 for Max, about two months less than twelve monthly payments.
