The Bonsai Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Bonsai in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Bonsai
The Insider’s Guide
Client, project and billing software for agencies and freelancers
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among accounting and invoicing tools, read from Bonsai’s own pages.
Made by Bonsai Technologies Inc. · checked Oct 17, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Bonsai’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Bonsai’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 4 of the 17 other accounting and invoicing tools we grade
Bonsai is business software for freelancers, agencies and consultancies that bill clients for their time. It combines a CRM, proposals and contracts, projects and time tracking with invoicing, online payments and expense tracking. Its bookkeeping covers income, expenses and revenue reports, and invoice data can be synced to QuickBooks Online or Xero for the full ledger.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Bonsai, taken from its own pages and our grades.
There's plenty to set up, too: clients, projects, proposal templates and a bank connection before it all hangs together.
- 1
Best for freelancers who want proposal to invoice in one app
Bonsai runs the client side of a freelance business or small agency: proposals, contracts, projects, time tracking and invoices, all in one place.
- 2
Paid plans start at $9 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $9 per user / month, billed annually.
- 3
You can try it first
7-day free trial with full access, then a card is needed to continue
- 4
It runs on 4 platforms
Web, macOS, iOS and Android, with a browser extension too.
- 5
Proposals, contracts and forms
Send proposals and contracts from templates, collect answers with forms and questionnaires, and book calls with scheduling links.
- 6
Invoices and payments
Unlimited, retainer and subscription invoices with time and expenses attached, online card and ACH payments, and billing in several currencies.
- 7
Time tracking and timesheets
Track billable and non-billable time on every plan, with timesheet reminders, and lock timesheets on Elite.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 4 of 17
That is against the other accounting and invoicing tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Bonsai you would be making live feeds from your bank, which take an agreement with each bank or a service that has them. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Bonsai at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $9 per user / month, billed annually
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 7-day free trial with full access, then a card is needed to continue
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, iOS, Android, Browser extension
- Made by
- Bonsai Technologies Inc.
- Category
- Accounting & Invoicing
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
- Store rating
- 4.3 on the App Store, 311 ratings
The report card
Best for freelancers who want proposal to invoice in one app
Bonsai runs the client side of a freelance business or small agency: proposals, contracts, projects, time tracking and invoices, all in one place. What it isn't is a full set of books, so you'll probably still need QuickBooks Online or Xero, and syncing to them needs Premium at $29 a user.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Basic 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. |
| Free plan and trial | C | A 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. |
| Features | C | Proposals, 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. |
| Ease of use | C | 4.3 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. |
| Platforms and integrations | A | Web, 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. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Bonsai is for
- Great if you're a freelancer who bills by the hour or on retainer
- Handy when you want proposals, contracts and invoices in one place instead of three
- Good for small studios that keep the ledger in QuickBooks Online or Xero anyway
Who it is not for
- Not for you if you want proper books, as Bonsai isn't a full ledger
- Skip it if you only need invoicing, since Basic doesn't send invoices at all
- Pricey if your team grows, because every plan charges per user and Elite needs at least 3
Good to know
Good for
- 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
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$9
A month to start, for each person
Bonsai is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $9 per user / month, billed annually.
A week is short for judging something you'd run your business on, and there's no free plan.
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.
Trying it first
7-day free trial with full access, then a card is needed to continue
Read from hellobonsai.com on Oct 17, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on hellobonsai.comOther 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.
Stated on hellobonsai.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
5
Places it runs: Web, macOS, iOS, Android and Browser extension
Client, project and billing software for agencies and freelancers. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: time tracking, forms, invoicing, reports, bookkeeping, expense tracking.
Proposals, contracts, forms, scheduling, a CRM, projects, time tracking, invoices and expense tracking.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- iOS
- Android
- Browser extension
What it works with
- QuickBooks Online
- Xero
- Zapier
- Calendly
- Gmail
- Slack
Bonsai is made by Bonsai Technologies Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
4/17
Other accounting and invoicing tools it is graded above
Bonsai's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 4 of the 17 other accounting and invoicing tools we grade, and level with 5.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (A, above 14 of 17) and worst on free plan and trial (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $9 a month for each person, against a middle price of $19 for the category: 2 of the 16 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 18 accounting and invoicing tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Bonsai’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 2 of 17
- CFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 17
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 17
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 17
- APlatforms and integrationsAbove 14 of 17
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 18 accounting and invoicing tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Bonsai is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Bonsai you would be making live feeds from your bank, which take an agreement with each bank or a service that has them. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 8 of the 17 other accounting and invoicing tools grade higher. It costs $108 a year.
What you could make
- Invoicing, time tracking, expense tracking, forms and reports: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Live feeds from your bank, which take an agreement with each bank or a service that has them.
- Apps for macOS, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- It plugs into other products, QuickBooks Online, Xero and Zapier among them.
What this rests on. Bonsai’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
FreshBooks, Moxie, Plutio, QuickBooks Online and Xero
The 5 tools Bonsai is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
FreshBooks
Free trial · from $23/mo
Invoicing and accounting for freelancers and service businesses.
- Only Bonsai lists a macOS app.
- Only Bonsai lists a browser extension.
- Bonsai also covers forms.
- 2.4GPA
Moxie
Free trial · from $10/mo
Freelance business app: clients, projects, invoices and basic books.
- Only Bonsai lists a macOS app.
- Only Bonsai lists a browser extension.
- Bonsai also covers reports and bookkeeping.
- 2.4GPA
Plutio
Free trial · from $15.83/mo
All-in-one freelance app: projects, proposals, contracts and invoices.
- Only Bonsai lists a browser extension.
- Only Plutio lists a Windows app.
- Bonsai also covers reports, bookkeeping and expense tracking.
- 2.4GPA
QuickBooks Online
Free plan · from $38/mo
Cloud accounting from Intuit, from a free plan to 25-user Advanced.
- QuickBooks Online has a free plan. Bonsai does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Bonsai lists a macOS app.
- Only Bonsai lists a browser extension.
- 2.6GPA
Xero
Free trial · from $27/mo
Cloud accounting for small businesses, with unlimited users.
- Only Bonsai lists a macOS app.
- Only Bonsai lists a browser extension.
- Bonsai also covers time tracking and forms.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Bonsai free?
No, Bonsai is a paid product, but you can try it first. 7-day free trial with full access, then a card is needed to continue.
How much does Bonsai cost?
Bonsai lists 4 plans. Basic: $9 per user / month, billed annually.
What platforms does Bonsai work on?
Bonsai is available on Web, macOS, iOS and Android. It also has a browser extension.
Does Bonsai offer any discounts?
Bonsai publicly lists the following: Up to 4 months free with yearly billing; Reduced rate for teams of 30 or more users.
How is Bonsai rated?
Bonsai's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.3 out of 5 from 311 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
Does Bonsai have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Bonsai is listed for Web, macOS, iOS and Android.
Does Bonsai have a Linux app?
No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Bonsai is listed for Web, macOS, iOS and Android.
Is Bonsai open source?
Bonsai is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
What does Bonsai integrate with?
Bonsai's listing names QuickBooks Online, Xero, Zapier, Calendly, Google, Gmail and Slack.
Who makes Bonsai?
Bonsai is made by Bonsai Technologies Inc.
What are the alternatives to Bonsai?
The closest alternatives to Bonsai in our directory are FreshBooks, Moxie, Plutio, QuickBooks Online and Xero.
How does Bonsai compare with other accounting and invoicing tools?
Bonsai's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 4 of the 17 other accounting and invoicing tools we grade, and level with 5.
Is Bonsai good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Bonsai C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $9 a month for each person, against a middle price of $19 for the category: 2 of the 16 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Bonsai?
To replace Bonsai you would be making live feeds from your bank, which take an agreement with each bank or a service that has them.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Bonsai’s own pages on Oct 17, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 17, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Bonsai's own pages on 17 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Bonsai Technologies Inc. Prices change, so check hellobonsai.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
1,858
Tools graded, in 46 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
1,858
tools graded
46
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Bonsai, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/bonsai
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Bonsai: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 17, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/bonsai
Know someone choosing between accounting and invoicing tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/bonsai/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded accounting and invoicing tools after Bonsai, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Accounting & Invoicing Insider's GuideEvery one of the 18 accounting and invoicing tools we grade, compared
- Zoho Invoice Insider's GuideFree invoicing app from Zoho for freelancers and small businesses3.6 GPA
- Zoho Books Insider's GuideOnline accounting from Zoho, with a free plan and six paid tiers3.4 GPA
- Odoo Insider's GuideBusiness app suite whose Accounting app is free when used on its own3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Bonsai’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Bonsai is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Bonsai Technologies Inc. Prices and plans change: check hellobonsai.com before you buy.