What is Bonsai used for?

Bonsai is business management software for freelancers and small agencies, combining client management, projects, time tracking, contracts and invoicing. It is a good fit for freelancers sending proposals and invoices, small agencies managing client projects, and consultants tracking billable time.

How much does Bonsai cost?

Paid plans for Bonsai start at $15 per seat per month, and there is no free plan. A free trial is available.

Is Bonsai open source?

No. Bonsai is proprietary (closed-source) software and can't be self-hosted. Open-source alternatives to Bonsai include Invoice Ninja, Midday and Invio.

What are some alternatives to Bonsai?

Bonsai competes with HoneyBook, Dubsado and Harvest. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source Bonsai alternatives.

Bonsai: features, pricing and alternatives

About Bonsai

Bonsai is a hosted business management product that groups the admin work of freelancing and small agency life in one system. It covers client management, project management and finance, so a business can go from proposal to signed agreement to invoice without moving between tools.

Client features include a CRM, pipeline, scheduling, estimates, proposals, agreements, forms and a client portal. Project tools cover tasks, time tracking, timesheets, resource planning and reporting, and the finance side handles invoicing, payments, expenses, bookkeeping, rate cards, budget tracking and accounting integrations. A Bonsai MCP lets AI assistants such as Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini act on Bonsai data.

Bonsai is proprietary software delivered as a cloud service. Its industry pages cover creative, marketing, software, consulting, engineering, IT services, accounting, architecture and interior design. Pricing is listed on the vendor's website.

Key features

CRM, proposals and contracts
Client portal and forms
Task management and time tracking
Timesheets and resource planning
Invoicing with online payments
Expense tracking and bookkeeping
MCP access for AI assistants

Good fit for

→Freelancers sending proposals and invoices
→Small agencies managing client projects
→Consultants tracking billable time

Tags: freelancers; invoicing; time-tracking; contracts; crm; project-management; proposals

Bonsai: questions and answers

What is Bonsai used for?: Bonsai is business management software for freelancers and small agencies, combining client management, projects, time tracking, contracts and invoicing. It is a good fit for freelancers sending proposals and invoices, small agencies managing client projects, and consultants tracking billable time.
How much does Bonsai cost?: Paid plans for Bonsai start at $15 per seat per month, and there is no free plan. A free trial is available.
Is Bonsai open source?: No. Bonsai is proprietary (closed-source) software and can't be self-hosted. Open-source alternatives to Bonsai include Invoice Ninja, Midday and Invio.
What are some alternatives to Bonsai?: Bonsai competes with HoneyBook, Dubsado and Harvest. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source Bonsai alternatives.