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Our take
Bonsai is the only tool here that treats contracts as a first-class citizen, with attorney-reviewed templates freelancers actually need. At $21–$25/mo with time tracking included, it’s excellent value — if you can tolerate slow support and US-centric tax tools.
Bonsai pricing
$21/mo billed annually; unlimited clients and projects
$32/mo billed annually; adds automations and branded portal
$66/mo billed annually
Tailored plan
- Trial: 7-day free trial
- Starter includes invoicing, proposals, contracts, time tracking, and expenses.
- Optional Bonsai Tax add-on is about $10/mo ($100/yr) and is US-focused.
- Bonsai Payments: 3.4% + 30¢ for cards, 1% for ACH; Stripe, PayPal, and Plaid are also supported.
- No free plan.
Key features
- Customizable invoices with recurring billing, auto reminders, and late-fee triggers
- Global payments via Wise
- Built-in time tracking that flows into invoices
- Expense tracking with automated bank feeds (US/CA)
- Tax add-on with US quarterly estimates
- Branded client portal (Professional plan and above)
- iOS and Android apps
- Multi-currency invoicing
Pros and cons
Bonsai: pros
- True proposal → contract → invoice → payment workflow built for freelancers
- Large library of attorney-reviewed contract templates — its strongest differentiator
- Clean UI, fast onboarding, and hourly tracking tied to invoicing
- Affordable solo entry at $21–$25/mo
Bonsai: cons
- Payment delays reported — 7–10 business-day holds on initial payouts
- Slow customer support, with 1–9+ day wait times reported
- Features gated aggressively across tiers
- Tax tools are US-centric and English-only; recurring Stripe integration bugs; shallow accounting
Who is Bonsai best for?
Solo US-based freelancers — developers, designers, consultants — who send contracts regularly and want the full proposal-to-payment lifecycle plus time tracking in one affordable tool.
Affiliate note: 25% ongoing/recurring commission on new paid subscriptions, plus a $30 cash bonus for writing about Bonsai.
Bonsai FAQs
How much does Bonsai cost?
Starter is $25/mo ($21/mo billed annually), Professional is $39/mo ($32/mo billed annually), and Business is $79/mo ($66/mo billed annually). Scale plans are custom.
Does Bonsai include contracts?
Yes — a large library of attorney-reviewed contract templates, its strongest differentiator, plus proposals and e-signatures.
Does Bonsai track time?
Yes — built-in time tracking flows directly into invoices, included from the Starter plan.
What are the downsides?
Reported 7–10 business-day holds on initial payment payouts, slow customer support, US-centric tax tools, and aggressive feature gating across tiers.