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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 $15/mo (invoicing from $25/mo) with time tracking included, it’s excellent value — if you can tolerate slow support and US-centric tax tools.
Pricing and plan limits checked against Bonsai’s official pricing page on September 25, 2026. How we research
How we scored Bonsai
Editorial scores from our published rubric — our judgment, not user ratings. Each category is scored 1–10, then combined by weight into the total below.
| Category | Weight | Score / 10 | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing & value | 25% | 6 | Invoicing starts at $25/mo Essentials. |
| Invoicing quality | 25% | 7 | Recurring billing, reminders, late-fee triggers. |
| Payments | 15% | 7 | Global payments via Wise; 7–10 day first-payout holds. |
| Freelancer workflow | 20% | 8 | Contracts and time tracking built for freelancers. |
| Support & reliability | 10% | 6 | Slow; 1–9+ day waits reported. |
| Transparency | 5% | 7 | Clear tiers; features gated aggressively. |
| Weighted total | 100% | 6.9 / 10 | |
Bonsai pricing
$9/mo billed annually; unlimited clients and projects, time tracking, CRM — no invoicing
$19/mo billed annually; adds invoices, payments, proposals, contracts, client portal
$29/mo billed annually; most popular; adds reports, integrations, no Bonsai branding
$49/mo billed annually; 3-user minimum; adds permissions, Xero integration
- Trial: 7-day free trial with full access
- Invoicing starts on the $25/mo Essentials plan — the $15/mo Basic plan has no invoicing.
- Annual billing saves up to 4 months versus monthly, per Bonsai’s pricing page.
- 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; 7-day free trial with full access.
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 (Essentials 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 $15/mo (invoicing from $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?
Basic is $15/mo ($9/mo billed annually), Essentials is $25/mo ($19/mo billed annually), Premium is $39/mo ($29/mo billed annually), and Elite is $59/mo ($49/mo billed annually, 3-user minimum). Note that invoicing starts on the Essentials plan — Basic has no invoicing.
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 Basic 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.
Sources
Pricing and plan details verified against the sources above on September 25, 2026. Vendors change pricing often — confirm on the official page before buying.