Bonsai
All-in-one freelancer toolkit: proposals, contracts, invoicing, and CRM
How it works
Bonsai is an all-in-one business management platform for freelancers and service-based businesses. It offers customizable proposals, attorney-vetted contract templates, invoicing with online payments (Stripe/PayPal), time tracking, expense tracking, task management, and a client CRM. The platform automates the client journey from proposal acceptance to contract signing to invoice generation. Bonsai also offers Bonsai Cash (business banking with FDIC pass-through insurance), Bonsai Tax (1099 deduction tracking and quarterly tax estimates), and a client portal. Acquired by Zoom in December 2025.
Is it right for you?
Consider if you
- Freelancers who send proposals and need attorney-vetted contracts
- Solo service businesses wanting automated proposal-to-invoice workflow
- Freelancers wanting combined time tracking, invoicing, and client CRM
Skip if you
- Product-based businesses needing inventory or COGS tracking
- Anyone wanting free accounting (no free tier, only 7-day trial)
- Teams larger than ~10 people (per-user pricing scales fast)
Your money and data
Bonsai uses industry-standard encryption and secure servers for all data. Payment processing runs through Stripe (PCI-DSS Level 1 certified). Bonsai Cash accounts hold funds at Evolve Bank & Trust and Fifth Third Bank (both FDIC members) with pass-through insurance up to $250,000 per depositor. Celtic Bank issues the Bonsai Visa prepaid card. Contract templates are reviewed by legal professionals for enforceability.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Attorney-vetted contract templates and customizable proposals with e-signatures
- Seamless proposal-to-contract-to-invoice workflow automation
- All-in-one: time tracking, task management, expenses, CRM, and banking add-on
Cons
- Invoicing and contracts locked behind Essentials plan ($25/mo); Basic plan is time tracking only
- Payment processing delays: initial payouts can take 7-10 business days
- Customer support can be slow to respond, with some users reporting 9+ day waits
Pricing details
Basic ($15/mo, $9/mo annual): time tracking, CRM, unlimited clients. Essentials ($25/mo, $19/mo annual): adds invoices, proposals, contracts, client portal. Premium ($39/mo, $29/mo annual): adds white-label branding, QuickBooks/Zapier/Calendly integrations, Gantt charts. Elite ($59/mo, $49/mo annual, 3-user min): adds custom permissions, Xero integration, timesheet locking. Annual billing saves 20-40%. Payment processing: 2.9% + $0.30 for cards, 3.25% + $0.30 for Amex, 1% for ACH. Additional 1% platform fee on Bonsai Payments.
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