--- title: "Bonsai Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra" description: "Is Bonsai the right Time Tracking solution for you? Explore 95 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/238825/Bonsai/reviews/" page_type: "reviews" language: "en" --- Bonsai 4.6 (95) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/238825/Bonsai/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated September 4th, 2026 # Reviews of Bonsai Ease of use 4.6 Customer Service 4.3 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews VM Vesna M Copywriter and Messaging StrategistMarketing and Advertising, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “For contracts you have so many different template options, it's easy to find one that matches your needs as closely as possible and then you can even convert it to a fully editable contract where you can add or remove entire clauses and make your own.“ November 19, 2024 VM Vesna M Copywriter and Messaging StrategistMarketing and Advertising, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “The reporting is very confusing to non-USD users. When I look at my dashboard and Bonsai gives me graphs and stats about my earnings, the dropdown menu is not intuitive, and I've had to ask support to help me understand what it means.“ November 19, 2024 LS Lars S Director, DeveloperMarketing and Advertising, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: Less than 6 months. “I believe bonsai offers us a unique CRM en planning system that is extremely well integrated with expense management, invoicing, contracting and much more.“ September 19, 2024 VM Vesna M Copywriter and Messaging StrategistMarketing and Advertising, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “For that reason, I ended up downgrading my Bonsai to a lower tier to make it more affordable again — which meant I had to give up custom branding.“ November 19, 2024 CA Claudia A Founder and Creative DirectorDesign, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “The templated contracts save me a lot of time on paperwork, and I love how everything updates automatically when payments come in, or projects move forward.“ October 29, 2024 JP S OwnerIndustrial Automation, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “I pay nearly $500 a year for their basic business services, and they charged me an additional $300 in transaction fees for my first two transactions and would not let me access the fund for over two weeks.“ March 28, 2024 VM Vesna M Copywriter and Messaging StrategistMarketing and Advertising, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “I like that I can decide whether I want to send a proposal/contract/invoice as a link in my own email or send out an "automated" looking email straight from Bonsai.“ November 19, 2024 BB Brandon B FounderMarketing and Advertising, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “They have revamped some existing features, but they lack execution, and there are very obvious gaps in product requirements that have yet to be filled.“ February 19, 2024 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 95 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Charles Abraham R. Owner Graphic Design Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Why I use Bonsai" May 11, 2023 5.0 Its been a game changer and it helped me scale my bsuiness. Pros Bonsai is easy to get started, and I was up and running in no time. I like how easily I am able to create and send invoices to my clients. Cons I wish there were a chat widget feature that I could install on my website similar to Sharpspring or HubSpot. Perhaps some collaboration with Webflow. Review Source LE Lauren E. Founder Legal Services Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Bonsai is the easiest CRM I've ever used!" September 25, 2024 5.0 9/10. I just started my business and tried several other CRM platforms for days and got no where. With Bonsai, I had my entire set up done in less than an hour. It's very intuitive and easy to use. Pros Bonsai is user friendly yet it has all the necessary features and is uncomplicated. I am able to integrate the needed applications to conduct business and keep everything in one place. Cons Bonsai integrates with my google calendar and gmail. This allows me to use it to send/receive emails and to schedule, however it doesn't allow me to view my calendar or email box. This is not as much of an issue regarding emails but having to navigate outside of the program for the calendar is not the best functionality. The other con is that I cannot preview the client portal as they see it; this function would make it simple to walk them through it when onboarding them (or to create a video doing so). Alternatives considered [Odoo](https://www.capterra.com/p/135618/Odoo/) Reason for choosing Bonsai Odoo was noisy and required knowledge of how it works to set up. Bonsai was simple yet offered the integrations and features I needed. Switched from [ClickUp](https://www.capterra.com/p/158833/ClickUp/) Ease of use. Click up had all these work arounds that were difficult to integrate. Bonsai is user friendly and very intuitive. This means as my team grows, no training will be required. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Owner Industrial Automation Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Nothing Good to Say About Bonsai" March 28, 2024 1.0 Pros Nothing likable about this brand or product. Cons Bonsai / Hello Bonsai is absolutely terrible. They charge ridiculous transaction fees and then hold your money up for weeks after the payment has been made. Absolutely infuriating, they have massively screwed up my business. I wish I had known this before signing up with them. I pay nearly $500 a year for their basic business services, and they charged me an additional $300 in transaction fees for my first two transactions and would not let me access the fund for over two weeks. I canceled my account with them as soon as I learned about their predatory practices. Literally, any other service would be better than Bonsai. In addition, Bonsai support is practically non-existent. I have never paid so much for a service and not been able to get an actual person on the phone to try to resolve even the most basic issues. Review Source BK Balaji K. CIO Computer Software Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Digital market agency CRM " October 16, 2024 4.0 Pros sales automation, projects management, tasks management Cons lack of some feature on client portal, clients not sync with quickbooks Reason for choosing Bonsai features like client portal, where clients can also interact like upload the files, support ticket, check status on projects Review Source DV Daniela V. Founder Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "So far so good! " July 8, 2024 5.0 So far so good. Love the UX, willing to giving it more time to try but maybe will have to switch to "rounded". Pros one tool for all needs: CRM, Invoicing, scheduling. One stop shop. Cons I can't believe they charge extra for the tax solution when the whole differentiator is beingthis one-stop shop. Also, couldn't connect my bank account and credit card for expenses tracking. Alternatives considered [Rounded](https://www.capterra.com/p/172907/Rounded/) Reason for choosing Bonsai CRM functionalities, but considering moving to rounded, since cheaper and really good for tax purposes (without charging an additional fee for it or asking you to have quickbooks integration). Switched from [Wave](https://www.capterra.com/p/178021/Wave-Apps/) Wave stopped working for companies outside the US. Review Source CL C L. Managing Legal Services Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Excellent customer/client management for solo starting out, hope Bonsai grows with small biz" December 8, 2023 4.0 I'm glad to have found this platform, have appreciated the ways it streamlined some of my business and remain excited about its potential. I've looked at many industry specific platforms for my service industry and they all were clunky or extremely expensive. I don't need industry-specific software though, I just need a clean, easy to use project / client management platform where I can send invoices/contracts and schedule client appointments. Bonsai has some stand-out features, among the best are its scheduling and client portal (to allow clients to view an invoice or uploaded files). Bonsai works great with apple/mac/iphone OS calendar and is very useful for client onboarding / invoicing. I would love to see Bonsai develop additional features for growing businesses, even if that involved a modest add-on fee (so long as the add-on fee didn't get carried away,) Pros There is a lot to appreciate with Bonsai starting with a very nice graphical interface. Most features are super easy to roll out (with the notable exception that incoming payments are frozen for the first 2 weeks plus). The online scheduler works excellently and plays very nicely with macs. The client portal is very attractive and an easy way to share invoices / files. There are lots of great starts to automate common tasks (e.g., when a client signs a contract, send the invoice) I felt like Bonsai is a 10/10 (or close) for a very small solo just getting started. If you have a handful of clients / projects a month and work alone, this will justifiably wow and make things beautifully smooth. Cons Solo / freelancers are Bonsai's target. Many features just don't seem to work for or consider a small business with any employees. It also doesn't seem to have features suitable to handle businesses with high volume of anything (no way to track/run reports) Although there are options to add "team" members for a monthly fee, Bonsai doesn't really recognize that a business owner might need to set user permissions or have employees involved in some but not every aspect of a business. For example, users can only be designated "partners" with access to every financial detail or "collaborators" who can do next to nothing in the platform besides view an already created project. I need an assistant to create projects, send out contracts and invoices but not be given a key to the company's entire financials. Currently there is no way to do this. Contracts cannot be sent without a company signature and the signature cannot be pre-populated. We're still trying to work around these limitations. Bookkeping automatically logs processing fees as expenses and can track other manually inputted expenses but cannot track multiple bank accounts / check writing, payroll, etc. Alternatives considered [CaseFox](https://www.capterra.com/p/121682/CaseFox/)[8am MyCase](https://www.capterra.com/p/115613/MyCase/)[Daylite for Mac](https://www.capterra.com/p/116272/Daylite-for-Mac/)[Bookly](https://www.capterra.com/p/180137/Bookly/) Reason for choosing Bonsai Bonsai has a much cleaner interface, very easy entry (easy to navigate, no steep learning curve), dramatically smoother syncing with ical for macs and affordable monthly price. Review Source JE Jackie E. Graphic Designer Graphic Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Bonsai keeps me a loyal customer!" May 15, 2023 5.0 Bonsai has been very essential to my freelance career when I was part time to now being a full time freelancer. When starting out, I just needed the essential tools - invoicing, accounting, time tracking, contracts and proposals - which Bonsai offered immediately. Down the line, they added new features that boosted what I can also add to my workflow management such as forms, scheduling and now a cool project board view besides the generic list view! It allowed me to have a business debit account while major banks require small businesses to be active for a certain amount of time before qualifying for a business account. Overall - NO FRILLS, but still A GEM. Pros Very straightforward, simple and user-friendly. Everything a freelancer or contractor needs to keep their small business financially organized is in Bonsai. Cons I hope the mobile and desktop app would be expanded. The browser app is cool, but I would love to just click onto an app icon to access my dashboard without having to get on Chrome. Might also be great to have a client be able to access and view their mini portal on Bonsai without creating an account - this way they can view the active project I'm working on with them and access invoices. Switched from [QuickBooks Online](https://www.capterra.com/p/190778/QuickBooks-Online/) Quickbooks didn't have all the other features that Bonsai offered Review Source MA Mike A. Owner Internet Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Bonsai improved my business 100%" March 19, 2023 5.0 Before Bonsai I was using many programs for proposals, CRM, invoicing, and contracts. Since switching to Bonsai I honestly have to say that I have saved several thousand dollars per year and my life has been much easier and more organized. Bonsai has systems that have automation so if a customer does one particular item the Bonsai system will automatically send an email with a form that I would like my customer to submit. Bonsai is definitely a game changer and I would highly recommend any business owner to look at their system and hopefully see the benefits that they can receive by using Bonsai. Pros Bonsai makes everything extremely streamlined and very easy and user-friendly. From the time I input a lead to creating the proposal to invoicing the customer and finalizing the project, Bonsai makes everything hassle-free and extremely easy. Cons The only suggestion I would have or like to see for Bonsai would be for them to allow me as the business owner to arrange the look and feel of how my customer dashboard is arranged. Alternatives considered [Salesforce Sales Cloud](https://www.capterra.com/p/61368/Salesforce/) Reason for choosing Bonsai Bonsai is made for the small to medium size business owner and there was no need for the outrageously over priced salesforce CRM. Review Source SB Sarah B. Owner Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Love Bonsai and would recommend" March 13, 2023 5.0 Pros What's NOT the most impactful LOL! I use Bonsai for EVERY PART OF MY PROJECT ( well that, and the Google Drive). From storing client information, to creating projects, invoices, time tracking, invoices, contracts et all... Bonsai has really streamlined the administration side of my small business. They are also SUPER quick to respond with support when needed. Huge Fan of Bonsai and happy I chose them over everyone else <3 Cons I would love to be able to add my accountant to the accounting area without having to add her as a partner... and I love the idea of the cash feature and envelopes just wish you could make this work with an external bank as I prefer to run my business account separate to the Bonsai system Alternatives considered [FreshBooks](https://www.capterra.com/p/142390/FreshBooks/) Reason for choosing Bonsai I found it to be a little more intuitive than the other products I was checking out. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer CEO Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Try it, it's been helpful" August 7, 2024 5.0 It's been really great for contracts, project tracking, and invoices Pros It made starting my business so much easier! Cons Some of the screens were a bit counterintuitive. Alternatives considered [Fiverr](https://www.capterra.com/p/239416/Fiverr/) Reason for choosing Bonsai it had so many efficient products and aspects Review Source CA Claudia A. Founder and Creative Director Design Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "I finally have time to actually work on my business!" October 29, 2024 5.0 Pros Bonsai has been a game-changer for my freelance business! It's like having a personal assistant that handles all the tedious admin work. The templated contracts save me a lot of time on paperwork, and I love how everything updates automatically when payments come in, or projects move forward. Their automated workflows help me set up when documents and updates get sent to clients. Everything is streamlined, from project management to time tracking, helping me stay profitable. Plus, their customer service is exceptional. Always helpful and responsive when I need them. They listen to my feedback and consider feature requests, making me feel valued as a customer. I can finally focus on what matters: growing my business. Definitely worth the investment! Cons As a solo-preneur, taking time to learn new software can be challenging, especially with so many features to explore. But Bonsai has a very intuitive interface, so I got comfortable with everything in just a few days. Worth the effort! Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Photographer and Creative Director Media Production Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Always Raving about bonsai " March 17, 2023 5.0 That being said, the exceptional customer service from Bonsai's team has made a real difference in my experience. They are always available to answer my questions and provide support, which is a rare find in today's digital landscape.Overall, I would recommend Bonsai to any freelancer or small business owner who values high-quality customer service and wants to streamline their workflow. While the price may be on the higher side, the time and effort saved on invoicing and contract management may make it worth it for some. However, those looking for more comprehensive proposal creation and onboarding features may want to explore other options. Pros Bonsai has truly been a game-changer for my freelance business. As a solo entrepreneur, I was struggling to keep track of my finances, contracts, and invoicing, which took up way too much of my time and energy. But ever since I started using Bonsai, everything has become so much more streamlined and effortless.Bonsai's user-friendly platform and intuitive features have made it easy for me to create and customize professional contracts and invoices that perfectly match my branding. Their built-in time tracking tool is a lifesaver, allowing me to track my hours and bill my clients accurately without any hassle.What really sets Bonsai apart, however, is their exceptional customer service. Their team is always available to answer my questions and provide support, and they go above and beyond to make sure that I am happy with their product.Overall, I cannot recommend Bonsai enough to any freelancers or small business owners out there who want to streamline their workflow and save time. Thanks to Bonsai, I have more time and energy to focus on what really matters - growing my business and serving my clients. Cons Bonsai has been a helpful tool for my freelance business, but it does come at a higher price point compared to some of its competitors. While the user-friendly platform and built-in time tracking features have saved me time and effort on invoicing and contract management, I do wish that Bonsai could do more in terms of proposal creation and onboarding new clients. Review Source TA Travis A. Video Editor Motion Pictures and Film Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Bonsai is a Great Service for Freelancers and Small Businesses" May 4, 2023 5.0 Overall, Bonsai provides a great service for Freelancers and Small Businesses. They have all the tools and resources needed to conduct business and get paid. Their invoices are very straightforward so as not to confuse the client's when they receive their invoice. Pros Bonsai has all the tools a freelancer, or small business, may need to contract work. Cons Sometimes it takes a few days to get a response from Bonsai's customer service reps but they have a forms page that has a lot of answers. This form can answer most of the questions you have so you don't have to contact customer service reps. Review Source CS Christopher S. Founder Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Solid Small Business Solution that grows with you." May 20, 2023 5.0 It was a good experience and we will continue to use it. Pros I liked how it kept track of our Tax payments and let us automatically set money aside for taxes. Cons The fact that our clients can't see their tasks. Alternatives considered [HoneyBook](https://www.capterra.com/p/162588/HoneyBook/)[Notion](https://www.capterra.com/p/186596/Notion/) Reason for choosing Bonsai Tax Preparation Switched from [HoneyBook](https://www.capterra.com/p/162588/HoneyBook/)[Square Payments](https://www.capterra.com/p/170278/Square-Payments-Processing/)[Wave](https://www.capterra.com/p/178021/Wave-Apps/) Because Bonsai had Tax preparation. Review Source BD Bethany D. Chief Editor Writing and Editing Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A Lifesaver" March 13, 2023 5.0 As someone who is primarily a creative, having some of the business elements of my work streamlined through Bonsai has been very helpful in taking care of my clients. Best investment I've made in my business. Pros I'm a freelance writer and editor, and the business interface options have added to the sense of professionalism around my company. For me specifically, the invoicing, online payment options, and tax prep options have been lifesavers for me. Knowing I have an invoice history with details of payment processing fees, as well as space to track my expenses throughout the year, has made my taxes easier too. Cons Some tutorials on using templates and some of the automation options would be helpful. Review Source DB Danielle B. Founder Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "I am OBSESSED!!" April 4, 2023 5.0 I love it! Pros I refer all my clients and followers to use Bonsai Cons There are still some features missing that could enhance the business even more, like NDA's and employee contracts Reason for choosing Bonsai Better rates, more user friendly and more cost efficient and easy to use with my clients. Review Source MD Marquise D. Owner Computer Software Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Great for Freelancers and Software Development Agencies" March 17, 2023 5.0 Overall I love Bonsai and it is a great value for all that is included. Pros This software makes it super easy for me to write up contracts for my clients, collect their payments, and keep track of my existing clients along with potential leads. If you are a freelancer and you need templates for contracts and proposals, I would say this Bonsai is worth it for that alone, but when you add in the ability to collect client payments.....You can't beat it. Cons I believe that Bonsai is constantly improving its software and features. The only dislike I have with Bonsai is that you cannot get instant pay right away, and starting out it will take 7-10 business days to receive your payouts. Review Source JP Jason P. Architecture Architecture & Planning Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "bonsai review 2023-03-27" March 27, 2023 5.0 Time tracking is much easier on Bonsai rather than writing in on a piece of paper and having a chance of losing it Pros Ease of use and easy to track management Cons Mobile app could be fixed with some issues (for the timer, you must press the "x" button for it to save the hours in a given project timer. Reason for choosing Bonsai Cheaper and simple Review Source OH Olivia H. Owner Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Easy to use for freelancers " March 16, 2023 5.0 I’ve had to use support a few times and they’ve always been excellent and quick to respond. Pros A nice all in one tool that’s easy to use. Cons Some automations are confusing, the invoicing created with a deposit after a contract is signed is still something I don’t fully understand. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer CEO Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Shady business practices and terrible customer service" January 17, 2024 2.0 Horrible experience, they have their system setup to auto charge you after the trial expires and don't send any sort of email notifications to let you know you're trial is being paid. Customer service is useless and not helpful. Please check other reviews as t here are plenty of examples from others of cancelling of accounts and holding customer paid funds. Pros I wouldn't recommend bonsai to anyone who runs a business Cons Shady business practices and terrible customer service Review Source BD Bernie D. Designer/Art director Design Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Overall solid" April 4, 2023 5.0 Pros It's ease of use and the amount of features help make Bonsai a great business management platform. Cons Some of the features that Bonsai offers could be much more intuitive. Simplification it great overall, but in some ways Bonsai over-simplifies. Especially when it comes to project management. Switched from [QuickBooks Online](https://www.capterra.com/p/190778/QuickBooks-Online/) Wasn't enough features in QB. Review Source NW Nicole W. Owner Design Used the software for: I used a free trial ### "Bonsai, great service for all small businesses!" September 6, 2024 5.0 Excellent experience! When I requested an extension of the free trial, there was no problem. So that solved the only Con I experienced. I look forward to using Bonsai for my small business. Pros Great UI experience. Very easy to use. I have used many different invoicing softwares in the past, and I found Bonsai to be the easiest to navigate and find what I was looking for. Cons Free trial was not long enough to get a feel for the entire experience of invoicing and receiving payment. Review Source JM Josue M. Web Specialist Internet Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Amazing business management tool" September 3, 2024 5.0 It's been very good! Bonsai has taken the headache out of invoicing and financial management. I know what money is due when and from who, all with automatic reminders and overdue interest accrual. Their support has also been extremely helpful :) Pros Super easy invoicing, great dashboard, beautiful looking templates Cons Not very powerful time tracking and general navigation is a little slow Review Source KC Krys C. CEO Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Highly recommend!" March 21, 2023 5.0 Very amazing! Recommended to small businesses & freelancers Pros Highly recommend Bonsai for proposals, e-signed contracts, invoicing and much more! Cons Invoice customization to the fullest is needed and edit columns Switched from [Microsoft Excel](https://www.capterra.com/p/176574/Excel/) Too much manually work Review Source EM Elizabeth M. Software Engineer Computer Software Used the software for: I used a free trial ### "Great for New Freelancers" May 18, 2023 5.0 Pros I loved that it had everything I need for my new business in one place. Cons It would be great if there could be a tutorial for the financial side. It took me a bit to find everything that was available. Review Source Similar Products Featured ## Send me user reviews about this product ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.