--- title: "Page 2 | Bonsai Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra" description: "Page 2 - 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=2" 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 July 31st, 2026 # Page 2 - Reviews of Bonsai ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 26-50 of 95 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use David C. Founder Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Bonsai Is The Best All-Around Product For Managing a Freelancer / Small Business" August 10, 2025 5.0 I've been using Bonsai for over five years now and over that time have taken a look at the competition to see if maybe they're better or cheaper. Spoiler alert: they're not! Bonsai has everything you need to run a freelancer or small business operation all in the same UI, without having to add apps or move into different interfaces. Pros I've tried just about all the products out there for managing proposals, contracts, invoicing and more as a freelancer, and Bonsai is still the one for me. It's priced less than the competition but gives you more features, and the UI is much better than others. Cons The mobile app is great for viewing things and doing quick adds. About the main thing that it doesn't do as well is time tracking—can't be as granular on the project specifics in the mobile app as I can on the desktop app. Alternatives considered [Better Proposals](https://www.capterra.com/p/153794/Better-Proposals/)[HoneyBook](https://www.capterra.com/p/162588/HoneyBook/)[Dubsado](https://www.capterra.com/p/206389/Dubsado/)[17hats](https://www.capterra.com/p/144328/17hats/)[FreshBooks](https://www.capterra.com/p/142390/FreshBooks/) Reason for choosing Bonsai Many of the competing products didn't have as much ability to offer clients granular options in proposals and didn't let me put in as much content on the proposals—just single line items instead of paragraphs. Some platforms required adding apps (often at extra cost) to do things that are natively built in to the Bonsai UI. Just a much better overall user experience for me as the freelancer and also for my clients. Review Source BO Bryanna O. Office Manager Chemicals Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Bonsai Review" September 19, 2025 5.0 Our overall experience with Bonsai has been lovely so far. We can create estimates to send to our customers, invoices and even get the signature electronically! Pros What we like best about Bonsai is that it is basically a one stop shop! Bonsai has everything that we are looking for with our company, Invoicing, security and the electronic signatures which we are very excited for. Cons There really is not anything that we least like about Bonsai. If i were to say anything at all it would be that we don't use everything they have to offer, which we will, we just haven't gotten there yet. Review Source RM Rodney M. Contractor Business Supplies and Equipment Used the software for: I used a free trial ### "Never give up , doit better " July 28, 2025 4.0 Well since I was victim of scam , I have been doing and learning a lot in how install the right app in mi IMac , you should doit as well Pros Very recently to this but I will give good tips, what exactly is what I like most and what is not good this app Cons In the begging is a little complicate when you do the first installation , so I almost quick , but I got good advice from friends Review Source IB Ibrahim B. CEO Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Hello Bonsai a stable proposal platform that can use AI" April 24, 2025 5.0 Overall, it is a stable platform and has been constantly updated. I hope they will focus on agencies rather than freelancers. I also hope they would integrate other payment software for flexibility Pros Bonsai Is an All-Around great platform for a marketing agency. Its winning point is its proposals and upsell capability Cons Still Lacks Native Integrations. It sends you to Zapier for many. I Also Wish they would integrate AI for workflow like many other competitors. Alternatives considered [HoneyBook](https://www.capterra.com/p/162588/HoneyBook/)[Wayfront](https://www.capterra.com/p/199996/wayfront/)[Agiled](https://www.capterra.com/p/206203/Agiled/) Reason for choosing Bonsai It's stable with the least amount of bugs for the price point. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Self employed Facilities Services Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Excellent for freelancers! (& Teams)" September 29, 2025 5.0 Overall my experience has been great! This software has saved me a lot of time because I can individually manage all of my projects aspects from this one software. Pros What I like most about Bonsai is I can visually see all my work projects, together all on one one page. Cons I have only used Bonsai for a short time period and have yet to find something that I dislike about Bonsai. Review Source KS Katie S. Operations Manager Leisure, Travel & Tourism Used the software for: I used a free trial ### "Great for invoicing " August 25, 2025 4.0 Bonsai is a strong all in one system for freelancers and small service teams who want to run proposals contracts and payments without juggling multiple apps. It is quick to learn and it keeps cash flow and client communication organized. If you need heavy duty CRM or full accounting features you will still pair it with other tools but for everyday operations it delivers a smooth streamlined experience. Pros Bonsai brings proposals contracts invoicing and time tracking into one clean workspace. The templates and e signature make it fast to send professional paperwork. I like the recurring invoices retainers and automatic payment reminders. The client portal keeps messages files and approvals in one place which cuts down on email ping pong. Cons Pricing can climb as you add teammates or advanced features. Project management is fine for simple tasks but it is not as deep as a dedicated tool. Report customization is limited and invoice layouts do not offer a lot of design freedom. Multi currency and tax settings may require manual tweaks if you work across regions. Review Source AM Andrea M. Vice President, Instructional Design Services E-Learning Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Great Time-Tracking Features and Easy to Use" January 16, 2025 4.0 Overall, I found Bonsai to be a very good program for tracking both billable and non-billable time spent on projects. Features like the in-app timer, when I remembered to use it, were great and could track my time for me automatically. This significantly reduced the time I had to spend filling out timesheets manually at the end of each week. I found the timesheets function in Bonsai to be pretty intuitive and easy to navigate. The ability to report on time spent for an individual or the entire team was also quite useful and easy to generate. Overall, I was quite pleased with the time tracking features in Bonsai and my experience with the software was very good. Pros I really liked the in-app task timer feature. It was particularly useful on days where I needed to split my time between 2 or 3 different tasks. Cons Bonsai allows you to track time down to the task level. While the ability to see and report on time spent at that level of detail can provide some great insights, it can also quickly become cumbersome for users to report their time at that level of detail. Review Source HG Heldor G. Marketing Manager Mental Health Care Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "All-in-One Tool!" March 20, 2025 4.0 Using Bonsai has been a smooth ride, it is user-friendly and well-designed, though pricing may be a concern for some. Pros The automated workflows save a lot of time, and the pre-built contract templates are a great feature! Cons The pricing can be a bit high, especially since some advanced features require higher-tier plans. Review Source VM Vesna M. Copywriter and Messaging Strategist Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A cohesive, customizable all-in-one software for proposals, contracts, and invoices" November 19, 2024 4.0 I've been using Bonsai since 2021. I've thought about moving platforms a few times, mostly looking for something cheaper that also allows me to use my own branding, but I always end up sticking with Bonsai in the end because it allows me to customize so many other things — which, in the end, are more important to me. In the 3+ years I've used Bonsai, I've never had issues with payment processing, invoice/proposal/contract links, etc. I've never had any mishaps with it, and my clients seem to like everything I send from there. Bonsai has actually helped me look professional and prepared. Pros Things I love about Bonsai: (1) Using one tool for proposals, contracts, and invoices It's great to be able to use one tool to manage all 3 major transactional events with clients. It also makes you look like a professional when the things you send to your client all have a cohesive look and feel. (2) The granular level of customizations available for proposals, contracts, and invoices - Proposals are highly customizable. You can start with a template (and there are quite a few good ones) and customize and edit it any way you like. - You can also save your own proposals as reusable templates for future clients. - I love that the proposals have various formats for project-based packages (like allowing the client to select multiple options or making the client pick only one of several options, or not offering options at all ... it really allows you to structure your proposal in the way YOU do business). - I like that both proposals and invoices can be edited \*after\* you send them. So if a client wants to negotiate one last thing, you don't have to cancel the proposal/invoice and start over. You can edit the existing one and the link you sent them still works. - 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. I've tried both ways and both work very well. - I love the ability to completely customize fields in my invoices. Many invoice software out there doesn't allow for a lot of customization, but customization in invoicing is ultra important to me because every project is different. - I like the ability to attach a pdf to the invoice (like bank wire information if the client prefers to pay with that over a credit card payment). - 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. Then you can save your contract as a template for future clients. - Auto-reminders for invoices are optional. I like that I can turn it on or off on a per-client basis. - There are also lots more customizations for invoices like the ability to do scheduled recurring invoices. It makes me feel like Bonsai can handle whatever business models and client projects I evolve through. (3) The ability to bill in multiple currencies. - I was shocked to discover so many invoicing platforms force you to use your own local currency (e.g., Honeybook). I'm in Canada, but many of my clients are in the U.S. and in Europe, and I prefer to bill in USD. So a multi-currency billing platform was a must for me. (4) Support is decent. - You have to use chat to access customer support, but I have always found them to respond by the next day at the latest. Cons Things I dislike or don't love about Bonsai: (1) I don't care for the calendar and project management features. I'm really picky about my booking calendar and need lots of features. So I feel like Bonsai's pricing went up for features I don't even need or use. 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. Bonsai should allow custom branding in the lower tier. The middle tier should include things like the calendar and project management and more CRM features. Don't force people to upgrade to a more expensive tier just to use custom branding. (2) For proposals, I wish Bonsai would make the currency visible to the client. A couple of my clients were confused and asked me if I was charging CAD or USD because on my side of Bonsai, I can see the currency, but on the client's side, they cannot see it. So now I have had to add a note on all my proposals "All currency is x." Bonsai should fix this. Yes, the invoice always shows it, but the proposal should show it as well! (2) 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. 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 LS Lars S. Director, Developer Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Bonsai is great for a software agency" September 19, 2024 5.0 Bonsai staff took the time to answer our questions in a virtual meeting and explained the ins and outs of the system. After we got to use the system for a week we had another call and they answered all our questions. The system itself is clean, works awesomely and is extremely customisable to our own needs. I would recommend Bonsai. Pros I believe bonsai offers us a unique CRM en planning system that is extremely well integrated with expense management, invoicing, contracting and much more. Cons Pricing model is a bit steep for starting European Businesses however it absolutely beats having to pay for multiple systems that in the end do the same that Bonsai can but takes a lot more work. 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 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 DR Danaira R. Small Business Consultant Management Consulting Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "I can't believe I didn't know about Bonsai earlier!" July 8, 2024 5.0 Love, love, love. I absolutely recommend it to anyone who asks or is struggling to organize and manage their service-based business. Give it a try! Pros Bonsai is such a great tool for freelancers and small businesses like myself. It is the most cost-effective software out there to have CRM, project management, proposal & contract management, e-signature, scheduling/booking, time & expense tracking tools in one single place. We compared the cost of having each of these tools individually with other providers, and Bonsai just can't be beaten. On top of that, the user experience is so seamlesss. Very easy to set up and looks modern and clean! Cons The only thing I don't use as much in Bonsai is the project management tool since I think there are other free alternatives out there that work and can be set up in a more customized way. But Bonsai gives a great starting point to those who have nothing like that set up now. Another thing could be that I like data and reports, but these insights in Bonsai are only included in more advanced memberships, which could turn pricey for smaller businesses. Alternatives considered [LaunchBay](https://www.capterra.com/p/10019610/Motion-io/) Review Source 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 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 VC Victor C. Artistic Director Design Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "An ever improving platform that makes freelancing a breeze" April 7, 2023 4.0 Overall, I love this platform. It's straightforward and pleasant to look at. Once the mobile application can action creating proposals and contracts, making projects, adding clients and not just acting as a "review what's up in your business" companion application... Pros The ease of creating projects, setting up and sending proposals, and tracking billing. Cons Sometimes projects move quickly, and certain actions have to become manual. Expense tracking can be tricky as well — I've had issues (likely bugs) where my expenses double or even triple which throws off P&L reports. The mobile application is VERY limited, often defaulting to the desktop version for common actions. Alternatives considered [Wave](https://www.capterra.com/p/178021/Wave-Apps/) Reason for choosing Bonsai The discount from Webflow. Switched from [QuickBooks Online](https://www.capterra.com/p/190778/QuickBooks-Online/) Webflow Client Billing replaced some of the actions we repeat for billing for websites. The lifetime discount helps to be a customer. Review Source BB Brandon B. Founder Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great interface, poor quality, money grabbing company" February 19, 2024 3.0 If you’re a freelancer looking for something to get started very quickly, then Bonsai will be great. If you are growing beyond that, I would consider looking elsewhere. They are not scaling to support that type of customer, and it’s too easy for them to find new ways to grab more money for the same or fewer features, some of which don’t work. Pros Bonsai makes it easy to get started as a freelancer. Proposals, contracts, and payment processing is made easy. Cons In the 5 years I’ve been using Bonsai, they have introduced only two net new product features. One of which is Bonsai Payments, which is a competitor to Stripe, which they already supported. The second, Bonsai Tax, which stripped some existing and included functionality from the original offering and turned it into an add on feature for an extra $100/year. 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. I report a new bug almost every single time I log in, and every single time it’s confirmed by the product team. They’ve raised prices by >150% in only a few years and not improved the platform enough to warrant that. Review Source BP Blaine P. Owner Information Technology and Services Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Well worth the money" May 23, 2023 5.0 I am only one month into my new business and I'm glad I've starting using Bonsai from the beginning. My clients signed my contracts immediately when I sent them using the electronic signature as opposed to waiting for them to sign my initial paper contract. I have yet to sent my first invoice, but it looks to be very simple. I've connected my bank so I can see all my expenses in a single app. Pros The interface is very clean and intuitive and is a breeze to use. The feature that puts it above all the rest of similar products is the accounting features. For a small, simple business, I don't need to invest in another accounting product like QuickBooks. It saves on costs and keeps everything in one plane of glass. Cons The only item that I find lacking in Bonsai is there is no Kanban board or other visual way to track tasks and projects. Alternatives considered [Indy](https://www.capterra.com/p/187441/Indy/)[Moxie](https://www.capterra.com/p/252114/Moxie/) Reason for choosing Bonsai The accounting feature in Bonsai was an edge that the other products didn't have. Review Source CG Celia G. Founder Design Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Best app for entrepreneurs and service providers!" March 16, 2023 5.0 It's been a year that I manage all my client contracts, proposals and bills with Bonsai and it has been a game changer! Thanks for this wonderful app! I always recommend it to my entrepreneur friends and colleagues that want to launch their business! Pros I love the ease of use of Bonsai, its personalized templates and the modern aspect of the app. As a designer I need to have good looking proposal and the app makes it really easy to customize documents. Cons The fees that are applied when the client pays online can be a pain point for some of my clients, and can extend to more than 3%. Bonsai is a great app but I would love to have lowers payment fees to keep my prices as they appear on my proposals. Reason for choosing Bonsai The personalized templates for proposals, bills and the online contracts that makes my whole process safe and clear for my clients. I also love the ease of use of this app and its modern aesthetic! I really matters when presenting documents to prospects and clients as a graphic designer :) Review Source SB Sarah B. Graphic Designer Design Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Great way to centralize your business" May 25, 2023 4.0 Overall good! Happy to have my business admin simplified. Pros Being able to have my contracts, invoicing and scheduling all in one place has really helped to streamline the backend parts of my business. Cons The initial payout for the invoicing was over two weeks. I understand that it is in place to ensure security, however that amount of time can feel like forever to a small business. Switched from [PayPal](https://www.capterra.com/p/207944/PayPal/) I wanted to consolidate my business admin when it came to invoicing, contracts and scheduling. Review Source KI Kezia I. Owner Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Horrendous Customer Service" March 13, 2023 1.0 Horrible, Worst in class Pros I like the tax add-on that allows me to pull P&L reports. It's the only reason I haven't canceled my subscription. Bonsai's customer service is disgusting! Cons Everything except the tax add-on. Bonsai canceled my account without warning because Stripe couldn't verify my identity, EVEN THOUGH in their FAQs, it says there are other ways to do so if we reach out via email.I resubscribed (since I canceled my Quickbooks and Honeybook subscriptions) and got verified, but they locked my account pending said verification. Contacted customer service via chat, and they read my message and then closed the conversation ticket.Followed up with an email and two months later, nothing has changed. Switched from [QuickBooks Online](https://www.capterra.com/p/190778/QuickBooks-Online/) Tax add-on in one place Review Source Response from Bonsai March 15, 2023 Hi Kezia, We are deeply sorry to hear about your experience with Bonsai. Some of our services are only available to users with a valid identity verification from our identity partner. There is unfortunately no workaround or manual identity review we can perform as an alternative. This is a one-time procedure for new users and I am sorry it didn't work out. Our support team is however happy to assist you in cancelling your subscription and transitioning to another tool. I am sorry that Bonsai cannot serve your business today. Thank you 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 AM Ashley M. Visual Designer Design Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "All in One App" May 24, 2023 5.0 Having all timing and billing information in the dashboard has made me aware of my ongoing projects, unpaid invoices, and expenses at a glance. Pros Bonsai's user experience is very intuitive, and well designed. My main uses are time-tracking and invoicing. For a pretty practical price, I can do all my business management needs in one place. Cons One feature I would love to see improved is the Desktop Time Tracker. Currently is doesn't allow you to save your time for specific tasks within a project. Sometimes, I need to invoice tasks separately and right now the desktop app lumps them into one project. Switched from [PayPal Invoicing](https://www.capterra.com/p/179253/PayPal-Invoicing/)[Toggl Track](https://www.capterra.com/p/247745/Toggl/) Bonsai lumps all the business features I need into one application . Review Source KG Kimberly G. N/A Graphic Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Bonsai takes care of the hard work so I don’t have to" March 14, 2023 5.0 Overall, this has helped my processes a ton. I don’t have to worry about as much or spend as much time as I used to putting together invoices and following up on proposals and contracts. Pros Bonsai automates and streamlines all of the client and business management elements that would otherwise take up a lot of my time. Cons Nothing to dislike here! I’ve enjoyed my Bonsai experience. 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.