Bonsai vs Pennylane
Bonsai and Pennylane are both accounting & finance tools. Bonsai is aimed at freelancers and agencies, while Pennylane is aimed at small businesses.
Bonsai
Contracts, proposals, invoices and time tracking for freelancers
Pennylane
Finance and accounting platform for French SMBs
| Pricing | Paid · $15 | Paid |
| Starting price | $15/mo | Not published |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Free trial | 7 days | 15 days |
| Built for | Freelancers, Agencies | Small businesses |
| Platforms | web, ios, android | web |
| Country | US · 2016 | FR · 2020 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Bonsai if
Freelancers and small agencies.
- All-in-one for freelancers
- Professional templates
- Integrated payments
Look elsewhere if: Larger agencies needing PSA depth.
Choose Pennylane if
French SMEs and accountants.
- Shared workspace with accountants
- Modern UI
- Strong French compliance
Look elsewhere if: Businesses outside France (yet).
Bonsai vs Pennylane pricing
Bonsai
- Basic$15/user/mo$9/mo billed annually; time tracking, tasks, CRM
- Essentials$25/user/mo$19/mo billed annually; invoices, proposals, contracts, portal
- Premium$39/user/mo$29/mo billed annually; Gantt, workload, reports, integrations
- Elite$59/user/mo$49/mo billed annually; 3 users minimum, custom permissions
Pennylane
- Starter€7/moExcl. VAT, 1 user, freelancers; Pro account required
- Basique€14/moExcl. VAT, 1 user (freelancer price)
- Essentiel€24/moExcl. VAT, 1 user (freelancer price)
- Premium€79/moExcl. VAT, 1 user, includes accounting module
Bonsai · Key features
- Proposals and contracts
- E-signature
- Projects and tasks
- Time tracking
- Invoices and payments
- Client portal and accounting
Cons
- Jack of all trades
- Accounting basic
- Team features on higher tiers
Pennylane · Key features
- Invoicing and quotes
- Bank and payment sync
- Receipt capture and matching
- Pre-accounting and accounting
- Accountant collaboration
- Cash flow dashboards
Cons
- Primarily France
- Pricing varies by tier
- Limited international features
Bonsai vs Pennylane: FAQ
Do Bonsai and Pennylane have a free plan?
Bonsai has no free plan, a 7-day free trial. Pennylane has no free plan, a 15-day free trial.
Which is better for small businesses, Bonsai or Pennylane?
Pennylane lists small businesses as a core audience, while Bonsai is aimed more at freelancers and agencies.