Bonsai
Contracts, proposals, invoices and time tracking for freelancers
Bonsai is a contracts & e-signature tool for Freelancers and Agencies, offered as paid ($15/mo). Based in United States, founded in 2016. Popular alternatives include Dottr, signNow, Nitro PDF.
About Bonsai
Bonsai (often called Hello Bonsai after its domain) is an all-in-one business management app for freelancers, consultants and small client-service agencies. Instead of stitching together a proposal tool, an e-signature service, a time tracker and an invoicing app, Bonsai covers the whole client lifecycle in one place: win the work, sign the contract, deliver the project, bill and get paid.
The product starts with a lightweight CRM and proposal builder, then turns accepted proposals into contracts with legally reviewed templates and built-in e-signatures. Projects, tasks and a time tracker feed directly into invoices, which clients can pay online by card or bank transfer, with automatic reminders and recurring billing for retainers. A client portal collects files, invoices and messages in one branded space, and higher plans add scheduling, expense tracking, basic bookkeeping and team members. Pricing is per user per month across several tiers (Basic, Essentials, Premium and Elite), with discounts for annual billing; invoicing, contracts and the client portal start from Essentials.
Bonsai is best for solo professionals and agencies of a few people who want professional paperwork without administrative overhead. Its breadth means each module is simpler than a specialist: accounting is basic compared with QuickBooks or Xero, and project management is lighter than Asana. HoneyBook is the closest competitor, particularly for creative businesses in the US, while Moxie and Dubsado offer similar bundles with more workflow automation. Larger agencies that need resource planning and utilization reports should look at professional services tools such as Productive or Scoro.
Key features of Bonsai
- Proposals and contracts
- E-signature
- Projects and tasks
- Time tracking
- Invoices and payments
- Client portal and accounting
Pros and cons
Pros
- All-in-one for freelancers
- Professional templates
- Integrated payments
- Saves tool costs
Cons
- Jack of all trades
- Accounting basic
- Team features on higher tiers
- Mobile app limited
Bonsai pricing
Bonsai uses a paid model. A 7-day free trial is available.
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Source: www.hellobonsai.com · checked on Oct 20, 2026
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How Bonsai compares in Contracts & e-signature
- Rank by votes
- #1 / 19
- Starting price
- $15
- Free alternatives
- 1
0 votes from members
At the category median of $15/mo
Free or open-source tools in Contracts & e-signature
Bonsai ranks #1 of 19 contracts & e-signature tools by community votes and is priced in line with the category.
Common use cases
- 1Freelance designer managing clients
- 2Small agency proposals to invoices
- 3Consultant time billing
- 4Contract templates
Best for
Freelancers and small agencies.
Not ideal for
Larger agencies needing PSA depth.
Integrations
- Stripe
- PayPal
- QuickBooks
- Xero
- Google Calendar
- Zapier
- Gmail
Our take
Bonsai covers the freelance business lifecycle in one app.
FAQ
- What is Bonsai?
- Bonsai is a Contracts & e-signature tool: Contracts, proposals, invoices and time tracking for freelancers.
- How much does Bonsai cost?
- Bonsai uses a Paid model; paid plans start at $15 per month.
- What are the best alternatives to Bonsai?
- Community-listed alternatives to Bonsai include Dottr, signNow, Nitro PDF, Proposify.
- Does Bonsai have a free trial?
- Yes, Bonsai offers a 7-day free trial.
- What does Bonsai integrate with?
- Bonsai integrates with Stripe, PayPal, QuickBooks, Xero, Google Calendar, Zapier and more.
- Which platforms does Bonsai support?
- Bonsai is available on web, ios, android.
- Who is Bonsai for?
- Freelancers and small agencies.
Alternatives to Bonsai
See all 10Dottr
▲ 0AI contract agent in your inbox that drafts, reviews and gets signed
FreemiumSmall businesseschecked Oct 23
signNow
▲ 0airSlate e-signature app with templates, bulk send and an API
Paid · $20Small businesseschecked Oct 20
Nitro PDF
▲ 0PDF editor and e-signature suite positioned against Adobe Acrobat
Paid · $15Small businesseschecked Oct 20
Proposify
▲ 0Proposal and quote software with e-signatures for sales teams
Paid · $49Small businesseschecked Oct 20
Adobe's PDF editor, converter and e-signature suite with AI tools
Freemium · $15Enterprisechecked Oct 20
SignWell
▲ 0Affordable e-signatures with a free plan
Freemium · $12Freelancerschecked Oct 20
More Contracts & e-signature tools
Zoho Sign
▲ 0Affordable e-signature app with audit trails and Zoho integrations
Freemium · $12Small businesseschecked Oct 20
Dropbox Sign
▲ 0Simple e-signatures and API (formerly HelloSign)
Freemium · $15Small businesseschecked Oct 20
PandaDoc
▲ 0Proposals, quotes and contracts with e-signature
Freemium · $35Small businesseschecked Oct 20
Juro
▲ 0AI-native contract automation for in-house legal
PaidEnterprisechecked Oct 20
Oneflow
▲ 0Editable digital contracts and e-signing for European mid-market teams
Paid · $292Small businesseschecked Oct 20
Documenso
▲ 0Open-source DocuSign alternative
Open source · $25Developerschecked Oct 20
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