Bonsai alternatives for freelancers: features, pricing and workflow
Bonsai is a capable all-in-one suite. If its per-user pricing, its feature spread or its workflow isn't the right fit, here are five ways to run your client work — compared from each vendor's own pricing page.
One thread from quotation to payment
Every document is generated from the one before it, so the numbers never drift between your quotation, your agreement and your invoice.
Generated from the deal record — itemised deliverables, revision rounds, terms, a stable number (QT-series) and a clean PDF in your name.
The accepted quotation becomes an agreement with the same figures. Electronic acceptance is recorded — who, when, which signature.
Billed from the agreement — advance/balance or milestones — and DealInSec won't let you invoice more than the agreement is worth.
Overdue, due this week, ready to invoice — the dashboard tells you what to bill and what to chase today.
Why freelancers look for a Bonsai alternative
Common reasons, in the order people mention them: the price per user, needing only part of the suite (proposals, contracts and invoices, without the rest), wanting a free tier, or preferring a different workflow. None of that makes Bonsai a bad product — it is a broad one, and breadth is not what everyone wants.
Bonsai's pricing, for reference
| Tool | Plan | Monthly | Annual billing | Notes from the pricing page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonsai Trial: 7 days | Basic | $15 | $9 | |
| Essentials | $25 | $19 | Adds invoices & payments, proposals & contracts, client portal, expense and income tracking | |
| Premium | $39 | $29 | ||
| Elite | $59 | $49 | 3-user minimum |
Prices read from Bonsai's pricing page on . Prices change — check the vendor before you buy.
Invoicing, contracts and proposals start on the Essentials plan, so the entry price for those is the Essentials price, per user. Time tracking and task management are on every plan.
The alternatives, side by side
Best for: an all-in-one that includes time tracking, basic accounting and invoicing at a lower entry price. Pricing: Starter $12/month ($10 billed annually), Pro $25, Teams $40. Trade-off: the white-labelled client portal and workflow automation sit on the Pro plan.
Best for: client-services businesses that want proposals, contracts, invoices and lead forms in one place. Pricing: Starter $29/month, Essentials $59 ($49 billed yearly), Premium $129 ($109). Trade-off: card payments carry processing fees, and automation and scheduling start on Essentials.
Best for: service businesses that lean on forms, client portals and workflows. Pricing: Starter $335/year, Premier $525/year. Trade-off: shown as annual prices, and unlimited lead forms, advanced scheduling and workflows are on Premier.
Best for: solo freelancers who want a free tier to start. Pricing: Free (3 proposals, contracts, invoices and clients a month); Pro shown at $12.50/month against $300 billed every two years. Trade-off: the free plan is capped at three of each per month.
Best for: freelancers whose income comes from scoped client deals and who want the quotation, the signed agreement, the invoice and the follow-up on one record, with a check on the terms before sending. Pricing: free plan (4 deals a month with quotations); Pro at ₹99/month or ₹999/year, bought in India only today. Trade-off: no time tracking, client portal, accounting or online payment collection.
The free plan (4 deals a month, each with its quotation) and the 7-day Pro trial are open in every country, with no card. Paid plans can currently be bought in India only (₹99/month or ₹999/year); we can't yet take payments from other countries, and we'll say so here as soon as that changes.
Prices in one table
| Tool | Plan | Monthly | Annual billing | Notes from the pricing page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moxie Trial: 14 days | Starter | $12 | $10 | |
| Pro | $25 | $20 | Adds a white-labelled client portal, workflow automation and integrations | |
| Teams | $40 | $32 | Up to five team members | |
| HoneyBook Trial: 30 days, no card | Starter | $29 | $29 | |
| Essentials | $59 | $49 | Adds scheduler, automations and QuickBooks Online integration | |
| Premium | $129 | $109 | ||
| Dubsado Trial: 21 days | Starter | — | $335/year | About $27.92/month |
| Premier | — | $525/year | About $43.75/month; adds unlimited lead forms, advanced scheduling, automated workflows | |
| Indy Trial: 7 days on Pro | Free | $0 | — | 3 proposals, contracts, invoices and clients per month |
| Pro | $12.50/month | $300 every 2 years | Unlimited proposals, contracts, invoices and clients |
Prices read from Moxie's pricing page, HoneyBook's pricing page, Dubsado's pricing page, Indy's pricing page on . Prices change — check the vendor before you buy.
What each one lists, feature by feature
| Bonsai | Moxie | HoneyBook | Indy | DealInSec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proposals / quotations | Proposals (Essentials) | Proposals, quotes (Starter) | Proposals (Starter) | Proposals | Quotations, with a client acceptance link (Free) |
| Contracts / e-signature | Contracts (Essentials) | Contracts (Starter) | Contracts (Starter) | Contracts | Agreements with a public signing link (Pro) |
| Invoicing | Invoices (Essentials) | Invoicing (Starter) | Invoices (Starter) | Invoices | Invoices from the agreement (Pro) |
| Collects payments online | Yes — invoices & payments | Yes — invoicing & payments | Yes — card fees listed | — | No — tracks payment status; your client pays you directly |
| Time tracking | Yes (Basic) | Yes | — | Yes | No |
| Client portal | Yes (Essentials) | White-labelled portal (Pro) | Yes (Starter) | Branded portal (Pro) | No — public links for a quotation and an agreement |
| Accounting / expenses | Expense & income tracking (Essentials) | Basic accounting | QuickBooks Online integration (Essentials) | — | No |
| Checks terms for scope risk before you send | — | — | — | — | Yes — Protection Check |
"—" means the feature is not listed on that vendor's pricing page on the review date. It does not prove the product lacks it — check the vendor.
Dubsado is left out of this table because its pricing page lists features by plan in a different shape; see its pricing page above.
How to choose
- You track hours or bill by the hour: pick a suite with time tracking (Bonsai, Moxie or Indy). DealInSec doesn't have it.
- You want clients to log in and see everything: choose one with a client portal.
- You mostly sell scoped projects and lose money to scope creep or late payment: the deal-to-paid workflow and the pre-send check are the point of DealInSec.
- You want to start free: Indy's and DealInSec's free plans cover different limits — three of each document a month versus four deals a month with quotations.
- You need to take card payments through the tool: Bonsai, Moxie and HoneyBook list it; DealInSec doesn't.
For the head-to-head with the most-searched option, see Bonsai vs DealInSec; for the wider picture, freelance business management software.
How this comparison was made
Each competitor's prices and features were read from that vendor's own pricing page on (Bonsai, Moxie, HoneyBook, Dubsado, Indy). Aggregator and review sites were not used as sources, because they disagree with each other and with the vendors. Feature cells contain only what the vendor's pricing page lists. DealInSec's column describes what the product does today, including what it does not do. We make DealInSec, so read this with that in mind and verify anything that matters to you on the vendors' own sites.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Bonsai?
It depends on what you need. Moxie is the closest all-in-one at a lower entry price, HoneyBook suits client-services businesses that want lead forms and scheduling, Indy has a free tier, and DealInSec suits freelancers who want each client deal — quotation, signed agreement, invoice, payment status — on one record. This page compares them without ranking them.
Is there a free alternative to Bonsai?
Indy lists a free plan with three proposals, contracts, invoices and clients a month, and DealInSec's free plan covers four deals a month with quotations. Bonsai offers a 7-day free trial rather than a free plan.
How much does Bonsai cost?
On Bonsai's own pricing page on 26 September 2026: Basic $15, Essentials $25, Premium $39 and Elite $59 per user per month, or $9, $19, $29 and $49 per user per month when billed annually. Invoicing, proposals and contracts start on Essentials. Check the page before you buy, as prices change.
Can I use DealInSec's paid plan outside India?
Not yet. The free plan and the 7-day Pro trial are open in every country, but paid plans can currently be bought in India only. We can't yet take payments from other countries.
Why do other comparison sites show different prices?
Vendors change plans and prices, and third-party sites often lag or mix monthly and annual figures. The prices here were read from each vendor's own pricing page on the date shown, and that date is printed next to every table.