The best Bonsai alternatives in 2026
Bonsai has great proposal and contract templates — but at $21–32/mo with online payments gated behind higher plans, many freelancers find better value elsewhere.
TL;DR
You need time tracking as…
→ kinako.
You need all the features…
→ kinako.
You want powerful automation and…
→ Dubsado
You're a wedding/event pro who…
→ HoneyBook
About Bonsai
Bonsai is a well-designed freelance management platform with particularly strong proposal and contract templates. It's a good product — clean UI, time tracking, task management. The value proposition breaks down when you compare pricing: $21/mo for the Starter plan, but online Stripe payments and key features require the $32/mo Professional plan. And there's still no expense tracking at any tier. At $32/mo, you're paying more than competing tools with fewer features.
Where Bonsai shines
- Excellent proposal and contract template library
- Clean, modern interface that's easy to learn
- Good time tracking and project management
- Internationally available
- Reliable, established product
Why people look for alternatives
- Online payments require the higher-tier plan, per their published pricing — the Starter plan does not include card payments
- Expense tracking is not part of its core feature set on standard plans
- Client portal is described as more basic than HoneyBook or Dubsado in user reviews
- Some user reviews describe the Starter plan as limited for its price
- Pricing is higher than several alternatives at comparable feature levels
- No free plan
Feature comparison
Bonsai vs. the top alternatives — side by side.
| Feature | kinako.us | bonsai | HoneyBook | Dubsado | Moxie |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free / $19/mo | $21/mo | $16/mo | $20/mo | $16/mo |
| Free plan | |||||
| Online payments included | Pro+ only | ||||
| Contracts + e-signatures | Some tiers | ||||
| Expense tracking | |||||
| Time tracking | |||||
| Client portal | Basic | ||||
| Revenue dashboard |
The best Bonsai alternatives
Detailed breakdown of each option.
kinako.
This is usOne tool to run your entire freelance business
Free · Pro from $19/mo
Free plan available
Best for: Solo freelancers who want everything in one place — invoicing, contracts, proposals, client portal, expenses, and project tracking — without paying for five tools
Pros
- All-in-one workflow at $19/mo — replaces a $60–90/mo stack
- Online Stripe payments out of the box
- Contracts with e-signatures included at all paid tiers
- Expense tracking + revenue dashboard
- Free plan available (3 clients/projects/invoices)
- Clean, modern UI — no setup overwhelm
- Recurring invoices + automated payment reminders
Cons
- Newer product — smaller community and fewer tutorials than HoneyBook or Dubsado
- No native scheduling or Calendly-style booking tool (use scheduling link in profile)
- No team/multi-user accounts yet
HoneyBook
Client management platform for creative professionals
From $16/mo
Best for: Wedding photographers, event planners, and creative agencies who need polished proposals, automation workflows, and a recognizable brand in the industry
Pros
- Large, established community with extensive tutorials and templates
- Powerful automation workflows (e.g., auto-send contract when inquiry form is filled)
- Polished proposal and contract builder
- Built-in scheduling (Calendly alternative)
- Strong mobile app
Cons
- Expensive: full features require $32/mo plan
- No free plan — 7-day trial only
- No expense tracking
- Limited project management depth
- US and Canada only
- Can feel overkill for solo freelancers with simple needs
Dubsado
Client management for creative entrepreneurs
From $20/mo
Best for: Photographers, videographers, and designers who want deep customization, complex automation workflows, and full control over every client touchpoint
Pros
- Highly customizable forms, proposals, and workflows
- Unlimited clients and projects on all plans
- Strong automation builder for complex multi-step client journeys
- Good value at $20/mo given feature depth
- Active user community with shared templates
Cons
- Complex setup — user reviews commonly cite 40–60 hours to fully configure
- UI feels dated in places, per user reviews
- No expense tracking on its published plans
- Significant learning curve before users describe seeing full value
- No free plan — 21-day trial
- Mobile app described as more limited than competitors in user reviews
Moxie
Business hub for freelancers
From $16/mo
Best for: Freelancers who want strong project management alongside client communication, with a simpler setup than Dubsado
Pros
- Good project and task management
- Clean interface, easier to get started than Dubsado
- Scheduling tool included
- Forms and client communication built in
- Reasonable price
Cons
- Newer product — fewer community resources and tutorials
- E-signatures not included in all tiers
- Expense tracking is limited
- Fewer proposal customization options than HoneyBook or Dubsado
- No free plan
- Less established reputation
FreshBooks
Accounting and invoicing for small businesses
From $19/mo
Best for: Freelancers and small businesses who need proper accounting, double-entry bookkeeping, tax reporting, and payroll — not CRM or proposals
Pros
- Excellent accounting features — double-entry bookkeeping, tax summaries, P&L reports
- Time tracking built in
- Strong recurring invoicing and expense tracking
- Well-established with integrations for accountants
- Good mobile app
Cons
- No proposals or contracts — not a CRM at all
- No client portal or project sharing
- Very expensive for what freelancers actually need ($19–$60/mo)
- Lite plan limited to 5 clients
- Overkill if you don't need accounting — you're paying for features you won't use
Which one should you pick?
The honest answer: it depends on how you work.
kinako has built-in time tracking tied to projects and clients, with one-click invoice line items — for $19/mo vs. Bonsai's $21–32/mo.
At $19/mo with Stripe payments, expense tracking, and a full client portal, it's a better deal at every price point.
More configurable than Bonsai for complex client journeys at a lower price.
Better automation and scheduling tools for event-based workflows.
Everything Bonsai offers — plus expense tracking — for $19/mo
kinako includes online Stripe payments at every paid tier, expense tracking, a revenue dashboard, and a full client portal. No feature gating.
Free plan · No credit card required