An all-in-one platform built specifically for freelancers — contracts, invoicing, time tracking, and tax estimation in one place.
Bonsai is a business management platform designed from the ground up for freelancers and independent contractors. Unlike general accounting tools that were adapted for freelance use, Bonsai was built with the freelance workflow in mind — which shows in how its features connect to each other.
The core offering bundles four things that most freelancers manage separately: contracts, invoicing, time tracking, and tax estimation. The idea is that you shouldn't need four different tools and four different subscriptions to run a freelance business.
The integration between features is where Bonsai earns its value. You create a proposal, the client accepts it, that proposal converts to a contract, the contract gets signed, you track time against the project, and that time data feeds directly into an invoice. The whole workflow lives in one place rather than being stitched together across multiple apps.
The tax estimation feature is particularly useful for freelancers in the US who need to make quarterly estimated tax payments. Bonsai tracks your income and expenses and gives you a running estimate of what you'll owe, which removes the unpleasant surprise at tax time.
Bonsai includes a library of contract templates covering common freelance arrangements — project-based work, retainers, consulting agreements, and more. The templates are written in plain language and cover the key clauses that protect freelancers: payment terms, revision limits, kill fees, and intellectual property ownership.
The proposal builder lets you create professional-looking project proposals with scope, timeline, and pricing. Clients can approve proposals directly from their browser without needing a Bonsai account.
Bonsai's pricing starts at around $17/month (billed annually), which is comparable to FreshBooks but covers more ground. Whether it's worth it depends on how many of the features you'll actually use. If you're already happy with your contract tool and invoicing setup, the switching cost may not be justified. But for freelancers starting fresh or frustrated with managing multiple tools, the consolidation is genuinely valuable.
There's a free trial available, which is worth taking seriously — the workflow either clicks for you or it doesn't, and the trial is long enough to find out.