ComparEdge
Bonsai pricing plans
★★★★ 4.4 CE

Bonsai Pricing: Plans & Cost Calculator 2026

Essentials at $15/user/mo is the most popular of Bonsai's 4 plans, which range from $15 to $59/user/mo with no free tier.

Bonsai plans and pricing

High· Verified July 2, 2026
7-day free trial

Basic

$15/user/mo
monthlyor$108/yrsave 40%

Best for: Track time + manage occasional projects

  • Time tracking
  • task management
  • unlimited projects
  • CRM
  • service library
View on vendor site
MOST POPULAR

Essentials

$25/user/mo
monthlyor$228/yrsave 24%

Best for: End-to-end client + project management

  • Everything in Basic
  • Invoices & Payments
  • Proposals & Contracts
  • All templates
  • Forms & Questionnaires
View on vendor site

Premium

$39/user/mo
monthlyor$348/yrsave 26%

Best for: Advanced client/project mgmt + reporting

  • Everything in Essentials
  • Project insights
  • Workload management
  • Gantt view
  • Deals pipeline
View on vendor site

Elite

$59/user/mo
monthlyor$588/yrsave 17%

Best for: Powerful team management + reporting + onboarding

  • Everything in Premium
  • Custom permissions
  • Timesheet locking
  • Xero integration
  • Powerful team management
View on vendor site

Bonsai pricing: the quick answer

Quick answerLast verified: July 2, 2026High

Bonsai charges per user and runs $15 to $59 per user per month as of July 6, 2026, across four plans with no free tier. Basic is $15, Essentials $25, Premium $39, and Elite $59, and paying annually drops those to $9, $19, $29, and $49 per user. Invoicing and contracts only start on Essentials, so the $15 Basic tier is really a time-tracking and CRM plan. Elite also carries a three-user minimum, so the floor is three seats at $49 each on annual billing. Fine for solo freelancers, pricey once a team forms.

  • Basic$15/user/mo
  • Essentials$25/user/mo
  • Premium$39/user/mo
  • Elite$59/user/mo
Use the interactive Bonsai pricing calculator to estimate your exact monthly cost at your team size, with annual-billing savings and the hidden costs counted in.
Free tier
No
Billing model
Per Seat
Cheapest paid
$15/user/mo
Annual discount
Save ~40%

At $15/mo to start, Bonsai sits 25% below the $20/mo median across 13 accounting tools we track.


Bonsai cost calculator

What Bonsai really costs

What sits on top of the plan fee

Bonsai's sticker is honest per seat, but two things shape what you actually commit to: which tier includes the feature you came for, and the seat floor on the top plan.

Elite's three-user minimum
Elite is the only tier with the Xero integration and custom permissions, and it will not sell you a single seat. The floor is three users, so even a two-person shop pays for three: $59 per user monthly comes to $177 a month, or $147 a month if you commit annually at $49 per user. Budget for the empty seat if you need what Elite gates.
3 users min, ~$147/mo annual floor
Core billing features start on Essentials
Basic at $15 per user looks cheap until you notice it has no invoicing, no contracts, and no proposals. The moment you need to bill a client you are on Essentials at $25 per user monthly, or $19 annually. For a solo freelancer that is the real entry price, not $15.
$25/user/mo (Essentials)
Xero sync locked to the top tier
If you keep your books in Xero, syncing to it means Elite at $59 per user per month plus that three-user minimum. A single freelancer who wants Xero cannot get there cheaply; they pay for two seats they will never fill. Teams of 30 or more can ask Bonsai for a reduced rate instead.
Elite $59/user/mo

Pricing Expert Take

Independent analysis · Bonsai

Value Analysis

$15/mo25% below median
Category median: $20/moBased on 13 products in this category

Bonsai bills per seat: Basic at $15/user/mo, Essentials at $25/user/mo, Premium at $39/user/mo, and Elite at $59/user/mo, with annual billing cutting those to $9, $19, $29, and $49 per user. The catch is that Basic is not really an accounting plan. Invoices, payments, proposals, and contracts all start on Essentials, so the honest entry price for anyone billing clients is $25 per user, or $19 annually. Premium and Elite add project reporting and integrations, but the value curve flattens fast for a one-person shop.

Hidden Costs

  • Elite carries a 3-user minimum, so the real floor is about $147/mo on annual billing even if you only need one seat.
  • The Xero integration is locked to Elite at $59/user/mo, which penalizes small teams that want to sync their books.
  • A few advertised features (whitelabel custom domain, project phases, task estimates) are listed as expected to release during 2026, so confirm they are live before paying for them.

Red Flags

Based on analysis of recent Reddit and G2 discussions.

Green Wins

  • Annual billing is roughly four months free, close to 33% off every tier.
  • Basic already includes CRM, unlimited projects, and unlimited clients, which is generous for $9/user annually.
  • Teams of 30+ users can negotiate a reduced per-seat rate.

Verdict

Solo freelancers should plan on Essentials at $25/user/mo, since Basic cannot invoice. Small teams that need the Xero sync get pushed to Elite and its three-seat floor, which is where Bonsai stops being a value pick. If you want a mature accounting platform without paying a premium for basic integrations, QuickBooks Online is the sharper choice.

ComparEdge EditorialUpdated: July 2, 2026

Bonsai price history


Expert verified·Updated July 6, 2026
Price & Data Intelligence SyncLast verified: July 2, 2026 · CE-ACCT-2026W26-96E384 · ✓ Pricing updated May 30, 2026
Up to date

Cheaper Accounting tools


Frequently asked questions

How does Bonsai pricing compare?

See how Bonsai's 4 pricing plans stack up against similar Accounting tools.


Research Reports


Sources & Data Trail · Bonsai

  1. 1.Official Pricing Page·Source of verified tiers(Checked: 2026-07-02)
  2. 2.Official Website·Official vendor website
  3. 3.G2·G2 verified user reviews · 4.3/5 · 101 reviews
  4. 4.Capterra·Capterra verified user reviews · 4.5/5