Simple vs Bonsai
Last reviewed: September 2026
Bonsai pricing is per user: $15, $25, $39 or $59 a month for each seat, and the $15 Basic plan cannot send invoices. Bonsai Payments charges 2.9% + 30¢ on cards and 3.25% + 30¢ on Amex. Simple is one price for 5 or 10 users, at 2.79% on every card.
Competitor pricing last reviewed September 2026. Published rates change; check the vendor's current pricing page: Bonsai pricing pricing, Bonsai help center pricing.
Key facts: Simple vs Bonsai
- Bonsai is priced per user: Basic $15, Essentials $25, Premium $39, Elite $59 monthly. Published by Bonsai.
- Basic has no invoicing, proposals or contracts. Elite has a 3-user minimum.
- Using Stripe or PayPal instead of Bonsai Payments adds a 1% platform fee (1.35% on Amex).
- Simple: $99 for 5 users, $199 for 10, 2.79% on every card, no per-transaction fee.
How much does each Bonsai seat cost?
| Bonsai plan | Per user, monthly | Per user, annual | What it adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $15 | $9 | No invoicing, proposals or contracts |
| Essentials | $25 | $19 | Invoices, payments, proposals, contracts, scheduling, client portal, expenses |
| Premium | $39 | $29 | Pipeline, Gantt, profit reports, QuickBooks, Xero and Zapier |
| Elite | $59 | $49 | 3-user minimum |
Published by Bonsai at hellobonsai.com/pricing, reviewed September 2026. 7-day trial, cancel anytime.
Every person you add multiplies the bill. Five people on Essentials is $125 a month, and five on Premium is $195. Simple does not count seats that way: 5 users cost $99 on Small and 10 users cost $199 on Medium.
What are Bonsai's payment fees?
| Payment | Bonsai | Simple |
|---|---|---|
| Card | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.79% |
| Amex | 3.25% + 30¢ | 2.79% |
| ACH | 1% ($1 min) | Accepted |
| Instant payout | 1.5% | Next-day and same-day funding available |
| Using Stripe or PayPal | +1% platform fee (1.35% on Amex) | Not applicable |
Bonsai fees published by Bonsai in its help center.
The platform fee is the one to watch. If you already take payments through Stripe or PayPal and keep them, Bonsai adds 1% on top of what those processors charge.
What does a 5-person team pay on Bonsai?
Same firm we use across these pages: $25,000 a month in card invoices, 20 invoices, 40% on Amex or corporate cards, time tracking needed, so Simple is on Medium.
Bonsai Essentials x 5: $15,000 x 2.9% + 12 x $0.30 + $10,000 x 3.25% + 8 x $0.30 = $766/mo + $125 = $10,692/yr
Bonsai Premium x 5 (for profit reports): $766/mo + $195 = $11,532/yr
Simple Medium: $697.50/mo + $199 = $10,758/yr
Bonsai Essentials comes in about $66 a year under Simple Medium. Once the team wants profit reports and moves to Premium, Simple is about $774 a year cheaper, and Simple's revenue and utilization dashboards are already included. A team that skips time tracking would pay $9,558 a year on Simple Small.
Is hellobonsai the same as Bonsai?
Yes. Bonsai's site lives at hellobonsai.com, so many people search for it as hellobonsai. The prices and fees above come from that site.
Who is each tool best for?
- Bonsai is best for solo freelancers who want time tracking, contracts and invoicing in one light tool.
- Simple is best for teams that would pay for five or more Bonsai seats, or that bill a lot on Amex.
More options: HoneyBook alternatives and our consulting software guide.
Who should choose Bonsai instead?
- Solo freelancers, where one Essentials seat at $25 costs less than Simple's $99 plan.
- Anyone who needs Gantt charts, which Simple does not offer.
Frequently asked questions
Bonsai costs $15, $25, $39 or $59 per user each month on Basic, Essentials, Premium and Elite, or $9, $19, $29 and $49 billed annually, as published by Bonsai. Elite requires at least 3 users.
Bonsai Payments charges 2.9% + 30¢ on cards, 3.25% + 30¢ on Amex, 1% on ACH with a $1 minimum and 1.5% for instant payouts, as published in Bonsai's help center.
Yes. If you process through Stripe or PayPal instead of Bonsai Payments, Bonsai adds a 1% platform fee, or 1.35% on Amex, on top of the processor's own fees.
No. Bonsai Basic at $15 per user has no invoicing, proposals or contracts. You need Essentials at $25 per user for invoices and payments.
Simple is one alternative: $99 a month covers 5 users and $199 covers 10, with 2.79% on every card and no per-transaction fee. Dubsado, which includes the owner plus 3 users, is another.
Stop paying per seat
5 users on one $99 plan, 10 on $199, and one card rate for every card.