Bonsai vs HoneyBook

by Gralio Mar 12, 2025

Bonsai and HoneyBook are both business management platforms catering to freelancers and small businesses. Bonsai excels in time tracking and project management, while HoneyBook prioritizes client communication and payment processing. Choosing the right platform depends on your specific needs and priorities for managing your business.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 436 reviews and 60 websites, saving 2 hours, 55 minutes of reading.

Bonsai

Website LinkedIn Twitter

HoneyBook

Website LinkedIn Twitter

About

Bonsai is an all-in-one business management platform designed for agencies, consultants, and freelancers. It helps you manage clients, projects, billing, and more from a single location. Bonsai offers tools like time tracking, invoicing, contract creation, and expense tracking to simplify your workflow and improve efficiency. It aims to save you time and get you paid faster by automating tasks like recurring billing, payment reminders, and expense reports.

HoneyBook is a client management platform designed for small businesses and freelancers in the USA. It brings together tools like invoicing, online payments, scheduling, contracts, and proposals into one system. HoneyBook aims to streamline client interactions, get you paid faster, and reduce administrative tasks. It also boasts integrations with popular tools like Quickbooks, Zoom, and Google Calendar.

Summary

Main difference

Bonsai is a comprehensive business management platform best suited for freelancers and agencies needing robust time-tracking, invoicing, and contract features. HoneyBook focuses on streamlining client interactions and payments, making it ideal for client-facing businesses prioritizing smooth communication and payment processing.

Relative strengths of Bonsai (compared to HoneyBook)

Bonsai offers stronger time-tracking features directly integrated with invoicing.
Bonsai provides a wider array of customizable contract and proposal templates.
Bonsai's pricing is more transparent with clear annual plans.

Relative weaknesses of Bonsai (compared to HoneyBook)

HoneyBook offers more integrations with popular tools like Quickbooks, Zoom, and Google Calendar.
HoneyBook provides a dedicated client portal for seamless communication and payment management.
HoneyBook's user interface is generally perceived as more intuitive and easier to navigate initially.

Who should use Bonsai VS. HoneyBook

Bonsai is an all-in-one business management platform for freelancers and agencies. Streamline client management, projects, billing, and time tracking. Users love the user-friendly interface and automated payment reminders but dislike high transaction fees. Perfect for small to medium businesses seeking a simple solution to manage their business.

HoneyBook is a client management platform ideal for freelancers and small businesses. Users praise its centralized system, user-friendly interface, and automated payment reminders. However, some have noted difficulties with initial setup and occasional invoicing inaccuracies. HoneyBook streamlines client interactions, helping you get paid faster.

Best for small to medium-sized businesses (1-100 employees) and freelancers.
Ideal for professional services such as software development, marketing, and consulting.

Best for small businesses (1-100 employees), a good fit for medium businesses (101-1000).
Ideal for creative and service-based businesses, especially in media, hospitality, or professional services.

Bonsai and HoneyBook features

Supported

Partially supported

Not supported

Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

Invoicing

Supported

Bonsai allows creating and sending professional invoices with customizable templates and automated reminders.

Supported

HoneyBook allows creating and sending customizable invoices with integrated payment processing.
Invoice sending

Supported

Bonsai allows sending invoices and customizing messages.

Supported

HoneyBook allows creating and sending invoices with online payment options.
Client portal access

Supported

Clients can access invoices and payment history via a secure link sent to their email.

Supported

Clients can access and manage invoices and payment history through the client portal.
Online payments

Supported

Bonsai allows clients to pay invoices online via credit card or bank transfer.

Supported

HoneyBook allows clients to pay invoices directly online using various payment methods.
Invoice templates

Supported

Bonsai offers hundreds of customizable invoice templates.

Supported

HoneyBook offers various customizable pre-built invoice templates.
Invoice creation

Supported

Bonsai allows creating and customizing invoices, including recurring and subscription invoices.

Supported

HoneyBook allows creating and customizing invoices, including setting payment schedules.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

+0.25

Neutral sentiment

-0.71

Strongly negative sentiment
Customer Service

+0.23

Neutral sentiment

+0

Neutral sentiment
Ease of Use

+0.83

Strongly positive sentiment

+0.61

Rather positive sentiment
Reliability and Performance

+0.56

Rather positive sentiment

+0.08

Neutral sentiment
Ease of Implementation

+0.75

Strongly positive sentiment

-0.33

Rather negative sentiment
Scalability

+0.6

Rather positive sentiment

-1

Strongly negative sentiment

Bonsai and HoneyBook Pricing

No data

User sentiment

Neutral

+0.25

See full Pricing page

HoneyBook offers a 7-day free trial and three pricing tiers: Starter, Essentials, and Premium. The platform provides tools for client and project management, invoicing, contract signing, scheduling, and more. HoneyBook integrates with QuickBooks Online. The AI Assistant is available in beta on all plans.

Plans

User sentiment

Strongly negative

-0.71

See full Pricing page

Bonsai and HoneyBook review insights

356 reviews analysed from and

Users love

User-friendly interface praised for its simplicity and ease of use.
All-in-one platform integrates essential freelance tools like time tracking, invoicing, contracts, and proposals.
Contract and proposal templates are highly appreciated for saving time and ensuring professionalism.
Automated payment reminders and streamlined workflows improve efficiency.
Excellent customer support, when available, is praised for its helpfulness and responsiveness.

Centralized platform for contracts, invoices, and payments, streamlining client interactions.
User-friendly interface and easy navigation.
Automated payment reminders contribute to timely payments.
Professional templates enhance business appearance and client experience.
Excellent customer support praised for responsiveness and helpfulness.

Users dislike

High transaction fees and delayed payouts are frequently criticized.
Difficulty contacting customer support and slow response times are common complaints.
Account cancellations without clear explanations frustrate some users.
Limited customization options for contracts and invoices are a drawback for some.
Lack of advanced project management features like a Kanban board is a common request.

Difficult initial setup process, leaving some users feeling scattered.
Problems with payment processing times, sometimes exceeding the stated 2-3 business days.
Inaccurate invoicing reported, requiring manual monitoring.
Limited customization options for proposals and brochures.
Steep learning curve, especially for advanced features and new updates.

Bonsai and HoneyBook Ratings

G2

4.3/5

(101)
Capterra

4.6/5

(79)
TrustPilot

4.3/5

(60)

G2

4.5/5

(176)
TrustPilot

3.9/5

(20)
Glassdoor

4.2/5

(143)

Company health

Employee growth

4% increase in the last year

No change in the last year

Web traffic

16% decrease in the last quarter

1% decrease in the last quarter

Financing

December 2015 - $120K

July 2021 - $498M

How do Bonsai's project management tools compare to HoneyBook's client workflow automation?

Bonsai focuses on project management tools like time tracking, invoicing, and contract creation, while HoneyBook emphasizes client workflow automation with features such as online payments, scheduling, automated reminders, and a client portal. While both offer invoicing and contracts, Bonsai leans towards project specifics, whereas HoneyBook prioritizes streamlined client interactions and payment processing.

Which product offers better integration with existing accounting software?

HoneyBook offers better integration with existing accounting software because it explicitly states its integration with QuickBooks, a popular accounting software. While Bonsai offers accounting features, it doesn't mention specific integrations with other accounting platforms.

What are the advantages of Bonsai?

Bonsai offers a broader range of features specifically designed for freelancers and agencies, including time tracking, expense tracking, and billable time integration with invoicing, which are not present in HoneyBook. Users praise Bonsai's user-friendly interface and all-in-one platform approach, consolidating essential tools. While both offer contract and proposal templates, Bonsai caters to a wider variety of professional services industries beyond HoneyBook's focus on creative and service-based businesses.

What are the disadvantages of Bonsai?

Bonsai users dislike high transaction fees and delayed payouts. Some users have reported difficulty contacting customer support and slow response times. A few users have experienced account cancellations without clear explanations. Limited customization options for contracts and invoices are a drawback for some, and there is a lack of advanced project management features like a Kanban board.

Alternatives to Bonsai and HoneyBook

17hats

17hats is a business management software designed for freelancers and small businesses. It offers tools to manage client interactions, including contracts, invoices, online payments, scheduling, and communication. 17hats aims to simplify administrative tasks and provide a central hub for managing client-based businesses.

Hurdlr

Hurdlr is business accounting software designed for small to mid-sized companies in the USA. It offers a range of features from expense tracking and invoicing to tax calculation and financial statement generation. Hurdlr aims to simplify accounting tasks and provide a real-time overview of a company's financial health. It can be integrated into existing platforms and offers customization options to suit different business needs.

Dubsado

Dubsado is a business management tool that helps you organize and automate client interactions. It offers customizable templates for contracts, invoices, and forms, simplifying your workflow and making your business look professional. Dubsado also includes scheduling features, client portals for easy communication, and payment processing. It is suitable for businesses of all sizes and is particularly popular with creative entrepreneurs and freelancers.

Plutio

Plutio is an all-in-one business management software designed for freelancers and small businesses. It allows you to manage projects, communicate with clients, share files, create proposals, send invoices, track time, and get paid, all within a single platform. Plutio aims to simplify business operations by offering a centralized hub for various tasks, eliminating the need for multiple applications. It's highly customizable, adaptable to different work styles, and includes features like real-time collaboration, automation, and integrations with popular tools.

BQE CORE

BQE CORE is an all-in-one business management software designed specifically for architecture, engineering, and professional services firms. It combines project management, time tracking, billing, accounting, and reporting into a single platform. This helps firms manage projects, track time and expenses, invoice clients, and gain insights into their financial health. BQE CORE aims to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and increase profitability for professional service providers. It offers a range of features including project accounting, real-time reporting, and integrations with other business tools. BQE CORE is accessible from any device with a browser or through their mobile app.

Flowlu

Flowlu is an all-in-one business management software designed for small to medium-sized businesses. It offers tools for project management, CRM, invoicing, team collaboration, and knowledge management. Flowlu aims to streamline your workflow and centralize business operations in one platform. Key features include task and time tracking, financial management, agile project management, and a client portal. Flowlu is praised for its ease of use and comprehensive set of features, making it a suitable solution for various industries.

Page co-authored by

Michal Kaczor

CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

Tymon Terlikiewicz

CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

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