Proposals · head to head
17hats vs Bonsai
17hats
Proposals
Small business client workflow with quotes, contracts, invoices and automated follow up sequences
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Bonsai
Professional Services
All-in-one business management for freelancers and agencies
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Bonsai has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: 17hats the interface is visibly older than newer competitors, which matters because the client facing documents are part of how a small business presents itself.; Bonsai elite plan, the only tier with custom permissions, timesheet locking and Xero integration, requires a 3 user minimum at $49/user/month
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which 17hats and Bonsai actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in 17hats
- Workflow automation
- Quotes and contracts
- Invoicing and payments
- Lead capture forms
- Questionnaires
- Bookkeeping basics
- Calendar and time tracking
Only in Bonsai
Nothing recorded that 17hats does not also cover.
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
17hats
- A photographer or event professional running the same booking sequence dozens of times a yearnot Bonsai
- Automating deposit invoices and reminders so that chasing payment stops being a weekly tasknot Bonsai
- Capturing enquiries through a public form that starts a quote and contract workflow without manual entrynot Bonsai
- A sole trader who wants client records, contracts and basic bookkeeping in one place rather than threenot Bonsai
Bonsai
- Freelance project trackingnot 17hats
- Client invoicing and proposalsnot 17hats
- Team time and expense managementnot 17hats
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
17hats
- The interface is visibly older than newer competitors, which matters because the client facing documents are part of how a small business presents itself.
- The workflow builder takes real time to learn and configure, so the automation benefit arrives weeks after purchase rather than on the first day.
- A consultancy where no two engagements are alike gets little from the workflow engine, which is most of what the price pays for.
- It is built around a single operator, so a business adding staff or subcontractors runs into structural limits rather than a higher tier.
- Payments run through third party gateways, so card processing fees apply in addition to the subscription and should be included when comparing cost per booking.
Bonsai
- Elite plan, the only tier with custom permissions, timesheet locking and Xero integration, requires a 3 user minimum at $49/user/month
- Invoices, proposals, contracts and the client portal are withheld from the entry Basic plan and only unlocked on Essentials at $19/user/month
- Monthly billing costs noticeably more than annual, for example $15/user/month versus $9/user/month annually on Basic
- Free trial is limited to 7 days
Pricing, plan by plan
17hats
On request- 17hats$undefined/year
- Quotes, contracts and electronic signature
- Invoicing and online payment
- Workflow automation sequences
Bonsai
Free- Basic$15/user/month
- Time tracking, task management, unlimited projects
- 10-100 GB storage
- Essentials$25/user/month
- Invoicing, proposals, contracts, client portal
- 100 GB storage
- Premium$39/user/month
- Reporting, workload management, Gantt view
- 500 GB storage
- Elite$59/user/month
- Custom permissions, timesheet locking, Xero integration
- 500 GB storage
Which should you pick?
Choose 17hats if
- You need workflow automation.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want quotes and contracts.
Questions people ask
- Is 17hats or Bonsai better?
- Neither clearly leads. 17hats starts at On request and Bonsai at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, 17hats or Bonsai?
- Bonsai has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for 17hats and Free for Bonsai.
- Does 17hats or Bonsai run on more platforms?
- 17hats runs on Web, iOS, Android. Bonsai runs on Web.
- Can I use Bonsai for free?
- Yes. Bonsai has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. 17hats starts at On request.
- What is 17hats best used for?
- 17hats is most often used for a photographer or event professional running the same booking sequence dozens of times a year, automating deposit invoices and reminders so that chasing payment stops being a weekly task, capturing enquiries through a public form that starts a quote and contract workflow without manual entry, a sole trader who wants client records, contracts and basic bookkeeping in one place rather than three. Of those, a photographer or event professional running the same booking sequence dozens of times a year and automating deposit invoices and reminders so that chasing payment stops being a weekly task are not what Bonsai is typically brought in for.
- What can 17hats do that Bonsai cannot?
- 17hats covers Workflow automation, Quotes and contracts, Invoicing and payments, Lead capture forms.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
17hats: What is the main reason to choose it?
The workflow engine. If your bookings follow the same sequence every time, that sequence can be automated once and reused.
Bonsai: What is Bonsai's starting price per user?
Bonsai's Basic plan starts at $15 per user per month (or $9 per user per month when billed annually), including time tracking and task management.
Source17hats: Is it worth it for bespoke consulting work?
Rarely. Without repeatable engagements the automation, which is the main value, has nothing to automate.
Bonsai: Does Bonsai offer a free trial?
Yes, Bonsai offers a 7-day free trial with full, unlimited access to the platform before requiring a paid subscription.
Source17hats: Does it handle bookkeeping?
At sole trader level. It is not a replacement for accounting software once complexity grows.
Bonsai: What is the minimum number of users for Bonsai's Elite plan?
Bonsai's Elite plan requires a minimum of 3 users at $59 per user per month (or $49 annually).
Source17hats: Can I add team members?
It is designed for a single operator, and multi person use is awkward rather than supported properly.
Bonsai: How much storage does each Bonsai plan include?
Basic and Essentials plans include 10-100 GB storage; Premium and Elite plans include 500 GB storage per user.
Source17hats: How long before it saves time?
Not immediately. Budget for a configuration period before the workflow automation starts paying back.
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