Softwr

Professional Services · head to head

BigTime vs Bonsai

BigTime logo

BigTime

Professional Services

The all-in-one solution for growing, single-entity firms

From
$20/user/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Bonsai logo

Bonsai

Professional Services

All-in-one business management for freelancers and agencies

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Bonsai has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: BigTime advanced and Premier pricing not specified; requires contacting sales; 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 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BigTime and Bonsai actually diverge.

Attributes where BigTime and Bonsai differ
AttributeBigTimeBonsai
Starting price$20/user/monthFree
Free tierNoYes

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Professional Services).

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

BigTime

  • Professional services time trackingnot Bonsai
  • Project-based billingnot Bonsai
  • Multi-team resource managementnot Bonsai

Bonsai

  • Freelance project trackingnot BigTime
  • Client invoicing and proposalsnot BigTime
  • Team time and expense managementnot BigTime

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

BigTime

  • Advanced and Premier pricing not specified; requires contacting sales
  • Specific feature costs for optional modules not disclosed

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

BigTime

$20/user/month
  • Essentials$20/user/month
    • Time tracking
    • Invoicing
    • Expense management
  • Advanced$null/user/month
    • Multi-currency expense management
    • Custom reporting center
    • Project templates
  • Premier$null/user/month
    • Multi-currency invoicing
    • Custom cost and rate management
    • Project budgeting
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • Custom pricing
    • Multi-entity, multi-currency
    • Optional modules for Services CPQ and Resource Management

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 BigTime if

Nothing in the data separates BigTime from Bonsai on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

BigTime review

Choose Bonsai if

  • You want to start without paying.
Bonsai review

Questions people ask

Is BigTime or Bonsai better?
Neither clearly leads. BigTime starts at $20/user/month and Bonsai at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BigTime or Bonsai?
Bonsai has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $20/user/month for BigTime and Free for Bonsai.
Does BigTime or Bonsai run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Bonsai for free?
Yes. Bonsai has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. BigTime starts at $20/user/month.
What is BigTime best used for?
BigTime is most often used for professional services time tracking, project-based billing, multi-team resource management. Of those, professional services time tracking and project-based billing are not what Bonsai is typically brought in for.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

BigTime: What is BigTime's starting price per user?

BigTime's Essentials plan starts at $20 per user per month and includes time tracking, invoicing, expense management, and payments.

Source
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.

Source
BigTime: What features are included in BigTime's Essentials tier?

Essentials includes time and expense tracking, project portfolio management, billing and invoicing, automatic reconciliation, QuickBooks integration, and AI Assistant.

Source
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.

Source
BigTime: What additional capabilities does the Premier plan add?

Premier adds multi-currency invoicing, custom cost and rate management, project budgeting, and multi-level approvals to all Advanced features.

Source
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).

Source
BigTime: What modules are available as add-ons in BigTime?

BigTime offers three optional modules: Services CPQ (BigTime Quotes), Resource Management, and Data Hub available for additional fees.

Source
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.

Source
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