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Professional Services · head to head

Bonsai vs Certinia PSA

Bonsai logo

Bonsai

Professional Services

All-in-one business management for freelancers and agencies

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Certinia PSA logo

Certinia PSA

Professional Services

AI-powered PSA suite, Salesforce-native

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Bonsai has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Bonsai elite plan, the only tier with custom permissions, timesheet locking and Xero integration, requires a 3 user minimum at $49/user/month; Certinia PSA no pricing information is published on the pricing page
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bonsai and Certinia PSA actually diverge.

Attributes where Bonsai and Certinia PSA differ
AttributeBonsaiCertinia PSA
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo

Identical on both: 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.

Bonsai

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

Certinia PSA

  • Connecting project delivery to revenuenot Bonsai
  • Planning resource utilization across projectsnot Bonsai
  • Tracking customer health and expansionnot Bonsai
  • Automating workflow from deal to closeoutnot Bonsai

Where each one falls short

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

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

Certinia PSA

  • No pricing information is published on the pricing page
  • Pricing model is not disclosed; visitors are prompted to request a demo instead

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Certinia PSA

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Certinia PSA review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Bonsai if

  • You want to start without paying.
Bonsai review

Choose Certinia PSA if

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

Certinia PSA review

Questions people ask

Is Bonsai or Certinia PSA better?
Neither clearly leads. Bonsai starts at Free and Certinia PSA at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bonsai or Certinia PSA?
Bonsai has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bonsai and On request for Certinia PSA.
Does Bonsai or Certinia PSA 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. Certinia PSA starts at On request.
What is Bonsai best used for?
Bonsai is most often used for freelance project tracking, client invoicing and proposals, team time and expense management. Of those, freelance project tracking and client invoicing and proposals are not what Certinia PSA is typically brought in for.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Certinia PSA: How much does Certinia PSA cost?

Certinia does not publish pricing on its website. The pricing page directs visitors to request a demo instead of displaying pricing tiers or costs.

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
Certinia PSA: What is Certinia's pricing model?

The pricing model is not disclosed. Certinia's approach appears to be quote-based, requiring a sales consultation before pricing is revealed.

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
Certinia PSA: Is there a free trial or free tier?

No information about free trials or free tiers is provided on the pricing page.

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
Certinia PSA: How do I obtain pricing information?

Request a demo through Certinia's website to speak with their sales team about pricing for their Professional Services Cloud, Financial Management Cloud, and other solutions.

Source
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