Softwr

Professional Services · head to head

Bonsai vs Guru

Bonsai logo

Bonsai

Professional Services

All-in-one business management for freelancers and agencies

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Guru logo

Guru

Professional Services

Find freelancers, find a job

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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; Guru higher tiers all include 600 bids; no bid increases from Business to Executive
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bonsai and Guru actually diverge.

Attributes where Bonsai and Guru differ
AttributeBonsaiGuru

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (subscription), free tier (Yes), 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 Guru
  • Client invoicing and proposalsnot Guru
  • Team time and expense managementnot Guru

Guru

  • Connecting freelancers with employers for competitive project biddingnot Bonsai
  • Managing multiple contractors as a distributed freelance businessnot Bonsai
  • Standing out in competitive freelance bidding with premium quotesnot Bonsai
  • Managing monthly bid limits for active freelancersnot Bonsai
  • Improving profile ranking in freelancer search resultsnot 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

Guru

  • Higher tiers all include 600 bids; no bid increases from Business to Executive
  • Membership purchases are non-refundable
  • No free trial period before commitment

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

Guru

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 120 bids annually
    • 9% job fee
    • No premium features
  • Basic+$11.95/month
    • 120 bids annually
    • 9% job fee
    • Annual: $8.95/month
  • Professional$21.95/month
    • 600 bids annually
    • 7% job fee
    • Premium quotes
  • Business$33.95/month
    • 600 bids annually
    • 6% job fee
    • All Professional features

Which should you pick?

Choose Bonsai if

  • You want to start without paying.
Bonsai review

Choose Guru if

  • You want to start without paying.
Guru review

Questions people ask

Is Bonsai or Guru better?
Neither clearly leads. Bonsai starts at Free and Guru at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bonsai or Guru?
Bonsai starts at Free and Guru at Free.
Does Bonsai or Guru run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Bonsai for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Guru 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
Guru: Is there a free Guru membership?

Yes, Guru offers a free tier with 120 annual bids and a 9% job fee on earnings.

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
Guru: What is Guru's job fee structure?

Guru charges job fees that decrease with membership tier: Free 9%, Basic+ 9%, Professional 7%, Business 6%, Executive 5%.

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
Guru: Does Guru offer annual billing discounts?

Yes. Annual plans offer up to 27% savings. For example, Professional is $15.95/month billed annually versus $21.95/month on a monthly plan.

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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