Freelancers · head to head
Bonsai vs Guru
Bonsai
Freelancers
All-in-one business management for freelancers and agencies
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
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 job fees run 5-9% depending on membership tier, and lower rates require paid plans up to $49.95/month
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Bonsai and Guru actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Freelancers).
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
- Job fees run 5-9% depending on membership tier, and lower rates require paid plans up to $49.95/month
- Membership purchases are non-transferable and non-refundable, and expired members are downgraded to Basic
Pricing, plan by plan
Bonsai
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Bonsai review.
Guru
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Guru review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Bonsai if
Nothing in the data separates Bonsai from Guru on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Choose Guru if
Nothing in the data separates Guru from Bonsai on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is Bonsai or Guru better?
- Neither clearly leads. Bonsai starts at On request and Guru at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Bonsai or Guru?
- Bonsai starts at On request and Guru at On request.
- Does Bonsai or Guru run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.