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Professional Services · head to head

Bonsai vs Freelancer.com

Bonsai logo

Bonsai

Professional Services

All-in-one business management for freelancers and agencies

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Freelancer.com logo

Freelancer.com

Professional Services

Find the best freelancers for any job online

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; Freelancer.com employers pay 3% or $3.00 USD minimum on fixed-price projects when awarding
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bonsai and Freelancer.com actually diverge.

Attributes where Bonsai and Freelancer.com differ
AttributeBonsaiFreelancer.com
Pricing modelsubscriptiontransaction

Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 Freelancer.com
  • Client invoicing and proposalsnot Freelancer.com
  • Team time and expense managementnot Freelancer.com

Freelancer.com

  • Posting projects and collecting competitive bids without upfront costnot Bonsai
  • Engaging hourly contractors with flexible staffing and per-payment feesnot Bonsai
  • Running design contests where employers only pay if satisfiednot Bonsai
  • Securing work payments held by platform until contractor approvalnot Bonsai
  • Identifying vetted freelancers through Verified by Freelancer badgesnot 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

Freelancer.com

  • Employers pay 3% or $3.00 USD minimum on fixed-price projects when awarding
  • Freelancers pay 10% or $5.00 USD minimum on fixed-price projects
  • Preferred Freelancer Program charges 15% on recruiter projects
  • Maintenance fee up to $14.00 per month for accounts inactive 6+ months
  • Withdrawal fees range from $1.00 to $25.00 depending on method

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

Freelancer.com

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Freelancer.com review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Bonsai if

  • You want to start without paying.
Bonsai review

Choose Freelancer.com if

  • You want to start without paying.
Freelancer.com review

Questions people ask

Is Bonsai or Freelancer.com better?
Neither clearly leads. Bonsai starts at Free and Freelancer.com at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bonsai or Freelancer.com?
Bonsai starts at Free and Freelancer.com at Free.
Does Bonsai or Freelancer.com 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 Freelancer.com 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
Freelancer.com: What are Freelancer.com's fees?

Employers pay 3% or $3.00 USD (whichever is greater) when awarding fixed-price projects and 3% on hourly payments. Freelancers pay 10% or $5.00 USD minimum on fixed-price projects, 10% on hourly payments, and 10% or $5.00 USD on contest prizes. The Preferred Freelancer Program charges 15% on recruiter projects.

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
Freelancer.com: What are the payment processing and withdrawal fees on Freelancer?

Payment processing fees are $0.30 USD plus 2.3% for credit card, PayPal, or Skrill. Withdrawal fees are $1.00 for PayPal/Skrill/Payoneer and $25.00 for international wire transfers.

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
Freelancer.com: What optional upgrades are available for Freelancer projects?

Featured and Urgent upgrades cost $10.99 each, Private/NDA/IP Agreement upgrades cost $22.99 each, and Full Time projects cost $240.00. Projects also have a Verification Badge option at $99.00 (regular), $79.00 (Preferred), or $59.00 (Rising Stars).

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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