Top 16 Bonsai Alternatives to Try Now

Long gone are the days in which all-in-one project management tools are exclusively used by enterprise-level companies. Access to such tools can be a game changer for businesses of all sizes, including freelancers, and many turn to Bonsai due to the platform’s robust project planning features and financial management abilities. 

However, this isn’t to say that Bonsai is a perfect software solution. In fact, the software that works best for you will depend on your existing workflows and what tools you need to manage projects. 

Whether you’re a frustrated Bonsai user looking for a new system or completely new to the concept of a project management software solution, in this article we’ll compare the top 16 Bonsai alternatives you’ll want to consider, as well as their features, pros, cons, and pricing. 

After reading this blog, you should have a better sense of which tool will best fit your needs. 

Why look for Bonsai alternatives? 

While Bonsai markets itself as a global operating system, its functionalities aren’t much different than the features you’d expect to find in an all-in-one project management tool. 

That said, Bonsai’s suite of features caters to the needs of its main customer – freelancers. 

Since freelancers operate independently of a typical business, Bonsai attempts to be a comprehensive software solution by offering the following capabilities: 

• Client CRM 
• Tax tracking
• Contracting and invoicing processes
• Time and task tracking
• Accept payments

These features aren’t without their own shortcomings, however. 

Let’s take a look at three key reasons to explore a Bonsai alternative, supported by online reviews from real Bonsai users. 

 

#1 Difficult onboarding process 

What good is a project management tool if you can’t figure out how to use it? 

One of Bonsai’s top weaknesses according to online reviewers is its onboarding process. Bonsai provides a handful of short articles to onboard new customers, but these are by no means extensive enough to answer all potential questions a new user may have. 

The platform’s lack of personalized live support and training videos leaves many customers feeling frustrated, and understandably so. 

^{Source: G2}

#2 Limited time tracking functionality

Tracking time is a valuable way to back up invoices, so selecting a project management solution that connects your recorded hours with your invoices is extremely useful. 

This isn’t quite possible on Bonsai, as you’ll need to send clients screenshots of your tracked time due to the platform’s inability to export recorded hours.  

Bonsai’s limited time tracking functionality also doesn’t connect with any sort of reporting feature, which means you’re missing out on valuable insights on how you and your teammates are spending your time. Reports can help you identify which projects or clients are eating up too much of your time and whether your projects are profitable.

^{Source: G2}

#3 Weak accounting and financial analysis features 

Keeping a handle on the financial side of projects is especially important for freelancers and small businesses. 

Online reviewers say that Bonsai misses the mark here, as its financial analysis features aren’t strong enough to be an all-in-one resource for understanding the complete financial status of projects. 

^{Source: G2}

The top 16 Bonsai alternatives 

There are many reasons to search for a Bonsai alternative, whether you’re frustrated with the platform’s features or you’re looking for a software solution that can scale alongside a growing team.

Without further ado, here’s our comprehensive list of the top 16 Bonsai alternatives to try out, along with photos, features, and pricing. 

1. Rodeo 

Rodeo is an all-in-one project management tool that offers a robust suite of features that can be optimized for teams of all sizes. With budgeting, customized invoices, task planning, time management, and reporting features, Rodeo is truly a one-stop shop for all of your project management needs. 

Here’s how our features make up for Bonsai’s shortcomings: 

Free personalized onboarding and live chat support 

Rodeo offers personalized onboarding assistance so you can hit the ground running with the platform from day one. And unlike many other Bonsai alternatives, our onboarding support is always free. 

Have a question later on? No worries. Our team is always available to help via live chat support. 

Track time that connects to your budgets, tasks, and invoices

Our time tracking feature is effortless to use, and its integration with our budgeting, invoicing, and reporting features add an extra incentive for you to track your time. 

Every time you record time either by starting the stopwatch on your dashboard or creating a new timecard, you’ll be prompted to connect that time with a budget activity, meaning your budget will automatically reflect your project’s time expenditure in dollars according to the hourly rate cards you’ve entered. 

This is not only incredibly helpful when it comes time to back up your final invoice with proof of hours worked, but it also provides you with insightful reports on your team’s productivity that you can use to optimize your workflows going forward. Unlike Bonsai, you’re able to export all time entries for additional insights. 

Robust financial management features 

Rodeo makes managing the financial side of projects easier than ever thanks to its detailed budgets and the ability to send personalized estimates and invoices to clients straight from the platform. 

When project managers create projects in Rodeo, they’ll start with a budget, which can be broken down into phases and activities that are automatically calculated into a budget estimate and can then be sent to the client for approval. 

As expenses are recorded and time is tracked toward a project, you’ll be able to see what percentage of the budget has been spent, which helps prevent overspending and allows you to track project progress at a glance. Our reporting feature can provide detailed financial reports on insights like profit margin. 

Rodeo offers several ways of billing clients, as you can send customized invoices based on budget phase, percentage of an estimate, or actuals. The platform also supports automatic recurring invoices to ensure you don’t miss out on regularly scheduled payments. 

Additional features: 

• Planner feature to manage team capacity in order to prevent missed deadlines
• Detailed budgeting to support you in creating accurate project estimates 
• Reporting feature to provide you with insights on employee productivity and project profitability 
• Expense tracking 
• Integration with QuickBooks (US) and Xero (UK) to help with bookkeeping and billing

Who is this tool for? 

Rodeo is built for teams engaging in project-based work for clients who need all the features necessary to keep an eye on finances and manage projects in one place. 

Rodeo is particularly useful for creative teams. In fact, switching to Rodeo often reduces project costs, since it allows companies to reduce the number of tools they’re using. BAIT Studio recently cut their spending on project management tools down by 50% by switching to Rodeo, and it’s also made relaying updates about project progress even easier. 

Peter Rogers, managing director of BAIT Studio, explains: “With Rodeo, we can quickly see what’s going on with our projects, providing much more context to base updates on. Clients have really noticed how we are able to give way more details about project status than we used to." 

Pricing: 

Rodeo’s pricing structure starts at $29.99 a month, which includes 1 full user license and integration with Quickbooks Online (US) or Xero (UK). Additional full users can be added for $14.99 per user/month, and standard users – who only have access to their dashboard of assigned tasks and time tracking – can be added for $8.99 per user/month. 

Full users have access to Rodeo’s entire suite of features excluding planning and tasks, which is an add-on for $4.99 per user/month. 

Sign up for a free personalized demo to allow us to show you how our software can seamlessly fit into your existing workflows. Or try it risk-free for 14 days and test it out for yourself.

2. nTask 

^{Source: nTask}

nTask is a cloud based solution known for its robust suite of project management features. With capabilities like custom fields and the ability to create multiple workspaces, nTask can be used by freelancers and small teams. 

The tool doesn’t require many integrations or extensions, which saves users an extra hassle. Online reviews also applaud nTask for its relatively low learning curve. 

While nTask can provide a financial summary of projects, it falls short of advanced features like estimating and invoicing, and the reporting feature isn’t always a breeze to use. 

Also read: 15 Best nTask Alternatives in 2023 [Paid & Free]

Features: 

• Resource management
• Issue tracking
• Kanban board
• Mobile app access

Who is this tool for? 

nTask is helpful for freelancers and small- to medium-sized businesses in need of project management assistance with a range of in-app capabilities. 

Pricing: 

• Premium plan ($4 per user/month): Unlimited projects, workspaces, and tasks
• Business plan ($12 per user/month): Custom roles, risk tracking, advanced reporting, 10GB of file storage
• Enterprise plan (pricing upon request): Custom onboarding, 100GB of file storage

3. Wrike 

^{Source: Wrike}

Wrike is a popular choice in the project management space, but as a Bonsai alternative, its feasibility will largely depend on the size of your team. Wrike is very scalable, which makes it a good choice for larger teams that need tools for things like HR. 

Wrike’s scalability is a double-edged sword, as its complexity causes a larger learning curve than other Bonsai alternatives, which can waste valuable time during the onboarding process.  

Also read: The 15 Best Wrike Alternatives for Project Management

Features: 

• Analytics
• Access controls
• Time tracking 
• Invoicing
• Custom request forms

Who is this tool for? 

Wrike claims it’s versatile enough to be used by every team and every department, although every team’s needs differ when it comes to finding the right project management solution. The platform’s complexity suits the needs of larger organizations best, although freelancers can make use of the free plan so long as they don’t need a large amount of storage space. 

Pricing: 

• Free plan: Task and subtask management, interactive board and spreadsheet views, 2GB storage space 
• Professional plan ($9.80 per user/month): Shareable dashboards, Gantt charts, productivity integrations
• Business plan ($24.80 per user/month): Custom workflows, create reports, time tracking, 5GB storage per user
• Enterprise plan (pricing upon request): Two-factor authentication, admin permissions, 10GB storage per user
• Pinnacle plan (pricing upon request): Locked spaces, team utilization and performance dashboard, job roles

4. Paymo 

^{Source: Paymo}

Paymo is a platform known for its customizability and user-friendliness. The tool combines CRM, HR management, and traditional project management in one platform to provide your projects with structure. 

Similar to Bonsai, Paymo allows users to accept payments through the platform, which is helpful for freelancers with limited ability to manage payments on their own. 

Bonsai might have the advantage over Paymo in terms of invoicing capabilities though, as online reviews often complain about this limitation as well as the platform’s sometimes disorganized planning process. 

Also read: 15 Paymo Alternatives to Try [Free & Paid]

Features: 

• Invoicing and estimates
• Time tracking
• File proofing
• Accept payments

Who is this tool for? 

Many of Paymo’s users are creative agencies, law firms, architects, and freelancers. Their pricing structure is meant to fit businesses of different sizes, although the platform’s “Business Plan” would be quite pricy for a large company. 

Pricing: 

• Free plan: Maximum 1 user, 50 tasks, 3 clients
• Starter plan ($5.95 per user/month): Maximum 1 user, 100 tasks, unlimited clients, 25GB storage
• Small office plan ($11.95 per user/month): Unlimited tasks and time entries, proofing, 50GB storage
• Business plan ($24.95 per user/month): Free onboarding, employee scheduling, Gantt charts, 500GB storage

5. ProofHub 

^{Source: ProofHub}

ProofHub is a project management software solution with robust collaboration capabilities that are helpful for users working on visual project elements. Some of the platform’s special features include online proofing and Gantt charts that make workload management easier. 

It’s worth noting that teams working on complex projects may need to rely on third-party integrations to support the entire lifecycle of their projects. The platform also doesn’t offer extensive reports on logged hours, which is a downside for users looking to optimize their team’s productivity. 

Also read: 15 Best ProofHub Alternatives to Consider [Free & Paid]

Features: 

• Project templates 
• Milestones
• Customizable workflows
• Request forms 

Who is this tool for? 

ProofHub is best for large companies since it charges a large flat fee for the entire team instead of a per-user fee. This makes ProofHub a pretty expensive option for freelancers or small teams who must pay $50 per month for the lowest plan. 

Pricing: 

• Essential plan ($50 monthly): 40 projects, unlimited users, 15GB storage 
• Ultimate control plan ($99 monthly): Unlimited projects, 100GB storage, reports, workflows, custom roles 

6. Smartsheet 

^{Source: Smartsheet}

Smartsheet is a tool that’s best for those who are new to the world of project management software, as the platform’s Excel-like interface doesn’t require users to be very tech-savvy. 

The task management tool is intended to automate business processes and workflows at scale. Smartsheet is also unique in that it allows users to share deliverables with stakeholders outside of their organization – a useful feature for teams working on projects requiring high levels of client feedback. 

Smartsheet’s offerings are more limited compared to other Bonsai alternatives, as it’s lacking features like financial management capabilities. 

Also read: 18 Best Smartsheet Alternatives [Free & Paid]

Features: 

• Request management 
• Content management 
• Team collaboration
• Workflow automation

Who is this tool for? 

Smartsheet’s flexibility makes it useful for teams of a range of sizes. However, the platform requires a minimum of three users for its plans, meaning it may not be feasible for freelancers or small teams. If you really want to make the most of the tool, you’ll need an expensive business or enterprise plan. 

Pricing: 

• Pro plan ($9 per user/month): Up to 10 editors, 20GB attachment storage, 250 automations
• Business plan ($32 per user/month): Unlimited editors, 1TB attachment storage, on-demand training
• Enterprise plan (pricing upon request): Unlimited attachments, work insights, 24/7 phone support, DocuSign integration
• All paid plans require a minimum of 3 users. 

7. Toggl 

^{Source: Toggl Plan}

Toggl is an umbrella company offering a variety of software products for project management. Toggl Track and Toggl Pro are two of the company’s main products, offering time tracking and project management, respectively. 

Both interfaces are pretty straightforward and easy to use. However, neither software has the ability to invoice tracked hours, which is a disadvantage compared to Bonsai. 

Another downside of Toggl is that you’ll need to purchase each product individually and integrate the two to access a solution with more robust features. 

Also read: The 14 Best Toggl Alternatives

Features: 

• Revenue tracking
• Team scheduling
• Project timelines 
• Client guest users

Who is this tool for? 

Toggl Track is best suited for small- to medium-sized teams in need of features like employee time tracking and payroll. Toggl Plan is made for similar-sized teams looking for a way to track things like tasks and milestones. 

Pricing: 

Toggl Track: 

• Free plan: Maximum 5 users, unlimited time tracking, exportable reports
• Starter plan ($10 per user/month): Billable rates, tasks, project time estimates 
• Premium plan ($20 per user/month): Project forecasts, time reminders, and audits
• Enterprise plan (Custom pricing and unlimited users): Multiple workspaces, training, customizable solutions

Toggl Plan: 

• Team plan ($9 per user/month): Timelines, workload management, recurring tasks, 100MB storage per file 
• Business plan ($15 per user/month): Guest users, project data exports, priority support 

8. Hive 

^{Source: Hive}

Hive is a tool focused on optimizing efficiency through time management, collaboration, and task tracking. The tool’s automation abilities are one of its strengths, as Hive allows users to build workflow recipes featuring triggers and conditions that automate changes within the platform.  

Be warned that Hive’s reporting functionality is known to be lacking, and you won’t find the type of in-app financial management features you might expect of a Bonsai alternative. 

Also read: Top 12 Hive Alternatives

Features: 

• Workflow automation
• Reporting
• In-app messenger

Who is this tool for? 

Teams working in the marketing, business operations, design, and education industries are most common among Hive’s users. Remote teams may find Hive’s collaboration capabilities useful as well. 

Pricing: 

• Solo plan (free): Unlimited projects and tasks, Gantt and Kanban views, messaging
• Teams plan ($16 per user/month): Track time, guest access, in-app calendar
• Enterprise plan (pricing upon request): Enhanced security, onboarding support, custom analytics, and reporting 

9. Teamwork 

^{Source: Teamwork}

Teamwork is a tool that can be used for resource management, time tracking, and workflow management with the option to add on helpdesk support, CRM, and document management features. Many users find the platform’s project templates to be quite useful as well. 

For teams looking for a tool with financial features, Teamwork’s resource management and profitability tracking are on par with Bonsai’s offerings, but you won’t have access to comprehensive budget tracking and reporting. 

Additionally, some online reviewers say that Teamwork’s interface is difficult to navigate. 

Also read: Best Teamwork Alternatives [In Depth Review]

Features: 

• Track time
• Project templates
• Resource management
• Kanban boards

Who is this tool for? 

Teamwork works best for teams that are small- to medium-sized in the creative, marketing, product, and professional services industries. All of Teamwork’s paid plans require a minimum number of paid users depending on the plan, so any team smaller than that will have to settle for the free plan’s limited functionality, which is less than ideal for freelancers especially.

Pricing: 

• Free forever plan: Maximum 5 users, task management, milestones, messages
• Deliver plan ($13.99 per user/month): Minimum 3 users, 20 project templates, invoicing, unlimited free client users
• Grow plan ($24.99 per user/month): Minimum 5 users, 50 project templates, workload management, project time budgets
• Scale plan (pricing upon request): Profitability report, financial budgets, 500GB storage

10. Basecamp 

^{Source: Basecamp}

Basecamp offers a to-do list, message board, client portal, and file storage abilities. As a Bonsai alternative, the platform is rather basic and is best suited for managing tasks and files. 

While Basecamp offers integrations for time tracking, the software lacks the ability to do this in-app, which means you’ll have to take extra steps to ensure the billable and non-billable hours you’ve recorded are correct prior to sending invoices. 

Also read: 19 Best Basecamp Alternatives in 2023 [Free & Paid]

Features: 

• Messenger
• Prioritize tasks
• Customizable templates
• Discussion forums 
• File sharing

Who is this tool for? 

Basecamp doesn’t charge users according to the number of projects they’re working on, which means the software can be used by organizations of all sizes. 

Pricing: 

• Pro unlimited plan ($349 per month): 5TB document storage, all features, priority support, personalized onboarding 
• Basic plan ($15/user per month): 500GB storage, all features

11. Monday.com 

^{Source: Monday.com}

Monday has a leg up over Bonsai in terms of customizability. Users are able to create their own workflows and view their project status in multiple formats, including Kanban boards and Gantt charts. 

Online reviewers say that Monday has a robust onboarding tool that can help with the learning curve, but that creating workflows that meet your team’s needs does require some level of tech-savviness. 

Also read: Top 25 Monday Alternatives to Try

Features: 

• Kanban boards
• Automations
• Custom reports
• File sharing

Who is this tool for? 

Monday is used across a range of industries among teams who need the ability to customize their project structure. 

Pricing: 

• Individual plan (free): Maximum 2 users, up to 3 dashboards, 200 templates
• Basic plan ($10 per user/month): Unlimited viewers and items, 5GB file storage
• Standard plan ($12 per user/month): Timeline, Gantt, and calendar views, automations, integrations
• Pro plan ($20 per user/month): Private boards, dependencies, formulas
• Enterprise plan (pricing upon request): Advanced reporting and analytics, improved security, tailored onboarding, permissions 

12. Airtable 

^{Source: Airtable}

Airtable is a rather unique Bonsai alternative, as it’s best described as a cross between a database and a spreadsheet. As such, teams that are already working with data or spreadsheets might find it to be an easy-to-use option. 

With some low-code technical knowledge, you can customize Airtable to meet your team’s needs. The platform also provides some no-code features to help less tech-savvy users customize the software. 

The fact that customization requires some degree of coding is an obvious drawback for some teams, as this can be an added difficulty that prevents you from hitting the ground running once you implement the tool into your workflows. 

Also read: 15 Airtable Alternatives to Consider

Features: 

• Relational databases 
• Assign tasks 
• Customizable display
• Table linking

Who is this tool for? 

Airtable’s differentiation makes it a flexible option that can be used in a range of different projects. It’s most useful for teams working with large amounts of data. 

Pricing: 

• Free plan: Up to 5 editors, 1,200 records per database, 2GB of attachments per database
• Plus plan ($12 per user/month): 5GB of attachments per database, 6-month revision history, automatic table synching
• Pro plan ($24 per user/month): Gantt and timeline views, 1-year revision history, editing permissions
• Enterprise plan (pricing upon request): Unlimited workspaces, 1,000GB attachments per database, 2-year revision history

13. Asana 

^{Source: Asana}

With a limited set of features and a user-friendly interface, Asana is a Bonsai alternative without a difficult learning curve. The app’s strengths are in task management and goal setting, and the tool’s multiple view options can make it easier to plan ahead and track project progress at a glance. 

Asana’s main downsides are in the areas of automation, collaboration, and customization. You can tag teammates on tasks within the platform, but you’ll likely need to use a third-party communication tool like Slack since Asana doesn’t offer a chat function. The platform also does not offer in-app time tracking – a main disadvantage compared to Bonsai. 

Also read: Top 20 Asana Alternatives to Consider

Features: 

• Milestones and goals 
• Assign tasks and subtasks
• Reporting
• Four project views

Who is this tool for? 

Asana is used by teams in a variety of industries. That said, it’s best for teams in need of a basic set of features or those who are brand new to using a project management tool. 

Pricing: 

• Basic plan (free): Maximum 15 users, Unlimited tasks and projects, basic reporting
• Premium plan ($13.49 per user/month): Automated workflows, four project views, community support
• Business plan ($30.49 per user/month): Advanced workflows and reporting, scaled security, personalized support
• Enterprise plan (contact sales): 24/7 support, admin announcements, custom branding

14. ClickUp 

^{Source: ClickUp}

ClickUp’s key features include its workflow automation, task management, and templates. It’s also pretty customizable, which is a big advantage for many teams. 

Freelancers and smaller teams looking for financial planning features likely won’t be satisfied with ClickUp’s offerings though. The platform doesn’t offer much in terms of expense tracking, invoicing, and automation. 

ClickUp’s free forever plan is popular, but many features can only be used a certain amount of times before the platform begins charging. 

Related: Top 20 ClickUp Alternatives to Try [Free & Paid]

Features: 

• Goal setting
• Customizable tasks and subtasks 
• Templates
• Track time
• Visual team collaboration

Who is this tool for? 

ClickUp is fairly versatile, and its pricing structure allows it to be used by both individuals and businesses. 

Pricing: 

• Free forever plan: 100MB storage, unlimited tasks, Kanban boards, 24/7 support 
• Unlimited plan ($9 per user/month): Unlimited storage, integrations, Gantt charts
• Business plan ($19 per user/month): Workload management, timelines, advanced workflow automation, time estimates
• Business plus plan ($29 per user/month): Subtasks, custom roles, permissions, training
• Enterprise plan (pricing upon request): unlimited custom roles, live onboarding, single sign-on

15. Zoho Projects 

^{Source: Zoho Projects}

Zoho Projects is just one software product within the larger Zoho software ecosystem. The tool offers features like time tracking, team collaboration, and task management that can be integrated with other tools like Zoho CMS, Zoho Mail, and Zoho Invoice. 

Zoho Projects is undoubtedly feature-rich, however, its many functionalities come with a challenging learning curve that can be difficult to navigate. Be prepared to manage onboarding on your own without a dedicated customer support team to answer your questions as well. 

Also read: Top 15 Zoho Projects Alternatives [Free & Paid]

Features: 

• Reporting
• Team collaboration
• Issue tracking

Who is this tool for? 

Zoho Projects is built for small to midsize companies. The platform is perhaps most useful for teams already using other Zoho products, since Zoho Projects alone is not an all-in-one solution. 

Pricing: 

• Free plan: Maximum 3 users, 2 projects, limited storage space 
• Premium plan ($5 per user/month): Maximum 50 users, unlimited projects, 20 project templates, 100GB storage 
• Enterprise plan ($10 per user/month): 30 project templates, 120GB storage 

16. Scoro 

^{Source: Scoro}

Scoro strives to be an all-in-one project and task management tool, and its robust features help it do just that. 

Merging project planning and CRM capabilities, Scoro offers users sales and finance features beyond what you’d expect of a typical project management software option. You can track time within the software and use the billable time you’ve recorded to automate invoicing. 

While the combination of project management and CRM in one product is certainly convenient, some online reviewers have said that neither functionality is as robust as you might need it to be. You should also be prepared to deal with a complex interface and an unusually high price point per user. 

Also read: 15 Best Scoro Alternatives to Consider in 2023

Features: 

• Reporting
• Sales & CRM capabilities
• Automated invoicing
• Expense tracking

Who is this tool for? 

Scoro is intended to be used by creative agencies, consultants, and teams providing professional services. The platform’s lack of communication features may make it a better fit for in-person teams rather than those working remotely. 

Pricing: 

• Scoro’s Essential, Standard, and Pro plans all require a minimum of 5 users. 
• Essential plan ($28 per user/month): Projects, task lists, work reports, quotes
• Standard plan ($42 per user/month): Gantt charts, milestones, expenses
• Pro plan ($71 per user/month): Planner, project budgets, billable hours, markups
• Ultimate plan (pricing upon request): Budgets and forecasts, orders and contracts, customer portal

Takeaway 

Well there you go – these are our top Bonsai alternatives to help you better manage projects. 

Bonsai is certainly a useful tool with many features, but not all the features are as strong as you might need them to be in order to manage projects effectively. Additionally, since the platform was designed with freelancers who have simple workflows in mind, it’s both expensive and tough to use for small agencies and individuals who have many tasks and complex workflows to manage. 

Rodeo might be the best fit if you’re looking for a software solution that can be utilized at every stage of your projects’ lifecycle that can scale alongside your business. Rodeo’s intuitive interface and live chat support mean you’ll never have to stress about onboarding new team members to the platform. 

Try Rodeo out for yourself. We’re offering a 14-day free trial so you can test it out risk-free.