startbuddi vs Bonsai: an honest comparison

Bonsai is client management software for freelancers and small agencies, covering proposals, contracts, invoices, time tracking and projects, priced per user. startbuddi covers the same client work alongside a shared inbox, marketing, bookings and Paystack payments, so pick Bonsai for accounting connections and native apps, and startbuddi if you want client work and customer conversations in one workspace with a free plan to start.

We make startbuddi, so we're biased. We've tried to be fair: we list where Bonsai is stronger, every fact about Bonsai links to its source, and anything we couldn't confirm on their own site is marked "not published". Checked in September 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it.

startbuddi

startbuddi is best for

Freelancers and small teams who want client work, inbox, bookings and invoices together

Bonsai

Bonsai is best for

Freelancers and agencies who send proposals and contracts, then invoice from tracked time

At a glance

Best for

startbuddiFreelancers and small teams who want client work, inbox, bookings and invoices together

BonsaiFreelancers and agencies who send proposals and contracts, then invoice from tracked time

Free plan

startbuddiYes, the Free plan

BonsaiNone on the published plans

First paid plan

startbuddiStarter, $29 a month

BonsaiBasic, $9 USD per user per month, billed annually ($15 billed monthly)

Checked

startbuddiPrice book, October 2026

BonsaiSeptember 2026

Where each one is stronger

The short version. Bonsai first, because it does some things better than we do.

Bonsai is stronger at

Accounting connectionsBonsai's Premium plan connects QuickBooks and Xero, plus Zapier, Calendly, Google, Gmail and Slack.

Native appsBonsai has iOS, Android and macOS apps and a Chrome extension; startbuddi is web only.

Timesheet controlsthe Elite plan adds timesheet locking, expense markup and custom permissions.

startbuddi is stronger at

Free planstartbuddi has a Free plan with invoicing, contacts and bookings; Bonsai offers a 7-day trial before a paid plan.

Customer conversations in one inboxWhatsApp, email, SMS, website chat, Instagram and Facebook messages sit on the same client record as invoices and deals.

Paystack for African paymentsclients pay invoices by card, bank transfer or USSD through Paystack, or by card through Stripe.

Client portals without seatsclients sign in with an email link to follow projects, approve work, message you and pay invoices.

Marketing and bookings built inemail, WhatsApp and SMS campaigns (paid plans) and booking pages with deposits share the same contact list.

Feature by feature

Each Bonsai value links to where we found it. Anything their site doesn't state is marked "not published".

Show differences only

startbuddi and Bonsai, feature by feature
Feature	startbuddi	Bonsai
Free planFree includes 5 invoices a month	Yes	NoSource (opens in a new tab)
Invoices and online paymentsPaystack or Stripe, plus bank transfer details	Yes	Essentials plan and upSource (opens in a new tab)
ProposalsOne built-in proposal template	Yes	Essentials plan and upSource (opens in a new tab)
Contracts with e-signature	Yes	Essentials plan and upSource (opens in a new tab)
Client portalFree lets you build and preview a portal, not invite clients	Paid plans	Essentials plan and upSource (opens in a new tab)
Scheduling / bookings	Yes	Essentials plan and upSource (opens in a new tab)
Time trackingBillable hours tracked; no one-click time-to-invoice	Yes	YesSource (opens in a new tab)
Deals pipeline	Yes	Premium plan and upSource (opens in a new tab)
Gantt viewProject timeline with dependencies and milestones	Yes	Premium plan and upSource (opens in a new tab)
QuickBooks and Xero	No	Premium plan and upSource (opens in a new tab)
Shared inbox with WhatsAppWhatsApp, email, SMS, website chat, Instagram, Facebook	Yes	Not statedSource (opens in a new tab)
Mobile and desktop apps	Web only	IOS, Android, macOSSource (opens in a new tab)

What each one looks like

Real screens, captured by us or taken from the official press kit, each dated.

startbuddi: Estimates and proposals — **startbuddi** · Estimates and proposals. Captured from our own account, personal details blurred.

startbuddi: Invoices — **startbuddi** · Invoices. Captured from our own account, personal details blurred.

startbuddi: Client portals — **startbuddi** · Client portals. Captured from our own account, personal details blurred.

Bonsai's own screens are on Bonsai's website. We don't show another company's product without a dated capture from a trial or its press kit.

Pricing side by side

List prices as each company publishes them. We never convert currencies.

See startbuddi pricing

startbuddi

FreeFree
Starter$29 a month
Growth$79 a month
Scale$199 a month

Prices in US dollars, billed monthly. From our pricing page, updated 3 Oct 2026.

Bonsai

Basic$9 USD per user per month, billed annually ($15 billed monthly)Source (opens in a new tab)
Essentials$19 USD per user per month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly)Source (opens in a new tab)
Premium$29 USD per user per month, billed annually ($39 billed monthly)Source (opens in a new tab)
Elite$49 USD per user per month, billed annually ($59 billed monthly); 3-user minimumSource (opens in a new tab)

Checked in September 2026. Check Bonsai's site for current plans.

Switching from Bonsai

What moving across involves.

Export your clients from BonsaiBonsai's help centre explains how to export account data as CSV files from Company Settings. Download your clients first.
Import your clients as contactsIn startbuddi, go to Customers → Contacts → Import, upload the CSV, map the columns and review before importing.
Rebuild your templatesRecreate proposals and contracts from startbuddi's templates in Money Manager → Get Paid, and set your invoice defaults. There's no automatic importer for Bonsai templates or projects.
Set up projects and portalsCreate projects in Work, then add a client portal for each client and invite them by email link.

Sources

Checked in September 2026. startbuddi prices come from our own price book. Bonsai's website.

Questions people ask

Can startbuddi turn tracked time into an invoice?

Not in one click yet. Time tracking in Work records billable hours and their value, and you add them to an invoice in Money Manager yourself.

Does startbuddi sync with QuickBooks or Xero?

No. startbuddi covers invoices, expenses, cash flow and simple profit and loss, but it isn't accounting software and has no QuickBooks or Xero sync.

Can I move my clients from Bonsai?

Bonsai's help centre explains exporting account data as CSV. Import the client CSV into startbuddi Contacts, then rebuild templates and projects by hand.

Does startbuddi have a free plan?

Yes. The Free plan includes contacts, bookings and up to 5 invoices a month, and every paid plan has a 30-day trial.