Bonsai vs Plutio: Which Is Better?

Bonsai and Plutio both aim to replace the patchwork of apps freelancers and small agencies rely on, consolidating projects, invoicing, and client collaboration into a single platform. They overlap substantially in scope, but differ in pricing structure, audience focus, and depth of specific features.

	Bonsai	Plutio
Starting price	~$17/month	$19/month
Free trial	7 days	Yes (no card required)
Client limit	Unlimited	9 clients on Core
Team seats	Per-seat pricing	30 included on Pro
White-labeling	Higher tiers	Max plan only
Gantt chart	Yes	Yes (timeline view)
Resource planning	Yes	No
Proposal editor	Yes	Drag-and-drop
Client portal	Yes	Yes (with login)
Payment processors	Bonsai Payments	Stripe, PayPal, Square
Mobile apps	iOS, Android, macOS	Not highlighted

Bonsai in depth

Bonsai is purpose-built for agencies and consultancies that need robust financial and resource oversight alongside client management. Its feature set reads like a checklist for professional services firms: CRM with a deals pipeline, estimates, proposals, contracts, retainers, scheduling, and a client portal on the front end — and Gantt charts, resource planning, capacity tracking, profitability reports, and utilization reporting on the delivery side.

Pricing comes in multiple tiers. A Starter plan runs around $17/month and covers the essentials: CRM, proposals, contracts, time tracking, invoicing, and basic reporting. Mid-tier plans unlock more storage (jumping from 10 GB to 100 GB), advanced reporting, and Quickbooks/Xero integrations. The top plans (requiring at least 10 seats) add 500 GB storage, dedicated onboarding, custom roles, and white-label options including a custom domain. Bonsai also offers a reduced rate for teams of 30 or more users, which makes it more competitive at scale.

Where Bonsai earns its keep is in the analytics layer. Profitability reports, utilization tracking, resource staffing views, and budget-versus-actual reporting give leadership teams real financial visibility. One customer cited saving $150,000 per year; another noted a 12x improvement in report turnaround. These aren't just marketing numbers — they reflect a product designed for teams that track billable hours seriously and need to understand their margins.

Limitations: The pricing page lists several features as "expected to be released in 2026" (project phases, workload view), which suggests some gaps in the current product. White-labeling and custom domains are gated behind higher tiers. For truly solo operators, Bonsai's per-seat model can feel over-engineered compared to simpler alternatives.

Plutio in depth

Plutio takes a more flexible, customizable approach aimed at solo freelancers and small teams. Its notable differentiator is that every plan gets the full feature set — there's no paying more to unlock core functionality. The platform emphasizes adaptability: you can toggle features on or off, build custom dashboards with interactive charts, create branded client portals, and configure workflows to match how you actually work rather than how the software assumes you do.

Pricing follows three tiers. The Core plan at $19/month is for solo operators and caps you at 9 active clients per month — a meaningful constraint if your workload is larger. The Pro plan at $49/month removes the client limit and adds 30 contributors, making it viable for small agencies. The Max plan adds unlimited contributors, white-labeling (your brand on client portals), and SSO for enterprise security requirements.

Plutio's proposal editor stands out for its polish: a drag-and-drop builder that supports video, tables, images, and optional line items clients can adjust before signing. Clients can sign proposals electronically, and signing can automatically trigger project and invoice creation. The client portal gives clients a real login (not just document links), where they can view projects, messages, files, and invoices in one place. Payment processing works through Stripe, PayPal, or Square, giving more flexibility than platforms locked into a single processor.

Limitations: The 9-client cap on Core is frustrating for anyone with more than a handful of active projects. White-labeling is locked behind the Max plan entirely — there's no middle ground. Resource planning features (capacity tracking, staffing views) aren't present the way they are in Bonsai. Plutio also lacks dedicated mobile apps as a notable selling point.

When to choose Bonsai

Bonsai is the stronger fit if you're running an agency or consultancy with multiple team members where financial visibility matters as much as client communication. If you need utilization reports, profitability tracking by project, resource planning, and a system that gives leadership, ops, and project managers each a relevant view of the business, Bonsai is more equipped for that level of operational oversight. It's also better suited for teams that want mobile apps (iOS, Android, macOS, and Chrome) and deep integrations with accounting software like Quickbooks and Xero.

When to choose Plutio

Plutio makes more sense for solo freelancers or small teams who want a fully-featured platform without complex per-seat pricing. If you value a polished proposal experience, customizable client portals, and the ability to accept payments through multiple processors, Plutio delivers those without forcing you into an expensive tier. The Pro plan at $49/month with 30 contributors included is a strong value proposition for agencies of up to 10 people. If customization — dashboards, workflows, UI flexibility — matters to you, Plutio gives you more control over how the platform looks and behaves.

Bottom line

Both tools cover similar ground well enough that either could work for many freelancers or small agencies. The real split comes down to team size, budget structure, and priorities. Bonsai is the more mature choice for teams that need financial and resource reporting depth — it's built for agencies running multi-person operations who need to know their margins. Plutio is the better pick for solo operators and small teams who want full features at a lower all-in price, with more flexibility in customization and fewer constraints on how clients interact with the platform. The 9-client limit on Plutio Core is the main thing to watch; if you're running more than a handful of active engagements solo, you'll want to budget for the $49/month Pro plan, which remains competitive against Bonsai's mid-tier pricing.