You’re stitching proposals, contracts, and invoices across three tabs.
HoneyBook Starter if you sell the booking in the US, UK, Canada, or Australia.
Bonsai Essentials if you bill hours — not Basic; Basic can’t invoice.
Skip both if you only need a signed document — use the proposals page.
Skip HoneyBook if you’re outside those four countries.
HoneyBook is the client file: book, sign, get paid. Bonsai is hours on a project into an invoice and tax-friendly tracking. Same fee flags and tables stay at the bottom as proof — this isn’t a third stack for people who only need a PDF.
Prices and fees from vendor pages retrieved 31 August 2026. They change.
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Quick take
| Job | Start here | Comparable all-in-one plan |
|---|---|---|
| You sell the booking experience (photo, design, wedding/event, brand) and you are in US/Canada/UK/Australia | HoneyBook | Starter $29/mo billed yearly ($348/year) |
| You bill hours: time → invoice → tax | Bonsai | Essentials $19/user/mo billed yearly ($228/year) — not Basic |
| You (or your entity) sit outside HoneyBook’s four countries | Bonsai | Essentials+; budget 2.5% FX on international online payments |
| You only need documents, or only invoices | Neither | PandaDoc, or ChatGPT + Wave/FreshBooks |
HoneyBook Starter already includes invoices, payments, proposals, and contracts. Bonsai Basic does not. A freelancer buying an all-in-one on Bonsai needs Essentials or above.
Plans and list prices
HoneyBook
Source: honeybook.com/pricing. All plans: 30-day trial, no credit card; 60-day money-back guarantee; unlimited clients and projects.
| Plan | Yearly | Monthly | Plan card includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $29/mo billed yearly | Not clearly itemized — yearly $29 is what the page lists | Invoices and payments; proposals and contracts; calendar; templates; client portal; basic reports; up to 2 live lead forms; HoneyBook AI |
| Essentials | $49/mo billed yearly | $59/mo | Scheduler; automations; QuickBooks Online; up to 2 team members; up to 10 live lead forms; SMS reminders; remove “Powered by HoneyBook”; standard reports; HoneyBook AI |
| Premium | $109/mo billed yearly | $129/mo | Unlimited team members; priority support; multiple companies; advanced reports; unlimited live lead forms; HoneyBook AI |
Plan cards say lead forms at 2 / 10 / unlimited. The same page’s feature-compare table showed 1 / 3 / unlimited. Confirm in-product; this draft does not pick a number.
Starter runs the core client file. Essentials adds scheduler, automations, SMS, a second seat, and QuickBooks.
Bonsai
Source: hellobonsai.com/pricing. Per user. 7-day full-access trial, then pick a plan. Elite: 3-user minimum.
| Plan | Yearly | Monthly | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $9/user/mo | $15/user/mo | Time tracking, tasks, unlimited projects, CRM, service library, iOS & Android, unlimited clients. No invoices, payments, proposals, or contracts. |
| Essentials | $19/user/mo | $25/user/mo | Adds invoices & payments, proposals & contracts, all templates, forms & questionnaires, scheduling, client portal, expense tracking, income tracking |
| Premium | $29/user/mo | $39/user/mo | Adds project insights, workload, Gantt, deals pipeline, custom fields, client tasks & messaging, profit & productivity reports, remove Bonsai branding, integrations (QuickBooks, Zapier, Calendly, Google) |
| Elite | $49/user/mo | $59/user/mo | Adds custom permissions, timesheet locking, expense markup, Xero, custom data import (3 users min.) |
Pricing table: 1 event type on lower plans — confirm in-product before treating as a hard limit. Custom domain is marked as expected in 2026; do not claim it ships today.
Yearly software, comparable all-in-one tiers: HoneyBook Starter $348 vs Bonsai Essentials $228. If you need automations, a scheduler, and QuickBooks, the closer HoneyBook match is Essentials at $588/year billed yearly.
Payment fees (HoneyBook’s own pages disagree)
Processing scales with revenue. Subscription often does not.
Side-by-side rates
HoneyBook sources: pricing-page processing section and the 22 December 2025 blog table (honeybook.com/blog/honeybook-payment-fees). Flag: those two surfaces do not match.
Bonsai sources: help article dated 18 June 2026 (payment methods and fees) and hellobonsai.com/payments (cards 2.9% + $0.30; ACH as low as 1%). Bonsai Payments: US, UK, Canada, Australia.
| HoneyBook | Bonsai | |
|---|---|---|
| ACH | 1.5% (pricing page and blog agree) | 1.0% ($1 minimum) |
| Standard cards | Blog: 2.9% + $0.25 (Visa/Mastercard, cardholder-entered). Pricing page: “Card fees start at 2.7% + 10¢.” Feature-compare table on that same page: “Fees starting at 2.9% + 25¢.” | 2.9% + $0.30 (Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, Discover, JCB, Diners, UnionPay) |
| Amex | Blog: 3.4% + $0.09 (Amex and Discover) | 3.25% + $0.30 |
| Saved card / card-on-file | Blog: 3.4% + $0.09 | Not separately itemized on the help article |
| Instant payout | +1%, pending eligibility; cards only, ~30 minutes; ACH not eligible | +1.5% |
| Using Stripe or PayPal instead | n/a (processing is built in) | Where Bonsai Payments is available: extra 1% platform fee on the payout (1.35% Amex via Stripe). Stripe card/ACH rates otherwise match Bonsai Payments. |
| International online payment | Pricing page claims no international fees. Blog table does not publish a HoneyBook FX rate. | 2.5% of the invoice (Bonsai Payments or Stripe Payments) |
| PayPal | Not on the HoneyBook fee table we used | Typically 2.9% + $0.30, may vary by country — confirm on paypal.com |
| Cash, check, offline wire | No HoneyBook fee if taken outside HoneyBook | No Bonsai fee; you mark the invoice paid |
| Deposit time | Blog: ACH 7–8 business days; cards 2–3 | Not stated on the two Bonsai pages above (do not invent it) |
The pricing page also says discounted card fees may apply above $500,000/year on Premium. That is not a typical freelancer rate. For the math below we use the blog table and show the 2.7% + 10¢ line as the competing on-page claim — not as the winner.
Bonsai is not a law or accounting firm. Payment rails are Stripe Treasury / partner banks (site footer).
$2,000 invoice
| How the client pays | HoneyBook fee (blog) | Bonsai fee (help article) |
|---|---|---|
| ACH | $30.00 → net $1,970.00 | $20.00 → net $1,980.00 |
| Visa/Mastercard entered | $58.25 → net $1,941.75 | $58.30 → net $1,941.70 |
| Amex | $68.09 (blog Amex/Discover) → net $1,931.91 | $65.30 → net $1,934.70 |
| Instant payout (on a card payment) | extra $20 (+1%) | extra $30 (+1.5%) |
| Extra 1% platform fee (Stripe/PayPal in a Bonsai Payments country) | — | extra ~$20 on top of processor fees |
| FX 2.5% (international online) | — | extra $50 on top of processor fees |
If you applied HoneyBook’s “start at 2.7% + 10¢” copy instead, the card fee would be $54.10 — $4.15 below the blog’s Visa/Mastercard rate. Confirm checkout. This article will not pretend the two HoneyBook pages agree.
Cards are a tie on Visa/Mastercard. ACH is $10 cheaper on Bonsai. Instant is cheaper on HoneyBook if you qualify (1% vs 1.5%).
Software + processing, annualized
Illustration: twelve $2,000 invoices ($24,000 billed). Comparable all-in-one tiers. Bonsai Basic ($108/year) is omitted — it cannot send the invoice.
| Yearly software | 12× ACH | 12× Visa/MC | Software + ACH | Software + Visa/MC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HoneyBook Starter | $348 ($29 × 12) | $360 | $699 | $708 | $1,047 |
| Bonsai Essentials | $228 ($19 × 12) | $240 | $699.60 | $468 | $927.60 |
On cards, processing dominates; the stacks land about $120/year apart here. On ACH, Bonsai’s 1.0% vs HoneyBook’s 1.5% compounds. On international Bonsai/Stripe payments, add $50 per $2,000 FX before calling Bonsai cheaper.
Limitations (the actual product split)
HoneyBook is CRM- and client-experience-forward: files, portal, lead forms, HoneyBook AI. Scheduler, automations, SMS, and QuickBooks start at Essentials. Time tracking and attaching hours to an invoice are not what the plan cards sell. Trial is 30 days (no card). Geo is four countries.
Bonsai is time-, project-, and finance-forward. Basic is a timer. Essentials is the all-in-one. Premium adds QuickBooks, Gantt, profit reports, and branding removal. Trial is 7 days. No HoneyBook-style AI suite on the pricing page retrieved 31 August 2026. Contracts are templates; Bonsai is not a law firm.
Job-to-be-done matrix
| Need | HoneyBook | Bonsai |
|---|---|---|
| Proposal → sign → pay in one client flow | Starter: proposals, contracts, invoices, portal. Page copy: book, sign, and pay from a single file. | From Essentials |
| Lead capture / CRM | Plan card: up to 2 live forms on Starter (compare table: 1). Pipeline + portal. | CRM on Basic; forms on Essentials |
| Scheduler | Essentials+. Starter has a calendar, not the scheduler. | From Essentials; table lists 1 event type on lower plans — confirm in-product |
| Time → invoice | Not on the plan cards used here | Time on Basic; invoice from Essentials |
| Expenses / tax-oriented tracking | QBO on Essentials; not a books replacement | Expense + income on Essentials; QBO on Premium; Xero on Elite |
| AI / automations | HoneyBook AI on all plans; automations on Essentials | Automations in the feature table; no AI suite listed on the pricing page |
| Second person | Essentials (up to 2) | Per-user. Elite is a 3-user floor — skip as a solo. |
| Outside US/Canada/UK/Australia | Not available | Yes. Bonsai Payments = those four countries; Stripe Payments where Stripe works. Budget 2.5% FX. |
| Remove vendor badge | Essentials | Premium |
Proposal → contract → invoice (in words)
HoneyBook: a lead hits a live form and lands in the pipeline. You send a file the client opens without a HoneyBook account. That file can present services, collect a signature, and take card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or ACH (options as listed on the pricing page). Status lives in the portal. Instant deposit is optional at +1% on eligible card payments.
Bonsai: client in CRM. Proposal and contract from Essentials templates. Hours on a timesheet (Basic can track; Essentials can bill). Time and expenses attach to the invoice. Client pays by card, ACH, or another enabled method. Income and expenses stay in Bonsai; QuickBooks is Premium, Xero is Elite. Offline wire/check: no Bonsai fee; you mark paid.
What you still buy separately
| Gap | HoneyBook | Bonsai | Typical add-on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly time → invoice | Not a Starter/Essentials headline | Native from Essentials | A timer if you stay on HoneyBook |
| Full books | QBO sync on Essentials | Expense/income on Essentials; QBO Premium; Xero Elite | QuickBooks, Xero, Wave, or a bookkeeper |
| Legal review | Templates + e-sign; not your attorney | Same; not a law firm | A lawyer, once, for your actual terms |
| Gantt / utilization | Not the pitch | Premium | A project tool, or Bonsai Premium |
| Design / email marketing | Integrations listed on the pricing page (Canva, Flodesk, and others) — confirm by plan | Not the product | Keep what you already use |
| International payouts | Platform geo-limited | 2.5% FX; +1% if you bypass Bonsai Payments in a Bonsai Payments country | Price FX into the invoice |
Don’t buy either
Buy an all-in-one when the handoff (document → signature → time → payment) is leaking money — not for the logo.
- Documents only: PandaDoc (no prices quoted here).
- Invoices only: Wave or FreshBooks, proposals in ChatGPT.
- Timer and tasks only: Bonsai Basic ($9/user/mo billed yearly). Do not upgrade to Essentials until you will send a contract.
- Already on Stripe + a contract tool: migrating “for payments” can add 2.5% FX and, in Bonsai Payments countries, a 1% platform fee if you keep Stripe/PayPal.
Recommendations by user type
1. Creative who sells on client experience (photographers, designers, wedding/event, brand) in the US, Canada, UK, or Australia: HoneyBook Starter. Portal, templates, and book/sign/pay without paying Essentials. Step up when you need the scheduler, automations, SMS, a second seat, or QuickBooks. Do not choose Bonsai Essentials on price unless you also live on timesheets (user type 2).
2. Hourly consultant who needs time → invoice → tax: Bonsai Essentials (yearly, vendor URL only). Basic tracks time and then cannot invoice. Premium if you need QuickBooks, Gantt, profit reports, or to drop Bonsai branding. HoneyBook can invoice; its plan cards are not organized around hours, retainers, and expense markup.
3. International freelancer (you or your entity outside US/Canada/UK/Australia): HoneyBook is not available on the pricing page retrieved 31 August 2026. Use Bonsai Essentials or above. Match the payment method to where you and the client actually are. Price in 2.5% FX on international online payments. If Bonsai Payments is available and you still use Stripe or PayPal, budget the extra 1% (1.35% Amex via Stripe).
4. Documents-only or invoice-only: buy neither. PandaDoc for the file; Wave or FreshBooks plus ChatGPT for the rest. Come back when the handoff is the problem.
Still torn: HoneyBook 30-day trial (no card) plus 60-day money-back; Bonsai 7 days full access. Test the next client file and one real invoice.
Sources
Retrieved 31 August 2026. Prices change.
- HoneyBook pricing: https://www.honeybook.com/pricing
- HoneyBook payment fees (last modified 22 December 2025): https://www.honeybook.com/blog/honeybook-payment-fees
- Bonsai pricing: https://www.hellobonsai.com/pricing
- Bonsai Payments: https://www.hellobonsai.com/payments
- Bonsai payment methods and fees (18 June 2026): https://help.hellobonsai.com/en/articles/452273-understanding-online-payment-methods-and-fees-at-bonsai
- Homepages: HoneyBook https://www.honeybook.com · Bonsai https://www.hellobonsai.com
- Escape hatches (no prices quoted): https://www.pandadoc.com · https://www.waveapps.com · https://www.freshbooks.com · https://chatgpt.com · https://www.paypal.com
HoneyBook help-center article 13211766 returned 404; it is not used here.