Bonsai review

Updated September 28, 2026 · ForgeCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026

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Our verdict

Bonsai suits small businesses and beginners who want project management and a client CRM in the same place, with a trial rather than a free tier to test it. Entry pricing of $24 sits above the site median, €13.15, so buyers should weigh what each plan carries at renewal.

Key facts

Best for
Trial-first project management and CRM for solo businesses and small teams.
Price from
$24 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Free plan
No (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Free trial length
7 days (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Tool type
Project-management (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Legal entity
Bonsai Technologies Inc. (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Headquarters
United States (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Founded
2015 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Audience
Small business, Beginners
Pricing model
Free trial
Official website
hellobonsai.com

CRM and helpdesk

Price per user from
$25 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Free plan
No (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Free trial length
7 days (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Plan tiers
Starter, Professional, Business (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Product
CRM (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Legal entity
Bonsai Technologies Inc. (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Headquarters
United States (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Founded
2015 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Audience
Small business, Beginners
Pricing model
Free trial

Accounting software

Price from
$24 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Free plan
No (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Free trial length
7 days (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Legal entity
Bonsai Technologies Inc. (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Headquarters
United States (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Founded
2015 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Audience
Small business, Beginners
Pricing model
Free trial

Pros and cons

Pros

  • One product covers both sides: listed as project management software and as a CRM, so client records and project work share one subscription.
  • Per user fees of $25 sit close to the €21.75 typical across the group, so seat cost is not the reason to skip it.
  • The trial of 7 days matches how the group sells, with 73.2% of the brands here on the same model.
  • The Starter, Professional, Business plans give a clear step up path, which suits businesses that plan to add people later.

Cons

  • No free plan, so the Starter, Professional, Business tiers start at $24 and a trial is the only free look.
  • The trial lasts 7, short next to the 14 across the site.
  • Billing and tax run through a US company, Bonsai Technologies Inc., so buyers in other markets should check their own requirements first.
Bonsai

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Scored 8.6 / 10 by ForgeCue.

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Who it suits

  • Solo consultants and small teams who want client records and project work in one product.
  • Beginners who will judge a paid tool on a trial, since the model is a trial of 7 days.
  • Small businesses starting on the cheapest of the Starter, Professional, Business plans and moving up as headcount grows.

Who should look elsewhere

  • Anyone who needs a free plan: Bonsai has no free tier, only a trial of 7 days.
  • Buyers on a tight per user budget, since per seat fees start at $25.
  • Teams outside the US that expect local tax and invoicing rules to be handled, since the company sits in the United States.

Plans and pricing

Bonsai runs Starter, Professional, Business plans, and the entry fee on the cheapest of them is $24, against a group typical of €13.15. There is no free plan, so the way in is a trial of 7 days on the paid tiers, and the $25 per user figure covers the plans aimed at teams. Renewal is the line to watch, since the published figure is the entry price.

Free plan and trial

Bonsai has no free plan. Access runs on a trial of 7 days, so budget for a paid tier from the first renewal onward. Across this group, 51% of brands do offer a free plan, which matters for anyone who would rather stay on a free tier than start a subscription. Keep the two apart as you read other listings.

How Bonsai compares

Frequently asked questions

Does Bonsai have a free plan?+

No. Bonsai does not offer a free plan, and the model is the free trial instead. The only free access is 7 with the paid plans, so budget for a subscription once that window closes. In this group, 51% of brands do offer a free plan, which is worth comparing if you want to keep working without paying.

What does it cost to get started with Bonsai?+

The entry fee is $24, listed on the cheapest of the Starter, Professional, Business plans. That is above the €13.15 typical across the brands in this group, and above the €11.18 typical for project management software, so Bonsai is not the cheapest way in.

Does Bonsai charge per user?+

Yes. Per user fees start at $25, which is a separate line from the entry fee of $24. Both sit inside the Starter, Professional, Business range, so the per user figure is what matters once more than one person works in the account.

How long is the free trial?+

The trial runs 7, which is short next to the 14 most brands on the site give. Project management rivals tend to sit at 14, so a longer window to test a tool is common elsewhere in the group.

Which plans does Bonsai sell?+

The plans are Starter, Professional, Business. Each sits above the one before it, and the entry fee of $24 belongs to the cheapest tier. Plan names matter here because the per user figure of $25 is quoted against the team tiers, not the entry tier.

Who is Bonsai built for?+

Bonsai is aimed at small business and beginners users, so solo operators and small firms sit at the centre. That matches the group, where 93.8% of the brands here also target small businesses. Beginners are named too, which suits people setting up a first client workflow without an admin team.

What does Bonsai actually do?+

It is project management software with a CRM attached, listed as project management software and as a crm tool. Client records and project work therefore sit in the same place, so one subscription covers both rather than a separate tool for each side.

Sources

Compiled from 7 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.

Not confirmed yet: Usage limits.

Bonsai

Bonsai

Trial-first project management and CRM for solo businesses and small teams.

8.6/10See alternatives

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