Bonsai vs Plutio: Pricing, Features and the Zoom Acquisition
Short answer
Plutio charges a flat price per account: Core is $19 a month for one person and 9 active clients, Pro $49 with unlimited clients and 30 contributors. Bonsai charges per user: invoices, contracts and a client portal start on Essentials at $25 a month ($19 billed yearly). Zoom bought Bonsai in December 2025, and Bonsai remains a standalone platform.
Last checked 21 Oct 2026 · Prices from hellobonsai.com/pricing and plutio.com/pricing
Quick comparison
| Feature | Bonsai | Plutio |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per user, per month | Flat per plan |
| Invoices, proposals, contracts | Essentials and above | Every plan |
| Client portal | Essentials and above | Every plan |
| Scheduling | Essentials and above | Every plan |
| Time tracking | Every plan | Every plan |
| Remove branding / white-label | Premium and above | Add-on on Core and Pro, included on Max |
| QuickBooks and Xero integration | Premium and above | Unlimited integrations on every plan |
| Team members | Paid per user; Elite needs 3 users | Core solo, Pro 30 contributors, Max unlimited |
| Transaction fees | Payment processing fees apply | None from Plutio; processor fees apply |
| Free trial | 7 days | 7 days, no card |
Prices
Bonsai (per user, per month; billed monthly / billed yearly) (pricing):
- Basic: $15 / $9. Time tracking, task management, unlimited projects and clients, CRM. No invoicing.
- Essentials: $25 / $19. Adds invoices and payments, proposals and contracts, forms and questionnaires, scheduling, client portal, expense and income tracking.
- Premium: $39 / $29. Adds project insights, workload management, deals pipeline, profit and productivity reports, Bonsai branding removal and integrations (QuickBooks, Xero, Zapier, Calendly, Google).
- Elite: $59 / $49. Adds custom permissions, timesheet locking and expense markup; 3-user minimum.
Bonsai describes yearly billing as “up to 4 months free” and lists a reduced rate for teams of 30 or more users.
Plutio (per month, whole account) (pricing):
- Core: $19. Solo (no extra contributors), 9 active clients, 500 AI credits, 500 workflow actions, 100 GB storage.
- Pro: $49. Unlimited active clients, 30 contributors, 2,500 AI credits, 5,500 workflow actions, 500 GB.
- Max: $199. Unlimited contributors (fair use), 10,000 AI credits, 50,000 workflow actions, 2 TB, white-label and single sign-on included.
Plutio says every plan has the same core features (projects, invoices, proposals, contracts, scheduling, forms, time tracking and a client portal); plans differ in limits. White-label is a $9 a month add-on on Core and Pro, and single sign-on a $5 a month add-on on Pro. Yearly billing is marked “2 months free”.
The Zoom acquisition
Zoom announced its acquisition of Bonsai on 5 November 2025, and Zoom’s announcement page says the transaction closed in December 2025 (Zoom, Bonsai). Both say Bonsai remains a standalone platform under its own brand, with its capabilities to be brought into Zoom over time.
What it means for buyers today: Bonsai’s pricing page still lists its own plans and prices as of 21 Oct 2026. Whichever tool you choose, keeping exports of your contracts and invoices protects you from future product changes.
Note: Plutio’s pricing page compares itself against Bonsai plan prices that don’t match Bonsai’s current page. Use Bonsai’s own page for current plans.
Who each fits, based on published features and pricing
This is a reading of each vendor’s published plans and prices, not a tested recommendation. Neither product has been tested hands-on for this page.
- Bonsai’s published pricing fits solo freelancers and consultants who mainly need proposals, contracts, invoices and payments, since one user on Essentials covers those.
- Plutio’s published pricing fits small agencies and teams, because the price doesn’t rise per user, and freelancers who want white-label client portals.
What this page doesn’t cover
This comparison uses official pricing and announcement pages only. It doesn’t judge ease of use, client experience or support, because those need hands-on use.
See Bonsai's plans (opens in new tab)
Plutio’s plans are on its official site: plutio.com/pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Did Zoom buy Bonsai?
Yes. Zoom announced the acquisition on 5 November 2025, and its announcement page says the transaction closed in December 2025. Zoom says Bonsai remains a standalone platform under the Bonsai brand, with its capabilities to be brought into Zoom over time.
Will Bonsai's pricing change after the Zoom deal?
Neither announcement mentions price changes. Bonsai's pricing page (checked 21 Oct 2026) lists Basic, Essentials, Premium and Elite plans, billed per user.
Is Plutio cheaper than Bonsai?
On list prices, for a solo freelancer with up to 9 active clients, Plutio Core ($19 a month) costs less than Bonsai Essentials billed monthly ($25) and the same as Essentials billed yearly ($19). For a team of 5, Plutio Pro is $49 in total vs $125 a month on Bonsai Essentials billed monthly (5 × $25), because Plutio doesn't charge per user.
Do Bonsai or Plutio charge transaction fees?
Plutio says it charges no transaction fees on invoices; Stripe, PayPal or Square's own fees still apply. Bonsai's pricing page says payment processing fees apply to online payments and vary by payment method.
Which has a free trial?
Both list a 7-day free trial. Plutio says no card is required.
Can I connect them to QuickBooks or Xero?
Bonsai lists QuickBooks, Xero, Zapier, Calendly and Google integrations on Premium and above. Plutio lists unlimited integrations and API access on every plan.