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Head-to-Head Comparison

Bonsai vs 17hats: which fits your business in 2026?

Bonsai is the better pick for freelancers who live in contracts and invoices and want tax help, starting at $25/mo. 17hats offers more structured lead capture and quote automation at $45/mo. Both are solo-only with no project views. Growing studios usually need team seats and delivery tools neither provides.

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At a glance

Bonsai is a freelancer suite centered on contracts, invoicing, and taxes for one-person businesses, with plans from $25 to $79 per month. 17hats is a legacy small-business CRM for solo service providers — quotes, contracts, and invoices with basic automations, at $45 per month.

FeatureBonsai17hatsOnBrio
Starting price$25/mo$45/mo$29/mo (free plan available)
Transaction fees on paymentsNoneProcessor fees applyNone
Proposals + e-signatureIncludedIncludedIncluded
ContractsIncludedIncludedIncluded
Client portalBasicBasicWhite-label
CRM pipelineBasicBasicFull
Project managementTask list only×Full
Kanban / Gantt views××Included
Time tracking → invoiceBasicBasicIncluded
InvoicingIncludedIncludedIncluded
Automation builder×BasicAll paid plans
AI assistant××Agency Brain
Team seats1 (solo only)Solo only5 on Agency plan
Mobile app××Included

Who should pick which?

Pick Bonsai if you are:

  • Solo freelancers
  • Contract and invoice basics
  • Tax-season bookkeeping

Pick 17hats if you are:

  • Solo photographers
  • Established small service businesses
  • Simple quote → contract → invoice flow

Pick OnBrio if you need:

  • Proposals, contracts, portal, projects, and invoicing in one workspace
  • Kanban and Gantt project views with team seats
  • Time tracking that flows straight to invoices
  • A white-label client portal under your brand
  • No transaction fees on client payments

Trade-offs to know before you decide

Bonsai limitations

  • Built for one seat — team features are limited
  • Project management is a task list, no Kanban or Gantt
  • No automation builder
  • No white-label portal

17hats limitations

  • Dated interface and solo-only focus
  • No project management views
  • No mobile app
  • Setup takes days to weeks

Comparing other tools? See all OnBrio comparisons or the deep dives on Bonsai alternatives and 17hats alternatives.

FAQ

Common questions.

Bonsai is the better pick for freelancers who live in contracts and invoices and want tax help, starting at $25/mo. 17hats offers more structured lead capture and quote automation at $45/mo. Both are solo-only with no project views. Growing studios usually need team seats and delivery tools neither provides.
Bonsai starts at $25–$79/mo. 17hats starts at $45/mo. Pricing was checked on each vendor's site (2026-06-01) and may change — verify before buying.
OnBrio combines proposals with e-signatures, contracts, a white-label client portal, full project management, time tracking that flows to invoices, and invoicing with no transaction fees, starting at $29/mo with a free plan.

Skip the Bonsai-or-17hats dilemma.

OnBrio covers client workflow, delivery, and billing in one workspace. Start free — no card needed.

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