Top 10 Bonsai Alternatives in 2024

Bonsai (or Hello Bonsai) sells itself as a “jack of all trades” in work management. 

It’s safe to say it’s living up to its reputation, having helped freelancers and agencies manage their projects, client relationships, and financials from a single platform. 

But here’s the catch: Bonsai is your typical crowd-pleaser trying to appeal to everyone. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Bonsai comes with a few drawbacks, especially for creative agencies looking to scale:

• Limited client portal customization gives agencies little room to differentiate. Sure, Bonsai’s white-labeled client portal allows you to change the header image, logo, and colors–but that’s where rebranding hits a brick wall. 
• Bonsai’s lack of built-in client communication means you’ll have to contend with crucial project details getting lost in multiple fragmented email threads. 
• Lastly, Bonsai has no integrated design feedback tool, revealing its off-the-rack project management approach. Other businesses can thrive without this specialized feature, but not creative agencies that live and breathe design feedback. 

Fortunately, there are great Bonsai alternatives that can effectively fill these gaps. This post will compare ten of these best alternatives and discuss their features, benefits, and drawbacks.

By the end of this article, you’ll have a clearer idea of the best platform your team can switch to. 

Top 10 Best Bonsai Alternatives

Looking for better agency management software? Explore these top Bonsai alternatives, which offer the right tools to suit your business needs and budget. 

1. ManyRequests

ManyRequests is the top Bonsai alternative for creative agencies who want to scale faster without sacrificing personalized client service. 

Its robust platform enables agencies to handle multiple projects and design requests while giving each client a custom-branded portal experience. 

ManyRequests can help your agency scale its operations more efficiently by offering the following benefits:

• You have complete control over the client portal’s look and feel. ManyRequests empowers you to create bespoke self-service portals for your clients, which you can infuse with their brand logo, favicon, and primary colors. Furthermore, you can also add a custom domain or choose a different language to serve your non-English-speaking clientele.
• All project-related communication takes place in the client portal. ManyRequests’ in-app direct messaging eliminates the hassle of back-and-forth email communication. With conversations organized and accessible from one place, ManyRequests ensures everyone is on the same page, and no crucial project detail will slip through the cracks. 
• It accelerates project completion through built-in design proofing and feedback. With ManyRequests, clients are quickly notified of each project deliverable, allowing them to add annotations to design files as soon as they receive them. The quick feedback system results in seamless collaboration, as everyone knows exactly what details need to be changed and how. 

Here’s a detailed look at the features that make ManyRequests the best Bonsai alternative. 

Custom-Branded Client Portal Experience

While Bonsai has a white-labeled client portal, the customization is limited to changing the logo and header image. 

By contrast, ManyRequests enables agencies to create a dedicated client portal with a complete set of rebranding options. 

With ManyRequests, you can give clients a personalized experience by:

• Editing the portal name
• Changing the logo, favicon, and primary colors
• Choosing between a light or dark theme
• Managing portal notifications
• Customizing client portal onboarding
• Changing the time zone
• Choosing the preferred language
• Connecting a custom domain

A custom domain name lets you create client portals with your branded URL (e.g., app.youragency.com). This gives your customers the impression that they interact with your brand, not somebody else’s. 

Bonsai doesn’t offer this feature, so clients get reminded of Bonsai’s branding each time they access the self-service portal. 

Meanwhile, the customizable time zone and language open the door to the global market, allowing your agency to work smoothly with various international clients. 

With ManyRequests' extension, you can bolster each client portal's functionality. Simply go to "Modules and Extensions" and enable the extensions you want, including, but not limited to:

• Calendly - allows clients to book calls from the portal
• Airtable - embeds tables and forms for project status reports
• ClickUp or Monday.com - keeps clients on track of the project's progress
• JotForm or Typeform - is used to capture clients' data
• YouTube - embeds educational or marketing videos from your channel

Centralized Project Delegation and Communication

ManyRequests allows creative teams to add, track, and get paid for each project under one roof. 

With integrated Kanban boards and checklists, everyone can see the status of each design project at a glance. This allows creative heads to make critical decisions promptly and ensure every project is completed on time. 

ManyRequests’ centralized system streamlines task delegation. When a service is sold, ManyRequests can automatically assign the request to a designated team member. 

Meanwhile, ManyRequests’ in-app messaging ensures all vital project communication is stored on a single platform. This feature allows you to send messages, share files, and collaborate with your team and clients without lengthy back-and-forth email exchanges. 

In comparison, Bonsai can add internal notes and forward messages to a project email address. However, internal notes have limited visibility, and email forwarding isn’t as intuitive as ManyRequests’ chat messaging. 

ManyRequests’ in-app messaging isn’t only good at saving time. It’s also a vital customer service tool you can leverage to address customer complaints quickly, cross-sell your service offerings, and engage with your existing clients anytime. 

Streamlined Design Proofing & Feedback 

A fragmented communication system is a recipe for entering revision hell. ManyRequests prevents this by replacing emails and generic ticketing with a built-in revision system. 

Unlike off-the-shelf solutions like Bonsai, ManyRequests provides creative agencies with built-in design proofing. It allows clients to annotate design files such as PDFs, GIFs, PNGs, and JPEGs as soon as they’re delivered. 

With this feature, even the least eloquent clients will no longer struggle to describe what they want and instead pinpoint which element of the deliverable needs to be revised, removed, or enhanced. 

To incorporate annotations, the clients only need to left-click on any specific area of the design or output. They can add comments, feedback, or notes. Alternatively, they can click the video camera icon to start recording a Loom video directly on the file. 

Through ManyRequests’ in-platform proofing and feedback, clients can quickly review outputs and add revision requests in one go. 

With all annotations visible to everyone, designated team members can respond accordingly and resolve requests once completed. This accelerated feedback system streamlines project collaboration and prevents the team from getting stuck in revision hell. 

ManyRequests Pros & Cons

ManyRequests gives agencies the tools to manage multiple projects and requests in one place. It’s designed for teams who have outgrown free but restrictive project management software like Trello but are turned off by complex, feature-bloated solutions like ClickUp. 

Here’s a quick look at ManyRequests’ benefits and drawbacks:

Pros

• All-in-one agency management solution
• Custom-branded client portal
• Efficient billing and payment processing
• Personalized support and onboarding

Cons

• Limited native integrations
• Lacks advanced features for larger agencies
• Features more suitable for creative agencies

ManyRequests Pricing 

• Free Trial: 14-day trial (no credit card needed)
• Starter:some text
  • Annual: $79/month
  • Monthly: $99/month
• Core:some text
  • Annual: $119/month
  • Monthly: $149/month
• Pro:some text
  • Annual: $319/month
  • Monthly: $399/month
• Enterprise: Contact sales for pricing

ManyRequests has multiple pricing tiers to accommodate agencies at different growth stages. 

Starter, the most affordable plan, can put two users in admin roles. It has all the basic features and a custom domain to give your agency its branded URL. 

The Core plan includes the custom domain and additional features like a time tracker, design annotation, and Zapier integration. Meanwhile, the Pro plan has all the Core features plus additional ones intended to personalize the client experience. These include ManyRequests' white label portal and email. 

All of ManyRequests' plans can serve unlimited clients. You can also add extra team member seats for $40/month for each additional member. 

For those not ready to swipe their credit cards, you can try ManyRequests' features within a limited 14-day free trial period. 

ManyRequests also has an Enterprise plan, which offers custom pricing for large agencies with over 25 team members. It features API access, priority support, and a dedicated account manager for a seamless onboarding experience. 

2. ClickUp 

Best for: Marketing agencies managing client campaigns and internal projects.

ClickUp Highlights

ClickUp is a solid alternative to Bonsai for teams prioritizing project management and customization. 

ClickUp’s customizable dashboard lets users create a personalized view of key metrics and project insights. It’s a valuable tool for agency managers who need to track various projects simultaneously and want to visualize their data according to their specific workflows.

On the other hand, ClickUp’s task management offers advanced capabilities like task dependencies, time tracking, and priority levels. This feature ensures deadlines and resources are allocated efficiently for agencies juggling multiple clients and projects. 

Unlike Bonsai, which focuses more on invoicing and contracts, ClickUp provides a broader range of project management functionalities.

While it offers extensive features, ClickUp’s interface may overwhelm new users. This complexity can lead to a longer onboarding process, which might deter some agency owners who prefer a more straightforward, user-friendly experience like Bonsai's. 

ClickUp Pros & Cons

Pros

• Highly customizable workflows
• Multiple project views available
• Robust task management features
• Integrated communication tools

Cons

• Steep learning curve
• Slow loading times
• Complicated pricing structure
• Inconsistent customer support

ClickUp Pricing

• Free Trial: 14-day trial (no credit card needed)
• Free Plan: Free forever, but with limited storage space and features
• Unlimited: $10/month per user
• Business: $19/month per user
• Enterprise: Contact sales for pricing

3. PandaDoc 

Best for: Agencies and businesses that need robust tools for creating, sending, and tracking client proposals and contracts. 

PandaDoc Highlights

PandaDoc is a solid Bonsai alternative for agencies focused on document management and client interactions. Its extensive template library lets users quickly create proposals, contracts, and quotes without starting from scratch. 

Meanwhile, PandaDoc’s real-time collaboration feature enables team members and clients to collaborate on documents, significantly speeding up the approval process. 

In addition, PandaDoc's document analytics provide valuable insights into how clients interact with your documents, helping agencies tailor their follow-ups and improve conversion rates.

PandaDoc benefits agencies that frequently deal with proposals and contracts. For example, marketing agencies can use PandaDoc to create visually appealing proposals that showcase their services, complete with pricing options and terms.  

While PandaDoc provides a wide range of templates, some users may find that they can't tailor documents as extensively as they would like. This limitation could be a dealbreaker for agencies that need highly customized documents to reflect their brand identity or specific client requirements.

PandaDoc Pros & Cons

Pros:

• User-friendly interface
• Extensive template library
• Robust document tracking
• Real-time collaboration features

Cons:

• Limited customization options
• Occasional formatting issues
• Some features behind the paywall
• Difficulties with long documents

PandaDoc Pricing.

• Free Trial: 14-day trial (no credit card needed)
• Starter: $35/month per user
• Business: $65/month per user
• Enterprise: Contact sales for pricing

4. Monday.com 

Best for: Handling multi-step workflows, cross-functional collaboration, and visual project management.

Monday.com Highlights

Monday.com’s customizable dashboards allow teams to organize their work in a way that makes sense for their needs. 

Whether you need to track project progress, manage client communications, or visualize timelines, Monday’s interface is intuitive and adaptable to your agency's requirements.

On the other hand, Monday’s automation tools save your team from repetitive tasks that can take up valuable time. With this automation, you can set up rules to handle everything from task assignments to status updates, ensuring your team stays on track without manual intervention. 

Compared to Bonsai, which is more narrowly focused on freelancing tasks, Monday.com shines as a full-fledged project management tool. It’s tailored for larger agencies that need robust collaboration features, as it allows team members to communicate directly within tasks, tag colleagues, and even see who’s online for real-time updates. 

While Monday.com is an excellent choice for agency management, its per-user pricing model can be a drawback for smaller teams with limited budgets. Moreover, the mobile app functionality is more limited than the desktop version, which may concern agencies relying heavily on mobile access.

Monday.com Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Highly customizable dashboards
• Easy-to-use automation tools
• Wide range of integrations
• Intuitive user interface

Cons:

• Confusing pricing structure
• Limited features on lower tiers
• Task filtering can be restrictive
• Minimum user requirement for paid plans

Monday.com Pricing

• Free Trial: 14-day trial (no credit card needed)
• Free: Free forever (up to 2 seats only)
• Basic: Starts at $12/month per seat
• Standard: Starts at $14/month per seat
• Pro: Starts at $24/month per seat
• Enterprise: Contact sales for pricing

5. FreshBooks 

Best for: Agencies needing simple and effective invoicing and expense management.

FreshBooks Highlights

FreshBooks is worth considering if you're looking for a Bonsai alternative that excels in managing your agency’s finances. 

FreshBooks’ powerful invoicing feature allows you to create professional invoices quickly, automate recurring billing, and accept payments directly. Plus, the expense tracking feature automatically categorizes expenses, saving you time and reducing the chances of manual errors. 

Agencies that handle a lot of client billing can use FreshBooks to manage invoices and expenses with minimal fuss.

With a robust time-tracking capability, FreshBooks can also track billable hours and attach them directly to projects or clients. This makes FreshBooks ideal for agencies that bill by the hour. 

On the flip side, FreshBooks has limited project management capabilities. Unlike Bonsai, which is designed with project management at its core, FreshBooks primarily focuses on accounting and billing. 

While FreshBooks is excellent for financial management, you may need to integrate it with another tool to handle your projects effectively. This could be a dealbreaker if you prefer an all-in-one solution.

FreshBooks Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Easy-to-use interface
• Robust invoicing features
• Automated expense tracking
• Time tracking capabilities

Cons:

• Limited inventory management
• High cost for additional users
• Basic reporting features
• No project management tools

FreshBooks Pricing

• Free Trial: 30-day trial (no credit card needed)
• Lite: $7.60/month
• Plus: $13.20/month
• Premium: $24/month
• Select: Contact sales for pricing

6. Proposify 

Best for: Digital marketing agencies, creative studios, and business consultants who send high volumes of proposals.

Proposify Highlights

Proposify offers a compelling alternative to Bonsai for agencies looking to enhance their proposal management and client engagement processes.

Using Proposify's drag-and-drop editor, agencies can create visually appealing proposals that reflect their brand aesthetics. 

Meanwhile, Proposify’s real-time proposal tracking provides insights into how recipients interact with proposals. This data helps agencies understand which sections capture attention and which need improvement.

Proposify is especially useful for agencies that frequently pitch to clients and must create polished proposals quickly. The software’s analytics capabilities empower teams to refine their approach based on actual engagement metrics, making it easier to close deals. 

Compared to Bonsai, which is more of an all-in-one solution for freelancers, Proposify focuses specifically on enhancing the proposal process. This specialization can improve outcomes for agencies prioritizing proposal quality and client communication over broader project management features.

Proposify Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Easy proposal creation
• Customizable templates
• Client engagement insights
• Efficient e-signature process

Cons:

• Limited design flexibility
• Few payment integrations
• Restrictive pricing plans
• Lacks project management features

Proposify Pricing

• Free Trial: 14-day trial (no credit card needed)
• Basic: $35/month per seat
• Team: $49/month per seat
• Business: $65/month per seat

7. Accelo 

Best for: Consulting firms looking for integrated CRM and project management tools in one platform.

Accelo Highlights

While Bonsai focuses primarily on task and project management, Accelo adds client relationship management and financial tracking, helping you manage everything from client communication to invoicing without additional tools. 

Accelo’s CRM integration can save time and reduce the risk of data errors, which is a common pain point when using multiple disconnected systems. If your agency needs a more holistic approach to managing client relationships and project deliverables, Accelo might be the better Bonsai alternative.

However, Accelo requires a steep learning curve, especially during the initial setup. Users have reported that while the software is highly customizable, configuring it to suit your needs can be time-consuming and confusing. 

This complexity might be a hurdle for agencies looking for a more straightforward solution, especially if you don’t have the time or resources to invest in a lengthy onboarding process.

Accelo also has occasional performance issues, particularly when managing multiple projects or generating reports. Users have reported that the software can be slow, which could hinder productivity and frustrate teams who rely on quick access to information. ​

Accelo Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Comprehensive project management
• Seamless G Suite integration
• Extensive customization options
• Centralized client and project data

Cons:

• Cumbersome task management
• Difficult data search and export
• Complicated email communication setup
• Needs better reporting features

Accelo Pricing

• Free Trial: No free trial is available
• Professional: Book a demo to get pricing details
• Business: Book a demo to get pricing details
• Advanced: Book a demo to get pricing details
• Elite: Book a demo to get pricing details

8. Harvest 

Best for: Freelancers or small teams who want a straightforward solution to monitor billable hours and expenses.

Harvest Highlights

Harvest's accurate time tracking is built for agencies that need to track time precisely for billing purposes or to evaluate project profitability. 

It allows users to capture billable hours across multiple projects effortlessly. Whether you prefer using a timer or manually entering hours, Harvest offers flexibility that suits different work styles. 

Harvest's seamless invoicing and expense management integrate directly with its time tracking. As a result, it’s easier to convert tracked time into invoices, ensuring that nothing falls through the cracks. 

Meanwhile, Harvest’s intuitive interface makes it easy for teams to get up and running without a steep learning curve. 

Compared to Bonsai, which can feel more cluttered due to its broader feature set, Harvest’s streamlined approach makes it a more straightforward choice for agencies focused on time tracking and invoicing.

Unfortunately, Harvest has limited customization options in reporting and invoicing. While the software covers the basics well, agencies that require more advanced customization for their reports or client-facing documents might need more support. 

Harvest Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Simple, intuitive interface
• Accurate time tracking
• Seamless integrations
• Strong invoicing features

Cons:

• Lacks advanced project management tools
• Basic reporting features
• Lacks advanced accounting tools
• High pricing for small teams

Harvest Pricing.

• Free Trial: 30-day trial (no credit card needed)
• Harvest: Free forever but limited to one seat and two projects
• Harvest Pro: $12/month per seat (with unlimited seats and projects)

9. Teamwork.com 

Best for: Software development firms needing advanced project tracking and client communication tools.

Teamwork.com Highlights

As a Bonsai alternative, Teamwork.com is a compelling choice for agencies looking to elevate their project management game. 

Its customizable project templates allow agencies to standardize their workflows, saving time on repetitive tasks while ensuring project consistency. 

Meanwhile, Teamwork’s comprehensive time-tracking tools provide detailed insights into time spent across projects, making it easier for agencies to optimize resource allocation and improve profitability. 

Lastly, Teamwork’s robust client management features ensure seamless communication and collaboration with clients, keeping everyone on the same page without requiring them to switch between different tools.

While Bonsai is excellent for freelancers and small teams needing straightforward contract management and invoicing, Teamwork excels in environments where project management, time tracking, and client collaboration must be tightly integrated. 

Teamwork’s extensive integrations with crucial apps like Slack, HubSpot, and QuickBooks further enhance its functionality for agencies that rely on a suite of tools to run their operations smoothly.

That said, one drawback of Teamwork.com is its steep learning curve. Unlike Bonsai’s more intuitive interface, Teamwork may require a bit more time and training to get used to, which could be a consideration for smaller agencies or those with limited resources. 

Teamwork.com Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Customizable project templates
• Comprehensive time-tracking tools
• Client management features
• Integrations with key apps

Cons:

• Limited customization options
• Confusing interface for some
• Can slow down with many tasks
• Expensive for small teams

Teamwork.com Pricing

• Free Trial: 30-day trial (no credit card needed)
• Free: Free for up to 5 users
• Deliver: $13.99/month per user
• Grow: $25.99/month per user
• Scale: $69.99/month per user

10. Clockify 

Best for: Teams monitoring productivity and attendance for remote or in-office employees.

Clockify Highlights

Clockify caters specifically to agencies focused on detailed time tracking and project oversight. 

For instance, Clockify’s unlimited free plan is for small to mid-sized agencies that need to track multiple users without worrying about extra costs. This feature alone can make Clockify an attractive choice compared to Bonsai, which limits features in its lower-tier plans. 

Clockify also touts detailed time-tracking reports, which allow agency managers to examine project hours and employee productivity in depth. This benefits agencies billing clients based on time spent or needing to justify time allocations to stakeholders. 

Moreover, Clockify’s cross-platform availability ensures teams can track time from virtually any device, whether in the office or on the go.

Clockify shines as a Bonsai alternative for agencies where time tracking is a core part of daily operations. Whether managing remote teams or juggling multiple projects, the ability to generate detailed reports and monitor time usage helps ensure that projects stay on budget and clients are billed accurately. 

Compared to Bonsai, which focuses more on task management and financial tracking, Clockify provides a simpler, more focused toolset that zeroes in on time tracking without the added complexity of other project management features.

However, Clockify has limited project management features. If your agency requires a comprehensive tool that combines time tracking with robust task and client management capabilities, Clockify may not be your best choice.

While Clockify excels at what it does—tracking time—it may not offer the all-in-one solution that some agencies are looking for. In contrast, Bonsai’s more integrated approach might be better suited for agencies that want a more holistic management solution, even if it comes at a higher cost.

Clockify Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Free for unlimited users
• Detailed time tracking reports
• Cross-platform availability
• Simple, intuitive interface

Cons:

• Limited project management features
• Occasional syncing issues
• Basic integrations on the free plan
• Learning curve for new users

Clockify Pricing

• Free Trial: 7-day trial (no credit card needed)
• Free Plan: Free forever but with limited features
• Basic: $4.99/month per seat
• Standard: $6.99/month per seat
• Pro: $9.99/month per seat
• Enterprise: $14.99/month per seat

Wrapping Up

Bonsai is a simple, one-stop shop for business management needs. But like any “jack of all trades,” Bonsai tends to spread itself too thin, resulting in mediocre features that could be improved. 

For instance, ClickUp’s project management functionalities outperform Bonsai’s. This makes ClickUp a better alternative to Bonsai for marketing agencies managing multiple client campaigns. 

When it comes to document management, Bonsai is also eclipsed by PandaDoc. Its extensive template library simplifies creating, sending, and tracking client proposals. 

Lastly, we also enumerated why ManyRequests is a better choice for creative agencies than Bonsai. 

ManyRequests gives agencies a competitive edge by combining a customizable client portal, built-in project communication, and an integrated design feedback system. 

By personalizing the client’s experience from project intake to completion, ManyRequests can help you gain loyal customers—and retain those you already have. 

See what makes ManyRequests’ client portal better–and more robust–than Bonsai’s, or sign up for its 14-day free trial to start testing its premium features at no cost. 

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