A Bonsai alternative for when the freelancing turns into a business.
Bonsai is built around one person selling their time. Velosiq is built for what comes next — costs against jobs, equipment worth tracking, a second pair of hands, and a plan that does not charge you per head for it.
The transition Bonsai was not designed for
Freelance tools assume the input is your time and the output is an invoice. That holds right up until it does not: you buy a machine, you start subcontracting, you take on someone part-time, the jobs start having material costs. None of that is exotic — it is what happens to a freelancer who is doing well — and it is the point at which time-and-invoice software starts giving you a picture that is missing its cost side entirely.
What each is built around
Structural differences only — no prices quoted. Bonsai wins the bottom section outright.
| Feature | Velosiq | Bonsai |
|---|---|---|
| On the entry plan | ||
| Invoicing | Included | Not included |
| Proposals with e-signature | Included | Not included |
| Client portal | Business and Team plans | Not included |
| Unlimited clients and invoices | Included | Varies by plan |
| What the work costs | ||
| Projects with live margin | Business and Team plans | Project management, lighter costing |
| Change orders with approval | Business and Team plans | Not included |
| Expense tracking and P&L | Business and Team plans | Included |
| Time tracking | Business and Team plans | Included |
| Equipment | ||
| Equipment / asset register | Included | Not included |
| Maintenance logs against a machine | Business and Team plans | Not included |
| Equipment ROI against revenue earned | Business and Team plans | Not included |
| Pricing model | ||
| Priced per seat | No — seats included in the plan | Yes |
| Payments run through | Your own Stripe account | Its own integrations |
| Where Bonsai wins | ||
| Multiple currencies | Not included | Included |
| Works outside the US | US-based businesses | Included |
| Contract template library | Terms on proposals only | Included |
| Tax product | Not included | Available as an add-on |
Billing is not an upgrade
The thing worth checking on any of these tools is what the cheapest plan actually lets you do. Bonsai's entry tier leaves out invoicing, contracts, proposals and the client portal — so the advertised starting price is not the price of a setup that can bill a client. Velosiq puts invoicing, proposals with e-signature, the calendar, the products catalog and the revenue reporting on the entry plan, with clients and invoices unlimited on every tier.
You can bill on day one
Unlimited invoices and clients from the entry plan, with no per-invoice metering anywhere.
Proposals included
E-signature acceptance on every plan, with the signer's name, IP and timestamp recorded.
Higher plans add scope, not permission
Projects, expenses, the portal and more seats — not the ability to send an invoice.
Where Bonsai is the better choice
Two of these are hard blockers rather than preferences. If either applies, stay with Bonsai.
- — You invoice in more than one currency. Velosiq is USD-only — this is a blocker, not an inconvenience.
- — You are based outside the US. Velosiq's Stripe onboarding currently supports US-based businesses.
- — You rely on a contract and agreement template library. Velosiq has terms on proposals and nothing comparable to Bonsai's templates.
- — You want tax filing help alongside the invoicing. Velosiq reports on your numbers and stops there.
- — You want recurring or automatic invoicing. Velosiq has none — no autopay and no card on file.
Questions, answered
What people ask when weighing the two.
What is the main difference in how the plans are packaged?
Bonsai's entry plan leaves out invoicing, contracts, proposals and the client portal, so the cheapest tier is not a working billing setup — you reach the useful configuration a tier or two up. Velosiq puts invoicing, proposals with e-signature, the calendar, the catalog and the reporting on its entry plan, with unlimited clients and invoices on every tier. What the higher Velosiq plans add is projects, expenses, the portal and more people, not the ability to bill at all.
How does pricing change as I add people?
Bonsai is seat-priced, so headcount is a multiplier on the bill. Velosiq includes its seats in the plan: one on Solo, three on Business, ten on Team, flat. Adding a second person on Velosiq means changing plan once, not paying per head. We do not quote Bonsai's numbers here because they change — the shape is the durable part.
What does Velosiq have that Bonsai does not?
Equipment. Velosiq keeps an asset register, logs maintenance against a machine, and costs it out against the revenue it earned. Bonsai is built for freelancers whose main input is their own time, so it has no equivalent. Velosiq also has change orders for recording out-of-scope work with a price and an approval.
Is Bonsai better if I work internationally?
Yes, clearly. Bonsai handles multiple currencies and works well outside the US. Velosiq is USD-only and its Stripe onboarding currently supports US-based businesses. If you invoice in more than one currency, this is a hard blocker and you should stay with Bonsai.
Do I lose contract templates by switching?
Largely, yes. Bonsai's contract and agreement template library is one of its genuine strengths and Velosiq has nothing comparable. Velosiq proposals carry a terms and conditions section and a typed e-signature with the name, IP address and timestamp recorded — enough for scoping and acceptance, but not a substitute for a template library.
See whether the cost side changes the picture
Fourteen days, no card. Put one job through with its real costs against it and compare what each tool can tell you afterwards.
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