Bonsai vs Clerq
Bonsai
hellobonsai.com
Clerq
useclerq.netSide by side
| Figure | Bonsai | Clerq |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $15/mo | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 4 |
| Spec score · Time Billing Software | 9.2 (#2) | 8.7 (#9) |
| Rating on G2 | 4.3 out of 5 from 101 reviews | 0.0 out of 5 from 0 reviews on the unrelated patent-software Clerq listing. |
| Security | Bonsai says it achieved SOC 2 Type II compliance on July 3, 2025, and describes enforced multifactor authentication and least-privilege access. | The privacy policy says Cloud passwords are stored as secure hashes and traffic is encrypted in transit using HTTPS. |
| Support | Paid subscribers can contact support in the app or by email, and Bonsai says its Help Center has over 240 articles. | Cloud pricing lists small-team support with roles; self-hosted users receive community support on GitHub. |
| What it does | Bonsai is an all-in-one business platform for agencies, consultancies and professional service providers covering projects, clients, teams, billing, resource planning and revenue tracking. | Clerq is an open-source back-office system for freelancers and small development studios covering clients, projects, time, invoices and expenses. |
Plans
In their own words
Bonsai
Bonsai brings client work, project delivery, and billing into one platform for service businesses. Client management includes CRM, deals, estimates, proposals, contracts, retainers, forms, a client portal, and scheduling. Project tools cover tasks, Gantt charts, time tracking, budgets, timesheets, reports, and resource planning. Financial tools include invoicing, payments, rate cards, expenses, forecasting, and accounting integrations. Premium lists QuickBooks, Xero, Zapier, Calendly, and Google integrations. The API covers contacts, companies, deals, projects, tasks, subtasks, comments, time entries, and invoices. Access is available through the website, iPhone and Android apps, Mac OS, an API, and an extension. Monthly per-user plans are Basic at 15.00 USD, Essentials at 25.00 USD, Premium at 39.00 USD, and Elite at 59.00 USD. A pricing note lists $9/user/mo annually. The 7-day trial provides full, unlimited access; continuing requires a plan and payment details. Elite requires at least three users.