Flowly vs Bonsai: All the Invoicing, None of the Bloat
Bonsai pitches itself as 'the unified platform for service businesses' — CRM, proposals, contracts, accounting, time tracking, and invoicing in a single suite. At $9/month basic (annual) or $15/month monthly, it's in the same price band as Flowly ($8/mo annual or $12/mo monthly), and a real, mature product. For agencies and growing freelance businesses that need every one of those surfaces, Bonsai is genuinely well-designed.
The tradeoff is surface area. A solo freelancer billing 2-5 retainer clients does not typically need a CRM, a proposal pipeline, a contracts engine, and an accounting module. They need the daily flow: open the app, start a timer, stop the timer, send the invoice on the 1st. Bonsai gives you all that plus everything else; Flowly gives you only that.
Flowly is the focused alternative: track time → send invoice → get paid, from $8/month annual or $12/month monthly. No CRM you may not need. No proposals tab you ignore. The surface area is roughly 20% of Bonsai's — but it's the 20% that actually maps onto a solo freelancer's daily billable workflow.
This page walks through the tradeoff honestly. Bonsai's breadth is real and wins for some workflows. Flowly's focus is the reason existing Bonsai users with no CRM/proposal needs switch.
The Short Answer
You are a solo freelancer who does not need a CRM, proposals, or contracts. You want the daily track-time-to-paid loop from $8/month annual or $12/month monthly without paying for surface area you do not use.
You actually use a CRM pipeline, send formal proposals before projects start, manage contracts, or need built-in accounting. Bonsai handles that suite end-to-end.
Feature Comparison
Honest comparison — including areas where Bonsai has the advantage.
| Feature | Flowly | Bonsai |
|---|---|---|
| Task management | ✓ | Limited (project tasks only) |
| Time tracking on task cards | ✓ | ✓ |
| Built-in invoicing + payment link | ✓ | ✓ |
| Recurring retainer invoices | ✓ | ✓ |
| Branded invoice PDF | ✓ | ✓ |
| Time-by-project analytics | ✓ | Basic |
| Calendar sync (Google) | ✓ | Limited |
| Break reminders | ✓ | ✗ |
| CRM / client pipeline | ✗ | ✓ |
| Proposals / contracts | ✗ | ✓ |
| Accounting / expense tracking | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mobile apps | ✗ | ✓ |
Pricing Side by Side
Bonsai Basic is $9/user/mo on annual ($15 monthly). Flowly is $8/mo annual or $12/mo monthly — slightly cheaper at both tiers. Price is similar enough that the deciding question is whether you actually use the CRM, proposals, and contracts. If not, Flowly is the focused alternative.
Up to 20 tasks, 3 projects, 1 invoice/month — free forever
$8/month billed annually ($96/year) or $12/month
No free tier — 14-day trial
Basic $9/user/mo annual or $15/user/mo monthly. Professional $19/user/mo annual.
Which is Right for You?
Choose Flowly if…
- ✓You don't use a CRM and you don't want to pay for one
- ✓Your workflow is: track hours → send invoice → reconcile payment. That is the entire loop you need.
- ✓You bill 2-5 retainer or hourly clients and the all-in-one surface feels like overkill
- ✓You prefer a focused daily-workflow tool over a unified-suite dashboard
- ✓You want first-class task management and time tracking on the same surface
Choose Bonsai if…
- →You actively manage a CRM pipeline with leads, contacts, and stages
- →You send formal proposals before projects start and want them tracked
- →You need contracts management with e-signature
- →You want built-in accounting (expenses, reports, tax estimates) in the same tool
- →You need native mobile apps for the full workflow
The Honest Verdict
Bonsai is the right tool if you genuinely use the unified-suite features — CRM, proposals, contracts, accounting. For a solo freelancer who only ever opens the time tracker and the invoices tab, Bonsai charges for surface area you don't touch. Flowly is the focused alternative: only the daily track-time-to-paid loop, at the same monthly price.
Frequently Asked Questions
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