BILL vs Bonsai — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
BILL starts at $49/mo. Bonsai starts at $15/mo. Bonsai is $34/mo cheaper on the entry tier than BILL.
SMB accounts-payable + accounts-receivable automation platform (formerly Bill.com), IPO'd 2019 at $27B peak valuation. Positioned as the alternative to processing invoices manually or hacking QuickBooks Online for AP/AR workflows. Distinctive for 2-way sync with all major accounting platforms (QuickBooks, Xero, Sage Intacct, NetSuite) and BILL Divvy spend-management combined suite. Priced $49-$89/user/mo across Essentials/Team/Corporate published tiers plus Enterprise. Also charges per-transaction fees on top of subscription (ACH $0.59, checks $1.99, wire $19.99, international 1%). Popular with 5-100-person businesses running full AP/AR workflows.
All-in-one business management for freelancers (contracts + invoicing + time tracking + CRM + tax). Positioned as the alternative to running Bonsai + QuickBooks + HelloSign separately. Distinctive for bundling the freelance stack into one subscription. Restructured to 4 tiers: Basic $15 / Essentials $25 / Premium $39 / Elite $59 per user/mo. Acquired by Zoom Nov 5, 2025 (closed Dec 2025); pricing held post-acquisition. Popular with independent consultants, designers, and creators who bill 3-20 clients but hate juggling separate tools for contracts, invoicing, and accounting.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | BILL monthly | BILL annual | Bonsai monthly | Bonsai annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry paid | Essentials / Basic | $49 | $49 | $15 | $9 |
| Mid tier 1 | — / Essentials | — | — | $25 | $19 |
| Mid tier 2 | — / Premium | — | — | $39 | $29 |
| Pro / power | Corporate / Elite | $89 | $89 | $59 | $49 |
| Teams | Team / — | $65 | $65 | — | — |
| Enterprise | Enterprise / — | Custom | Custom | — | — |
Tier names differ across vendors. Rows are aligned by tier role, not name. Full tier structures on each tool's page.
What each is best for
BILL is worth it if… growing businesses (10-500 employees) that need to automate invoice processing, approvals, and payments across a real vendor+customer stack — particularly if your finance team spends more than 10 hours/week on AP or AR manually. Essentials covers AP OR AR per user (not both); Team adds custom roles and class/location tracking; Corporate combines AP + AR; Enterprise adds NetSuite + Dynamics sync.
Bonsai is worth it if… Bonsai is the all-in-one back office for solo freelancers and small agencies (1-15 people) — proposals, contracts, invoicing, time tracking, and CRM bundled instead of stitching separate tools. Basic covers solo freelancers; Essentials adds workflows and integrations; Premium scales team accounting; Elite adds white-label and priority support.
Bottom line: Similar positioning, closer to a preference call than a strategic one.
Choose BILL over Bonsai if…
Choose BILL if…
- You're comfortable with BILL's from $49/mo entry point.
- You match the profile BILL is built for: growing businesses (10-500 employees) that need to automate invoice processing, approvals, and payments across a real vendor+customer stack — particularly if your finance team spends more than 10 hours/week on AP or AR manually.
- You need a general-purpose finance & accounting option rather than a vertical-specific one.
Choose Bonsai if…
- You want fixed-price predictability (flat rate, from $15/mo).
- You match the profile Bonsai is built for: the all-in-one back office for solo freelancers and small agencies (1-15 people) — proposals, contracts, invoicing, time tracking, and CRM bundled instead of stitching separate tools.
- You need a general-purpose finance & accounting option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| BILL | Bonsai | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No | No |
| Entry price | $49/mo | $15/mo |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | — | Flat Rate |
| Verification | Verified August 12, 2026 | Verified August 12, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified September 18, 2026. Tracked daily.