Bonsai vs Xero — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
Bonsai starts at $15/mo. Xero starts at $25/mo. Bonsai is $10/mo cheaper on the entry tier than Xero.
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.
Cloud accounting from New Zealand, publicly traded, ~$18B market cap. Positioned as the alternative to QuickBooks outside the US (dominant in UK, Australia, and NZ). Distinctive for its bank feed depth (5,000+ banks worldwide) and its global accountant marketplace. Priced $15-$78/mo across three tiers. Recently added AI features and payments infrastructure to defend against Stripe's push into billing. Best choice if your accountant is outside the US.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | Bonsai monthly | Bonsai annual | Xero monthly | Xero annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry paid | Basic / Early | $15 | $9 | $25 | $25 |
| Mid tier 1 | Essentials / Growing | $25 | $19 | $55 | $55 |
| Mid tier 2 | Premium / — | $39 | $29 | — | — |
| Pro / power | Elite / Established | $59 | $49 | $90 | $90 |
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
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.
Xero is worth it if… global SMBs (1-100 employees) that need cloud accounting + multi-currency support + strong bank feed automation — particularly if you're outside the US or scaling internationally where QuickBooks weakens. Early is entry tier (bank rec + basic invoicing); Growing removes invoice limits; Established adds multi-currency + expenses + projects.
Bottom line: Choose based on how you want to pay — Bonsai is flat rate, Xero is per seat.
Choose Bonsai over Xero if…
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.
Choose Xero if…
- You want fixed-price predictability (per seat, from $25/mo).
- You match the profile Xero is built for: global SMBs (1-100 employees) that need cloud accounting + multi-currency support + strong bank feed automation — particularly if you're outside the US or scaling internationally where QuickBooks weakens.
- You need a general-purpose finance & accounting option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| Bonsai | Xero | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No | No |
| Entry price | $15/mo | $25/mo |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Flat Rate | Per Seat |
| Verification | Verified August 12, 2026 | Verified August 12, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified September 26, 2026. Tracked daily.