---
title: "Hello Bonsai alternatives: how we compare"
description: "Meadow Desk vs Bonsai (hellobonsai.com), checked against Bonsai's pricing page: per-user prices, free plan vs trial, and where Bonsai is stronger."
canonical: "https://www.meadowdesk.com/compare/bonsai-alternative"
last_modified: "2026-10-08"
---

# Hello Bonsai alternatives: how Meadow Desk compares

Source: https://www.meadowdesk.com/compare/bonsai-alternative (competitor facts checked Oct 8, 2026)

Bonsai, at hellobonsai.com, pairs proposals, contracts and invoices with time tracking, scheduling and accounting integrations, priced per user. Meadow Desk is a newer desk with a free solo plan and per-seat studio pricing. Here is how they compare on what each company publishes, including where Bonsai is the better pick.

Bonsai and Meadow Desk, last checked Oct 8, 2026.

| | Bonsai | Meadow Desk |
|---|---|---|
| Published prices | Basic $9 · Essentials $19 · Premium $29 · Elite $49 per user/mo (billed yearly) | Solo free · Pro $10/mo · Studio $12/seat · Business $24/seat (paid plans billed yearly) |
| Free plan | No, a 7-day free trial with full access | Yes, Solo is free for one seat, not a trial |
| Team pricing | Per user on every plan; Elite needs at least 3 users | Solo and Pro: 1 seat · Studio: 2–25 seats · Business: 5–100 seats, priced per seat |
| Proposals and contracts | Essentials and up | Every plan, the free one included |
| E-signature | Yes, legally binding e-signatures on contracts | Every plan: clients e-sign contracts by private link or in the portal, then you countersign |
| Invoices and payments | Essentials and up | Invoices on every plan; clients pay by card online through your own Stripe account (Stripe's fees, no Meadow Desk fee), and you record bank and cash payments |
| Client portal | Essentials and up | Every plan |
| Time tracking | Every plan | Every plan: a one-tap timer that lands hours on the right project |
| Scheduler | Essentials and up | No client booking scheduler |
| Reports | Profit and productivity reports on Premium and up | Every plan: billed, collected, expenses and profit by period, profit per client, project margins and a tax view, plus lead insights |
| Integrations | QuickBooks, Xero, Zapier, Calendly and Google on Premium and up | Google Calendar, QuickBooks Online and Xero on every plan; webhooks on Business |
| Availability | Available now | Sign-ups paused, waitlist open |

## Where Bonsai is stronger

- It is taking sign-ups today. Meadow Desk sign-ups are paused, with a waitlist.
- Essentials adds scheduling, and expense and income tracking.
- Premium adds a Gantt view, workload management, profit and productivity reports, and QuickBooks, Xero, Zapier, Calendly and Google integrations.
- iOS and Android apps on every plan.

## Where Meadow Desk is different

- A free plan, not a trial: one seat with unlimited leads, clients, projects and invoices.
- Proposals, contracts and invoices on the free plan. On Bonsai they start at Essentials, $19 per user per month billed yearly.
- One per-seat price for a studio with every shipped room included: Studio is $12 per seat per month billed yearly, for 2–25 seats.
- Time tracking on every plan, as on Bonsai, filed against the same projects as your invoices.
- A free Toolshed of calculators and templates that needs no account.

## Pick Bonsai if…

- You need to start invoicing clients today, not after a waitlist.
- You want Zapier or Calendly integrations, or Gantt and workload views.
- You manage a lot from your phone and want native apps.
- You want expense tracking alongside your invoices.

## Pick Meadow Desk if…

- You want proposals, contracts and invoices on a free plan for one person.
- You run a small studio and want every shipped room on one per-seat price.
- You want fewer plan tiers to weigh.
- You are happy to join the waitlist and start when sign-ups reopen.

## Questions

**Is Bonsai the same as Hello Bonsai?**
Yes. Bonsai's website is hellobonsai.com, which is why many people search for "Hello Bonsai". This page compares Meadow Desk with that product.

**Is there a free alternative to Bonsai?**
Meadow Desk's Solo plan is free for one seat, not a trial, and includes proposals, contracts and invoices. Bonsai has no free plan; it offers a 7-day free trial, and its lowest price is $9 per user per month billed yearly. Meadow Desk sign-ups are paused, so the free plan starts with the waitlist.

**Does Meadow Desk track time like Bonsai?**
Yes. Both include time tracking on every plan. Meadow Desk's timer follows you from task to task and lands hours on the right project.

**Does Meadow Desk integrate with QuickBooks or Xero?**
Yes, on every plan. Meadow Desk sends invoices, payments and credit notes to QuickBooks Online or Xero, and syncs with Google Calendar both ways. Bonsai lists QuickBooks, Xero, Zapier, Calendly and Google integrations on Premium and up.

**Can I move my leads from Bonsai to Meadow Desk?**
Meadow Desk imports leads from a CSV file on every plan. There is no direct Bonsai importer, so the move works through a CSV export from your current tool.

HoneyBook, Dubsado and Bonsai are trademarks of their respective owners. Meadow Desk is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any of them. Competitor details were last checked on Oct 8, 2026 and can change at any time.