Bonsai vs VA Growth Suite
Bonsai packs contracts, proposals, and invoices — but charges extra for every feature that matters to VAs.
| Feature | Bonsai | VA Growth Suite |
|---|---|---|
| Time tracking with running timer | ||
| Multi-client dashboard | ||
| PDF invoice generation | ||
| Branded client portal | ||
| Kanban task board per client | ||
| Starts at $0 (free plan) | ||
| No per-user pricing | ||
| Built for VAs specifically | ||
| Starting price | $24/mo | $0 free, $19/mo paid |
Bonsai — strengths
- Legal-reviewed contract and proposal templates
- Built-in CRM with pipeline view
- Tax tools for US freelancers (1099, estimated taxes)
Bonsai — limits for VAs
- Time tracking locked behind Plus plan ($39/mo)
- Client portal requires another add-on
- Heavy UI with many features most VAs never touch
Our honest take
Bonsai is better suited to US freelancers who need tax help. VA Growth Suite is leaner, cheaper, and includes time + portal out of the box.
When Bonsai is the right choice
If you're already on Bonsai and it's working, don't switch just to save a few dollars. But if you're just starting out as a VA — or you're paying for Bonsai plus a second tool for invoicing or a client portal — we built VA Growth Suite to replace that stack.
When VA Growth Suite wins
- You're a solo VA or small agency (not a 20-person design studio)
- You need time tracking and invoicing and a client portal
- Flat pricing matters more than deep workflow automation
- You want to get set up in 5 minutes, not 5 days
What you actually use Bonsai for
Bonsai earns its keep for US-based freelancers who want one app to send the contract, log the time, fire the invoice, and set aside taxes. The contract templates have been vetted by lawyers, and the 1099 / estimated-tax tools take real work off your plate in April. Most VAs use about 30% of the surface area — the rest is built for solo consultants billing $80+/hr or running side LLCs. If you're not filing US self-employment taxes, half the value evaporates immediately, and you're paying $24/mo for what is essentially HoneyBook with a tax calculator bolted on.
Moving from Bonsai to VA Growth Suite
Bonsai exports clients, projects, time entries, and invoices via Settings → Export Data (CSV). Contracts come out as PDFs. The migration is mostly straightforward: import clients first, then time entries, then download invoice PDFs as your record of past billing. The one piece that doesn't transfer is the tax-tracking history — keep your Bonsai account open in read-only mode until you file your next return, then cancel. Stripe and bank connections move with you and keep paying out as expected.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bonsai free?
Bonsai doesn't offer a free plan. The cheapest paid tier starts at $24/mo. VA Growth Suite, by contrast, is free for up to 2 clients with no time limit and no credit card.
Can I import my data from Bonsai into VA Growth Suite?
Yes. Bonsai supports CSV export + PDF contracts archive, which covers the migration cleanly. Most VAs move clients and the last 90 days of time entries in under an hour. Older records can stay in Bonsai as a read-only archive.
What does VA Growth Suite do that Bonsai doesn't?
VA Growth Suite bundles time tracking, multi-client invoicing in multiple currencies, a branded client portal, and a per-client kanban task board into one app — at a flat $19/mo for 50 clients, with no per-user pricing. Bonsai typically requires you to combine it with at least one other tool to cover that workflow.
Why does VA Growth Suite charge $19/mo instead of per-user pricing like Bonsai?
Per-user pricing punishes VAs the moment they add a subcontractor or VA partner. Flat pricing means a two-person VA team pays the same as a solo VA — $19/mo for up to 50 clients. It's the model that makes sense for the way VAs actually grow.
Try VA Growth Suite free — no Bonsai required
Up to 2 clients free, forever. Move your workflow over in under 10 minutes.
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