Business invoicing platforms Bonsai and Invoice Ninja provide strong solutions but they target distinct user groups according to factors like cost, scalability and technical difficulty.
Invoice Ninja is affordable for startups and businesses on a tight budget because it provides a free plan for up to five clients followed by competitive paid plans ranging from $12 to $20. In all plans, Bonsai premium solution provides an infinite number of clients.
Invoice Ninja is perfect for expanding teams and medium-sized enterprises with custom limits on the Premium Business+ plan and enterprise scalability up to 50 users on the Enterprise plan.
Custom templates, recurring billing automation, expense tracking and project-based billing are among the invoicing features that both Bonsai and Invoice Ninja provide. However, while Invoice Ninja offers sophisticated mobile app functionality, Bonsai offers customizable templates and mileage tracking.
Bonsai focuses on Stripe payments and streamlines financial workflows which offers simplicity and compatibility with Xero and QuickBooks whereas Invoice Ninja is a technical payment gateway with a sophisticated user interface.
While Bonsai offers direct customer support via chat and email, Invoice Ninja offers a collaborative user environment with email, Slack, Discord and community forums.
Both Bonsai and Invoice Ninja are scalable and reasonably priced invoicing systems that are appropriate for both seasoned professionals and companies looking to expand. Both provide essential features but the choice should be made taking team size and financial limitations into account.
| Bonsai | Invoice Ninja | |
|---|---|---|
| Core Features | ||
| Custom Templates | Hundreds of customizable invoice templates | Yes |
| Send Estimates/Quotations | Yes | Yes |
| Recurring Billing Automation | Yes | Yes |
| Expense Tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Time Tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Mileage Tracking | Yes | Information is not available |
| Automated Payment Reminders | Yes (reminder button available) | Yes |
| Project-Based Billing | Yes | Yes |
| Tax Handling | Yes | Yes |
| User Permissions/Role Management | Yes | Yes |
| File Uploads | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing and Plans | ||
| Free Plan Availability | No (7-day free trial only) | Yes |
| Pricing Range | Basic: $15/month Essentials: $25/month Premium: $39/month Elite: $59/month |
Free plan: $0/month Ninja Pro: $12/month Enterprise: $16/month Premium Business+: $20/month |
| Trial Period | 7 days full unlimited access | No trial (free plan available) |
| User Limits | Basic: 1 user Essentials: 1 user Premium: 1 user Elite: 3 users |
Free/Pro: 1 user Enterprise: up to 50 users Premium Business+: Custom |
| Client Limits | Unlimited clients & projects | Free: 5 clients Pro/Enterprise/Premium Business+: Unlimited |
| Storage Limits | Not specified | Not specified |
| Payment Processing Fees | Stripe fees apply | Varies by payment gateway |
| Ease of Use | ||
| User Interface | Simple to Moderate | Moderate to Complex |
| Onboarding Experience | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile App Availability | Both | Both iOS and Android |
| Mobile App Functionality | Yes | Full invoicing, time tracking, project management |
| Integration | ||
| Payment Gateways Supported | Stripe Payments Company | Stripe, PayPal, Square, Authorize.Net |
| Accounting Software Compatibility | QuickBooks, Xero, others | Limited direct integrations, API available |
| CRM Integration | Limited CRM integrations | Zapier, Make, Pabbly integrations |
| API Availability | Yes | Yes |
| Reporting & Analytics | ||
| Bank Connections | Yes | Yes |
| Pre-Built Financial Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Custom Report Creation | Yes | Yes |
| Security & Compliance | ||
| Dashboard Metrics | Yes | Yes |
| Data Encryption | FDIC pass-through deposit insurance eligible | Yes |
| GDPR Compliance | Yes | Yes |
| Backup Options | Automatic | Automatic (cloud), manual (self-hosted) |
| Customer Support | ||
| Support Channels | Chat/Email | Email, Slack, Discord, Community forums |
| Help Center/Knowledge Base | Yes | Yes |
| 24/7 Support | No | No |
| Adaptability | ||
| Multi-Currency Support | Yes | Yes |
| Localization | Limited languages | Yes |
| Industry-Specific Customization | Yes (freelancers, contractors) | Yes |
| Scalability | Freelancers and small businesses | Freelancers to Medium Businesses |
| Read Bonsai Review | Read Invoice Ninja Review |
