A Bonsai alternative that doesn't charge per user
Bonsai dropped its old flat-rate plans in favor of per-user pricing that starts at $9/month and climbs to $49/month depending on the tier, with no permanent free plan left, only a trial. Client Paper Co. covers invoices, contracts, proposals, and 6 other document types on one flat account, with a free tier that never expires.
| Feature | Client Paper Co. | Bonsai |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free, forever | $9/mo (Basic) — no invoicing or contracts at this tier |
| Invoicing + contracts + proposals | Included on the free plan | Essentials tier, $19/mo per user |
| Pricing model | Flat, per account | Per user — cost scales with team size |
| Document types | 9 (invoices, agreements, proposals, roadmaps, ToS, NDAs, scope of work, change requests, client workspace) | Invoicing, contracts, proposals |
| Free plan | Yes — 1 client, 3 documents/month, PDF export included | No permanent free plan, trial only |
Bonsai pricing shown as of 2026-08-10. Verify current pricing at Bonsai's pricing page.
Switching from Bonsai
Moving off Bonsai doesn't require an export tool. Before you cancel, pull your active client list (name, company, contact) and the terms of any open contracts — payment amount, due dates, and scope — and re-create them as documents in Client Paper Co.'s client workspace. Do this before your Bonsai subscription lapses, since cancelled accounts typically lose dashboard access on the billing cycle end date.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Client Paper Co. really free, unlike Bonsai?
- Yes. The free plan includes 1 client and 3 documents a month across all 9 document types, with PDF export at no cost — no trial period, no card required. Bonsai's plans all require a paid subscription after the trial ends.
- Does Client Paper Co. have a CRM like Bonsai's Basic tier?
- It has a client workspace: every client gets a profile, and every invoice, agreement, or proposal sent to them shows up on that profile automatically. It's built for tracking documents per client, not full CRM features like task management or time tracking.
