Alternatives
Bonsai vs HoneyBook for UK freelancers
HoneyBook is the UK-ready clientflow CRM — GBP subscriptions, proposals, contracts, invoices and payments in one portal — while Bonsai is the USD-priced freelancer OS, with contracts only from Essentials, plus time tracking and invoicing. Neither is a two-sided negotiation room: we draft with Lex, both sides redlineA redline is a proposed edit on a draft contract — words added, struck out or rewritten — not a signed change.More in the glossary one link, then e-signatureAn e-signature is any electronic way of showing agreement to a document, such as a typed name, a drawn signature or a click.More in the glossary.
Last updated 28 October 2026
How do Bonsai, HoneyBook and Contracts.io compare?
Bonsai and HoneyBook are client-business suites that can send a contract for e-sign. HoneyBook is live in the UK with GBP billing; Bonsai prices plans in USD and unlocks contracts from Essentials. We are the third column: both parties draft, negotiate and e-sign in one shared place. Prices checked October 2026.
| Bonsai | HoneyBook | Contracts.io | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing tiers | Basic $9; Essentials $19; Premium $29; Elite $49 per user/month billed annually ($15 / $25 / $39 / $59 monthly). 7-day trial. No free plan. | Starter $29/month; Essentials $49/month; Premium $109/month (USD as shown). 30-day trial. UK billing in GBP (amounts not on the public page we fetched). | Free £0 (3 active contracts); Plus £15/mo; Pro £29/mo; Team £119/mo (5 seats); Enterprise from £750 |
| Contracts / e-sign | From Essentials: create, send, e-sign and store from templates. | Proposals and contracts on Starter. Client fills marked fields and e-signs; term changes need accept and re-sign. | Lex drafts from one sentence. Both sides redline one link, then e-sign one frozen version. |
| Invoicing | From Essentials: invoices, online payments, multi-currency billing. Payments in the UK, Canada, US and Australia. | Invoices and payments on every plan. Card fees from 2.7% + 10¢ on the pricing page. | No. We do not invoice or take payment for the deal. |
| Client portal | Yes, from Essentials. | Yes, on Starter. | No portal. One share link; the other side needs no account. |
| UK availability / currency | Payments available in the UK; invoices can be GBP. Published plan prices are USD. | Live in the UK (May 2026). Subscriptions priced in GBP for UK visitors. | England and Wales first. Public prices in GBP. |
| Negotiation / redlining | Not stated on the contracts or pricing pages we checked. | Sender edits; client fills fields, accepts changes and re-signs. Not two-sided drafting. | Yes: Accept, Counter, Decline on each change. Private Lex on each side. |
| Best for | Freelancers who want CRM, time tracking, invoices and (from Essentials) contracts in one OS. | Independents who want branded clientflow — leads, proposals, contracts, invoices, payments. | Agreeing the words with the other side on one link, then signing. |
Is Bonsai or HoneyBook cheaper for a UK freelancer?
Bonsai prices in USD: Basic $9 per user per month billed annually ($15 monthly); contracts start on Essentials at $19 annually ($25 monthly). HoneyBook’s public page lists Starter from $29/month; UK visitors get GBP billing, though the GBP figures were not on the page we fetched. We publish GBP from £0.
Bonsai’s pricing page lists four tiers: Basic, Essentials, Premium and Elite, per user per month, in USD, with a cheaper annual rate and a 7-day full-access trial. There is no free plan. HoneyBook’s pricing page lists Starter at $29/month, Essentials at $49/month and Premium at $109/month (USD as shown), with a 30-day trial and a 60-day money-back guarantee. HoneyBook says UK subscriptions are priced in GBP; we did not get those GBP amounts from the public page, so we do not invent them.
Our prices are GBP and public: see pricing. Free is £0 for 3 active contracts, then Plus, Pro, Team and Enterprise. The other side never pays.
Does HoneyBook work in the UK?
Yes. HoneyBook announced a UK and Australia launch in May 2026: subscriptions in GBP, with the site routing UK visitors to a local experience. Bonsai supports UK Payments and GBP invoices, but its plans are still listed in USD. We bill in GBP.
HoneyBook’s own UK and Australia launch post (May 2026) says the product is live in the United Kingdom, subscriptions are priced in GBP, and the site recognises UK visitors. That is the source; we do not add claims about VAT, PAYE or UK-law templates that HoneyBook did not publish there.
Bonsai is usable from the UK. Its help centre says Bonsai Payments is available in the United Kingdom, invoices can be in GBP, and a UK contractor invoicing in USD is treated as an international payment with an FX fee. Plan prices on hellobonsai.com/pricing remain USD, with IRS language on that page.
We are England and Wales first, with GBP prices. Start from a freelancer agreement if you want a UK-shaped draft.
Which one handles contract negotiation?
Neither markets two-sided redlining. HoneyBook lets clients fill marked fields and e-sign; if you change sent terms, they accept and re-sign. Bonsai’s contracts page is create, send and e-sign from templates. We put both sides on one link with Accept, Counter and Decline.
HoneyBook’s help centre describes a sender-led file: clients review, fill marked fields and add a legally binding e-signature. If you change contract terms after send, the client accepts the changes and re-signs. That is an edit-and-resend loop, not both parties drafting on one paper.
Bonsai’s contracts page is “create, send and e-sign” from templates, with depositA deposit is money paid up front, before the main work or the final invoice.More in the glossary capture, seen receipts and reminders. It does not describe clause-level Accept / Counter / Decline.
On Contracts.io you and the client share one link. Lex drafts; each side has a private Lex; changes land as redlines; versions are kept; then you both e-sign one frozen version. Nobody emails v4_final.docx.
Does Bonsai include contracts on every plan?
No. Bonsai’s pricing page lists Proposals & Contracts from Essentials ($19 per user per month billed annually, $25 monthly) and above. Basic is time tracking, tasks, CRM and clients only. HoneyBook includes proposals and contracts on Starter. We include drafting, negotiation and e-sign on every plan, including Free.
On Bonsai Basic you still get CRM, unlimited clients and projects, time tracking and the mobile apps. You add invoices, payments, proposals, contracts, forms, scheduling and the client portal when you move to Essentials. HoneyBook Starter already includes invoices, payments, proposals, contracts, calendar, templates and a client portal.
If the contract is the only gap, you do not need to buy a CRM tier to get e-sign on our side. See Bonsai alternative and HoneyBook alternative.
Which is better for invoicing and getting paid?
Both. HoneyBook Starter includes invoices and payments; card fees on its pricing page start at 2.7% + 10¢. Bonsai adds invoices and payments from Essentials, with multi-currency billing and UK Payments. We do not invoice or take payment for the deal — we draft, negotiate and e-sign the contract.
HoneyBook is genuinely stronger if the job is “send the proposal, get the signature, take the card” in one clientflow. Bonsai is genuinely stronger if you also want time tracking, project budgets and (from Premium) Xero / QuickBooks. Use them for that breadth.
When a UK client later will not pay, the signed wording is what you chase. See What do I do when a client won't pay my freelance invoice (UK). Agreeing that wording on one link is our job.
When should a UK freelancer pick Contracts.io instead?
Pick us when the missing piece is the paper, not the CRM. Lex drafts from one sentence; you and the client edit the same link; then you both e-sign. Keep Bonsai or HoneyBook for leads, scheduling and invoices if you need that breadth. Start from a freelancer agreement if you want a template.
Typical split: HoneyBook or Bonsai for the client relationship; Contracts.io for the contract you actually argue about — scope, revisions, IP on payment, kill feeA kill fee is a payment due to a creator or supplier when a client cancels a project before it is finished.More in the glossary, late payment. Start from a freelancer agreement, share the link, and keep every version.
Also see our roundup of contract software for UK freelancers and contracts for freelancers.
When to choose which
Bonsai
- You want time tracking, tasks, CRM and unlimited projects on Basic, then invoices, contracts, scheduling and a client portal from Essentials.
- You invoice in GBP or other currencies and want Bonsai Payments in the UK.
- You are happy sending a template contract for e-sign rather than negotiating the wording in-app.
HoneyBook
- You want one clientflow CRM: leads, proposals, contracts, invoices, payments and a client portal from Starter.
- You are a UK independent and want the subscription billed in GBP, which HoneyBook’s May 2026 launch post describes.
- You want the client to fill marked fields and e-sign a branded smart file, then pay in the same flow.
Contracts.io
- You still need to write and agree the contract, not only collect a signature on a finished template.
- The client should redline the same link, with Accept / Counter / Decline, and their own private Lex.
- You want GBP prices, a free plan, and the other side never paying.
The legal wording governs. See pricing and features.
Sources
We only repeat what each vendor publishes about itself. Prices checked October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is HoneyBook available in the UK?
Yes. HoneyBook’s May 2026 launch post says it is live in the United Kingdom and Australia, with subscriptions priced in GBP or AUD and the site routing UK visitors automatically.
Which Bonsai plan do I need for contracts?
Essentials or above. Bonsai’s pricing page lists Proposals & Contracts from Essentials at $19 per user per month billed annually ($25 monthly). Basic does not include contracts.
Can my client edit the contract in Bonsai or HoneyBook?
HoneyBook lets clients fill fields you mark and e-sign; if you change terms, they accept and re-sign. Bonsai’s public contracts page describes send and e-sign, not two-sided redlining. On Contracts.io the client edits the same link, free.
Does Contracts.io replace HoneyBook or Bonsai?
No. They run the client relationship — leads, invoices, payments, portals. We only draft, negotiate and e-sign the contract. Many freelancers keep a CRM and use us for the paper.
Does the other side need an account on Contracts.io?
No. You send one share link. They open it, read the Plain English beside each clause, propose changes and sign, without an account or paying. They get their own private Lex.
What if a UK client will not pay after signing?
Chase the signed invoice in writing, then a letter before action, then a money claim. The sequence for England and Wales is in What do I do when a client won't pay my freelance invoice.