Looking for an alternative to Bonsai?
Freelancers switching from Bonsai to PandaDoc can enjoy powerful document creation tools, better integrations, and robust client management for their freelance business.
| Bonsai | PandaDoc | |
|---|---|---|
| Proposals | ||
| Contracts | ||
| Onboard CRM | ||
| Customizable Templates | ||
| Invoices | ||
| Payment Gateway | ||
| Notifications | ||
| Mobile app | ||
| Task management | ||
| Accounting and taxes | ||
| Time tracking | ||
| Subcontracting | ||
| Free plan | ||
| Client collaboration | ||
| Document editor | Limited | |
| Template library | Limited | |
| Content library | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Custom branding | ||
| 24/7 support | ||
| Document analytics and reporting |
Proposals at your fingertips
Both Bonsai and PandaDoc know that proposals are key to your success as a freelancer. While Bonsai helps you build a proposal with a document editor, PandaDoc can help you design a proposal with everything you need to make a great first impression. Don’t settle for a generic proposal when you can go above and beyond for your potential clients.
Manage your documents
Just like Bonsai, PandaDoc has a built-in CRM that you can use to keep track of customers and store documents. Because all documents remain within the PandaDoc platform even when signed and sent, it’s easier than ever to manage them throughout the lifecycle of your contract and keep your records organized.
Better notifications
Bonsai will let you know when a client has viewed your document, when an invoice is paid, and when a contract is been signed. PandaDoc provides a similar peace of mind for freelancers who need to stay on top of customer actions. With PandaDoc, you can receive up to seven different notifications, including knowing when documents are opened and when messages are left for you by the client.
Take payments fast
With Bonsai, invoicing clients can get tedious. You may need to send a proposal first for the client to understand your scope of work, then invoice clients separately in order to collect payments. That can be tedious for your clients and your schedule. PandaDoc helps you save time and get money into your bank account faster by allowing you to attach a payment gateway (Stripe, PayPal, etc.) directly to your proposal. Clients can select the plan they like, sign the contract, and pay for everything all in one document with their credit card. It’s as easy as that.
Stay in touch on the go
Need to keep working while on the go? Both PandaDoc and Bonsai help you do this with a mobile app for iOS and Android devices. Whether you need to review freelance contracts, engage in project management, or simply review your contract templates, PandaDoc helps you stay on top of your small business from anywhere.
Build better documents with PandaDoc
A document editor you’ll love
One of the big differences between PandaDoc and Bonsai comes down to how documents are created. With Bonsai, the document wizard will help you build out a proposal or contract and send it to the client. With PandaDoc, creative freelancers have the capacity to design stellar proposals that look and feel right for their business thanks to our document editor. The PandaDoc editor is similar to a word processor like Google Docs or Microsoft Word. See your changes in real time and use our powerful editing tools to create robust documents that suit your small business needs.
Integrate with your favorite services
Freelancing is hard when you don’t have access to the tools you need. Bonsai tries to act as an all-in-one suite for freelancers by including a time tracker, accounting software, expense tracking, and more. But most freelancers have other tools that they prefer to use for those tasks. With PandaDoc, you can integrate with the tools you use to get work done. We offer native integrations to major CRMs as well as a Zapier connection that will link PandaDoc to over 1,300 different apps and services, from Freshbooks to Asana and more.
Hundreds of templates
One of the best things about Bonsai is the ability to quickly generate a legally-binding contract and modify it for customers. With PandaDoc, you aren’t stuck designing documents from scratch. We offer a template library with over 450 templates to help you get started, and you can save your own templates for quick and easy document generation. Depending on your plan, you can keep the number of sent documents to a minimum or send unlimited documents for unlimited projects. It’s all up to you.
Better branding tools
With Bonsai, your branding tools are limited. You can add a logo or change the top section of your invoice. With the premium plan, you can even reduce the size of the Bonsai logo in system-generated emails, but it’s difficult to truly make a document your own. With PandaDoc, you can truly customize your documents in a way that makes sense for your brand. Add logos and use branded images to create freelance contracts, invoices, and quotes that look and feel like they belong in your business.
Free plan available
Do you already have the documents you want to send? No changes required? If you’re just using Bonsai to send the same documents over and over, export those documents from Bonsai and bring them to PandaDoc. Our Free eSign plan allows you to sign and send an unlimited number of documents and collect payments using Stripe, PayPal, Quickbook Payments, and more from within a single document.
Support when you need it
Have you ever had a question for the Bonsai team? They can take days to respond! Unfortunately, that may be wasted time. You can consult the knowledge base, but you might not find an answer there. With PandaDoc, you won’t have to wait. We have specialists available 24/7 to answer email and respond to live chats so that you can get the answers you need and get back on track.
