17hats
Niche FitAll-in-one client management for small service businesses on a single plan: $60/mo, $600/yr or $800 for two years, with a 7-day free trial.
From $50/mo
Prices checked October 23, 202617hats.com pricing page
69/100
Tool matchup
17hats vs Bonsai
17hats vs Bonsai — which is better for consultants? Side-by-side scoring on workflow fit, pricing, setup speed, and 3 more dimensions. See the winner.
Bonsai
Strong ChoiceAll-in-one client ops for freelancers and small agencies. Contracts, proposals, invoicing, time tracking, expense tracking, and client CRM in one tool.
From $9/mo
Prices checked October 19, 2026hellobonsai.com pricing page
79/100
Verdict
Bonsai leads by 10 points (strong advantage).
Decision guidance
- Bonsai currently leads with 79/100.
- Bonsai strength: Strong on outcomes.
- 17hats trails Bonsai most on Pricing sanity: 9/15 vs 12/15.
What drives this decision
- Outcome fit favors Bonsai by 3 points.
- Pricing sanity favors Bonsai by 3 points.
- Integrations favors Bonsai by 2 points.
Decision shortcuts
Which one fits your practice
Choose 17hats if
- Best fit: Solo consultants and small service businesses who want leads, quotes, contracts, invoices and bookings in one tool for one price
Choose Bonsai if
- Best fit: Solo consultants who want proposal + operations in one app
- Pricing sanity matters most to you: Bonsai scores 12/15 vs 9/15 for 17hats.
- Integrations matters most to you: Bonsai scores 10/15 vs 8/15 for 17hats.
Client-ready brief
Get this comparison decision brief
Send a concise summary of winner, trade-offs, and rollout recommendation.
- 17hats: 69/100
- Bonsai: 79/100
- Bonsai leads by 10 points (strong advantage).
Best fit
Who each tool is for
17hats
Niche FitBest for: Solo consultants and small service businesses who want leads, quotes, contracts, invoices and bookings in one tool for one price.
Why pick it: One price includes every feature, with SMS texting, online booking, pipelines, contracts, invoices and bookkeeping built in.
Watch for: There is no free or cheaper entry plan: it is $60 a month, or $50 a month on the yearly plan. If you only need contracts and invoices, a lighter tool such as Bonsai or HoneyBook may fit better.
Bonsai
Strong ChoiceBest for: Solo consultants who want proposal + operations in one app.
Why pick it: One tool replaces 4-5 separate subscriptions (proposals, contracts, invoicing, time tracking, expenses). Ideal for solos who hate managing a tool stack.
Watch for: Jack of all trades — each feature is decent but not best-in-class. If proposals are your competitive edge, use Qwilr. If accounting matters, add QuickBooks.
Swipe sideways to compare all columns.
17hats | Bonsai | |
|---|---|---|
| Quick facts | ||
| Pricing sanity | From $50/mo | From $9/mo |
| Integrations | 2+ | 3+ |
| Score breakdown | ||
| Outcome fit | 19/25 | 22/25 |
| Setup speed | 14/20 | 14/20 |
| Pricing sanity | 9/15 | 12/15 |
| Integrations | 8/15 | 10/15 |
| UX polish | 11/15 | 13/15 |
| Trust & support | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Summary | ||
| Best for | Solo consultants and small service businesses who want leads, quotes, contracts, invoices and bookings in one tool for one price. | Solo consultants who want proposal + operations in one app. |
| Key strength | Strong on trust | Strong on outcomes |
Pricing
Plan-by-plan pricing
17hats
| Plan | Price | Limits (vendor's wording) |
|---|---|---|
| All-inclusive | $50 per account / month, billed annually$60 per account / month, billed monthly | One plan with every feature: $60 a month, $600 a year (save $120, $50/mo), or $800 for two years (save $400, about $33/mo). 7-day free trial, no credit card required |
Prices checked October 23, 202617hats.com pricing page
Bonsai
Plan-by-plan pricing is not recorded yet. See the starting price above and the vendor's pricing page.
Prices checked October 19, 2026hellobonsai.com pricing page
Cost calculator
What would you pay?
Seats
Billing
17hats
$50 per month · $600 per year
Cheapest plan that fits: All-inclusive, $50 per seat or user
Bonsai
Plan-by-plan pricing is not recorded yet. See the starting price above and the vendor's pricing page.
Uses list prices from each vendor's pricing page, before tax and discounts. Free plans and custom-quote plans are left out.
Method
How we checked
- Scores: Curalo rates each tool out of 100 on six consultant criteria (outcome fit, setup speed, pricing, integrations, UX, trust and support). See the scoring method
- 17hats: prices checked October 23, 2026 on the vendor's pricing page: 17hats.com
- Bonsai: prices checked October 19, 2026 on the vendor's pricing page: hellobonsai.com
- Plans, limits and platforms are copied from each vendor's pricing page in the vendor's own terms.
- Anything a vendor does not publish is shown as not listed rather than guessed. Prices change, so confirm on the vendor's page before buying.
Common questions
Questions consultants ask before choosing
Which is better for consultants, 17hats or Bonsai?
Bonsai scores 79/100 and 17hats scores 69/100 on Curalo's consultant rubric. The biggest gap is Pricing sanity: Bonsai 12/15 vs 9/15.
Is 17hats or Bonsai cheaper?
17hats's cheapest paid plan is All-inclusive at $50 per account / month, billed annually. Bonsai: From $9/mo.
When is 17hats the wrong choice?
There is no free or cheaper entry plan: it is $60 a month, or $50 a month on the yearly plan. If you only need contracts and invoices, a lighter tool such as Bonsai or HoneyBook may fit better.
When is Bonsai the wrong choice?
Jack of all trades — each feature is decent but not best-in-class. If proposals are your competitive edge, use Qwilr. If accounting matters, add QuickBooks.
Guides
Guides for this matchup
The Consultant's Pricing Playbook: From Hourly to Value-Based
A framework to evaluate five pricing models, calculate what to charge, and build tiered packages — with formulas, scripts, and sourced benchmarks for solo consultants.
Choosing a Proposal Workflow That Thinks Like YouHow to choose between SOW, proposal, and all-in-one tools based on deal size, sales cycle, and how fast you need to close.
SOW in 30 Minutes: CreateMySOW vs ClickUp AI vs QwilrA fast comparison for consultants who need to turn discovery calls into client-ready SOWs without losing clarity.
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