Comparison
Clinch vs Bonsai for freelancers
Bonsai is the closest thing to Clinch on this list: it's built for freelancers and bundles proposals, contracts, invoicing, time tracking, a client portal and bookkeeping in one subscription. If you want all of that, it's a coherent package. If you already have tools you like for invoicing and accounting, you'd be paying for a suite to use one room of it. Here's the honest comparison.
Start free — no card required →| Feature | Clinch | Bonsai |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free for 3 contracts/mo, then $15/mo or $120/yr unlimited | Paid plans from roughly $20–30/mo at the time of writing, no permanent free plan |
| Drafts the contract for you | Yes — describe the deal in plain language, AI drafts it from a vetted template | Template-based — you fill in a freelance contract template |
| Client signs without an account | Yes, from their phone, in about 30 seconds | Yes |
| Collects your deposit at signing | Yes — Stripe Connect or your own payment link, paid directly to you | Yes, via its invoicing and payments features |
| Time tracking, client portal, bookkeeping, taxes | Not offered — keep the tools you already use | Included — this is what the suite price covers |
| Sign an existing PDF unchanged | Yes — uploaded PDFs are signed byte for byte, with a hashed certificate | Mainly built around its own templates |
When Bonsai is the better call
If you're starting from zero and want one subscription to run the whole freelance business — proposals, contracts, time tracking, invoices, bookkeeping — Bonsai is a sensible choice and Clinch doesn't try to replace it. Clinch fits when you only need the contract step done well, or you want a free tier for the few deals you close each month.
FAQ
Is Clinch cheaper than Bonsai?
For contracts alone, yes: 3 contracts a month are free, and Pro is $15/mo. Bonsai costs more because it includes invoicing, time tracking and accounting.
Can I keep using my invoicing tool?
Yes — Clinch collects the deposit at signing through Stripe or your own payment link and stays out of your accounting stack.
Are the contracts legally binding?
Signatures are Simple Electronic Signatures (SES) with an audit trail and a hashed certificate, valid for standard commercial contracts under ESIGN (US) and eIDAS (EU). See /legality for the limits.
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