Bonsai vs GroupOffice: Complete Comparison (2026)
An in-depth comparison of Bonsai and GroupOffice to help you choose the right tool for your business.
Last updated: November 2026
Bonsai
5.2/10
All-in-one client work platform for agencies, consultancies and freelancers that combines projects, time tracking, CRM, proposals, contracts and invoicing.
GroupOffice
6.3/10
Open-source groupware and CRM platform from Dutch firm Intermesh, combining email, calendar, contacts, projects, helpdesk and newsletters for businesses and public organisations.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 5.2/10 | 6.3/10 |
| Analytics | 5/10 | 3/10 |
| Cost | 6/10 | 9/10 |
| Customization | 5/10 | 8/10 |
| Ease of Use | 7/10 | 6/10 |
| Integration | 4/10 | 5/10 |
| Scalability | 4/10 | 5/10 |
| Security | 5/10 | 7/10 |
| Support | 4/10 | 5/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | $15/user/mo Basic | Contact for pricing |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | $150/mo Basic | Contact for pricing |
| Features | ||
| Collaboration | Not listed | |
| Contact Management | Not listed | |
| Customer Support Management | Not listed | |
| Integrations | Not listed | |
| Marketing Automation | Not listed | |
| Mobile Access | Not listed | |
| More features | ||
| Scheduling | Not listed | |
| Client collaboration | Not listed | |
| App integrations | Not listed | |
| Task lists | Not listed | |
| Gantt charts | Not listed | |
| Task management | Not listed | |
| Time tracking | Not listed | |
| Reporting | Not listed | |
Bonsai vs GroupOffice cost by team size
| Team size | Bonsai | GroupOffice |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | $15/moBasic | Contact for pricing |
| 5 users | $75/moBasic | Contact for pricing |
| 10 users | $150/moBasic | Contact for pricing |
| 25 users | $375/moBasic | Contact for pricing |
| 50 users | $750/moBasic | Contact for pricing |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose Bonsai
- Higher Analytics score (5/10 vs 3/10)
- Higher Ease of Use score (7/10 vs 6/10)
- Better fit for freelancers (9/10 vs 4/10)
Why choose GroupOffice
- Has a free plan (Bonsai does not)
- Higher Cost score (9/10 vs 6/10)
- Higher Customization score (8/10 vs 5/10)
- Better fit for enterprise (5/10 vs 2/10)
- Better fit for mid-market (5/10 vs 3/10)
Pros & Cons
Bonsai
Pros
- One tool covers the whole client cycle, from proposal and contract through time tracking to invoice, so small firms need fewer separate tools.
- Annual billing cuts per-user prices sharply, for example from $15 to $9 on Basic.
- Reviewers say the proposal, contract and invoice templates look professional without customization.
- The client portal and client messaging let external clients see tasks and documents.
Cons
- Reviewers say its task and project management features are thin compared with dedicated PM tools.
- Integrations are limited to a few apps and are only available from the Premium tier.
- Users report payment holds and slow or inconsistent support responses.
- Per-seat pricing gets expensive as teams grow, and Elite requires at least 3 users.
GroupOffice
Pros
- The Community edition is free and open source under AGPL-3.0 with unlimited users, so there are no per-seat costs.
- Professional is a perpetual licence at €439 for up to 100 users, far cheaper than subscription CRMs for a team that size.
- Data can stay on your own servers or in a Dutch datacentre, and the vendor cites GDPR compliance, two-factor authentication and encryption.
- Standard protocols (ActiveSync, CalDAV, CardDAV, IMAP, WebDAV) sync mail, contacts and calendars to native apps on phones and desktops.
- The Studio module and custom fields let administrators build their own modules.
Cons
- CRM features centre on contacts, newsletters and tickets. No pipeline, lead scoring or sales analytics were found.
- Few user reviews exist, and most date from 2019 to 2020, so there is little recent independent evidence.
- Updates, phone support and managed setup cost extra through annual contracts.
- The vendor's site does not clearly show the hosted Online price.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
GroupOffice scores higher on our CRM criteria: 6.3/10 against 5.2/10 for Bonsai. The largest gap is in Cost: 6/10 for Bonsai and 9/10 for GroupOffice.
GroupOffice has a free plan; Bonsai does not list one.
Bonsai is the better fit for freelancers: we rate it 9/10 for them, against 4/10 for GroupOffice.
