Bonsai alternatives: 4 open-source picks
Bonsai costs $25/mo — $300 a year. These 4 alternatives replace it for $0, led by ERPNext, Dolibarr and Invoice Ninja. All 4 are open source. License, stars and last commit checked by hand on 2026-08-29. No trials, no crippled tiers.
CRM, quotes, contracts, projects, time and invoices in one free ERP; personal tax help remains personal.
Proposals, contracts, time and billing in one practical back office; freelancer tax guidance is not included.
Invoicing, quotes, expenses, and time tracking for freelancers who'd rather not pay monthly.
licenseElastic-2.0
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
Professional time tracking with invoicing, teams, and exports.
licenseAGPL-3.0
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
What each one is, in full: ERPNext · Invoice Ninja · Kimai
last updated 2026-08-29 · no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
the usual suspects · recommended everywhere, rejected here
Agiled FreeIts pricing page admits a free plan exists but never publishes its limits, while its own pages disagree on contracts, proposals and client caps.
Fiverr Workspace / AND.COThe old free freelancer suite now redirects to Fiverr's marketplace; the product page is gone.
how to choose a Bonsai alternative
Easiest to get running
Dolibarr — a one-click install, no server to maintain.
Most proven
ERPNext, with 37,700 GitHub stars — the largest community of the 4, which usually means more answers when something breaks.
Needs real ops to self-host
ERPNext is capable but expects someone to run a server, updates and backups. Budget for that before choosing it.
what you give up by leaving Bonsai
- live bank feeds and payment rails
- tax and accounting rule updates
- audited security and recovery
- multi-user controls and accountant workflows
None of the picks above covers all of it. The full verdict says which gaps matter.
Bonsai alternatives at a glance
| tool | license | running it | platforms | stars | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ERPNext | open source | self-host, real ops | web, self-hosted | 37,700 | 2026-08 |
| Dolibarr | open source | one-click install | web, windows, linux, self-hosted | 7,500 | 2026-08 |
| Invoice Ninja | Elastic-2.0 | docker to self-host | self-hosted, web | 9,000 | 2026-08 |
| Kimai | AGPL-3.0 | one-click install | self-hosted, web | 4,000 | 2026-08 |
why people still pay for Bonsai
Bonsai: People pay because errors touch real money. Bank connections, reconciliation, tax changes, evidence, security, and support are the product. If none of that applies to you, any pick above saves $300 a year.
questions about switching from Bonsai
Is there an open-source alternative to Bonsai?
Yes: ERPNext, Dolibarr, Invoice Ninja and 1 more. Every tool on this page is open source: no trials, no crippled tiers.
Can open source really replace Bonsai?
Our verdict is YES. ERPNext (38k stars), Invoice Ninja (9k stars), Dolibarr (8k stars) are mature open-source replacements for Bonsai — self-host with real ops work and stop paying $25/mo. The full verdict, and what you give up by switching, is at caniopensourceit.online/bonsai.
What is the easiest open-source Bonsai alternative to set up?
Dolibarr — a one-click install, no server to maintain.
What is the most popular open-source Bonsai alternative?
By GitHub stars, ERPNext (37,700). Invoice Ninja is next with 9,000.
