Top 10 17hats alternatives for 2024

17hats is a business management software designed for small business owners and independent professionals across all industries. It offers a wide range of features to help you handle certain aspects of your business, from financial to employee management. It is particularly helpful for organizations with multiple projects and employees, given its key features for seamless document + customer relationship management and reporting and analytics.

While for many small business owners who have other tools in place, this business management platform is a great side investment, many start-ups and solopreneurs often have the need for a more user-friendly and complete alternative that offers full automation. Which is probably why you're here.

So before we dive into the best 17hats alternative, let's briefly go over why you even need a business management tool in the first place.

Note: Bonsai is the most complete business software to enhance workflow management and automate end-to-end processes. We've got your back from free templates to accounting and tax solutions! Claim your 7-day free trial here.

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Why Do You Need Business Management Software?

If your typical workday is highly active and you often find yourself without time to relax and enjoy a cup of coffee, well, join the club. Running your own business means dealing with multiple clients and projects at the same time, while also negotiating new contracts and trying to keep track of everything as you go. To top that, your projects are in different stages of completion and you have more deadlines to meet than you can fit on your notepad.

It soon becomes obvious that you need to implement a system to keep everything under control and well organized. But why wait until you're drowning in tasks to make a change? Investing in a well-rounded business management software early in your journey will make sure you don't drop the ball halfway through and allow you to stay focused on what matters the most; serving your clients. Here are some of the vital aspects of your start-up company that can be highly enhanced by business process management software.

Customer Relationship Management

From lead generation, quotes, proposals and onboarding to invoicing and feedback requests, a solid business management system can greatly help you with client management end to end.

Manage Projects

Project management is made easier with time tracking features, communications, calendar management, deadline reminders and all the support you need to stay on top of your entire workflow.

Financial Management

A complete business management will provide you with tools to keep track of your expenses, income and profit. Ideally, you'd be able to manage your entire business finances within the platform to keep clean accounting records and save you time when it comes to filing taxes.

The Best 17hats Alternative? - Bonsai

Ok, so now that you know why you need a business management solution, let's talk about a product that is revolutionizing the market and has quickly become a favorite for many independent professionals across all industries; Bonsai. Check out what this all in one tool can do for you:

Track Your Time Efficiently

Bonsai features an excellent time tracking tool which is included even in the most basic plan. Time tracking is essential for any business, especially if you are just getting started. Once you know how long you spend with clients and administrative tasks you can ensure you're budgeting for profit or make adjustments to your working day. This allows you to be more efficient with your time and focus your attention in the areas where you might be lacking.

Our time tracker generates automatic timesheets that can seamlessly be imported into a professional invoice so you can bill your clients accurately and effortlessly. Plus, it can be used on the web, macOS app, Chrome Extension, and mobile apps.

Note: If you want a time tracker to automatically record your hours while you complete tasks, try Bonsai. Our time tracking software automatically records while you work so you don't hurt your productivity. Claim your 7-day free trial here.

Project & Task Management

Bonsai's task management software is a great tool to track your project's progress and stay up to date with deadlines. Additionally the platform automatically adds your meetings to your calendar by using an online appointment scheduling function, and sends you confirmations as well as automatic reminders for you and your clients. Bonsai can also complete some predetermined automated tasks for you such as processing bills, generating reports and sending welcome emails to your new clients.

You can also collaborate with co-workers and employees by assigning tasks and maintaining communication with them through the platform. The time tracker is integrated with each task so you'll know how long it took for the task to be completed, and you can use this data for future references in case you need to optimize your business processes.

Easier and Faster Payments

Bonsai makes payment processing simpler and faster for both you and your clients. Every time you send an invoice using our platform, you'll be able to integrate multiple payment options so your clients can quickly process the payment within the invoice. You can also set up recurring billing and automatic payments to guarantee your invoices are paid on time which will greatly enhance your cash flow.

Aside from the common online payment platforms such as Stripe and PayPal, you can use Bonsai Payments as your preferred payment option, which features 'Instant Payouts'. This option allows for your money to arrive within hours (and sometimes minutes) from when your client pays, and it also changes a lower fee than other options.

Additionally, by connecting your bank account to the platform, Bonsai will track your expenses so you can keep a strong grip on your business finances. On average, business owners who use Bonsai's payment options get paid 13 times faster and have 3 times fewer late payments!

Professional Documents Any Time You Need Them

All of Bonsai's plans include access to endless fully customizable templates to help you create and store your quotes, proposals, contracts, questionnaires, and coaching services invoice templates. You can simply search by industry and you will find a template that was specifically designed for your profession. Add your branding elements for a more professional look, and change up the fields to your liking.

All of your contract as well as proposal templates have been legally vetted by top lawyers, and our invoice templates allow you to split the balance in case you offer partial payments as well as automatically apply a late fee when payments are overdue. With Bonsai you can seamlessly take care of all things paperwork.

Note: Get access to proposal, invoice and contract templates you can customize instantly and save time. Our documents are legally reviewed by lawyers so you know you'll be covered for future mishaps or misunderstandings. Save time and try a 7-day free trial today.

Get Your Own Business Checking Account

Keeping your business finances separate from your personal assets has many benefits. From increasing your chances of getting a business loan and making tax time a bliss to protecting your money in case something goes wrong, it's a no brainer to get a dedicated business account. Fortunately, with Bonsai you can apply for a fuss-free business bank account that charges no start up/maintenance fees and has no minimum balance requirements.

You can link your Bonsai Cash account to our payment platform and you'll have instant access to your funds, keeping all of your business resources in the same place. Plus, the 'envelopes' function allows you to save up a percentage of your income for whatever you decide; vacations, payroll, suppliers, or taxes. Either way, you'll have complete control over where your money comes from and where it goes.

Note: Open a Bonsai Cash business bank account today. Our online bank has no monthly minimums or hidden fees and does not use any background check system--so it is virtually guaranteed. Claim your 7-day free trial here.

Accounting and Tax Integrations

Doing your own accounting and taxes is yet another administrative task you're probably not looking forward to. But it doesn't have to be that difficult. At least not with Bonsai... Aside from our monthly or yearly plans, Bonsai offers an amazing add-on feature to handle your accounting and taxes like a true professional.

Thanks to its income and expense tracking integration, our platform can organize and categorize your tax receipts, identify potential tax deductions (aka save you money), as well as estimate your quarterly and annual taxes due. You'll also be able to track your profit for various times of the year so you can make adjustments as you go and guarantee revenue.

Pricing & Plan Comparison

Bonsai is truly an all-in-one solution and undoubtedly beats all other 17hats alternatives (and 17hats itself). Not quite sure yet? Here's a quick comparison to help you out.

Bonsai

Bonsai offers three different plans; Starter, Professional and Business.

The Starter plan costs $24 a month or $17 if billed yearly. Even this basic plan gives you access to all templates, invoicing and payments features, unlimited clients + projects, time and task tracking software, expense tracking and client relationship management.

The Professional plan takes it up a notch, adding features like custom branding, client portal, workflow automations, forms and questionnaires, as well as Calendly and Zapier integrations. It's our most popular package for only $39 per month, or $32 when billed yearly.

For growing businesses who need a little extra help, the Business plan adds subcontractor onboarding and management features, talent pool, multiple bank account integration, unlimited project collaborations and accountant access. The price per month is $79 and when billed yearly it goes down to $52!

You can request your dedicated checking account (Bonsai Cash) while on any plan, and access Bonsai Tax & Accounting for only $10 per month or $100 a year.

17hats

17hats also offers three different plans; Level one, two and three.

The Level One plan costs $15 a month or $13 when paid annually, giving you access to email templates, mobile app, online scheduling, sales reports, and up to 20 documents per month (quotes, contracts, invoices and questionnaires). However, this basic option does not give you access to recurring billing or automatic payments. It does not feature expense tracking and the time tracking feature is not included in any of their plans (you can get it for an extra $5 a month).

The Level Two plan will cost you $30 per month or $25 when paid annually. It features profit + loss reports, bookkeeping features, up to 35 documents per month (pay an extra $10 if you want more) and customizable templates to add your branding. With this plan you can access recurring billing and invoices for an extra $10 a month, and bank account connection for an extra $5.

With Level Three, you still have to pay $5 extra to connect your bank account and $5 more to use the time tracker, but you will have recurring billing included. The amount of documents is now unlimited and you get access to client portals with advanced online scheduling integrations. You won't get talent pool management or project collaborations. The monthly price is $60 or $50 if you pay annually.

17hats does not offer accounting or tax integrations and doesn't give you the option to get your own business checking account.

The Bottom Line

As you can see, the price difference is not very steep, but Bonsai offers some of the most vital business functions even on the basic plans, so you get more bang for your buck! Start your 14-day free trial and see it for yourself. We help you save tons of time so you can focus on your passion, and let us take care of the rest…