Bonsai Alternative for Web Development Agencies
Web development agencies manage complex, multi-phase projects with shifting requirements, technical dependencies, and teams of developers, designers, and QA specialists. Bonsai's basic task lists were designed for freelance designers sending invoices, not for development shops tracking sprints, managing scope changes, and coordinating cross-functional teams. AgencyPro provides the structured project management, scope control, and team operations that web development agencies need.
If you're a Web Dev agency looking for an alternative to Bonsai, you're not alone. Many Web Dev teams switch when they outgrow Bonsai's capabilities — particularly around built for solo freelancers, not agency teams. AgencyPro is purpose-built for agencies like yours, combining project management, client portals, and billing into one platform.
Why Web Development Agencies Struggle with Bonsai
Bonsai's flat task lists can't represent development project phases like discovery, design, development, QA, and launch with proper dependencies
No scope change tracking — when clients request additional features, there's no structured way to document, price, and approve change orders
Assigning frontend, backend, and QA tasks across multiple developers is impossible in Bonsai's single-user task system
Milestone-based billing tied to project phases (design approval, beta launch, final delivery) requires manual invoice creation in Bonsai
Why Web Development Agencies Switch to AgencyPro
Phased Development Project Management
Web projects follow defined phases — discovery, wireframing, design, development, QA, launch. AgencyPro supports multi-phase project structures with task dependencies, phase gates, and milestone tracking. Move beyond Bonsai's flat task lists to a system that mirrors how development projects actually work.
Scope Change Control
Feature creep kills development project margins. AgencyPro provides formal change request workflows where new scope is documented, priced, approved by the client, and integrated into the project plan and budget. Bonsai has no mechanism for managing the scope changes that are inevitable in web development.
Cross-Functional Team Coordination
A typical web project involves designers, frontend developers, backend developers, and QA testers working in sequence and in parallel. AgencyPro's team assignment, workload balancing, and dependency management keep everyone coordinated — something Bonsai cannot facilitate beyond its basic task lists.
Milestone-Based Billing Automation
Web development agencies commonly bill at project milestones — after design approval, after beta, after launch. AgencyPro ties invoicing directly to milestone completion and client approval, automating the billing process that Bonsai forces you to manage manually.
AgencyPro vs Bonsai: Key Feature Comparison
Phased Project Plans
Structure projects into discovery, design, development, QA, and launch phases with dependencies and milestone gates.
Change Request Workflows
Document, price, and get client approval on scope changes with automatic project plan and budget updates.
Team Task Assignment
Assign work across developers, designers, and QA with workload visibility and capacity planning.
Milestone Invoicing
Automatically generate invoices tied to project phase completion and client approvals.
Client Portal
Give clients visibility into project progress, milestone status, and pending decisions through a branded dashboard.
Budget Tracking
Monitor hours and costs against project budgets in real time with variance alerts and margin reporting.
Key Features for Web Development Agencies
Phased Project Plans
Structure projects into discovery, design, development, QA, and launch phases with dependencies and milestone gates.
Change Request Workflows
Document, price, and get client approval on scope changes with automatic project plan and budget updates.
Team Task Assignment
Assign work across developers, designers, and QA with workload visibility and capacity planning.
Milestone Invoicing
Automatically generate invoices tied to project phase completion and client approvals.
Client Portal
Give clients visibility into project progress, milestone status, and pending decisions through a branded dashboard.
Budget Tracking
Monitor hours and costs against project budgets in real time with variance alerts and margin reporting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can AgencyPro handle both fixed-price and hourly development projects?
Yes. AgencyPro supports fixed-price projects with milestone billing, hourly projects with time tracking and invoicing, and retainer agreements with monthly utilization tracking. You can use different billing models for different clients — flexibility Bonsai technically offers but without the project management to back it up.
How does scope change management work?
When a client requests additional work, you create a change request documenting the new scope, estimated hours, and cost impact. The client reviews and approves through their portal. Once approved, the new tasks integrate into the project plan and the additional budget is tracked separately for clear margin visibility.
We use Jira for dev tasks — can AgencyPro replace it?
AgencyPro manages the agency operations layer — client management, project phases, team allocation, billing, and client communication. Some agencies use it alongside Jira for granular sprint management, while others find AgencyPro's project management sufficient for their development workflow. It depends on your team's needs.
How do we migrate active development projects from Bonsai?
Active projects are best migrated at natural transition points like phase completions. Set up AgencyPro's project templates, import your client data, and start new project phases in AgencyPro while completing active Bonsai work. Our onboarding team helps plan the transition to minimize disruption.
Switching from Bonsai Is Easier Than You Think
Switching from Bonsai to AgencyPro is straightforward. Our team helps migrate your projects, client data, and workflows so nothing falls through the cracks. Most Web Dev teams are fully operational within a week.
Bonsai Alternatives for Other Industries
Other Alternatives for Web Development Agencies
Learn more about AgencyPro for Web Development Agencies
View the Web Development Agencies use case page →Build Better Projects Without Bonsai's Limitations
Web development agencies choose AgencyPro for phased project management, scope control, and team coordination that Bonsai was never designed to handle.