Harvest alternative
A simpler Harvest time tracking alternative for teams
Harvest is long-standing time tracking and invoicing tool (getharvest.com) for agencies and consultancies. Hourtick focuses on the core — a Mac menu bar timer, tasks, timesheets, approvals and billable reports — free for your whole team.
Why teams look for a Harvest alternative
- Per-seat pricing grows with every hire, and usage charges can be added on top of the seat price
- Timesheet approvals need the Enterprise plan
- The free plan stops at one seat and two projects
Where Harvest shines
- Mature invoicing and expense tracking
- Many accounting integrations
- Well-known in agencies
Where Hourtick is different
Hourtick keeps what agencies use Harvest for (billable rates, budgets and locking invoiced time) and adds tasks, team chat and AI agents whose time and cost land in the same reports. Approvals are on every plan, and nobody pays per seat.
Hourtick vs Harvest at a glance
| Criteria | Hourtick | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free for unlimited people with 500 MB of usage a month. $29/month for 5 GB. Every feature on both plans, no per-seat fees. | Free for 1 seat and 2 projects. Teams $9/seat/month billed yearly ($11 monthly); Enterprise $14/seat/month yearly ($17.50 monthly), which adds timesheet approvals. Usage-based charges for extra invoices, projects, clients and tasks can apply on top. |
| Team of 10, per month | $0 on Free · $29 on Pro (5 GB) | $140–$175 + usage (Enterprise, for approvals) |
| Free plan | Unlimited people, every feature, 500 MB of usage a month | 1 seat, 2 projects |
| Task board and list | Board and list, assignees, chat, files, checklists. Every plan | No built-in task board |
| Built-in timer | Mac menu bar and web, offline. Every plan | Yes |
| Timesheet approvals | Included | Enterprise plan ($14/seat/month yearly) |
| Mac menu bar timer | Native menu bar timer with live time | See their site |
| Screenshots / activity monitoring | None — no screenshots or activity tracking | See their site |
| Best for | Teams that want tasks and time tracking together, simple enough to use every day, free for everyone. | Teams that want time tracking and client invoicing in one tool. |
Harvest pricing from their pricing page, checked September 2026.
Harvest pricing in 2026
| Plan | Per person/month, billed yearly | Billed monthly | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | — | 1 seat and 2 projects, with time tracking, invoicing and expenses |
| Teams | $9 | $11 | Unlimited seats, team reporting, invoicing, accounting and payment integrations |
| Enterprise | $14 | $17.50 | Adds timesheet approvals, profitability reports, custom reports and SAML SSO |
| Enterprise Plus | Custom | — | Custom integrations, assisted data migration, dedicated success manager |
- Paying for the year up front saves 20%.
- On Teams and Enterprise, additional invoices, projects, clients and tasks are billed by usage on top of the seat price.
- A team of 10, per month: $140–$175 + usage (Enterprise, for approvals).
- Hourtick: Free for unlimited people with 500 MB of usage a month. $29/month for 5 GB. Every feature on both plans, no per-seat fees.
From Harvest's pricing page, checked September 29, 2026. Prices change; check theirs before you buy.
Switching in an afternoon
- Sign up free and add your clients and projects (task types are created for you).
- Mark which task types are billable and set project rates and budgets.
- Invite the team with a link — every plan includes unlimited people.
- Install the Mac menu bar app and track your first hour.
Moving a whole team? Follow how to move from Harvest to Hourtick: what to export, what to recreate, and how to keep your history.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hourtick cheaper than Harvest?
For a team of 10, Harvest lists $140–$175 + usage (Enterprise, for approvals) per month on the relevant plan (September 2026). Hourtick is free for unlimited people with 500 MB of usage a month, or $29/month for 5 GB.
How much does Harvest cost?
Free for 1 seat and 2 projects. Teams $9/seat/month billed yearly ($11 monthly); Enterprise $14/seat/month yearly ($17.50 monthly), which adds timesheet approvals. Usage-based charges for extra invoices, projects, clients and tasks can apply on top. (Harvest's pricing page, September 2026.)
Can I import my Harvest data?
There's no one-click import yet. Most teams recreate clients and projects in a few minutes (an admin's AI assistant can do it over Hourtick's MCP server), start tracking from a clean date, and keep Harvest's exports as the record of past hours. The step-by-step guide is at /guides/migrate-from-harvest.
When should I stay with Harvest?
If you rely on mature invoicing and expense tracking, Harvest may still be the better fit.
Keep comparing
Track your first hour in a minute.
Free for your whole team, forever. $29/month when you need 5 GB.