3 Best Harvest Alternatives in 2025
Last updated: February 2026 • 10 min read
Harvest is a popular tool for agencies and freelancers tracking billable time. While it offers a free tier (1 seat, 2 projects), its paid plans start at $10.80/user/mo. Whether you're looking for a cheaper option, better features, or an open-source solution, we've compiled the 3 best Harvest alternatives to help you find the right fit.
📋 Quick Summary
- Total alternatives: 3
- Free alternatives: 2 (Toggl Track, Clockify)
- Best overall: Toggl Track
- Best free: Toggl Track
Why Look for Harvest Alternatives?
People commonly look for Harvest alternatives for several reasons:
- Cost: While Harvest has a free tier, its paid plans starting at $10.80/user/mo can add up quickly for growing teams.
- Feature gaps: Limited free plan and basic features are common complaints.
- Simplicity: Some users find Harvest overly complex for their needs and prefer simpler solutions.
- Data ownership: Organizations wanting data sovereignty prefer open-source, self-hosted alternatives.
- Better fit: Different tools excel at different use cases — you may find a tool that's specifically built for your workflow.
📊 Quick Comparison Table
| Tool | Free Tier | Starting Price | Rating | Open Source | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvest | ✓ 1 seat, 2 projects | $10.80/user/mo | ⭐ 4.3 | No | Agencies and freelancers tracking billable time |
| Toggl Track | ✓ Free for up to 5 users | $9/user/mo | ⭐ 4.5 | No | Freelancers and small teams |
| Clockify | ✓ Free unlimited users | $3.99/user/mo | ⭐ 4.3 | No | Teams wanting free time tracking |
| FreshBooks | ✗ No | $17/mo | ⭐ 4.3 | No | Freelancers and service businesses |
Detailed Reviews of Each Alternative
Toggl Track
Simple and intuitive time tracking for teams.
Toggl Track is a time tracking tool loved for its simplicity and ease of use. With one-click timers, integrations with 100+ tools, and insightful reports, Toggl makes time tracking painless. It's popular among freelancers, agencies, and remote teams.
Pros
- ✓ Very simple
- ✓ Good free tier
- ✓ Great integrations
- ✓ Beautiful reports
Cons
- ✗ Limited project management
- ✗ Basic invoicing
- ✗ Expensive for features
- ✗ No built-in billing
Clockify
Free time tracking app for teams of any size.
Clockify is a completely free time tracking app with no limits on users, projects, or time entries. It offers time tracking, timesheets, project tracking, and reporting, making it the most generous free time tracking solution available.
Pros
- ✓ Free unlimited users
- ✓ Feature-rich free plan
- ✓ Simple interface
- ✓ Good reports
Cons
- ✗ Advanced features paid
- ✗ Basic UI
- ✗ Limited integrations free
- ✗ Can be slow
FreshBooks
Accounting software built for service-based businesses.
FreshBooks is an accounting platform designed specifically for self-employed professionals and small service-based businesses. It excels at invoicing, time tracking, and expense management with an incredibly user-friendly interface that makes accounting less intimidating.
Pros
- ✓ Very user-friendly
- ✓ Great invoicing
- ✓ Time tracking built-in
- ✓ Beautiful design
Cons
- ✗ Limited for complex accounting
- ✗ Expensive for features
- ✗ Basic inventory
- ✗ Client limits on plans
🏆 Our Recommendations
Best Overall Alternative:
Toggl Track — Freelancers and small teams
Best Free Alternative:
Toggl Track — Free for up to 5 users
❓ FAQ
What is the best free alternative to Harvest?
The best free alternative to Harvest is Toggl Track, which offers Free for up to 5 users.
Is there an open-source alternative to Harvest?
There are no widely-used open-source alternatives to Harvest at this time, but several affordable options exist.
What is the cheapest alternative to Harvest?
The cheapest alternatives are the free options: Toggl Track, Clockify. For paid alternatives, prices start from as low as $3.99/mo.
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