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5 Best Harvest Alternatives in 2024

08 February 2024

The long-considered trendy choice in time-tracking no longer suits your needs? We got you.

Harvest is a great tool. However, its limitations leave users searching for more advanced alternatives.

So, we made a roundup with the five best Harvest alternatives – and evaluated their key features, pricing, and user experiences.

Why consider Harvest alternatives?

Here’s a list of the most frequent drawbacks of Harvest, identifiable on Capterra:

No leave tracking feature, but offers time-consuming workarounds to track PTO or sick time;
Manually intensive, as it has quite a manual process of adding time entries, defeating the purpose of time tracking software – to increase productivity;
Limited integration options;
There is no way of preventing tracking over budget ( alerts, notifications etc);
Lack of comprehensive reporting and customization: lack of activity summaries for regular users and limited options for customization.
Cost concerns, as based on its features and compared with other tools of its kind, there are tools with similar prices but more advanced features, such as Timeular.

Tired of Harvest? Start tracking with an automatic time tracker instead

“We have become 20% more profitable because everyone is in the habit of time tracking.” – Richard Wingfield, Head Geek at Envision Design

The best Harvest alternatives

1. Timeular

Timeular is the best Harvest alternative for teams looking to track their billable hours and prefer complete data privacy, as well as smart automation features such as leave and overtime tracking.

Essentially, Timeular is equipped with AI-powered key features that make it an effortless, secure, and smart time-tracking app.

Why Timeular is the best alternative to Harvest

Offers a physical time-tracking gadget for those who prefer a tactile experience. Not only Harvest, but no other time tracking tool currently offers a time tracking cube. (Check a quick video on how the gadget works )
Billable hours tracker: While in Timeular, you can mark billable and non=billable hours with a click, Harvest does not allow teams to distinguish between billable and non-billable hours. If you track something, it goes all in the same bucket.
Endless activities to track: in Timeular, you can track endless activities and projects, while users in Harvest lament the limitations in tracking projects – with the tracking cube alone, you can track up to 1,000 tasks.
Le ave tracker and overt ime tracking are functionalities embedded in Timeular, whereas Harvest doesn’t allow them.
Automatic time entry suggestions: skip the manual timesheet with Timeular’s automatic time tracking. The AI time tracking app allows you to effortlessly track time using time entry suggestions based on your calendar and past entries.
Total data privacy and 100% GDPR compliance: Harvest stores your data on the cloud, whereas in Timeular, your data is stored only locally on your computer.

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Timeular key features:

Ease of use – loved by 100,000 users, many of whom mentioned how simple and intuitive their navigation is, Timeular has a low learning curve.

“People complain a lot less about time tracking now because of the easy interface of Timeular.”

Kaitlin Snow Seamons, Executive Creative Director at Harmon Brothers

Tracking the way you want or need: track press keyboard shortcuts without opening the app, on the calendar view, or with the physical tracker.
Track on any device you need: desktop app, web app, mobile app, offline or online.
Record up to 1,000 tasks with its unique physical time-tracking cube.

Automated, intuitive time reporting system: generate visually appealing detailed reports in a few clicks to identify project performance, app usage, and productivity patterns. Export them in various formats.
Team collaboration: with shared folders, your team can track time in one place. So, if two team members work on the same project, the data at the end of the day will show the sum of the worked hours without sharing timesheets.
Personal productivity monitoring: Track time spent in different apps, understand work habits, and identify productivity patterns and time sinks that lead to inefficiency. Note: The data in your productivity tracking dashboard is accessible only to you.

Accurate budgets: stay on top of budgets with automated notifications when you reach a certain budget limit. Add the hourly budget on a client or project, and as you work, Timeular records how many hours you’ve left.

Integrations: integrate with tools of choice like Trello, Asana, and Google Calendar with Timeular for easy synchronization of tasks and projects. And, if you use Zapier, you can connect to +3000 apps (ex: Xero time tracking integration).
Automated suggestions to fill the calendar based on your calendar events powered by AI.

Pricing options

Timeular offers a 30-day free trial period and different pricing plans, including monthly and annual subscriptions.

While both Harvest and Timeular are effective time-tracking solutions, Timeular stands out essentially for its ease of use, data privacy, physical tracker, and capacity to distinguish between billable and non-billable hours.

These features, combined with its appealing pricing options, make Timeular the perfect Harvest alternative for businesses, teams, and individuals seeking an accurate, unique, and engaging time-tracking experience that increases productivity and billable hours.

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2. Toggl

Besides being a Harvest alternative, Toggl is also one of the best alternatives to Time Doctor. This time-tracking software offers a good range of features and pricing options. Here are its key highlights:

Toggl key features:

Time tracking: Toggl provides an intuitive interface for tracking time spent on tasks and projects. It offers one-click timers, manual time entry, and idle time detection.
Integrations: Toggl integrates with popular project management tools like Asana, Trello, and Jira, as well as accounting software like QuickBooks and Xero.
Reporting and analytics: Toggl generates reports and visualizations that provide insights into productivity, project progress, and time utilization.
Team collaboration: Toggl allows teams to collaborate and track time together. Managers can assign tasks, track team performance, and generate team reports.

Pricing options:

Toggl offers various pricing plans, including a free plan. However, this plan only offers limited features.

The paid plans offer additional features such as project tracking, billable rates, and reporting capabilities.

Advantages of Toggl over Harvest:

Versatility and integrations: Toggl offers a wide range of integrations with popular project management and accounting tools, providing seamless synchronization and workflow management.
Flexible pricing options: Toggl’s pricing plans cater to various needs and budgets, including a free plan that provides some more basic time-tracking capabilities.

While Harvest is a powerful time-tracking tool, Toggl stands out with its simplicity, versatility, and reporting features.

The ease of use, integrations, and flexible pricing options make Toggl a popular choice for freelancers looking for an efficient time-tracking solution.

3. Clockify

Clockify is a commonly used time-tracking software that provides time tracking, timesheet management, project tracking, and reporting. Clockify is a reliable alternative to Desktime and other time trackers due to its essential features.

Clockify key features:

Project and task management: Clockify allows users to create projects, assign tasks, and track time at the project and task level. This helps with organizing and prioritizing work.
Integrations: Clockify integrates with popular tools like Trello, Asana, Slack, and more, allowing easy workflow management and synchronization.
Team collaboration: Clockify enables teams to collaborate by sharing projects and tasks, tracking time together, and monitoring team performance.

Pricing options:

Clockify offers a free plan, as well as paid plans, including a “Plus” plan with advanced features such as time rounding, billable rates, and more comprehensive reporting options. Additionally, Clockify provides “Workspace” plans for teams.

Advantages of Clockify over Harvest:

Free plan: Clockify’s free plan offers time-tracking features, making it an attractive option for individuals/freelancers.
Comprehensive reporting: Clockify’s reporting and analytics features provide insights into time usage and project performance, allowing users to make data-driven decisions.
Seamless integrations: Clockify integrates with a wide range of popular tools, enabling users to streamline their workflows and synchronize time tracking with their existing project management and communication platforms, such as Microsoft Teams, Asana, Jira, Trello, and others.
Flexible pricing options: Clockify offers a range of pricing options, allowing users to choose a plan that suits their specific needs and budget.

Clockify offers a better free plan when compared to Harvest, making it a viable alternative to Harvest. The flexibility in pricing options and the ability to track time at both project and task levels make Clockify a favorable choice for freelancers.

4. RescueTime

Another tool worthy to be mentioned on the Harvest alternatives list is RescueTime. It is a time-tracking software that focuses on helping users improve their productivity and eliminate distractions.

RescueTime key features:

Automatic time tracking: RescueTime runs in the background and automatically tracks time spent on different applications, websites, and tasks, providing an accurate representation of your activities.
Focus time and goal setting: RescueTime allows you to set goals for productive time and block distracting websites during designated focus sessions.
Focus alerts and productivity score: RescueTime sends you notifications and alerts to help you stay on track, and it assigns a productivity score based on your daily activities.

Pricing options:

RescueTime offers you both free and paid plans. The free plan provides basic time tracking and limited reporting features. The paid plans, such as the “Premium” and “Business” plans, offer other features like goal setting, distraction blocking, and detailed reports for individuals and teams. Pricing varies based on the plan and the number of users.

Advantages of RescueTime over Harvest:

Automatic time tracking: RescueTime’s automatic time tracking eliminates the need for manual input, providing a more effortless tracking experience.
Focus and distraction management: RescueTime offers features like focus time, goal setting, and distraction blocking, helping users stay focused and minimize time wasters.

While Harvest primarily focuses on time tracking for billing and project management purposes, RescueTime is designed to help individuals improve their overall productivity and time management skills.

With its automatic tracking, focus management features, and in-depth analytics, RescueTime offers a unique approach to time tracking that goes beyond traditional monitoring.

5. Hubstaff

Hubstaff is an employee-monitoring software designed for remote teams. It offers a variety of features, pricing options, and advantages over Harvest, making it one of the competitive Harvest alternatives.

Hubstaff key features:

Employee monitoring: Hubstaff allows monitoring of employees’ activities, including application and website usage, mouse and keyboard activity, and screenshots (optional).
GPS tracking: Hubstaff offers GPS tracking for remote teams, enabling employers to monitor the location and movement of employees in the field.
Project management: Hubstaff includes features for task assignment, project budgets, and collaboration, allowing teams to manage projects alongside time tracking.

Pricing Options:

Hubstaff offers several pricing plans based on the number of users and features required.

The plans range from a free plan with limited features to paid plans with advanced functionalities like employee monitoring and GPS tracking.

Pricing may also depend on additional features such as payroll integration and time off management.

Advantages of Hubstaff over Harvest:

Employee monitoring: Hubstaff’s employee monitoring features provide visibility into employee activities, making it suitable for businesses that require additional oversight and accountability.

GPS tracking: Hubstaff’s GPS tracking feature is beneficial for companies with remote or mobile teams, as it allows tracking of employee locations and helps ensure compliance and productivity.
Project management integration: Hubstaff combines time tracking and project management capabilities, making it a convenient, all-in-one solution for teams needing both functionalities.

While Harvest focuses primarily on time tracking for billing and project management, Hubstaff extends its capabilities to employee monitoring, GPS tracking, and project management.

Hubstaff’s emphasis on employee accountability and comprehensive reporting makes it suitable for businesses that require monitoring and management features alongside time tracking.

If this app isn’t the best for your needs, read our post and find 10 alternatives to Hubstaff.

Conclusion

While Harvest has been a very popular choice, it also has limitations. There are several alternatives available that offer unique features and advantages.

Time tracking tools like Timeular, Toggl, Clockify, RescueTime, and Hubstaff provide various functionalities to different needs, from simple time tracking to employee monitoring and project management integration.

Timeular is the best Harvest alternative for businesses, teams, and small companies who need to bill their time. It’s also the best due to its simplicity, comprehensive, detailed, and sharable reporting capacities, flexibility in pricing, and seamless integrations. This makes Timeular perfect for those who want to optimize their time management, enhance productivity, and increase billable hours.

Choosing the right time-tracking software can significantly improve business efficiency, help meet deadlines, and contribute to achieving work-life balance.

You might be interested in the following:

FAQ: How should I choose the right Harvest alternative?

Q: I’m currently using a time-tracking tool but am considering a switch. How should I choose an alternative?

Comprehensive time-tracking features: Make sure the Harvest alternative offers detailed time-tracking capabilities, allowing for both manual and automatic logging of hours.
Advanced and customizable reporting: Choose a Harvest alternative that goes beyond basic features but provides in-depth reporting and analytics on time spent on tasks, project progress, and employee performance.
Project Budgets: The best Harvest alternatives should allow setting and managing budgets to ensure financial goals are met.
A simple time tracking tool: a simple time tracking software, yet effective that makes it easy for you to digest tracked data, track progress seamlessly, allows easy resource planning, has customizable reports, will make a great Harvest alternative.
Other features to assess: Ensure the Harvest Alternatives you are assessing include client billing, easily adding time entries, monitoring employee activity with privacy in mind, and truly behaving like a productivity tool.