Harvest vs Clockify: Features, Pricing & Which Delivers Better ROI [2025]

Last Updated: January 2025

Deciding between Harvest and Clockify? Both are popular time tracking tools, but they serve very different needs and budgets. This in-depth comparison breaks down features, pricing, ROI calculations, and real use cases to help you choose the right tool for your business.

Overview: Harvest vs Clockify at a Glance

What is Harvest?

Harvest is a comprehensive time tracking and business management platform designed for freelancers, consultants, and agencies who need to track time, manage projects, create invoices, and analyze profitability—all in one place.

Founded: 2006 (nearly 20 years of development)

Best for: Professional services firms that bill clients hourly and need complete project financial management

Key Differentiator: Native invoicing with payment processing that converts tracked time into paid invoices automatically

What is Clockify?

Clockify is a free-forever time tracking tool that focuses on providing unlimited time tracking for unlimited users at no cost. It's simple, straightforward, and designed to be accessible for teams of any size.

Founded: 2017 (newer, focused on free tier)

Best for: Budget-conscious teams, internal time tracking, startups, and users who don't need invoicing

Key Differentiator: Completely free plan with unlimited users and unlimited tracking (most generous free tier in the market)

Side-by-Side Feature Comparison

The Critical Difference: Free vs Full-Featured

What "Free" Means with Clockify

Clockify's free plan is genuinely generous:

• ✓ Unlimited users - Add your entire team at no cost
• ✓ Unlimited projects - Track as many projects as needed
• ✓ Unlimited time tracking - No hourly limits or restrictions
• ✓ Mobile, desktop, and web apps included
• ✓ Basic reporting and exports

The catch: You don't get invoicing, expense tracking, timesheet approvals, or advanced reports. It's purely time tracking.

What You Get with Harvest

Harvest is paid-only (after trial), but includes business management tools:

• ✓ Everything Clockify has, plus...
• ✓ Native invoicing - Create and send invoices from tracked time
• ✓ Payment processing - Accept payments via Stripe, PayPal, Square
• ✓ Expense tracking - Log expenses and bill to clients
• ✓ Project budgets - Set budgets in hours or dollars with alerts
• ✓ Profitability analytics - See which projects make money
• ✓ Timesheet approvals - Manager review workflow
• ✓ Better support and reliability

Invoicing: Where Harvest Dominates

Harvest's Invoicing Features

Harvest was built for businesses that invoice clients. The invoicing workflow is seamless:

Complete Invoice Features:

• ✓ Automatic invoice creation from tracked time and expenses
• ✓ Professional, customizable invoice templates
• ✓ Recurring invoices for retainer clients
• ✓ Multiple currencies (190+ supported)
• ✓ Tax rate configuration (per client, per project)
• ✓ Automatic payment reminders
• ✓ Online payment acceptance (credit card, ACH)
• ✓ Payment tracking and reconciliation
• ✓ Client portal for invoice viewing
• ✓ Late payment notifications
• ✓ Invoice history and aging reports
• ✓ Partial payment handling

Harvest Invoicing Workflow:

1. Track time on projects throughout week
2. Click "Create Invoice" button
3. Harvest auto-populates all time entries and expenses
4. Review, customize if needed (add discounts, change rates, etc.)
5. Send invoice to client via email
6. Client receives invoice with "Pay Now" button
7. Client pays online (Stripe/PayPal)
8. Payment auto-reconciles in Harvest
9. You get notification and can download receipt

Time saved: Most users report saving 5-10 hours per month on invoicing alone.

Clockify's Invoicing

Clockify's free plan has no invoicing. The paid "Pro" plan ($6.49/user/month) adds basic invoicing, but it's limited:

• ⚠ Manual invoice creation (not automatic from time)
• ⚠ Basic templates only
• ✗ No payment processing (can't accept payments)
• ✗ No automatic reminders
• ✗ No recurring invoices
• ✗ Limited customization

Reality: Most Clockify users who need invoicing end up using a separate tool like FreshBooks ($17/month), QuickBooks ($30/month), or... Harvest.

Project Budgeting & Financial Management

Harvest's Project Budgeting

Harvest excels at project financial management:

Budget Features:

• Set budgets in hours or dollars
• Real-time budget vs. actual tracking
• Budget burn rate visualization
• Automatic alerts at custom thresholds (e.g., 75%, 90%, 100%)
• Forecast to completion based on burn rate
• Budget utilization reports
• Per-task budget allocation
• Client-level budget tracking

Why This Matters:

• Prevent scope creep and project overruns
• Get alerts before going over budget
• Make data-driven decisions about staffing
• Show clients exactly where their budget went
• Improve estimates for future projects

Real-World Example: You quote a client 40 hours for a website redesign. After 30 hours (75%), Harvest alerts you that at current pace, you'll need 42 hours total. You proactively discuss scope adjustment with the client before going over budget.

Clockify's Budget Features

Clockify's free plan has time estimates only (not true budgets):

• ⚠ Can set time estimates per project
• ⚠ Shows estimated vs. tracked time
• ✗ No dollar amount budgets
• ✗ No budget alerts or notifications
• ✗ No burn rate calculations
• ✗ No forecasting
• ✗ Limited budget reporting

Bottom line: Clockify tracks time against estimates, but doesn't provide the financial project management tools professional services need.

Reporting & Analytics

Harvest Reports

Harvest provides business intelligence reports focused on profitability:

Available Reports:

• Time Reports: By project, client, task, person, date range
• Budget Reports: Budget utilization, over/under budget
• Profitability Reports: Revenue vs. costs per project
• Invoice Reports: Unpaid, paid, overdue invoices
• Expense Reports: By project, client, category
• Team Reports: Utilization rates, capacity, billable vs. non-billable
• Client Reports: Total hours, revenue, profitability by client

Key Insight: Harvest's reports answer business questions like "Which projects are most profitable?" and "Which clients should I focus on?"

Clockify Reports

Clockify provides time tracking reports:

Free Plan Reports:

• Summary reports (time by project, user, client)
• Detailed reports (individual time entries)
• Weekly reports
• Basic dashboard

Limitations:

• ✗ No profitability analysis
• ✗ No financial reporting
• ✗ No utilization rates
• ✗ No invoice reporting
• ⚠ Advanced reports require paid plan

Bottom line: Clockify tells you "how much time was spent." Harvest tells you "how much money was made."

Pricing Comparison & ROI Analysis

Clockify Pricing

Free Plan: $0/month

• Unlimited users
• Unlimited projects
• Unlimited time tracking
• Basic reports
• Mobile/desktop apps

Standard Plan: $6.99/user/month

• Everything in Free
• Bulk edit
• Projects templates
• Export to multiple formats

Pro Plan: $9.99/user/month

• Everything in Basic
• Invoicing (basic)
• Time audit
• Timesheets

Enterprise Plan: $14.99/user/month

• Everything in Pro
• SSO
• Priority support
• Custom contracts

Harvest Pricing

Free Trial: 30 days, all features, no credit card required

Free Plan: $0/month

• 1 user
• 2 projects
• Limited features

Pro Plan: $11/user/month (annual) or $13.75/month (monthly)

• Unlimited users
• Unlimited projects
• All features included:
• Time tracking
• Invoicing + payment processing
• Expense tracking
• Project budgets
• Profitability reports
• Team scheduling (via Forecast)
• All integrations
• Email & chat support

True Cost Comparison

ROI Calculation: When Harvest Pays for Itself

Harvest typically pays for itself through:

1. Time Saved on Invoicing: 5-10 hours/month × $50/hour = $250-500/month value

2. Captured Billable Hours: Users report capturing 10-15% more billable time with better tracking

• If you bill 160 hours/month at $100/hour = $16,000 revenue
• 10% more captured = $1,600 additional revenue/month
• Harvest cost = $55/month for 5 users
• ROI = 2,567%

3. Prevented Budget Overruns: Budget alerts prevent scope creep

• Average agency loses $5,000-10,000/year to unbilled overages
• Harvest prevents this = $5,000-10,000 saved

4. Faster Payment: Online payment acceptance = clients pay 30-40% faster

• Better cash flow = ability to take on more work

Break-even point: If you capture just ONE extra billable hour per month, Harvest has paid for itself (for a 5-person team).

Best For: Use Cases

Choose Harvest If You:

• ✓ Invoice clients for your time (this is the #1 reason)
• ✓ Need to track project budgets in dollars, not just hours
• ✓ Track expenses and bill them to clients
• ✓ Want to accept online payments (credit card, ACH)
• ✓ Need profitability reports to see which projects make money
• ✓ Manage retainer clients with recurring invoices
• ✓ Value having one tool vs. multiple tools
• ✓ Need reliable support (email + chat)
• ✓ Run a professional services business: agency, consultancy, law firm, accounting firm, freelancing business

Ideal Harvest Users:

• Freelance consultants billing multiple clients
• Creative agencies (design, marketing, advertising)
• Law firms and legal consultants
• Accounting and bookkeeping firms
• IT consultants and managed service providers
• Any business billing clients hourly

Choose Clockify If You:

• ✓ Only need time tracking (no invoicing)
• ✓ Have a very tight budget ($0)
• ✓ Track time for internal purposes only (not client billing)
• ✓ Already have invoicing software you're happy with
• ✓ Need to add unlimited users at no cost
• ✓ Are a startup just getting started
• ✓ Track time for productivity insights only
• ✓ Don't need financial project management
• ✓ Are willing to use multiple tools for full workflow

Ideal Clockify Users:

• Salaried employees tracking productivity
• Internal teams not billing clients
• Startups with $0 budget
• Students and personal time tracking
• Very small freelancers just starting (< $1,000/month revenue)
• Non-profits with limited budgets

When to Upgrade from Clockify to Harvest

Many users start with Clockify's free plan and later upgrade to Harvest. Here are signs it's time to switch:

Upgrade Triggers:

1. You start invoicing clients - Clockify's lack of invoicing becomes painful
2. Manual work is eating your time - Spending 5+ hours/month on invoicing
3. Projects go over budget - Wish you had budget alerts
4. You can't see profitability - Don't know which projects make money
5. Need to accept online payments - Clients want to pay by credit card
6. Managing retainer clients - Need recurring invoices
7. You're revenue is growing - Your business can afford $11/user/month
8. You use 2-3 tools now - Clockify + invoicing + expenses = want one tool

How to Switch from Clockify to Harvest

Migration is straightforward and takes 1-2 hours:

Step 1: Export from Clockify

• Go to Reports → Export
• Download time data as CSV
• Export projects and clients lists

Step 2: Sign Up for Harvest

• Start 30-day free trial (no credit card)
• Set up your company profile
• Add your logo and branding

Step 3: Import Your Data

• Use Harvest's import tool for clients and projects
• Import historical time data if needed
• Contact Harvest support for migration help (free)

Step 4: Set Up Invoicing

• Connect payment gateway (Stripe or PayPal)
• Customize invoice templates
• Set up tax rates and billing terms
• Configure recurring invoices for retainer clients

Step 5: Set Project Budgets

• Add budgets to active projects
• Set up budget alerts (recommend 75% and 90%)
• Review budget reports

Step 6: Train Your Team

• Send team members Harvest's welcome guide
• Show them how to track time (very similar to Clockify)
• Install mobile/desktop apps
• Set up browser extensions for integrations

Migration Support: Harvest provides free migration assistance for teams of 5+ users. Their support team will help with data import and setup.

Integrations Comparison

Harvest Integrations (50+)

Harvest focuses on quality over quantity with deep, reliable integrations:

Project Management: Asana, Basecamp, Trello, Jira, Monday, ClickUp

Accounting: QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks, Sage

Communication: Slack, Microsoft Teams

Development: GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket

CRM: Salesforce, HubSpot

Other: Google Calendar, Outlook, Zapier

Integration Quality: Two-way sync, reliable, well-maintained

Clockify Integrations (80+)

Clockify has more integrations but simpler implementations:

Available on free plan: Yes (major advantage)

Types: Browser extensions, Zapier, native integrations

Popular: Asana, Trello, Jira, Notion, Todoist, Google Calendar

Integration Quality: Mostly one-way (push time to Clockify), simpler than Harvest

Winner: Tie - Clockify has more integrations; Harvest has deeper, more reliable integrations with accounting tools

Customer Support

Harvest Support

• Email support: All plans (response within 24 hours)
• Live chat: All plans (weekday business hours)
• Help center: Comprehensive documentation
• Onboarding: Free for teams of 5+
• Migration assistance: Free
• Community: Active user community

Quality: Consistently praised for responsive, helpful support

Clockify Support

• Email support: Free plan (slower response, 48-72 hours)
• Priority email: Paid plans (24-hour response)
• Help center: Good documentation
• Video tutorials: YouTube channel
• No chat support
• No phone support

Quality: Good for free, but slower. Paid plans get better support.

Winner: Harvest - Better support quality and response times

Mobile & Desktop Apps

Both Have Good Apps

Harvest:

• iOS and Android apps
• Mac and Windows desktop apps
• Offline tracking with sync
• Mobile invoicing and expense tracking
• Clean, professional interface

Clockify:

• iOS and Android apps
• Mac, Windows, and Linux desktop apps
• Browser extensions for 80+ tools
• Offline mode
• Kiosk mode for shared devices

Winner: Tie - Both have excellent apps. Clockify gets bonus points for Linux support.

Final Verdict

Harvest Wins If:

You run a client-facing business that invoices hourly. The native invoicing, payment processing, project budgets, and profitability reports make Harvest worth every penny. It's not just a time tracker—it's a complete business management tool that pays for itself.

Best for: Freelancers, consultants, agencies, law firms, and any professional services billing clients

ROI: Typically pays for itself through captured billable hours and time saved on invoicing

Clockify Wins If:

You need basic time tracking only and have a tight or zero budget. The free plan is genuinely excellent for internal time tracking, productivity monitoring, or personal use. Perfect for startups, students, or salaried employees.

Best for: Internal teams, startups with $0 budget, personal productivity tracking

Value: Unbeatable free plan that gets the job done

Try Harvest Free for 30 Days →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Clockify really free forever?

Yes! Clockify's free plan is genuinely free forever with unlimited users and unlimited tracking. There are no hidden fees or trial periods. You only pay if you want advanced features like invoicing (basic), timesheet approvals, or advanced reports.

Why is Harvest more expensive than Clockify?

Harvest includes full-featured invoicing with payment processing, expense tracking, project budgets with alerts, profitability reports, and better support. It's a complete business management tool, not just a time tracker. Clockify's free plan is purely for time tracking. If you need invoicing, Harvest is actually cheaper than Clockify + a separate invoicing tool.

Can I import my data from Clockify to Harvest?

Yes. You can export your time data, projects, and clients from Clockify as CSV files and import them into Harvest. Harvest also offers free migration support for teams of 5 or more users. Most migrations take 1-2 hours.

Does Clockify have invoicing?

Clockify's free plan has no invoicing. The paid "Standard" plan ($6.99/user/month) includes basic invoicing, but it's limited compared to Harvest. You cannot accept online payments in Clockify, and the invoice customization is minimal. Most users who need invoicing use a separate tool or switch to Harvest.

Which is better for freelancers?

If you invoice clients, Harvest is significantly better for freelancers. The automatic invoice creation from tracked time, online payment acceptance, and expense tracking save hours every month. If you're a freelancer tracking time for internal productivity only (not billing clients), Clockify's free plan works fine.

Can I try Harvest before paying?

Yes! Harvest offers a 30-day free trial with access to all features, including invoicing and payment processing. No credit card required to start the trial. This gives you plenty of time to test it with your real workflow.

Does Harvest integrate with QuickBooks?

Yes, Harvest has a robust two-way integration with QuickBooks Online. Time, expenses, and invoices sync automatically between Harvest and QuickBooks. This makes it easy to manage your accounting while using Harvest for time tracking and invoicing.

What happens if I go over my project budget in Harvest?

Harvest sends you automatic budget alerts at thresholds you set (typically 75%, 90%, and 100% of budget used). When you hit these milestones, you get an email notification and can see the alert in your dashboard. This allows you to proactively adjust scope or notify clients before going over budget.

Is my data safe in Clockify and Harvest?

Yes, both platforms use industry-standard security including SSL encryption, secure data centers, regular backups, and SOC 2 compliance. Harvest has been in business since 2006 with an excellent security track record. Clockify is newer (2017) but also maintains good security standards.

Can I switch from Harvest back to Clockify if I want?

Yes, you can export all your data from Harvest at any time. However, most users who switch to Harvest don't go back because the invoicing and project management features become essential to their workflow. Harvest has high customer retention rates.

Ready to Choose?

Start Your Free Trial

Harvest: 30-Day Free Trial (No Credit Card Required) →

Clockify: Sign Up Free (Unlimited Users Forever) →

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• Time Tracking Software Comparison Guide →

Last Updated: January 2025 | Reading Time: 15 minutes