Harvest

Overview

Harvest time tracking is the core product of the Harvest platform, founded by Danny Wen and Shawn Liu in New York City in 2006. It is a mature time tracking solution in the productivity space that breaks time logging into one-click timers, weekly/daily timesheets, calendar sync and team utilization management, helping hourly-billed teams turn scattered hours into accurate, trustworthy business data. It now serves more than 70,000 company customers.

Unlike the Harvest platform page that covers timer, invoicing and budgets as a whole, this page takes the time tracking angle: the core is the accuracy of time capture and the visibility of team workload, with invoicing and accounting as companion capabilities. For consulting, design and development teams that depend on precise hour accounting, Harvest time tracking provides a complete loop from logging to reporting; see remote team management tools comparison for positioning.

Key Strengths

• Multi-device one-click timers: Start and stop from web, desktop, mobile or browser extension, with calendar sync to log time straight from schedule events, so nothing gets missed.
• Accurate and trustworthy time data: Weekly/daily timesheets, submission approvals, bulk corrections and required notes enforce data standards usable for cost and quote calculations.
• Team utilization visualization: Live workload and utilization per member, combined with Forecast to plan future scheduling and avoid overload or idle time.
• Multi-level organization with role-based rates: Hours organized by client, project, task and tag, with rates converting to amounts automatically for internal cost and quotes.
• Open integrations and API: Native connections to Asana, Trello and Slack plus an open API sync time data into existing workflows.

Product Ecosystem

Timers & Timesheets

One-click timers start and stop from any device, weekly/daily timesheets allow manual entry, and time is organized by client, project, task and tag for a clean data structure.

Calendar & Mobile Tracking

Calendar sync turns schedule events into time entries in one click, while iOS and Android apps pair with desktop for continuous cross-device tracking.

Team Utilization & Capacity Planning

Utilization views show live workload per person, and Forecast plans future staffing, holidays and hours to balance workload against delivery commitments.

Timesheet Approvals & Governance

Submission approvals, bulk corrections, required notes and entry locking ensure time data stays accurate and auditable through process controls.

API & Integrations

An open API and 40+ official integrations sync time data into project management, accounting and payment tools, plus custom report exports.

Limitations

• Clear financial boundary: Focused on time tracking, invoicing and full accounting are companion capabilities that still need a dedicated financial tool.
• Free plan gate: The free plan allows only 1 seat and 2 projects, so teams pay from the start, higher than some lightweight free trackers.
• Per-seat plus usage pricing: Base fees are per seat and extra invoices, projects and clients are usage-based, so costs grow with expansion.
• Stricter workflows: Approvals and required notes can feel cumbersome for individuals who want minimal logging; try the free plan before committing.

Use Cases

• Service teams that rely on precise hours (recommended ★★★★★): Consulting, design and development teams base cost and quotes on hours - the core use case; see freelance work management tips.
• Managers needing workload visibility (recommended ★★★★): Utilization and Forecast support scheduling and staffing, preventing overload.
• Freelancers (recommended ★★★★): The free plan's 1 seat and 2 projects cover personal hour logging, measured with OKR and KPI metrics.
• Companies needing full invoicing and accounting (recommended ★★): The financial loop beyond time tracking needs other tools, so evaluate the whole package.

Pricing

Note: Annual billing gives a 20% discount; a 30-day free trial needs no credit card. Extra invoices, projects, clients and tasks are usage-based; see the official site for details.

FAQ

• How does Harvest time tracking relate to the full Harvest platform? Time tracking is Harvest's core capability, and this page focuses on timers, timesheets and team utilization; automatic invoicing, budgets and collections can be enabled in the same platform when needed - see automated invoicing and billing systems.

• Can the free plan work for a team? The free plan allows only 1 seat and 2 projects, suited to individuals; team collaboration and unlimited projects require Teams ($9/seat/mo, annual); for free alternatives see productivity tool collection.

• How do I keep time data accurate? Use submission approvals on weekly/daily timesheets, bulk corrections, required notes and entry locking to standardize logging, making hours a trustworthy basis for cost and quotes; measure with OKR and KPI metrics.

• How do I plan team capacity with Harvest? Utilization views show live workload per member, and Forecast plans future staffing and holidays, helping managers balance workload in advance and avoid overload or idle time; see remote team management tools comparison.