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Legal · head to head

Aderant vs Harvest

Aderant logo

Aderant

Legal

Practice and financial management for large law firms

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Harvest logo

Harvest

Professional Services

Time tracking software for teams that care about where their time goes

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Harvest has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Aderant implementation is a programme of work with consultants and data migration, so the licence fee is a minority of the real first year cost.; Harvest the free plan is one seat and two projects, so it suits a solo freelancer and nothing larger
  • They diverge on capability: Aderant covers Aderant Expert, Harvest covers Time tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Aderant and Harvest actually diverge.

Attributes where Aderant and Harvest differ
AttributeAderantHarvest
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotefreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, Web, iOS, AndroidWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
CategoryLegalProfessional Services
FoundedUnknown2006

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Aderant

  • Aderant Expert
  • Conflicts and new business intake
  • Docketing and calendaring
  • Multi-currency and multi-entity billing
  • Business intelligence

Only in Harvest

  • Time tracking
  • Expense tracking
  • Invoicing
  • Project budgets
  • Team capacity
  • Detailed reports
  • Mobile apps
  • Browser extension

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Aderant

  • Firms of a hundred or more fee earners needing matter financials across multiple offices and currenciesnot Harvest
  • Practices replacing an ageing time and billing system without leaving the large firm segmentnot Harvest
  • Firms needing conflicts checking and new business intake governed by an approval workflownot Harvest
  • Partnerships reporting profitability by practice group and requiring realisation analysisnot Harvest

Harvest

  • Time tracking against projects and clientsnot Aderant
  • Turning tracked time into invoicesnot Aderant
  • Expense capture alongside billable hoursnot Aderant
  • Team capacity and utilisation reporting on the paid plansnot Aderant
  • Feeding billed time into QuickBooks or Xeronot Aderant

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Aderant

  • Implementation is a programme of work with consultants and data migration, so the licence fee is a minority of the real first year cost.
  • It is designed for large firms, so a practice below roughly fifty fee earners pays for governance and reporting depth it will never use.
  • Ownership by an acquisitive holding company tends to mean predictable maintenance uplifts at renewal rather than competitive discounting.
  • The credible alternative set is effectively one other product, which weakens a firm's negotiating position because switching is genuinely expensive.
  • Nothing about pricing is published, so budgeting requires a sales engagement and useful comparisons come only from peer firms.

Harvest

  • The free plan is one seat and two projects, so it suits a solo freelancer and nothing larger
  • Team reporting and unlimited projects require the Teams plan at $9 per seat per month
  • Profitability reporting, timesheet approvals and custom reports need Enterprise at $14 per seat per month
  • SAML single sign-on is Enterprise only
  • QuickBooks, Xero and Stripe integrations are withheld from the free plan

Pricing, plan by plan

Aderant

On request
  • Aderant Expert$undefined/year
    • Enterprise licensing quoted per firm
    • Implementation, migration and consultancy quoted separately
    • Annual maintenance and support

Harvest

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 seat
    • Time tracking
    • Invoicing
  • Teams$9/month
    • Unlimited seats
    • Team reporting
    • Accounting integrations (Stripe, QuickBooks, Xero, Deel)
  • Enterprise$14/month
    • Unlimited seats
    • Unlimited custom reports
    • Profitability reporting

Which should you pick?

Choose Aderant if

  • You need aderant expert.
  • You work on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want conflicts and new business intake.
Aderant review

Choose Harvest if

  • You need time tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android.
  • You also want expense tracking.
Harvest review

Questions people ask

Is Aderant or Harvest better?
Neither clearly leads. Aderant starts at On request and Harvest at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Aderant or Harvest?
Harvest has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Aderant and Free for Harvest.
Does Aderant or Harvest run on more platforms?
Aderant runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android. Harvest runs on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android.
Can I use Harvest for free?
Yes. Harvest has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Aderant starts at On request.
What is Aderant best used for?
Aderant is most often used for firms of a hundred or more fee earners needing matter financials across multiple offices and currencies, practices replacing an ageing time and billing system without leaving the large firm segment, firms needing conflicts checking and new business intake governed by an approval workflow, partnerships reporting profitability by practice group and requiring realisation analysis. Of those, firms of a hundred or more fee earners needing matter financials across multiple offices and currencies and practices replacing an ageing time and billing system without leaving the large firm segment are not what Harvest is typically brought in for.
What can Aderant do that Harvest cannot?
Aderant covers Aderant Expert, Conflicts and new business intake, Docketing and calendaring, Multi-currency and multi-entity billing. Harvest covers Time tracking, Expense tracking, Invoicing, Project budgets.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Aderant: Who owns Aderant?

Roper Technologies acquired Aderant in 2015. Roper buys and holds vertical market software businesses, which in practice means long product support and steady renewal pricing rather than rapid change.

Harvest: How much does Harvest cost?

Harvest offers a free plan for 1 user and Teams plan starting at $9/seat/month (billed annually at $108/seat for 20% savings). Enterprise plan starts at $14/seat/month.

Source
Aderant: What size of firm is Aderant for?

Large firms, broadly a hundred fee earners and above. Smaller practices are better served by Clio, Tabs3 or Smokeball.

Harvest: Is there a free version of Harvest?

Yes, Harvest's free plan includes 1 seat with time tracking, invoicing, expense tracking, and 2 projects.

Source
Aderant: What does it compete with?

Thomson Reuters Elite 3E is the main alternative at this size, and most large firm selections come down to those two.

Harvest: What is included in the Enterprise plan?

The Enterprise plan includes unlimited custom reports, profitability reporting, timesheet approvals, activity logs, and SAML-based SSO at $14/seat/month.

Source
Harvest: Does Harvest offer a discount for annual billing?

Yes, annual billing provides 20% discount, reducing the Teams plan to $108/seat/year and Enterprise plan to $168/seat/year.

Source
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