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Professional Services · head to head

Freelancer.com vs Harvest

Freelancer.com logo

Freelancer.com

Professional Services

Find the best freelancers for any job online

From
Free
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

  • Each has a real cost: Freelancer.com employers pay 3% or $3.00 USD minimum on fixed-price projects when awarding; Harvest the free plan is one seat and two projects, so it suits a solo freelancer and nothing larger
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Freelancer.com and Harvest actually diverge.

Attributes where Freelancer.com and Harvest differ
AttributeFreelancer.comHarvest
Pricing modeltransactionfreemium
PlatformsWebWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
FoundedUnknown2006

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Professional Services).

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 Freelancer.com

Nothing recorded that Harvest does not also cover.

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.

Freelancer.com

  • Posting projects and collecting competitive bids without upfront costnot Harvest
  • Engaging hourly contractors with flexible staffing and per-payment feesnot Harvest
  • Running design contests where employers only pay if satisfiednot Harvest
  • Securing work payments held by platform until contractor approvalnot Harvest
  • Identifying vetted freelancers through Verified by Freelancer badgesnot Harvest

Harvest

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

Where each one falls short

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

Freelancer.com

  • Employers pay 3% or $3.00 USD minimum on fixed-price projects when awarding
  • Freelancers pay 10% or $5.00 USD minimum on fixed-price projects
  • Preferred Freelancer Program charges 15% on recruiter projects
  • Maintenance fee up to $14.00 per month for accounts inactive 6+ months
  • Withdrawal fees range from $1.00 to $25.00 depending on method

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

Freelancer.com

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Freelancer.com review.

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 Freelancer.com if

  • You want to start without paying.
Freelancer.com 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 Freelancer.com or Harvest better?
Neither clearly leads. Freelancer.com starts at Free and Harvest at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Freelancer.com or Harvest?
Freelancer.com starts at Free and Harvest at Free.
Does Freelancer.com or Harvest run on more platforms?
Freelancer.com runs on Web. Harvest runs on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android.
Can I use Freelancer.com for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Freelancer.com best used for?
Freelancer.com is most often used for posting projects and collecting competitive bids without upfront cost, engaging hourly contractors with flexible staffing and per-payment fees, running design contests where employers only pay if satisfied, securing work payments held by platform until contractor approval. Of those, posting projects and collecting competitive bids without upfront cost and engaging hourly contractors with flexible staffing and per-payment fees are not what Harvest is typically brought in for.
What can Freelancer.com do that Harvest cannot?
Harvest covers Time tracking, Expense tracking, Invoicing, Project budgets.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Freelancer.com: What are Freelancer.com's fees?

Employers pay 3% or $3.00 USD (whichever is greater) when awarding fixed-price projects and 3% on hourly payments. Freelancers pay 10% or $5.00 USD minimum on fixed-price projects, 10% on hourly payments, and 10% or $5.00 USD on contest prizes. The Preferred Freelancer Program charges 15% on recruiter projects.

Source
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
Freelancer.com: What are the payment processing and withdrawal fees on Freelancer?

Payment processing fees are $0.30 USD plus 2.3% for credit card, PayPal, or Skrill. Withdrawal fees are $1.00 for PayPal/Skrill/Payoneer and $25.00 for international wire transfers.

Source
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
Freelancer.com: What optional upgrades are available for Freelancer projects?

Featured and Urgent upgrades cost $10.99 each, Private/NDA/IP Agreement upgrades cost $22.99 each, and Full Time projects cost $240.00. Projects also have a Verification Badge option at $99.00 (regular), $79.00 (Preferred), or $59.00 (Rising Stars).

Source
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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