Softwr

Professional Services · head to head

FreshBooks vs Harvest

FreshBooks logo

FreshBooks

Professional Services

Accounting software that makes you look good

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: FreshBooks lite tier limited to 5 clients maximum; Harvest the free plan is one seat and two projects, so it suits a solo freelancer and nothing larger
  • They diverge on capability: FreshBooks covers Project management, Harvest covers Project budgets.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which FreshBooks and Harvest actually diverge.

Attributes where FreshBooks and Harvest differ
AttributeFreshBooksHarvest
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
Founded20032006

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 FreshBooks

  • Project management
  • Payments
  • Financial reporting
  • Proposals
  • Mileage tracking
  • PayPal
  • G Suite
  • Mailchimp

Only in Harvest

  • Project budgets
  • Team capacity
  • Detailed reports
  • Mobile apps
  • Browser extension
  • Asana
  • Trello
  • Basecamp

Both cover

  • Invoicing
  • Expense tracking
  • Time tracking
  • Stripe
  • Slack
  • 2FA

What people use each for

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

FreshBooks

  • Invoicing and payment processingnot Harvest
  • Time tracking and expense managementnot Harvest
  • Multi-client project accountingnot Harvest

Harvest

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

Where each one falls short

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

FreshBooks

  • Lite tier limited to 5 clients maximum
  • E-signatures, proposals, and client retainers unavailable on Lite and Plus tiers
  • Advanced payment processing fee of £20/month on Plus tier (extra cost)
  • Email customization and project profitability tracking restricted to Premium tier and above
  • Offline mode not available; web-based only

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

FreshBooks

Free
  • Lite$23/month
    • Up to 5 clients
    • Core invoicing and expense tracking
  • Plus$43/month
    • Up to 50 clients
    • Client portal and estimates
  • Premium$70/month
    • Unlimited clients
    • Advanced features
  • Select$null/mo
    • Custom pricing
    • Unlimited clients
    • Dedicated 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 FreshBooks if

  • You need project management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want payments.
FreshBooks review

Choose Harvest if

  • You need project budgets.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android.
  • You also want team capacity.
Harvest review

Questions people ask

Is FreshBooks or Harvest better?
Neither clearly leads. FreshBooks 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, FreshBooks or Harvest?
FreshBooks starts at Free and Harvest at Free.
Does FreshBooks or Harvest run on more platforms?
FreshBooks runs on Web, iOS, Android. Harvest runs on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android.
Can I use FreshBooks for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is FreshBooks best used for?
FreshBooks is most often used for invoicing and payment processing, time tracking and expense management, multi-client project accounting. Of those, invoicing and payment processing and time tracking and expense management are not what Harvest is typically brought in for.
What can FreshBooks do that Harvest cannot?
FreshBooks covers Project management, Payments, Financial reporting, Proposals. Harvest covers Project budgets, Team capacity, Detailed reports, Mobile apps. Both handle Invoicing, Expense tracking, Time tracking, Stripe.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

FreshBooks: How much does FreshBooks cost?

FreshBooks offers plans starting at $23 per month for Lite (up to 5 clients), $43 for Plus (up to 50 clients), $70 for Premium (unlimited clients), and custom pricing for the Select plan. Currently offering 90% off for 3 months on all plans.

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
FreshBooks: Does FreshBooks offer a free trial?

Yes, FreshBooks offers a free 30-day trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans.

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
FreshBooks: What are the add-on costs for FreshBooks?

Team members cost $11 per month per user, Advanced Payments add-on costs $20 per month, and FreshBooks Payroll costs $40 per month base plus $6 per month per user.

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
Share

Related pages

More on FreshBooks

More on Harvest

Keep looking

Other head to heads