Softwr

Professional Services · head to head

Guru vs Harvest

Guru logo

Guru

Professional Services

Find freelancers, find a job

From
Free
Rated
-
Harvest logo

Harvest

Professional Services

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

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Guru higher tiers all include 600 bids; no bid increases from Business to Executive; 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 Guru and Harvest actually diverge.

Attributes where Guru and Harvest differ
AttributeGuruHarvest
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
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 Guru

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.

Guru

  • Connecting freelancers with employers for competitive project biddingnot Harvest
  • Managing multiple contractors as a distributed freelance businessnot Harvest
  • Standing out in competitive freelance bidding with premium quotesnot Harvest
  • Managing monthly bid limits for active freelancersnot Harvest
  • Improving profile ranking in freelancer search resultsnot Harvest

Harvest

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

Where each one falls short

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

Guru

  • Higher tiers all include 600 bids; no bid increases from Business to Executive
  • Membership purchases are non-refundable
  • No free trial period before commitment

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

Guru

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 120 bids annually
    • 9% job fee
    • No premium features
  • Basic+$11.95/month
    • 120 bids annually
    • 9% job fee
    • Annual: $8.95/month
  • Professional$21.95/month
    • 600 bids annually
    • 7% job fee
    • Premium quotes
  • Business$33.95/month
    • 600 bids annually
    • 6% job fee
    • All Professional features

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 Guru if

  • You want to start without paying.

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.

Questions people ask

Is Guru or Harvest better?
Neither clearly leads. Guru 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, Guru or Harvest?
Guru starts at Free and Harvest at Free.
Does Guru or Harvest run on more platforms?
Guru runs on Web. Harvest runs on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android.
Can I use Guru for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Guru best used for?
Guru is most often used for connecting freelancers with employers for competitive project bidding, managing multiple contractors as a distributed freelance business, standing out in competitive freelance bidding with premium quotes, managing monthly bid limits for active freelancers. Of those, connecting freelancers with employers for competitive project bidding and managing multiple contractors as a distributed freelance business are not what Harvest is typically brought in for.
What can Guru do that Harvest cannot?
Harvest covers Time tracking, Expense tracking, Invoicing, Project budgets.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Guru: Is there a free Guru membership?

Yes, Guru offers a free tier with 120 annual bids and a 9% job fee on earnings.

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
Guru: What is Guru's job fee structure?

Guru charges job fees that decrease with membership tier: Free 9%, Basic+ 9%, Professional 7%, Business 6%, Executive 5%.

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
Guru: Does Guru offer annual billing discounts?

Yes. Annual plans offer up to 27% savings. For example, Professional is $15.95/month billed annually versus $21.95/month on a monthly plan.

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

Other head to heads