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Professional Services · head to head

Harvest vs Hubstaff

Harvest logo

Harvest

Professional Services

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Hubstaff logo

Hubstaff

Productivity

Time tracking and team management for remote teams

From
$5.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Harvest has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Harvest the free plan is one seat and two projects, so it suits a solo freelancer and nothing larger; Hubstaff no pricing amounts published on pricing page; specific dollar amounts for plans not disclosed
  • They diverge on capability: Harvest covers Time tracking, Hubstaff covers Time tracking with timer.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Harvest and Hubstaff actually diverge.

Attributes where Harvest and Hubstaff differ
AttributeHarvestHubstaff
Starting priceFree$5.99/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, AndroidWeb, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows
CategoryProfessional ServicesProductivity
Founded20062012

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 Harvest

  • Time tracking
  • Expense tracking
  • Project budgets
  • Team capacity
  • Detailed reports
  • Browser extension
  • Asana
  • Trello

Only in Hubstaff

  • Time tracking with timer
  • Activity monitoring
  • GPS location tracking
  • Screenshots
  • Reports and analytics
  • Team management

Both cover

  • Invoicing
  • Mobile apps

What people use each for

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

Harvest

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

Hubstaff

  • Productivitynot Harvest
  • Collaborationnot Harvest
  • Task managementnot Harvest
  • Organizationnot Harvest

Where each one falls short

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

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

Hubstaff

  • No pricing amounts published on pricing page; specific dollar amounts for plans not disclosed
  • Per-seat pricing structure means users charged per team member regardless of active tracking use
  • Billing model includes prorated charges on annual plans but full rates for new monthly users, creating potential cost complications

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Hubstaff

$5.99/month
  • FreeFree
    • Basic time tracking
    • Limited to 1 user
    • Basic reports
  • Starter$5.99/month
    • Time tracking
    • Team management
    • Reports
  • Pro$9.99/month
    • Everything in Starter
    • GPS tracking
    • Activity monitoring

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Hubstaff if

  • You need time tracking with timer.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows.
  • You also want activity monitoring.
Hubstaff review

Questions people ask

Is Harvest or Hubstaff better?
Neither clearly leads. Harvest starts at Free and Hubstaff at $5.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Harvest or Hubstaff?
Harvest has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Harvest and $5.99/month for Hubstaff.
Does Harvest or Hubstaff run on more platforms?
Harvest runs on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android. Hubstaff runs on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows.
Can I use Harvest for free?
Yes. Harvest has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Hubstaff starts at $5.99/month.
What is Harvest best used for?
Harvest is most often used for time tracking against projects and clients, turning tracked time into invoices, expense capture alongside billable hours, team capacity and utilisation reporting on the paid plans. Of those, time tracking against projects and clients and turning tracked time into invoices are not what Hubstaff is typically brought in for.
What can Harvest do that Hubstaff cannot?
Harvest covers Time tracking, Expense tracking, Project budgets, Team capacity. Hubstaff covers Time tracking with timer, Activity monitoring, GPS location tracking, Screenshots. Both handle Invoicing, Mobile apps.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Hubstaff: How much does Hubstaff cost?

Specific pricing amounts are not published on the pricing page. Hubstaff offers monthly and annual billing options with a per-seat pricing structure, a 30-day money-back guarantee on paid plans, and a 14-day free trial with no credit card required.

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
Hubstaff: Is there a free trial for Hubstaff?

Hubstaff offers a free 14-day trial with no credit card required, plus a 30-day money-back guarantee on paid plans excluding the free trial period.

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
Hubstaff: How does Hubstaff billing work when adding team members mid-cycle?

For annual plans, Hubstaff prorates charges when adding seats mid-cycle. For monthly plans, full rates apply for new users with no prorating offered.

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
Hubstaff: Can Hubstaff plans be canceled anytime?

Plans can be canceled anytime by contacting support or archiving the associated organization. Users removed from monthly plans do not receive prorated refunds.

Source
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