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Professional Services · head to head

Harvest vs Indy

Harvest logo

Harvest

Professional Services

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Indy logo

Indy

Proposals

Freelance workflow suite covering proposals, contracts, invoices and time tracking with a usable free tier

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Harvest the free plan is one seat and two projects, so it suits a solo freelancer and nothing larger; Indy the free tier caps documents per month, and an active freelancer passes those caps quickly enough that the free plan is a trial in practice rather than a permanent option.
  • They diverge on capability: Harvest covers Expense tracking, Indy covers Contract library.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Harvest and Indy actually diverge.

Attributes where Harvest and Indy differ
AttributeHarvestIndy
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
PlatformsWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryProfessional ServicesProposals
Founded2006Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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

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

Only in Indy

  • Contract library
  • Proposals
  • Task and calendar
  • Client portal
  • Free tier

Both cover

  • Time tracking
  • Invoicing

What people use each for

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

Harvest

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

Indy

  • A new freelancer who needs a real signed contract before there is revenue to fund a subscriptionnot Harvest
  • Testing whether an all in one freelance bundle suits your workflow before committing money to onenot Harvest
  • Part time or side project freelancing with low monthly document volume that stays inside the free capsnot Harvest
  • Replacing an unsigned emailed quote with a proposal that converts into a contract and an invoicenot 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

Indy

  • The free tier caps documents per month, and an active freelancer passes those caps quickly enough that the free plan is a trial in practice rather than a permanent option.
  • Project management and task tracking are shallow, so anyone running several concurrent projects will keep a separate tool and lose the single system benefit.
  • Reporting on income, utilisation and profitability is thin next to a dedicated accounting or time tracking product.
  • Payments are processed by a third party gateway, so the card fee applies on top of the subscription and materially changes the cost per invoice on small jobs.
  • As with every bundle, leaving means separating proposals, contracts, time and invoices out of one export, which is harder than replacing a single purpose tool.

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

Indy

Free
  • Indy$undefined/year
    • Free tier with monthly document limits
    • Proposals, contracts and invoices
    • Time tracking and tasks

Which should you pick?

Choose Harvest if

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

Choose Indy if

  • You need contract library.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want proposals.
Indy review

Questions people ask

Is Harvest or Indy better?
Neither clearly leads. Harvest starts at Free and Indy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Harvest or Indy?
Harvest starts at Free and Indy at Free.
Does Harvest or Indy run on more platforms?
Harvest runs on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android. Indy runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Harvest for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Indy is typically brought in for.
What can Harvest do that Indy cannot?
Harvest covers Expense tracking, Project budgets, Team capacity, Detailed reports. Indy covers Contract library, Proposals, Task and calendar, Client portal. Both handle Time tracking, Invoicing.

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
Indy: Is the free tier actually usable?

Yes, for real signed contracts and invoices, but it caps documents per month and active freelancers hit that fairly quickly.

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
Indy: Does it take a percentage of invoices?

The payment gateway charges its standard card fee. That is separate from the subscription and should be modelled per invoice.

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
Indy: Can it manage several concurrent projects?

Only lightly. The task and project features are the weakest part of the product.

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
Indy: Are the contracts legally sound?

They are standard freelance templates with editable clauses. They are a starting point, not legal advice for your jurisdiction.

Indy: Who is it wrong for?

Agencies, anyone with subcontractors, and freelancers who need real project management or detailed profitability reporting.

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