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Professional Services · head to head

Harvest vs Orb

Harvest logo

Harvest

Professional Services

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Orb logo

Orb

Accounting

Revenue design platform automating usage-based billing and pricing strategy

From
On request
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; Orb custom pricing model requires sales consultation, no transparent public pricing
  • They diverge on capability: Harvest covers Time tracking, Orb covers Usage metering.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Harvest and Orb actually diverge.

Attributes where Harvest and Orb differ
AttributeHarvestOrb
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumCustom pricing based on billing volume and events
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, AndroidWeb, API
CategoryProfessional ServicesAccounting
Founded2006Unknown

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
  • Invoicing
  • Project budgets
  • Team capacity
  • Detailed reports
  • Mobile apps
  • Browser extension

Only in Orb

  • Usage metering
  • Automated billing
  • Pricing modeling
  • Revenue recognition
  • Spend controls
  • Pricing calculator
  • NetSuite integration
  • Data warehouse sync

What people use each for

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

Harvest

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

Orb

  • Implementing usage-based billing for cloud infrastructure providersnot Harvest
  • Modeling and testing multiple pricing strategies before launchnot Harvest
  • Automating revenue recognition for financial reportingnot Harvest
  • Managing complex hybrid pricing (seats plus usage) at scalenot Harvest
  • Providing customers real-time spend controls and usage visibilitynot 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

Orb

  • Custom pricing model requires sales consultation, no transparent public pricing
  • Pricing based on both events and billing volume adds complexity to cost estimation
  • Enterprise-focused positioning may be overkill for simple subscription use cases
  • Requires integration with existing accounting systems for full value
  • Limited information on free tier or trial availability

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

Orb

On request
  • Core$undefined/custom
    • Real-time event ingestion (up to 250K+ events/second)
    • Real-time alerting
    • Hybrid and usage-based billing
  • Advanced$undefined/custom
    • All Core features
    • Data warehouse sync
    • Salesforce integration
  • Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • All Advanced features
    • Enterprise-grade SLAs
    • Dedicated support

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 Orb if

  • You need usage metering.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want automated billing.
Orb review

Questions people ask

Is Harvest or Orb better?
Neither clearly leads. Harvest starts at Free and Orb at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Harvest or Orb?
Harvest has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Harvest and On request for Orb.
Does Harvest or Orb run on more platforms?
Harvest runs on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android. Orb runs on Web, API.
Can I use Harvest for free?
Yes. Harvest has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Orb starts at On request.
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 Orb is typically brought in for.
What can Harvest do that Orb cannot?
Harvest covers Time tracking, Expense tracking, Invoicing, Project budgets. Orb covers Usage metering, Automated billing, Pricing modeling, Revenue recognition.

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
Orb: How does Orb pricing work?

Orb uses custom pricing based on your billing volume (total value of invoices) and events (raw data records ingested). Specific costs must be discussed with their sales team.

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
Orb: What is the difference between Core, Advanced, and Enterprise plans?

Core includes event ingestion and basic billing automation. Advanced adds data warehouse sync and Salesforce/NetSuite integrations. Enterprise adds SLAs, dedicated support, and mission-critical guarantees.

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
Orb: Can Orb handle hybrid pricing models?

Yes. Orb supports hybrid pricing combining seat-based, usage-based, and flat-rate components, making it suitable for complex monetization strategies.

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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