Softwr

Consulting · head to head

Harvest vs RescueTime

Harvest logo

Harvest

Consulting

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
RescueTime logo

RescueTime

Technology

Take back control of your time

From
$12/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; RescueTime no free tier since 2023, making it costly for individual experimentation
  • They diverge on capability: Harvest covers Time tracking, RescueTime covers Automatic time tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Harvest and RescueTime actually diverge.

Attributes where Harvest and RescueTime differ
AttributeHarvestRescueTime
Starting priceFree$12/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, AndroidWindows, macOS, Android, Web
CategoryConsultingTechnology

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), user rating (Not yet rated), founded (2006).

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 RescueTime

  • Automatic time tracking
  • Productivity scoring
  • Detailed categorization
  • FocusTime blocking
  • Goal setting
  • Alerts & notifications
  • Offline time entry
  • API access

Both cover

  • Slack
  • SSL

What people use each for

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

Harvest

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

RescueTime

  • Personal productivity trackingnot Harvest
  • Time auditnot Harvest
  • Focus improvementnot Harvest
  • Work-life balancenot Harvest
  • Team productivity analysisnot 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

RescueTime

  • No free tier since 2023, making it costly for individual experimentation
  • Limited iOS support compared to competitors that offer full mobile app access
  • Requires integration via categories and rules rather than direct app detection on some platforms

Pricing, plan by plan

Harvest

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Harvest review.

RescueTime

$12/month
  • Standard$12/month
    • Automatic time tracking
    • Focus Time
    • Idle time monitoring
  • Team$6/month
    • All Standard features
    • Team analytics
    • Cross-device tracking

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 RescueTime if

  • You need automatic time tracking.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want productivity scoring.
RescueTime review

Questions people ask

Is Harvest or RescueTime better?
Neither clearly leads. Harvest starts at Free and RescueTime at $12/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Harvest or RescueTime?
Harvest has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Harvest and $12/month for RescueTime.
Does Harvest or RescueTime run on more platforms?
Harvest runs on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android. RescueTime runs on Windows, macOS, Android, Web.
Can I use Harvest for free?
Yes. Harvest has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. RescueTime starts at $12/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 RescueTime is typically brought in for.
What can Harvest do that RescueTime cannot?
Harvest covers Time tracking, Expense tracking, Invoicing, Project budgets. RescueTime covers Automatic time tracking, Productivity scoring, Detailed categorization, FocusTime blocking. Both handle Slack, SSL.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

RescueTime: Does RescueTime still have a free tier?

No. RescueTime discontinued its free tier in 2023. The service now requires a paid subscription starting at $12 per month or $78 per year.

Source
RescueTime: What platforms does RescueTime support?

RescueTime supports Windows, macOS, Android, and web. iOS support is limited to passive features like calendar sync and mobile summary emails.

Source
RescueTime: What are the key productivity features in RescueTime?

RescueTime offers automatic time tracking, Focus Time for blocking distractions, idle time monitoring, goal-setting with reminders, and in 2026 adds AI-Based Focus Sessions with real-time alerts to detect poor focus patterns.

Source
RescueTime: Is there a team plan for RescueTime?

Yes. The team plan costs $6 per user per month when billed annually, with a minimum of 3 users required.

Source
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