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Productivity · head to head

Harvest vs Time Doctor

Harvest logo

Harvest

Productivity

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Time Doctor logo

Time Doctor

Productivity

Employee time tracking and productivity monitoring

From
$4/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; Time Doctor historical tracking data retention is capped by plan: 3 months on Basic and 6 months on Standard, versus 2 years on Premium and Enterprise
  • They diverge on capability: Harvest covers Time tracking, Time Doctor covers Time tracking with timer.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Harvest and Time Doctor actually diverge.

Attributes where Harvest and Time Doctor differ
AttributeHarvestTime Doctor
Starting priceFree$4/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, AndroidWeb, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows
CategoryUnknownProductivity
Founded20062011

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
  • Browser extension
  • Asana

Only in Time Doctor

  • Time tracking with timer
  • Activity monitoring
  • Screenshots
  • GPS tracking
  • Webcam monitoring
  • Reports and invoicing
  • Team management

Both cover

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

Time Doctor

  • 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

Time Doctor

  • Historical tracking data retention is capped by plan: 3 months on Basic and 6 months on Standard, versus 2 years on Premium and Enterprise
  • HRIS and Payroll native integrations are paid add-ons at $200 per integration per month
  • Software Cost Insights add-on costs $3 per user per month on top of the base plan

Pricing, plan by plan

Harvest

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Harvest review.

Time Doctor

$4/month
  • Basic$4/month
    • Time tracking
    • Reports
    • Mobile apps
  • Standard$6/month
    • Everything in Basic
    • Activity monitoring
    • Screenshots
  • Premium$10/month
    • Everything in Standard
    • GPS tracking
    • Webcam snapshots

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 Time Doctor if

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

Questions people ask

Is Harvest or Time Doctor better?
Neither clearly leads. Harvest starts at Free and Time Doctor at $4/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Harvest or Time Doctor?
Harvest has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Harvest and $4/month for Time Doctor.
Does Harvest or Time Doctor run on more platforms?
Harvest runs on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android. Time Doctor 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. Time Doctor starts at $4/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 Time Doctor is typically brought in for.
What can Harvest do that Time Doctor cannot?
Harvest covers Time tracking, Expense tracking, Invoicing, Project budgets. Time Doctor covers Time tracking with timer, Activity monitoring, Screenshots, GPS tracking. Both handle Mobile apps.
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