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Professional Services · head to head

Harvest vs Xero

Harvest logo

Harvest

Professional Services

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Xero logo

Xero

Accounting

Beautiful accounting software

From
$13/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; Xero the Early plan caps you at 20 invoices and 5 bills per month, and the invoice limit counts both approving and sending
  • They diverge on capability: Harvest covers Time tracking, Xero covers Bank reconciliation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Harvest and Xero actually diverge.

Attributes where Harvest and Xero differ
AttributeHarvestXero
Starting priceFree$13/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android, Api
CategoryProfessional ServicesAccounting

Identical on both: 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
  • Project budgets
  • Team capacity
  • Detailed reports
  • Browser extension
  • Asana
  • Trello

Only in Xero

  • Bank reconciliation
  • Bill payment
  • Expense claims
  • Financial reporting
  • Inventory tracking
  • Project tracking
  • PayPal
  • Square

Both cover

  • Invoicing
  • Mobile apps
  • Stripe
  • 2FA

What people use each for

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

Harvest

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

Xero

  • Small business bookkeeping, invoicing and bank reconciliationnot Harvest
  • Bill payment and purchase order managementnot Harvest
  • Sharing books with an accountant or bookkeepernot 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

Xero

  • The Early plan caps you at 20 invoices and 5 bills per month, and the invoice limit counts both approving and sending
  • Invoices created by connected app partners count against the Early plan invoice limit
  • Multiple currencies, project time and cost tracking, employee expense and mileage claims and industry benchmarking are restricted to the top Established plan at $90 per month
  • Cash flow forecasting is capped at 30 days on Early and 60 days on Growing, with 180 days only on Established
  • Payroll is not included in any plan and costs an extra $36 a month plus $6 per employee or contractor through Gusto
  • Inventory Plus is a paid optional add-on rather than part of any plan
  • The advertised 90% off applies only to the first 6 months, after which the regular $25, $55 or $90 monthly price auto-renews
  • The introductory discount excludes add-ons, usage charges and payment fees
  • Payment fees apply to online invoice payments and to bill payments other than standard domestic ACH, and are billed on top of the subscription
  • Subscriptions are billed monthly with no annual payment option, and after upgrading you must wait one month before downgrading to a cheaper plan
  • Xero states subscription prices are increasing from October 1, 2026

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

Xero

$13/month
  • Early$13/month
    • Send 20 invoices
    • Enter 5 bills
    • Reconcile bank transactions
  • Growing$37/month
    • Unlimited invoices & bills
    • Bulk reconcile transactions
    • Short-term cash flow
  • Established$70/month
    • Everything in Growing
    • Use multiple currencies
    • Track projects

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 Xero if

  • You need bank reconciliation.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want bill payment.
Xero review

Questions people ask

Is Harvest or Xero better?
Neither clearly leads. Harvest starts at Free and Xero at $13/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Harvest or Xero?
Harvest has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Harvest and $13/month for Xero.
Does Harvest or Xero run on more platforms?
Harvest runs on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android. Xero runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
Can I use Harvest for free?
Yes. Harvest has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Xero starts at $13/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 Xero is typically brought in for.
What can Harvest do that Xero cannot?
Harvest covers Time tracking, Expense tracking, Project budgets, Team capacity. Xero covers Bank reconciliation, Bill payment, Expense claims, Financial reporting. Both handle Invoicing, Mobile apps, Stripe, 2FA.

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
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
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
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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