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Software · head to head

RescueTime vs Harvest

RescueTime logo

RescueTime

Software

Take back control of your time

From
$12/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Harvest logo

Harvest

Software

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Harvest has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: RescueTime no free tier since 2023, making it costly for individual experimentation; Harvest the free plan is one seat and two projects, so it suits a solo freelancer and nothing larger
  • They diverge on capability: RescueTime covers Automatic time tracking, Harvest covers Time tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which RescueTime and Harvest actually diverge.

Attributes where RescueTime and Harvest differ
AttributeRescueTimeHarvest
Starting price$12/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, macOS, Android, WebWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), 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 RescueTime

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

Only in Harvest

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

Both cover

  • Slack
  • SSL

What people use each for

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

RescueTime

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

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

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

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

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

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Harvest

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Harvest review.

Which should you pick?

Choose RescueTime if

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

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

Questions people ask

Is RescueTime or Harvest better?
Neither clearly leads. RescueTime starts at $12/month and Harvest at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, RescueTime or Harvest?
Harvest has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $12/month for RescueTime and Free for Harvest.
Does RescueTime or Harvest run on more platforms?
RescueTime runs on Windows, macOS, Android, Web. Harvest runs on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android.
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 RescueTime best used for?
RescueTime is most often used for personal productivity tracking, time audit, focus improvement, work-life balance. Of those, personal productivity tracking and time audit are not what Harvest is typically brought in for.
What can RescueTime do that Harvest cannot?
RescueTime covers Automatic time tracking, Productivity scoring, Detailed categorization, FocusTime blocking. Harvest covers Time tracking, Expense tracking, Invoicing, Project budgets. 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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Related pages

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