FreshBooks vs Harvest

FreshBooks and Harvest are both tools people compare when choosing between accounting and productivity options. FreshBooks lists 8 features across 3 platforms; Harvest lists 8 features across 6 platforms — see the full breakdown below, sourced from each vendor's own site rather than ratings or reviews.

Side-by-side summary

ComparingFreshBooksHarvest

CategoryAccountingProductivity

Alternatives tracked43

PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Browser extension

Pricing modelpaidfreemium

Best for FreshBooks

Freelancers, consultants, agencies, and service-based small businesses that prioritize client invoicing, time tracking, and professional estimates over complex inventory management.

Best for Harvest

Positioned for creative agencies, consultancies, professional services, and freelancers needing streamlined time tracking tightly connected to project budgets and client invoicing.

Feature comparison

Every feature listed here comes directly from each vendor's own official site.

FreshBooks

Customizable client invoicing with automated payment reminders
Online payment acceptance via credit card, ACH, PayPal, and Stripe
Expense tracking with bank feeds and automated receipt scanning
Built-in time tracking with billable hours converted directly to invoices
Project profitability tracking and team timesheet management
Double-entry accounting reports including Balance Sheet, General Ledger, and Trial Balance
Client estimate creation with one-click conversion to active invoices
Mileage tracking via mobile iOS and Android applications

Harvest

One-click time tracking across web, desktop, mobile, and browser extensions
Automated timesheet submission, review, and manager approval workflows
Client invoicing generated directly from billable hours and tracked expenses
Integrated online payments via Stripe and PayPal
Project budget tracking with visual progress and burn-down alerts
Team capacity and utilization reports to balance workloads
Expense tracking with receipt attachment and multi-currency support
50+ native integrations with Asana, Trello, Slack, QuickBooks, and Xero

Pros and cons

FreshBooks

Pros

Customizable client invoicing with automated payment reminders
Online payment acceptance via credit card, ACH, PayPal, and Stripe
Expense tracking with bank feeds and automated receipt scanning
Built-in time tracking with billable hours converted directly to invoices
Project profitability tracking and team timesheet management
Double-entry accounting reports including Balance Sheet, General Ledger, and Trial Balance
Client estimate creation with one-click conversion to active invoices
Mileage tracking via mobile iOS and Android applications

Cons

We don't publish a "cons" list for either product. No vendor's official site documents its own product's weaknesses, so there's no sourced basis for one — and we'd rather say that plainly than invent one.

Harvest

Pros

One-click time tracking across web, desktop, mobile, and browser extensions
Automated timesheet submission, review, and manager approval workflows
Client invoicing generated directly from billable hours and tracked expenses
Integrated online payments via Stripe and PayPal
Project budget tracking with visual progress and burn-down alerts
Team capacity and utilization reports to balance workloads
Expense tracking with receipt attachment and multi-currency support
50+ native integrations with Asana, Trello, Slack, QuickBooks, and Xero

Cons

Key differences

FreshBooks is categorized under Accounting, while Harvest is categorized under Productivity.
FreshBooks lists Customizable client invoicing with automated payment reminders, Online payment acceptance via credit card, ACH, PayPal, and Stripe, Expense tracking with bank feeds and automated receipt scanning, Built-in time tracking with billable hours converted directly to invoices, Project profitability tracking and team timesheet management, Double-entry accounting reports including Balance Sheet, General Ledger, and Trial Balance, Client estimate creation with one-click conversion to active invoices, Mileage tracking via mobile iOS and Android applications that Harvest doesn't list.
Harvest lists One-click time tracking across web, desktop, mobile, and browser extensions, Automated timesheet submission, review, and manager approval workflows, Client invoicing generated directly from billable hours and tracked expenses, Integrated online payments via Stripe and PayPal, Project budget tracking with visual progress and burn-down alerts, Team capacity and utilization reports to balance workloads, Expense tracking with receipt attachment and multi-currency support, 50+ native integrations with Asana, Trello, Slack, QuickBooks, and Xero that FreshBooks doesn't list.
Harvest supports Windows, macOS, Browser extension, which FreshBooks doesn't list.

Choose FreshBooks if…

Choose FreshBooks if this fits: Freelancers, consultants, agencies, and service-based small businesses that prioritize client invoicing, time tracking, and professional estimates over complex inventory management.

Visit FreshBooks

Choose Harvest if…

Choose Harvest if this fits: Positioned for creative agencies, consultancies, professional services, and freelancers needing streamlined time tracking tightly connected to project budgets and client invoicing.

Visit Harvest

Facts on this page are sourced from each vendor's official site (linked below), not from ratings or reviews. Products change — verify anything that matters to your decision directly on the vendor's own site before switching. See our Disclaimer and Sources Policy.