Harvest vs Toggl: Which is Better? [Full Comparison 2024]

As a project manager with over a decade of experience juggling deadlines, budgets, and client expectations, I’ve become something of a connoisseur of time tracking tools. 

And two of the most well known time trackers you will come across are Harvest and Toggl Track.

If you are a time conscious professional or employee tasked with choosing a time tracker for your company or business, then the Harvest vs Toggl debate is a question you may be scratching your head over.

In this article we will compare both time trackers, including user friendliness, tracking time, productivity, project management, integrations, billing, invoicing, customer support and pricing to give you a final verdict on which meets your needs the best.

Buckle up, because we’re about to embark on a thrilling journey through the land of ticking clocks and billable hours!

Key Takeaways (For the Time-Strapped Reader)

• Harvest excels in invoicing and gives you a panoramic view of your projects; great if you appreciate financial tools and keeping a close eye on your budgets and costs.
• Toggl Track offers laser-focused time analytics and a streamlined interface for those who value productivity
• Both tools are easy to use and play well with others, but Toggl Track is the ultimate social butterfly in terms of integrations.
• Both tools offer great value for their paid plans, but Toggl offers more with their free plan
• Your choice boils down to this: Do you need something that does it all for project management (Harvest) or a precision instrument for time analysis (Toggl Track)?

What is Harvest?

Remember the days of drowning in Excel spreadsheets, trying to keep track of hours and remembering to invoice clients? I sure do, and let me tell you, it wasn’t pretty. Then, like a beacon of hope in a sea of disorganization, Harvest appeared on the scene in 2006.

Founded by Danny Wen and Shawn Liu, Harvest set out to rescue poor souls like me from the nightmare of manual time tracking and invoicing with robust time tracking features that support comprehensive project management and scalability. And boy, have they delivered!

Key features for Harvest include:

1. Time tracking (because that’s why we’re here, right?)
2. Invoicing that won’t make you want to pull your hair out
3. Expense tracking (farewell, shoebox full of receipts!)
4. Project management tools that make sense
5. Team management features for overseeing team members, assigning projects, and tracking work hours

Harvest is perfect for project managers running a team or managing multiple projects. Its user-friendly interface and seamless integrations with popular project management tools make it an ideal choice for businesses of all sizes.

I once had a client who mastered the “invoice? what invoice?” game. With Harvest’s automatic reminders, my inbox suddenly flooded with “payment sent” messages. Oh how magical that was!

But, full disclosure: Harvest can be overwhelming at first. It’s like being handed the keys to a sports car when you’ve only ever driven a bicycle. Exciting? Absolutely. A learning curve? You bet.

What is Toggl Track?

Don’t let the name fool you – the folks from Toggl have been around since 2006, too. Launched by Alari Aho and Krister Haav, they’ve gone through more rebrands than a pop star, finally settling on Toggl Track in 2020.

Toggl Track is like that annoyingly efficient friend who always seems to have their life together. You know the type – they probably alphabetize their spice rack and color-code their closet. But in the world of time tracking, that’s exactly what you want!

Key features for Toggl Track include:

1. One-click time tracking
2. Detailed reports that would make a data analyst weep with joy
3. Basic invoicing and custom billable rates
4. Project hourly estimates and alerts
5. Team management tools like the Pomodoro timer

Toggl is designed to help teams track time across different tasks and projects. Its user-centric design emphasizes ease of use and minimalistic interaction, making it a popular choice among freelancers, consultants, and small teams.

The downside? Toggl Track can sometimes feel a bit too simple if you’re looking for robust project management features. There is free plan that supports up to five users and includes essential time tracking features like idle detection and a Pomodoro timer, but the more robust features are in the paid plans.

Harvest vs Toggl: Key Features Showdown

Ease of Use

Harvest’s interface is like a well-organized desk. Everything has its place, and once you know where things are, you can find them with your eyes closed. It’s great for those of us who like our digital spaces as tidy as our physical ones (even if the latter is aspirational at best).

The dashboard gives you a quick overview of your projects, time logged, and invoices. This means you can get a quick run down of your day and hit the ground running (after you’ve had coffee of course).

Toggl Track, on the other hand, has a cool minimalist vibe. It’s sleek and modern, and it makes you feel like you’ve got your life together just by using it. Their one-click time tracking is so simple that even my technologically challenged dad could figure it out. And trust me, that’s saying something.

The main screen in Toggl Track is all about tracking time. This means no frills, no fuss when it comes to using the time tracker.

Ease of use – Winner?

Overall, both Harvest and Toggl Track have worked hard to make their interfaces user-friendly. But let’s be real—there’s always a learning curve when it comes to new software regardless.

Time Tracking

Harvest and Toggl are popular time tracking apps used by businesses. Harvest takes a “manual with a dash of automation” approach to time tracking. You can start and stop timers, or enter time manually. This means if you forget to clock in you can always make adjustments.

One feature I particularly love is the ability to track time directly from your calendar. It’s perfect for those of us who live and die by our Google Calendar. You can even track time via browser extensions, desktop apps, or mobile apps. This means tracking your time is as easy and convenient as it possibly can!

Toggl Track, however, is all about that automatic life. It’s got an AutoTracker feature that starts timers based on the apps you’re using. This is great if you like to get straight to work and not be bothered with clock this or clock that.

The beauty of Toggl Track is its simplicity. You can start tracking time with just one click. And similar to Harvest, if you forget to start a timer (we’ve all been there), you can easily add time manually or edit existing entries.

Time Tracking – Winner?

A Draw

• Choose Harvest if you prefer a more manual approach with automation and calendar integration.
• Choose Toggl Track if you want more automated tracking and extreme simplicity in starting timers.

Productivity Tools to Boost Efficiency

Both Harvest and Toggl offer a range of productivity tools to help teams boost their efficiency.

Harvest’s time-tracking features allow teams to monitor their work hours efficiently, especially if you combine it with their reporting features on time spent on projects which can indirectly lead to better team productivity. Harvest’s project management tools can also enable teams to manage multiple projects and clients easily.

Toggl’s automatic time-tracking features enable teams to understand where their time is spent. Additionally, Toggl’s built-in Pomodoro timer and time entry duplication features help teams stay focused and productive.

Productivity Tools – Winner?

Overall, it’s a close comparison, with Toggl Track having a slight advantage in pure productivity tools, while Harvest offers a more rounded approach, combining time tracking with project management.

Project Management: Keeping the Plates Spinning

Harvest comes with some nifty project management tools. You can record budgets, track progress, and even see if you’re about to blow past your estimates. This means you know exactly where your project stands in terms of cost and can make you look good in those team meetings!

You can set up projects, assign team members, and even billable rates for different tasks or people. It’s great for getting a bird’s-eye view of where your time and money are going.

I once used this feature to realize that a client project was taking up way more time than we’d budgeted. We were able to adjust our strategy before it became a major issue. Crisis averted!

Toggl Track simplifies project management. Its project dashboard gives you a quick overview, but it does not replace your project management software. It’s more of a “here’s what’s happening, now get back to work” tool.

You can create projects, add team members, and set estimated hours. But don’t expect Gantt charts or complex task dependencies. Toggl Track is all about tracking time, and it does that exceptionally well. Everything else is just gravy.

Project Management – Winner?

Harvest is the clear winner in this category because it provides more comprehensive project management features. 

Invoicing: Show Me the Money!

This is where Harvest really shines. It can automatically create invoices based on your tracked time and expenses. It’s like having an accountant who works for free and never sleeps. Plus, it integrates with payment platforms like Stripe and PayPal. Ka-ching!

You can even:

• customize invoice templates
• set up recurring invoices
• send automatic payment reminders to those clients who always seem to “forget” to pay on time.

This means you can collect on what you’re owed without coming off too intimidating. Harvest is the golden ticket for teams that need to manage their finances efficiently.

Toggl Track… well, it tries. It’s got a basic invoice generator aimed at freelancers, but it’s not winning any awards in this category. You’ll have to rely on third-party apps if you need more advanced invoicing features. So, if invoicing is your main jam, especially for team-based work, Harvest might be your go-to choice.

That said, Toggl Track does allow you to mark time as billable or non-billable and generate reports of billable time to help with invoicing. It’s just not going to create and send the invoices for you.

Invoicing – Winner?

Harvest is superior if invoicing is critical for your needs, especially for team-based work or more complex billing scenarios.

Reporting: Data Nerds, Rejoice!

Both tools offer reporting features, but Toggl Track takes the cake here. Its reports are more detailed and customizable than a bespoke suit. You can slice and dice your data in more ways than a Ginsu knife infomercial.

Lets say you want to know:

• How much time you spent on email last week? Easy.
• About which project is eating up most of your team’s time? No problem.
• How productive you are at different times of the day.

Toggl spits out reports to answers all of these questions so you stay empowered to grow and streamline.

Harvest’s reports are no slouch, though. They’re clear and concise and give you a good overview of where your time and money are going. It’s like having a financial advisor in your pocket, minus the expensive fees.

You can see:

• Time spent by project, task, or team member.
• Nifty visualizations that make it easy to spot trends.

I once used these reports to realize I spent too much time on admin tasks. A little delegation later, I was back to focusing on billable work, and my bank account thanked me.

Reporting – Winner?

It depends.

• Toggl Track is the winner if detailed, customizable reporting and deep data analysis are crucial for your needs.
• Harvest wins if you favor more in depth financial reports on your budget and projects costs.

Integration Station: Playing Nice with Others

In today’s digital world, your tools need to talk to each other.

Harvest integrates with over 70 tools, including project management darlings like Asana and Trello. I particularly love the Slack integration. You can start timers right from your Slack channel. It’s perfect for those of us who practically live in Slack (no judgment here).

Not to be outdone, Toggl Track connects with over 120 tools. It’s the integration world’s overachiever. Whether you’re coding, writing, or designing, Toggl Track probably has an integration for that.

One of my favorite Toggl Track integrations is with Google Calendar. It can automatically create time entries based on your calendar events. It’s like having a personal assistant who fills out your timesheet based on your schedule.

Integration – Winner?

Toggl Track has a slight edge in terms of overall integration capabilities with its larger number of integrations and the versatility of its connections.

Mobile Apps: Time Tracking on the Go

In our increasingly mobile world, having a solid mobile app can make or break a tool.

Harvest’s mobile app is like a mini version of the web app. You can track time, manage projects, and even create invoices right from your phone. It’s perfect for working on-site with a client and needing to log hours on the fly.

Toggl Track’s mobile app is all about simplicity. The big red “Start” button makes it easy to begin tracking time with just a tap. You can also view reports and manage your tasks. This means less time for you dealing with tracking time and more time focused on the next big moves in your business.

Both apps offer offline functionality, so you can track time even when you’re in a wifi dead zone. Your data will sync up once you’re back online.

Mobile Apps – Winner?

A draw.

• Choose Harvest if you need more comprehensive project management and invoicing features on mobile.
• Choose Toggl Track if you prioritize simplicity and quick time-tracking on the go.

Show Me the Money: Pricing Breakdown

Harvest keeps it simple with one paid plan at $12 per user per month. It’s like the “one size fits all” t-shirt of pricing plans. They do offer a free plan for solo acts managing up to two projects.

The paid plan gives you unlimited projects and clients, which is great if you’re juggling multiple gigs (and let’s face it, who isn’t these days?). Plus, you get all the features – time tracking, invoicing, reporting, the whole shebang.

Toggl Track likes to give you options. The paid plans start at $10 per user per month, with a beefier plan at $20 per user per month. They’ve also got a free plan that supports up to five users. This works if you need more options as your business evolves.

• The Starter plan gives you the basics – time tracking, reporting, and project management.
• The Premium plan adds in extras like team reminders and scheduled reports.

Pricing – Winner?

• If you need to start off cheap, the free plan for Toggl appears to offer slightly better value
• If you’re willing to pay for paid plan, then the difference in price is negligible, and your choice will come down to overall which tool gives you what you need most.

Security: Keeping Your Data Safe

In this digital age, security is more important than ever. Both Harvest and Toggl Track take this seriously, but they approach it in slightly different ways.

Harvest uses SSL encryption for all data transfers and offers two-factor authentication. They’re also GDPR compliant, which is a big plus if you’re working with clients in the EU. It’s like having a digital bodyguard for your data.

Toggl Track also uses SSL encryption and offers two-factor authentication. But they take it a step further with more granular user permissions. You can control exactly who sees what, which is great for larger teams or when working with sensitive client information. This means not worrying about snoopy people looking at information they have no need to look at.

Customer Support: When Things Go Sideways

Even the best tools can sometimes leave you scratching your head. That’s where customer support comes in.

Harvest offers email support and a comprehensive knowledge base. Their support team is generally responsive and helpful.

Toggl Track offers email support, a knowledge base, and video tutorials. They’re known for their quick response times and helpful attitude. This means having someone walk you through your issue without judging you for not being techie.

Both tools also have active user communities where you can find answers to common questions or share tips and tricks.

Final Verdict: Which One Takes the Crown?

After spending more time with these tools than I care to admit (seriously, I think I need to start tracking my time spent tracking time), here’s my take:

Choose Harvest if:

• You’re a freelancer or small business owner who needs robust invoicing features
• You want a comprehensive solution that handles time tracking, invoicing, and basic project management
• You prefer a straightforward, no-frills approach to time tracking
• You need detailed budget tracking for your projects

Go with Toggl Track if:

• You’re all about those productivity insights and detailed reports
• You want the flexibility to track time across a gazillion platforms
• You’re looking for a tool that can grow with your team (their free plan supports up to 5 users!)
• You prefer a simpler interface focused primarily on time tracking

At the end of the day, both Harvest and Toggl Track are solid choices. They’re like choosing between chocolate and vanilla ice cream – both are delicious, it just depends on your personal taste.

Remember, the best time-tracking tool is the one you’ll actually use. So take advantage of those free trials and try them out. Your future, more organized, and more efficient self will thank you.

Now, if you excuse me, I need to log this writing time. Where did I put that timer again?

Frequently Asked Questions