Harvest
Hubstaff
| Feature | Harvest | Hubstaff |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $10.8/mo | From $4.99/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best For | agencies, consultants, freelancers, professional-services | remote-team-managers, field-service-companies, agencies, construction-teams |
| Founded | 2006 | 2012 |
| Time Tracking | ✓ | ✓ |
| Invoicing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Expense Tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Project Budgets | ✓ | ✗ |
| Reports | ✓ | ✗ |
| Team Capacity | ✓ | ✗ |
| Integrations | ✓ | ✗ |
| Gps Tracking | ✗ | ✓ |
| Screenshots | ✗ | ✓ |
| Activity Levels | ✗ | ✓ |
| Payroll | ✗ | ✓ |
| Geofencing | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Harvest Pros
- Integrated invoicing from tracked time
- Project budget tracking with alerts
- Excellent reporting for team utilization
- Simple one-click timer interface
✗ Harvest Cons
- Limited project management features
- Only one project on free plan
- No built-in scheduling or resource planning
✓ Hubstaff Pros
- GPS and location tracking for field teams
- Automated payroll from tracked hours
- Activity level monitoring
- Geofencing for job sites
✗ Hubstaff Cons
- Can feel invasive to employees
- Screenshot feature raises privacy concerns
- No free plan available
The Verdict
Harvest is built for agencies and consultants, with a focus on time-tracking and invoicing. Hubstaff targets remote team managers and field service companies and leads with time-tracking and gps-tracking.
On pricing, Hubstaff is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $4.99/mo compared to $10.8/mo for Harvest. That $5.8100000000000005/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Harvest has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. Hubstaff requires a paid subscription from day one.
Feature-wise, Harvest offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Hubstaff takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Both tools are a solid fit for agencies — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.