Harvest
Rippling
| Feature | Harvest | Rippling |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $10.8/mo | From $8/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | agencies, consultants, freelancers, professional-services | mid-market-companies, tech-companies, fast-growing-startups, it-teams |
| Founded | 2006 | 2016 |
| Time Tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Invoicing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Expense Tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Project Budgets | ✓ | ✗ |
| Reports | ✓ | ✗ |
| Team Capacity | ✓ | ✗ |
| Integrations | ✓ | ✗ |
| Payroll | ✗ | ✓ |
| Benefits | ✗ | ✓ |
| Device Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| App Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| Workflow Automation | ✗ | ✓ |
| Global Employment | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spend Management | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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
✓ Rippling Pros
- Unifies HR + IT + Finance in one platform
- Automatic device setup/wipe for onboarding/offboarding
- Global payroll in 50+ countries
- Extremely powerful workflow automation
✗ Rippling Cons
- Pricing is complex and modular
- Can be overkill for very small teams
- Implementation takes time for full platform
The Verdict
Harvest is built for agencies and consultants, with a focus on time-tracking and invoicing. Rippling targets mid market companies and tech companies and leads with payroll and benefits.
Pricing is close: Rippling starts at $8/mo versus $10.8/mo for Harvest — not a deciding factor on its own.
Harvest has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. Rippling requires a paid subscription from day one.
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.