When it comes to time tracking, there’s no single tool that works for every team.
Some need a straightforward way to log hours and bill clients. Others are looking to keep things moving smoothly with features like payroll, productivity insights, or workforce analytics.
Hubstaff and Harvest stand out in this space but approach the problem differently.
Hubstaff is time tracking software with built-in payroll, productivity monitoring, and analytics, making it well-suited for teams that need visibility and oversight.
On the other hand, Harvest keeps things lightweight with time tracking, invoicing, and reporting that's easy to adopt and integrate.
This guide walks through how they compare, so you can decide which best fits your team's work.
112,000+ businesses trust Hubstaff for time tracking
Hubstaff vs Harvest: A Detailed Comparison
| Feature | Hubstaff | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
Best for | Teams needing time tracking with payroll, monitoring, and productivity data | Teams needing time tracking with invoicing and project budgeting |
Free plan |
|
|
Paid pricing (Monthly) | Starts at $7/user (Starter), scales to $25/user (Enterprise) | Starts at $13.75/user (Pro) |
Time tracking methods | Manual timer, desktop + mobile apps, idle detection, optional screenshots | Manual timer, browser extension, desktop + mobile apps |
Timesheets & approvals | Automated timesheets with manager approvals | Automated timesheets with manager approvals |
Productivity insights | Activity %, optional screenshots, app/URL tracking, Insights add-on |
|
Invoicing | Native invoicing + recurring + tax line items | Native invoicing from tracked time, with QuickBooks/Xero integration |
Payroll & payments | Built-in payroll + integrations (Deel, PayPal, Wise, Gusto) |
|
Scheduling & attendance | PTO, breaks, holiday rules, shift planning (Team+ plans) |
|
Reporting & dashboards | 20+ customizable reports + scheduled delivery | Summary, detailed, invoicing, time-based reports |
Budgeting | Budget by hours or cost, alerts when limits are near | Budget tracking with alerts |
Integrations | 35+ integrations (Jira, Asana, Slack, PayPal, QuickBooks, etc.) | 70+ integrations, strong invoicing & PM tools |
Customer support | 24/7 live chat + Help Center + concierge (Enterprise) | Email + phone (business hours), no 24/7 support |
Compliance & security | GDPR-compliant, SOC-2 Type II, optional 2FA, HIPAA (Enterprise) | GDPR-compliant, SOC-2, no HIPAA |
Time tracking and timesheets
Hubstaff and Harvest provide simple start/stop timers, manual time entry, and mobile apps to make logging hours easy, no matter where work happens.
Hubstaff's time tracking software has built-in workforce management features. Hours automatically populate detailed timesheets, where team members can add notes or submit for one-click approvals. Idle time detection, manual time entries, and manager approvals add extra accuracy and security to time entries.
Harvest simplifies things. Users can track time by client or project and submit straightforward weekly timesheets. It's easy to learn, but you'll need to look outside of Harvest to execute payments properly.
In short: Hubstaff suits teams needing structured oversight. Harvest fits those wanting a simpler flow.
“[Harvest] is simple and easy to use. It integrates where I need it to. It doesn't try to be more than a time tracker. I just stays in its lane, does so with excellence, and doesn't cause problems.” – G2 review
Employee productivity and activity monitoring
Hubstaff and Harvest take very different approaches when it comes to productivity.
Hubstaff provides employee productivity software alongside time tracking data. Its employee monitoring features show you keyboard and mouse activity levels, screenshots (optional), app and URL usage, and other real-time workforce analytics data to better understand time spent. These insights can highlight inefficiencies, help you balance workloads, and support more accurate planning.
Harvest doesn’t include work monitoring. Its focus is primarily on reporting, with a capacity dashboard that helps managers see who’s overbooked or underutilized. While useful for resourcing, it doesn’t dig into individual activity, work habits, or details on the tools teams use.
In short: Hubstaff is best for teams needing visibility into how work gets done. Harvest suits teams that only need high-level capacity views.
“[Hubstaff] is intuitive, the reports are super detailed, and the ability to monitor activity without being invasive strikes a good balance.” – Capterra review
Automated payroll
Hubstaff and Harvest diverge quickly when it comes to payroll.
Hubstaff includes built-in payroll. Users can seamlessly track time, convert hours to timesheets, and make payments in just a few clicks. You can set pay rates by project or team member, and choose from multiple payment integrations like PayPal, Wise, or Deel. Hubstaff allows you to pay users automatically in their preferred currency and send these payments across various platforms directly from the app to save time and money.
Harvest doesn’t offer payroll. You can track billable and non-billable hours, then use reports to calculate payments, but paying your team requires you to seek help outside the tool.
In short: Hubstaff is designed for automated payroll, while Harvest requires you to export data and put together a manual process in another app.
“Hubstaff is a great payroll tool for small businesses and beyond. Best one we have used so far.” – Capterra review
Shift scheduling
Scheduling is another area where Hubstaff and Harvest differ.
Hubstaff has built-in employee scheduling that allows managers to create shifts, assign them to team members, and set recurring schedules. Automated notifications inform employees about upcoming shifts and alert managers of late, missed, or abandoned shifts. Managers can also see attendance against the planned schedule.
Harvest doesn’t provide scheduling. While its reports can show team capacity and availability, there’s no way to create shifts, assign schedules, or receive alerts. Scheduling has to be handled in a separate tool.
In short: Hubstaff fits teams needing full scheduling. Harvest is limited to high-level capacity views.
Detailed reporting
Hubstaff offers 20+ reports for PTO, time and activity, overtime, attendance, and more. Schedule and send reports right from the app to automate record-keeping and plan future projects.
Like Hubstaff, Harvest has solid reporting features that align with other top time tracking tools. However, they really go the extra mile with reporting integrations with tools like Parallax, Google Workspace, Plecto, and more.
In short: While both tools offer impressive internal reporting capabilities, Harvest's integrations with reporting tools set it apart.
Automatic invoicing
Hubstaff’s custom invoices feature allows you to create invoices, add custom branding, add automatic line items for repeat items and tax rates, and email invoices directly from the Hubstaff app. Integrations with tools like QuickBooks, Bitwage, and FreshBooks round out a powerful invoicing solution.
With Harvest, users can seamlessly convert timesheets to invoices. Then, email invoices directly to clients. Like Hubstaff, you can also copy invoices and payments over to tools like Xero and QuickBooks with integrations.
In short: Both Hubstaff and Harvest offer in-depth invoicing features. Harvest’s features are straightforward and easy to use, but Hubstaff’s customization and automated line items make it great for larger teams with recurring payments.
Project budgeting
With Hubstaff, you can create projects, add team members, and set budget limits. You’ll receive notifications when projects are in danger of going over budget. Real-time insights help project managers adjust project scope on the fly and learn from their decisions to make more efficient project plans in the future.
With Harvest, you can set hourly or fixed-fee budgets. Like Hubstaff, you'll receive notifications when you reach your budget.
In short: Both tools offer helpful budgeting features, but Hubstaff's real-time insights allow you to make changes before it’s too late to prevent budgeting issues.
Live customer support
Hubstaff’s 24/7 live coverage and concierge for enterprise teams ensures customers are empowered, secure, and satisfied. The extensive support site gives step-by-step breakdowns of features like employee tracking, employee location, invoicing, screenshots, and more.
You can reach Harvest’s support team via email, social media, or during their normal business hours of 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM ET. They don’t offer 24/7 live coverage.
In short: Both tools are intuitive and offer extensive support, but Hubstaff’s 24/7 live coverage is hard to beat.
Ease of use
Hubstaff's ease of use has been well documented on review sites like Capterra, GetApp, and G2. In fact, Hubstaff received a 2025 Best Usability badge and has a 95.70 overall satisfaction score from G2.
Harvest's intuitive interface makes it easy to use — a good reason they were a Spring Leader on G2 in 2024. While they don't currently boast any awards, Harvest consistently receives high marks for usability across credible review sites.
In short: Both Harvest and Hubstaff are acclaimed tools based on user reviews and awards from sites like G2, Capterra, and GetApp, though Hubstaff has more recent awards at this time.
Integration options
Hubstaff has over 35 integrations with premier payroll, project management, accounting, and customer relationship management (CRM) tools. You can also look to Hubstaff's project management software add-on, Hubstaff Tasks, to track time to projects and gauge project progress.
With over 70 integrations across an array of use cases, Harvest pairs nicely with almost any tool in your existing tech stack.
In short: Hubstaff offers a solid integration base, but Harvest has more than double the integration capabilities, giving it the edge in this area.
Each month, Hubstaff tracks:
What our customers say
“We work in a lot of different industries, so I can’t always know what’s a 45-minute task and what’s a four-hour task. With tools like Hubstaff, you can tell. You then decide if a whole project should’ve taken 16 hours or if someone is just not the right fit.”
OneIMS President and Founder
“We believe — just like Hubstaff — that talent is everywhere and people should be able to work any time, anywhere, even in their pajamas,” says Kothari. “As a company, we believe in the same future of work as Hubstaff, which is great because our values align.”
Co-founder at Tallyfy
Choosing between Hubstaff and Harvest
Both Hubstaff and Harvest are strong tools, but they serve different priorities. The right choice depends on how structured you need your time tracking and what comes after it.
Choose Hubstaff if you need:
Structured time tracking across desktop, mobile, and web
End-to-end workflows from time tracking to payroll
Productivity visibility across clients, projects, and teams
Built-in shift scheduling, PTO, and attendance
Concierge support and features for scaling remote teams
Choose Harvest if you want:
Simple time tracking with easy manual entries
Streamlined invoicing and budget tracking
Lightweight setup for freelancers or small agencies
Easy-to-read reports and wide integration options
There’s no such thing as perfect software, but you can find the right fit for your business. Explore both tools and take your business to new heights.
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