Toggl vs Harvest: A Detailed Comparison for Your Time Tracking Needs

In the world of time tracking tools, Toggl and Harvest have emerged as two of the top contenders. Both offer a range of features designed to help businesses and entrepreneurs manage their time more effectively. However, the question remains: which one is the better fit for your specific needs? In this article, we delve into a detailed comparison of Toggl vs Harvest, examining their key features, pricing, and situations where one might be more advantageous than the other.

What is Toggl and what is Harvest?

Toggl and Harvest are two prominent time tracking tools that are widely used by businesses and entrepreneurs.

Toggl is a cloud-based time tracking solution that is designed to help teams and individuals track their work hours effectively. It offers features such as real-time tracking, reporting, and project management. Toggl is known for its user-friendly interface and flexibility, allowing users to track time across different devices and platforms. It is particularly popular among freelancers, small businesses, and remote teams who need to keep track of time spent on various tasks and projects.

Harvest, on the other hand, is a comprehensive time tracking and invoicing software that also offers expense tracking and project management features. It allows businesses to track time, log expenses, and manage projects, all from a single platform. Harvest is designed to integrate seamlessly with other tools and services, making it a versatile choice for businesses of all sizes. It is especially useful for businesses that need to invoice clients based on time spent on projects.

Key differences between Toggl and Harvest

1. Pricing Structure: Toggl offers a more flexible pricing structure with a free plan for solo users, while Harvest only offers a free plan for a single user with limited features.
2. Expense Tracking: Harvest provides an in-built expense tracking feature, which is not available in Toggl.
3. Invoicing: Harvest allows users to create and send invoices directly from the platform, a feature that Toggl lacks.
4. User Interface: Toggl is known for its simple and intuitive user interface, while Harvest has a more traditional, business-oriented design.
5. Integration Capabilities: Harvest integrates with a larger number of third-party applications compared to Toggl.
6. Project Management Features: While both tools offer project management features, Harvest’s are more advanced, including budget tracking and detailed project analysis.

Key similarities between Toggl and Harvest

1. Time Tracking: Both Toggl and Harvest offer robust time tracking features, allowing users to track time spent on tasks and projects.
2. Reporting: Both tools provide detailed reports that help businesses analyze productivity and track project progress.
3. Cross-Platform Availability: Toggl and Harvest are both available on multiple platforms, including web, desktop, and mobile.
4. Team Management: Both tools allow for team management, including setting roles and permissions for different team members.
5. Third-Party Integrations: Toggl and Harvest both offer integrations with popular productivity and project management tools.
6. Client and Project Organization: Both tools allow users to organize time entries by client and project, making it easy to keep track of work.

Key Feature Comparison of Toggl and Harvest

1. Time Tracking: Both Toggl and Harvest offer intuitive and lightweight solutions for tracking hours and projects. They both have dedicated apps across devices, making it easy for teams to capture their time.
2. Reporting and Analysis: Both tools provide a wide selection of visual reports that help keep projects running smoothly and teams supported. They allow users to understand costs, analyze time spent, and keep budgets on target.
3. Integrations: Both Toggl and Harvest integrate with the tools your team already uses, allowing you to capture time the way your team already works.
4. Invoicing and Payments: Harvest stands out in this area with its ability to turn tracked time and expenses into invoices and collect payment quickly with integrated online payments. Toggl, on the other hand, does not offer built-in invoicing and payment features.
5. User Experience: Toggl is praised for its simple and beautiful app experience, while Harvest offers a more traditional, business-oriented design.
6. Reminders and Notifications: Toggl and Harvest both offer custom reminders to help your team track time regularly and accurately.
7. Data Export: Harvest allows you to easily export data into the reporting tools you already use to gain additional insights. Toggl does not explicitly mention this feature.
8. Security: Both Toggl and Harvest prioritize the security of your data, ensuring GDPR compliance.

Pros of Toggl over Harvest

1. User-Friendly Interface: Toggl is known for its simple and intuitive user interface, making it easy for users to navigate and use the tool effectively.
2. Flexible Pricing: Toggl offers a more flexible pricing structure with a free plan for solo users, making it a more affordable option for freelancers and small businesses.
3. Real-Time Tracking: Toggl provides real-time tracking, allowing users to monitor their work as it happens. This feature can be particularly useful for teams that need to keep a close eye on their time usage.
4. Cross-Platform Availability: Toggl is available on multiple platforms, including web, desktop, and mobile, providing users with the flexibility to track time wherever they are.
5. One-Click Time Tracking: Toggl’s one-click time tracking feature makes it easy for users to start and stop tracking their time, reducing the likelihood of forgetting to log hours.
6. Anti-Surveillance Stance: Toggl stands against surveillance, providing a platform that empowers teams with knowledge rather than micromanaging them.

Cons of Toggl compared to Harvest

1. Lack of Invoicing Feature: Unlike Harvest, Toggl does not allow users to create and send invoices directly from the platform.
2. No Expense Tracking: Toggl does not provide an in-built expense tracking feature, which can be a drawback for businesses that need to track expenses along with time.
3. Limited Integrations: While Toggl does offer some third-party integrations, Harvest integrates with a larger number of applications.
4. Less Comprehensive Project Management Features: While Toggl does offer project management features, they are not as advanced as those provided by Harvest, which includes budget tracking and detailed project analysis.
5. No Online Payment Integration: Toggl lacks the ability to collect payment quickly with integrated online payments, a feature that Harvest offers.
6. Less Detailed Reporting: Compared to Harvest, Toggl’s reporting features may not be as detailed or comprehensive, which could be a disadvantage for businesses that require in-depth analysis.

Pros of Harvest over Toggl

1. Invoicing and Payments: Harvest allows users to create and send invoices directly from the platform. It also integrates with PayPal and Stripe, enabling clients to pay invoices online quickly and conveniently.
2. Expense Tracking: Unlike Toggl, Harvest provides an in-built expense tracking feature, which can be particularly useful for businesses that need to track both time and expenses.
3. Advanced Project Management Features: Harvest offers more advanced project management features, including budget tracking and detailed project analysis.
4. Integration Capabilities: Harvest integrates with a larger number of third-party applications compared to Toggl, making it a more versatile tool.
5. Detailed Reporting: Harvest provides detailed reports that help businesses analyze productivity and track project progress.
6. Automated Reminders: Harvest offers the ability to create automated reminders to help your team track time regularly and accurately.

Cons of Harvest compared to Toggl

1. Pricing Structure: Unlike Toggl, Harvest does not offer a free plan for solo users. This could make it a less affordable option for freelancers and small businesses.
2. User Interface: While Harvest’s interface is business-oriented and comprehensive, it may not be as intuitive or user-friendly as Toggl’s.
3. Real-Time Tracking: Unlike Toggl, Harvest does not offer real-time tracking, which could be a disadvantage for teams that need to monitor their work as it happens.
4. One-Click Time Tracking: Harvest does not offer one-click time tracking, which could make it slightly more cumbersome to start and stop tracking time.
5. Anti-Surveillance Stance: Unlike Toggl, Harvest does not explicitly state an anti-surveillance stance, which could be a concern for teams that value privacy and autonomy.
6. Cross-Platform Availability: While Harvest is available on multiple platforms, it may not offer the same level of flexibility as Toggl, which is available on web, desktop, and mobile.

Situations when Toggl is better than Harvest

1. Freelancers and Solo Users: Toggl offers a free plan for solo users, making it a more affordable option for freelancers and individuals who need to track their time.
2. Real-Time Tracking Needs: If your team needs to monitor their work as it happens, Toggl’s real-time tracking feature can be particularly useful.
3. Simplicity and Ease of Use: If you value a simple and intuitive user interface, Toggl’s design might be more appealing to you.
4. Cross-Platform Use: If you need to track time across multiple platforms, including web, desktop, and mobile, Toggl’s cross-platform availability can be a significant advantage.
5. Privacy and Autonomy: If your team values privacy and autonomy, Toggl’s anti-surveillance stance can be a deciding factor.
6. Basic Time Tracking: If your needs are primarily focused on basic time tracking without the need for advanced project management or invoicing features, Toggl might be the right fit.

Situations when Harvest is better than Toggl

1. Invoicing and Payments: If your workflow involves creating and sending invoices, and collecting payments, Harvest’s invoicing and payment features can be a significant advantage.
2. Expense Tracking: If you need to track both time and expenses, Harvest’s in-built expense tracking feature can be particularly useful.
3. Advanced Project Management: If you require advanced project management features, including budget tracking and detailed project analysis, Harvest might be the better choice.
4. Integration Needs: If you use a variety of third-party applications and need a time tracking tool that integrates with them, Harvest’s extensive integration capabilities can be a deciding factor.
5. Detailed Reporting: If you require detailed reports to analyze productivity and track project progress, Harvest’s reporting features can be a significant advantage.
6. Larger Teams and Businesses: If you’re a larger team or business that requires more comprehensive features and can afford a paid plan, Harvest might be the better choice.

Toggl vs Harvest Summary

Both Toggl and Harvest offer robust time tracking and project management features. The choice between the two will largely depend on your specific needs and circumstances. If invoicing and payments are a key part of your workflow, Harvest may be the better choice. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a simple and intuitive time tracking solution, Toggl might be the right fit. By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each tool, you can make an informed decision that best supports your time tracking needs.