Toggl vs Clockify vs Harvest
Time tracking tools split into two camps: apps that track time (Toggl, Clockify) and apps that turn tracked time into client invoices (Harvest). Pick based on whether you bill hourly.
Time tracking tools serve two different masters: people who want to know where their time goes (productivity tracking) and people who need to bill clients for time (invoicing and payroll). The right tool depends on which problem you’re solving. All three on this page do time tracking — only Harvest turns that time into invoices efficiently.
At a glance
| Clockify | Toggl Track | Harvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free forever (all users) / $3.99/mo Standard | Free (5 users) / $9/user/mo Starter | $12/seat/mo (unlimited) |
| Free tier | Unlimited users, projects, time entries | 5 users, unlimited tracking | 1 seat, 2 projects only |
| Timer + manual entry | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Browser extension | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Excellent | Yes |
| Invoicing built-in | Basic (paid) | No | Excellent (core feature) |
| Project budget tracking | Yes (free) | Yes (paid) | Excellent |
| Team reports | Yes (free) | Yes (free, 5 users) | Yes |
| QuickBooks / Xero integration | Paid | No | Yes |
| Best for | Teams on a budget, agencies | Individual freelancers | Agencies billing clients hourly |
Clockify — the generous free option
Clockify offers what no other major time tracker does: unlimited users, unlimited projects, and unlimited time entries on the free plan — forever. That alone makes it the default recommendation for small teams and agencies who need basic time tracking without per-seat costs adding up.
- Free means free: other tools say “free” and mean “free for 5 users” or “free for 30 days.” Clockify’s free tier has no seat limit and no project limit. An agency with 20 people tracking time across 50 projects pays nothing.
- Reports: free tier includes team reports — see who tracked what, on which project, over any date range. This covers the core management use case: verifying that time is being tracked and billing clients accurately.
- Paid features: the paid Standard plan ($3.99/user/mo) adds time rounding, required fields, custom exports, and kiosk mode (for on-site employees clocking in). These are real features for mature time tracking workflows but not needed by most teams starting out.
- Weakness: the interface is functional but not beautiful. Toggl Track’s design is more polished. Clockify’s mobile app is good but not Toggl’s level of refinement. If aesthetics matter and you’re solo, Toggl might feel better day-to-day.
Toggl Track — the solo freelancer’s pick
Toggl Track has the best-designed time tracking experience of any tool in this category. The one-click timer, the clean project organization, the robust browser extension that auto-suggests projects based on what you’re working on — everything is polished for individual use. The free plan covers up to 5 users with full core tracking features.
- Timeline view: Toggl Track’s Timeline feature records your computer activity in the background and presents a visual timeline of which apps and websites you used. You can then match these activity blocks to time entries retroactively. Useful if you forget to start the timer — the evidence is there.
- Suggested projects: Toggl’s browser extension watches what you’re working on and suggests the relevant project. If you’re on a specific Jira ticket or GitHub repo, Toggl suggests the associated project. Reduces the friction of manual project selection.
- Toggl Plan (separate product): Toggl also makes a project planning tool (Toggl Plan) — a visual timeline/Gantt tool. If you want time tracking and project planning from one vendor, the Toggl ecosystem covers both, though they’re sold separately.
- Weakness: $9/user/month Starter plan is expensive for a time tracker — $108/year per person. For teams beyond 5 users, Clockify at $3.99/user or free is a significantly better deal unless you specifically need Toggl’s features.
Harvest — the invoicing pick
Harvest is built around one workflow: track time on client projects, then turn that time into invoices. Every time entry is attached to a client, a project, and optionally a task or hourly rate. When it’s time to bill, Harvest generates an invoice from tracked time with one click. The invoices look professional and can be paid online via Stripe or PayPal.
- Budget alerts: set a budget for a project (hours or dollars), and Harvest sends an alert when you hit 75% or 100%. Prevents scope creep from going unnoticed until after the project ends and you’re under-billing.
- Expense tracking: log expenses alongside time — reimbursable costs, materials, subscriptions — and include them on the invoice. Keeps all client financial data in one place.
- QuickBooks / Xero sync: Harvest invoices sync to accounting software automatically. For agencies that have an accountant reviewing finances, this is the integration that makes Harvest worth its $12/seat/month price.
- Weakness: $12/seat/month is expensive for time tracking alone. If you don’t invoice clients (internal time tracking only, or fixed-fee billing), Harvest’s core value proposition doesn’t apply and Clockify is a better choice. The free tier (1 seat, 2 projects) is genuinely too limited to evaluate Harvest properly.
Who should pick which
The takeaway
Start with Clockify free. For any team size, the free tier covers basic time tracking and reporting. No seat costs, no project limits.
Upgrade to Harvest if and when you need professional client invoicing — the per-seat cost is justified when it replaces manual invoice creation.