Harvest vs Kimai
Harvest is time tracking and invoicing tool designed for professional services teams, while Kimai is open-source time tracking application that you can self-host. The biggest difference up front: Kimai is free, while Harvest starts at $10.80/user/mo. Harvest is built for agencies and consultancies that need time tracking + invoicing in one tool, whereas Kimai targets teams that want full control over their time tracking data via self-hosting.
| Feature | Harvest | Kimai |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier available | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open source | — | ✓ |
| API | — | ✓ |
| Expense tracking | ✓ | — |
| Invoicing | ✓ | — |
| Multi-user | — | ✓ |
| Project budgets | ✓ | — |
| Reporting | — | ✓ |
| Self-hosting | — | ✓ |
| Time tracking | ✓ | ✓ |
Pricing: Kimai is completely free (Free, open source, self-hosted), which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. Harvest starts at $10.80/user/mo, but Free for 1 user, 2 projects. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.
Feature gaps: Harvest offers Expense tracking, Invoicing and Project budgets that Kimai lacks. Kimai brings API, Multi-user and Reporting that Harvest does not have. Both share Time tracking.
Open source: Kimai is open source, meaning you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in. Harvest is proprietary — you are trusting the vendor with your data and uptime.
Where each tool shines: Harvest's biggest strengths are: built-in invoicing saves you from needing a separate tool. mature, battle-tested product used by agencies for 18+ years. Kimai's biggest strengths are: completely free and open source — no per-user fees. self-hosted means you own your data entirely.
Watch out for: With Harvest, users commonly note that expensive compared to clockify and toggl. With Kimai, the main complaint is that requires self-hosting — not a cloud saas you can just sign up for.
choose Harvest if
- Your profile matches its sweet spot: agencies and consultancies that need time tracking + invoicing in one tool
- You specifically need Expense tracking and Invoicing
- You care about mature, battle-tested product used by agencies for 18+ years
- The free tier works for you: free for 1 user, 2 projects
choose Kimai if
- Your profile matches its sweet spot: teams that want full control over their time tracking data via self-hosting
- Budget is a hard constraint — Kimai is free, Harvest is not
- You need self-hosting, data sovereignty, or the ability to audit source code
- You specifically need API and Multi-user
- You care about self-hosted means you own your data entirely
frequently asked
What is the difference between Harvest and Kimai?
Harvest is time tracking and invoicing tool designed for professional services teams, while Kimai is open-source time tracking application that you can self-host. The biggest difference up front: Kimai is free, while Harvest starts at $10.80/user/mo. Harvest is built for agencies and consultancies that need time tracking + invoicing in one tool, whereas Kimai targets teams that want full control over their time tracking data via self-hosting.
Should I use Harvest or Kimai?
Kimai is the free option; Harvest charges $10.80/user/mo but may offer more polish. Here is how they compare.
When should I choose Harvest over Kimai?
Choose Harvest if Your profile matches its sweet spot: agencies and consultancies that need time tracking + invoicing in one tool; You specifically need Expense tracking and Invoicing; You care about mature, battle-tested product used by agencies for 18+ years; The free tier works for you: free for 1 user, 2 projects.
When should I choose Kimai over Harvest?
Choose Kimai if Your profile matches its sweet spot: teams that want full control over their time tracking data via self-hosting; Budget is a hard constraint — Kimai is free, Harvest is not; You need self-hosting, data sovereignty, or the ability to audit source code; You specifically need API and Multi-user; You care about self-hosted means you own your data entirely.
related comparisons
Toggl Track vs Harvest · Clockify vs Harvest · Harvest vs RescueTime · Harvest vs Timely · Harvest vs Everhour · Harvest vs Hubstaff · Toggl Track vs Kimai · Clockify vs Kimai