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QuickBooks vs Harvest (2024 Comparison)

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Author

Martin Lunendonk

Last Update

Nov 15, 2024

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Excellent Value For Price
4.5

0

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QuickBooks

QuickBooks offers a comprehensive suite of financial management tools, including invoicing, expense tracking, and payroll management. Its robust features and scalability make it ideal for businesses looking to streamline their financial operations.

  • Comprehensive financial management features.
  • Robust invoicing and reporting capabilities.
  • Scalable for growing businesses.
  • Steep learning curve for new users.
  • Can be overwhelming for small teams.

Free plan?

Yes

Starting price

$17.50 per month
Excellent Value For Price
4.3

0

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Harvest

Harvest excels in time tracking and project management, offering a user-friendly interface and seamless integrations. It's an excellent choice for businesses focused on productivity and efficiency, with a strong emphasis on time management.

  • Excellent time tracking features.
  • User-friendly interface.
  • Seamless integrations with other tools.
  • Limited financial reporting capabilities.
  • No payroll management features.

Free plan?

Yes

Starting price

$11 per seat/month

What is QuickBooks?

QuickBooks is a comprehensive accounting software designed to help businesses manage their finances efficiently. It offers features like invoicing, expense tracking, and financial reporting, making it a go-to solution for small to medium-sized businesses. With QuickBooks, you can easily keep track of your cash flow, manage payroll, and even handle tax preparation. Its user-friendly interface and robust functionality make it an essential tool for business owners looking to streamline their financial operations.

What is Harvest?

Harvest is a time tracking and invoicing software that helps businesses manage their projects and billing efficiently. It allows users to track time spent on tasks, generate invoices, and manage expenses, making it ideal for freelancers and small businesses. With Harvest, you can easily monitor project progress, ensure accurate billing, and gain insights into your team's productivity. Its intuitive design and seamless integration with other tools make it a valuable asset for businesses looking to optimize their workflow.

Pros and Cons of QuickBooks vs Harvest

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Pros & Cons of QuickBooks

Comprehensive financial management
  • QuickBooks offers a wide range of financial management features, including invoicing, expense tracking, and payroll management, making it a one-stop solution for businesses looking to streamline their financial operations.
Robust reporting capabilities
  • With QuickBooks, you can generate detailed financial reports that provide insights into your business's financial health, helping you make informed decisions and plan for the future.
Scalable for growing businesses
  • QuickBooks is designed to grow with your business, offering advanced features and integrations as your needs evolve, making it a reliable choice for businesses of all sizes.
Steep learning curve
  • New users may find QuickBooks challenging to navigate initially due to its extensive features, but with time and practice, it becomes a powerful tool for managing finances.
Overwhelming for small teams
  • QuickBooks' comprehensive features may be more than what small teams need, potentially leading to underutilization and unnecessary complexity in their financial management processes.
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Pros & Cons of Harvest

Excellent time tracking
  • Harvest excels in time tracking, allowing users to track time spent on tasks and projects with precision, making it an ideal choice for businesses focused on productivity and efficiency.
User-friendly interface
  • Harvest's intuitive design makes it easy for users to navigate and manage their projects and billing, reducing the learning curve and increasing user satisfaction.
Seamless integrations
  • Harvest offers seamless integrations with a variety of tools, enhancing its functionality and allowing users to create a cohesive workflow that meets their specific needs.
Limited reporting capabilities
  • While Harvest provides basic reporting features, it lacks the depth and detail of QuickBooks, making it less suitable for businesses needing comprehensive financial insights.
No payroll management
  • Harvest does not offer payroll management features, which may be a drawback for businesses looking for an all-in-one solution for their financial and project management needs.

QuickBooks vs Harvest: At A Glance

Decision FactorQuickBooksHarvest
Value to Price
Excellent4.6
Excellent4.4
Ease of Use
Excellent4.4
Excellent4.5
Functionality
Excellent4.7
Excellent4.3
Scalability
Excellent4.5
Good4.2
Integrations
Excellent4.3
Excellent4.4
Customer Support
Excellent4.4
Excellent4.3
Security
Excellent4.5
Good4.2
Overall Rating
Excellent4.5
Excellent4.3

Value to Price

QuickBooks offers a robust set of features for its price, making it a great value for businesses looking to manage their finances comprehensively. Harvest, while slightly less feature-rich, provides excellent value for those focused on time tracking and invoicing. If you need a comprehensive financial management tool, QuickBooks is the better choice.

Ease of Use

Harvest shines with its intuitive interface, making it easy for users to track time and manage projects without a steep learning curve. QuickBooks, while user-friendly, may require a bit more time to master due to its extensive features. If ease of use is your priority, Harvest is the way to go.

Functionality

QuickBooks excels in functionality, offering a wide range of features for accounting, payroll, and tax management. Harvest, while functional for time tracking and invoicing, doesn't offer the same breadth of features. For businesses needing comprehensive functionality, QuickBooks is the superior option.

Scalability

QuickBooks is designed to scale with your business, offering advanced features as your needs grow. Harvest, while scalable, is more suited for smaller teams and projects. If scalability is a key concern, QuickBooks is the better choice for growing businesses.

Integrations

Both QuickBooks and Harvest offer a range of integrations with other tools, but Harvest has a slight edge with its seamless integration capabilities. If you rely heavily on integrations, Harvest might be the better fit for your needs.

Customer Support

QuickBooks provides robust customer support, with various resources and support channels available. Harvest also offers good support, but QuickBooks' extensive resources give it a slight advantage. If customer support is crucial, QuickBooks is the better option.

Security

QuickBooks prioritizes security with advanced measures to protect your financial data. Harvest also offers solid security features, but QuickBooks' focus on financial data security gives it an edge. For businesses prioritizing security, QuickBooks is the safer choice.

Overall Rating

QuickBooks scores higher overall due to its comprehensive features and scalability, making it ideal for businesses needing a full-fledged financial management tool. Harvest, while excellent for time tracking and invoicing, is better suited for smaller teams. If you need a comprehensive solution, QuickBooks is the better choice.

QuickBooks vs Harvest: A Detailed Breakdown of Key Features

FeaturesQuickBooksHarvest
Invoicing
Excellent4.7
Excellent4.5
Expense Tracking
Excellent4.6
Excellent4.3
Time Tracking
Excellent4.4
Excellent4.8
Financial Reporting
Excellent4.8
Good4.2
Payroll Management
Excellent4.5
Good4.0
Project Management
Excellent4.3
Excellent4.6

Invoicing

QuickBooks offers a comprehensive invoicing system that allows you to create, send, and track invoices with ease. Its customizable templates and automated reminders make it a powerful tool for managing your billing process. Harvest also provides invoicing capabilities, but its focus is more on simplicity and ease of use. If you need advanced invoicing features, QuickBooks is the better choice.

Expense Tracking

QuickBooks excels in expense tracking, offering features like receipt capture and categorization to help you manage your expenses efficiently. Harvest provides basic expense tracking, but it lacks the depth and automation of QuickBooks. If detailed expense tracking is important to you, QuickBooks is the superior option.

Time Tracking

Harvest is renowned for its time tracking capabilities, allowing you to track time spent on tasks and projects with precision. QuickBooks also offers time tracking, but it's not as specialized as Harvest. If time tracking is a priority, Harvest is the better choice for your needs.

Financial Reporting

QuickBooks offers robust financial reporting features, providing insights into your business's financial health with detailed reports and analytics. Harvest's reporting capabilities are more limited, focusing primarily on time and project data. If comprehensive financial reporting is crucial, QuickBooks is the better option.

Payroll Management

QuickBooks provides a full suite of payroll management features, including tax calculations and direct deposit options. Harvest does not offer payroll management, making QuickBooks the clear choice for businesses needing payroll solutions.

Project Management

Harvest offers strong project management features, allowing you to track project progress and manage tasks effectively. QuickBooks provides basic project management capabilities, but it's not as focused as Harvest. If project management is a key concern, Harvest is the better fit.

Pricing Comparison of QuickBooks and Harvest

To assist you in making an informed choice, we’ve outlined the pricing plans and essential features of QuickBooks and Harvest. This comparison will highlight the best option for managing your business finances and projects.

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QuickBooks Pricing Plans

Simple Start
For Small Businesses
$17.5

per month

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Simple Start includes:
  • Automate bookkeeping tasks to save time and reduce errors.
  • Capture and organize receipts for easy tracking and reporting.
  • Track mileage to maximize tax deductions and reimbursements.
  • Generate general reports to gain insights into business performance.
Essentials
For Growing Businesses
$32.5

per month

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Includes Simple Start, plus:
  • Handle multiple currencies for international transactions.
  • Connect up to 3 sales channels for seamless integration.
  • Generate enhanced reports for deeper business insights.
  • Includes 3 users for collaborative work environment.
Plus
For Medium-Sized Businesses
$49.5

per month

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Includes Essentials, plus:
  • Analyze project profitability to optimize resource allocation.
  • Connect all sales channels for comprehensive sales tracking.
  • Includes 5 users for expanded team collaboration.
  • Generate comprehensive reports for detailed financial analysis.
Advanced
For Large Enterprises
$117.5

per month

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Includes Plus, plus:
  • Sync data with Excel for advanced data manipulation.
  • Manage up to 25 users for large team collaboration.
  • Access 24/7 support and training for continuous assistance.
  • Utilize revenue recognition for accurate financial reporting.
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Harvest Pricing Plans

Free
For Individual Freelancers
$0

forever

Get Startedright_arrow
Free includes:
  • Allows tracking time for up to 2 projects.
  • Basic reporting features for time and expenses.
  • Invoicing capabilities for tracked time and expenses.
  • Access to web, desktop, and mobile apps.
Pro
For Small to Medium Teams
$11

per seat/month

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Includes Free, plus:
  • Unlimited projects for comprehensive tracking.
  • Advanced team reporting and capacity tracking.
  • Integration with Quickbooks Online, Xero, and Deel.
  • Scheduled phone support for assistance.
Premium
For Large Enterprises
$14

per seat/month

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Includes Pro, plus:
  • Timesheet approvals for accurate time tracking.
  • Activity log to review all time entries and changes.
  • Custom reports and exports for detailed analysis.
  • SAML-based SSO for secure login.

Our Rating Methodology

We thoroughly test each accounting and time tracking tool, evaluating key features like functionality, scalability, and ease of use. We also analyze user reviews to ensure our recommendations fit your needs. Each of the seven evaluation factors is weighted by importance to provide an accurate final rating, helping you avoid poor-quality tools and make informed decisions.

Decision FactorScoring Weight
Value to Price
20%
20%
Ease of Use
20%
15%
Functionality
20%
25%
Scalability
20%
15%
Integrations
20%
10%
Customer Support
20%
10%
Security
20%
5%

QuickBooks or Harvest: Which One Matches Your Business Needs?

Choose QuickBooks If You Need ...

  • Comprehensive financial management

    If you need a comprehensive financial management tool, QuickBooks is the better choice. Its robust features, including invoicing, expense tracking, and payroll management, make it ideal for businesses looking to streamline their financial operations.

  • Scalable for growing businesses

    If you are planning for future growth, QuickBooks is the superior option. Its scalability and advanced features ensure that it can grow with your business, providing the tools you need as your needs evolve.

Choose Harvest If You Need ...

  • Excellent time tracking

    If time tracking is a priority, Harvest is the better choice. Its precise time tracking capabilities and user-friendly interface make it ideal for businesses focused on productivity and efficiency.

  • User-friendly interface

    If ease of use is your priority, Harvest is the way to go. Its intuitive design makes it easy for users to navigate and manage their projects and billing, reducing the learning curve and increasing user satisfaction.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Author

Martin Lunendonk

Martin Lunendonk is a senior tech writer specializing in website builders, web hosting, and ecommerce platforms. With a background in finance, accounting, and philosophy, he has founded multiple tech startups and worked in medium to large tech companies and investment banking, bringing deep expertise and reliable insights to his software reviews.