The Intuitive Alternative to Harvest

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Harvest vs. timeBuzzer

Software

Harvest is a time tracking software with expense management and invoicing features, including Paypal and Stripe payments.

Best for: Freelancers and teams that want to track their projects and get their invoices paid online via Paypal or Stripe.

Feature highlights:

Easy-to-use expense management, helpful budget tracking, billable hours, invoicing with online payments via Paypal and Stripe

Harvest offers a desktop app for macOS and Windows. A third-party Linux version is also available, though it is not officially supported by Harvest.

The app features straightforward timers and allows users to easily log time manually. However, it records only total durations rather than precise start and stop times. While this keeps the process simple, it limits the level of detail available for analysis. For example, timeline views to give users a better overview of their day are not possible without start and stop data.

Additional features include notifications, reminders, and idle detection, which make it easier to adjust time entries if the user forgets to stop a running timer.

For on the go, Harvest offers a mobile app for iOS and Android.

Like the desktop app, it provides users with simple timers that allows them to easily start and stop timers, as well as the ability to manage recorded time entries. The mobile app also allows users to manage invoices and payments, as well as track expenses and receipts — features that differ from those available in the desktop app.

timeBuzzer is a time tracking software with optional hardware that focuses on accurate project-based time tracking by making it effortless, intuitive, and hard to forget.

Best for: Freelancers, agencies and small to medium-sized service businesses that want to track and bill their projects.

Feature highlights:

Effortless project time tracking, customizable layer system, clear reports, easy-to-use team & role management & member assignments

timeBuzzer’s desktop app is available for macOS, Windows, and Linux. All apps are developed and maintained by timeBuzzer to provide a seamless experience across all popular platforms.

Like Harvest, it provides a simple timer and also allows users to easily log time manually. However in comparison to Harvest, timeBuzzer not only track the durations but also start and stop times in order to display tracked time in a intuitive horizontal timeline, giving users a clearer overview of their day. This comes with the benefit that users can also edit recorded time entries more intuitively via drag and drop or quickly add new time entries via click and drag like many are used to from calendar applications.

Same as Harvest, the timeBuzzer desktop app also includes notifications and reminders, as well as idle detection to help users easily adjust time entries if they forget to stop the timer.

For on the go, timeBuzzer also offers a mobile app for iOS and Android.

Like the desktop app, it provides a simple timer that lets users easily start and stop tracking time, as well as manage recorded time entries. The app is focused solely on time tracking, with advanced reporting and management features intentionally kept in the web app to maintain simplicity and avoid distractions. Its functionality matches that of the desktop app, ensuring a consistent and seamless user experience across both apps.

Hardware

Harvest is entirely software-based and does not support dedicated hardware for time tracking. Users must start and stop timers through the app or website.

timeBuzzer offers a unique physical buzzer device as an optional add-on to its software that is designed to make time tracking effortless and fun.

Learn more about physical desktop buzzer

Integrations

Harvest offers an open API and various integrations, making it easy to connect with your existing tool stack.

timeBuzzer offers an open API and various integrations, making it easy to connect with your existing tool stack.

Pricing

Harvest’s software subscription plans cost up to $17.50 per seat per month, with a 20% discount available for annual billing.

A 30-day free trial of all paid features is available without requiring credit card details.

Cancellation: You can cancel your subscription at any time; it will run until the end of the billing cycle, after which you will be downgraded to the free version. According to Harvest, all data is safely stored even after cancellation, and you will regain access if you resubscribe.

timeBuzzer’s software subscription plans cost up to $10 per user per month, with a 20% discount for annual billing. The optional hardware buzzer device costs $59 and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to try it risk-free.

A free 15-day trial of all the paid software features is available, and no credit card details are required. If you order atleast one desktop buzzer hardware for testing, your software trial even extends to 30 days!

Cancellation: You can cancel your subscription at any time; it will run until the end of the billing cycle, after which you will be downgraded to the limited free version. All your data is securely stored even after cancellation, and you will regain full access upon resubscribing.

Support

Harvest, based in the USA, offers support in English via email and scheduled phone calls during US business hours, Monday to Friday, 9:00 am – 6:00 pm ET.

A Help Center is available in English, offering detailed documentation, FAQs, and video tutorials for self-service.

Support levels vary by plan, with scheduled phone support available exclusively for paid users.

timeBuzzer, based in Germany, EU, offers support in English and German via email and scheduled calls within 24 hours, during business hours from Monday to Friday, 9 am–6 pm CET you usually can expect much faster response times.

A Help Center is available in English and German, offering detailed documentation, FAQs, and video tutorials for self-service.

All users receive equal, personalized assistance, and user feedback is actively incorporated into product development.

Conclusion

Harvest could be a good choice if you’re looking for a tool that combines time tracking with expense management and online payments that let your customers pay your invoices via Paypal and Stripe.

timeBuzzer could be the perfect fit if you’re looking for a tool focused on time tracking, especially for projects, that prioritizes ease of use and accuracy, and powerful and detailed reportings features.

Real people. Real results.

See how timeBuzzer makes a difference.

“Roughly speaking, we save about 3–4 hours per employee per week. We also tend to bill more — around 10% — because we can now record activities more accurately”

Christian Euler
HOCH3 GmbH

“We used to track our time with spreadsheets, which was a pain and often forgotten. With timeBuzzer, our time tracking is now more flexible and yet easier to use. Especially the billing of projects has never been so easy and reliable.”

Katrin Schuler
KP PressConsulting

“We save around 30–60 minutes per employee per day. Billing has also become significantly more precise – we can clearly show which services were delivered and avoid any uncertainties.”

Marc Lübbers
beeNoord Marketing