2 open source alternatives to Harvest
Time tracking with invoicing built in. Here are the open source projects real teams use instead — ranked by fit, with honest pros and cons for each.
What people don't love about Harvest
- Project structure is rigid for complex agencies.
- Integrations feel dated compared to newer entrants.
- Invoicing is basic — many teams pair it with a second tool.
Current Harvest pricing (for reference): Free for 1 user; Pro $10.80/user/month.
Quick comparison
| Alternative | Best for | License | Self-host | Hosted cloud? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Kimai Self-hosted time tracker with invoicing and reports. |
The closest self-hosted match for Harvest's timesheet-plus-invoicing workflow. | AGPL-3.0 | ★★☆☆☆ | Yes |
|
InvoicePlane Simple invoicing for freelancers and consultants. |
Pairing simple time tracking with solid invoicing for contractors. | MIT | ★☆☆☆☆ | Self-host only |
1. Kimai — The closest self-hosted match for Harvest's timesheet-plus-invoicing workflow.
Self-hosted time tracker with invoicing and reports.
Strengths
- Teams, projects, customers and invoices in one tool.
- REST API plus mobile clients.
- Easy PHP/MySQL deployment on any VPS.
Weaknesses
- UI is functional rather than polished.
- Some reports need the paid plugins or plugin-store extensions.
- Smaller ecosystem of integrations than Toggl.
2. InvoicePlane — Pairing simple time tracking with solid invoicing for contractors.
Simple invoicing for freelancers and consultants.
Strengths
- Runs on cheap PHP/MySQL hosting.
- Focused on the invoicing workflow.
- Great for solo freelancers.
Weaknesses
- Development pace has slowed in recent years.
- Feature set narrower than Akaunting.
- UI is functional, not modern.
InvoicePlane homepage · Source on GitHub · Harvest vs InvoicePlane →
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