Quick summary
- OfficePortal vs Harvest in one line: OfficePortal is an all-in-one HRMS with timesheets built in; Harvest is a time-tracking and invoicing tool for client work.
- OfficePortal Premium costs $4 per user per month billed yearly and covers timesheets, attendance, shifts, leave, performance reviews and payroll.
- Harvest Teams costs $9 per seat per month billed annually, or $11 monthly, and extra invoices, projects, clients and tasks are billed by usage.
- Harvest has no attendance check-in, shift scheduling, payroll, performance reviews or employee records.
- At 50 people, OfficePortal costs $200 a month; Harvest Teams costs $450 plus usage fees.
Why OfficePortal is the best Harvest alternative
OfficePortal tracks work time and runs the rest of HR from the same employee record. Timesheets, the task board, attendance tracking, the leave management system, performance management and payroll software all work together.
- Timesheets plus people operations. Log hours on tasks, then manage attendance, leave, reviews and pay in the same system.
- Real attendance check-in. Web and biometric check-in, with GPS and selfie add-ons, which Harvest doesn't offer.
- Shift scheduling and overtime. Build rosters and calculate overtime automatically.
- Native payroll. Approved hours and leave feed payroll directly, instead of exporting to another provider.
- Performance reviews. Review cycles, assessments and goals are included on Premium.
- No usage-based fees. One per-user price, with no extra charges for projects, clients or tasks.
- Free for small teams. The Standard plan is free for up to five users, not one seat.
- Hands-on onboarding. The OfficePortal team helps with setup, data migration and training.
- Mobile apps and security. Android and iOS apps, AES-256 encryption, SOC 2 compliant infrastructure and 99.9% uptime.
OfficePortal vs Harvest on time tracking
Both products track time. Harvest is built around billable hours, with timers, project budgets, expenses and invoices that sync to accounting tools, and timesheet approvals on its Enterprise plan. OfficePortal tracks hours through timesheets and a task board on every plan, records attendance with check-in, and adds project reports on Premium.
The difference is what happens next. In OfficePortal, approved hours, attendance and leave feed payroll in the same system. OfficePortal doesn't yet invoice clients; invoice generation is listed as coming soon on our pricing page. If client invoicing is central to your work, factor that in.
OfficePortal vs Harvest pricing
Both price per user, but Harvest adds usage-based fees. Comparing OfficePortal Premium billed yearly with Harvest Teams billed annually:
- 10 people: OfficePortal $40 a month; Harvest $90 plus usage fees.
- 50 people: OfficePortal $200 a month; Harvest $450 plus usage fees.
- 200 people: OfficePortal $800 a month; Harvest $1,800 plus usage fees.
Harvest's figures cover time tracking and invoicing only. OfficePortal's include attendance, shifts, leave, performance and payroll.
Harvest disadvantages: why teams look for alternatives
- No attendance check-in. Harvest doesn't offer clock-in, geofencing or kiosk attendance.
- No shift scheduling. Its Forecast product schedules projects and resources, and it's sold separately.
- No payroll. Harvest exports hours to payroll providers such as Gusto or Deel.
- No performance reviews or employee records. Reviews and HR data need other tools.
- Usage-based fees. Extra invoices, projects, clients and tasks are billed by usage, and the rates aren't published.
- Rising prices. Reports describe steep renewal increases for some customers since Harvest's 2025 change of ownership.
- Key features on higher plans. Timesheet approvals and custom reports need Enterprise, at $14 per seat billed annually.
- Reporting and customisation. Some reviewers mention limited advanced reporting, rigid customisation and mobile app limits.
What to look for in a Harvest alternative
When you compare Harvest alternatives, check for these, and how OfficePortal covers each one:
- Time tracking connected to payroll, so approved hours reach pay without exports.
- Attendance and shifts, not just timers.
- HR in the same system: leave, performance reviews and employee records.
- One predictable price, with no usage-based fees.
- A free plan that fits a real team. OfficePortal is free for up to five users.
- Hands-on onboarding and mobile apps.
Is Harvest ever the better choice?
Yes, for client work. If you mainly need to track billable hours, manage project budgets and invoice clients with accounting sync, Harvest is built for agencies, freelancers and consultancies. If you want time tracking plus attendance, leave, performance and payroll in one system, OfficePortal is the better fit.
How to switch from Harvest to OfficePortal
- Export your time entries, projects, clients and users from Harvest as CSV files.
- Book a demo. The OfficePortal onboarding team helps with setup, data migration and training.
- Map projects to timesheets and the task board, then set up leave policies and attendance rules.
- Run one payroll cycle in parallel before you switch fully.
Comparing more tools? See how OfficePortal compares with Gusto, Rippling and others on our HR software alternatives page.