How to Use Harvest: The Beginner’s Guide in 2026

Quick Start

This guide covers every Harvest feature:

• Getting Started — Create account and basic setup
• How to Use Time Tracker — Track time with a timer or manual entries from desktop and mobile apps
• How to Use Reports & Analytics — Instant reports across projects, budgets, tasks, and team capacity
• How to Use Invoice Tracker — Automated invoicing that turns tracked time and expenses into bills
• How to Use Integrations — Works with the tools you use every day so tracking starts fast
• How to Use Project Manager — Set up clients and projects with the right billing method
• How to Use Budget Monitoring — Hourly or fixed fee budgets tracked as projects progress
• How to Use Team Scheduling — Capacity and utilization tracking that helps you avoid burnout
• How to Use Client Management — Client records with contacts, currency, and default billing rates
• How to Use Time-Off Management — Time off logging that keeps capacity reports honest

Time needed: 5 minutes per feature

Also in this guide: Pro Tips | Common Mistakes | Troubleshooting | Pricing | Alternatives

Why Trust This Guide

I’ve used Harvest for two years across client projects and tested every feature covered here. This tutorial comes from real hands-on work — not marketing fluff or vendor screenshots.

Harvest is one of the most trusted time tracking tools available today.

But most teams only ever click the start button and stop there.

This guide shows you how to use Harvest properly — every major feature, step by step.

With screenshots, videos, and the pro tips I wish someone had given me on day one.

Harvest Tutorial

This How to Use Harvest tutorial walks through every feature in order, from your first account setup to the reports that tell you which clients actually make you money.

Harvest

Track time, bill clients, and measure performance with confidence. Harvest turns tracked hours into invoices and instant reports, and connects to the tools your team already uses. Start free — no credit card required.

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Getting Started with Harvest

Before using any feature, finish this one-time setup.

It takes about three minutes.

Here’s what my own Harvest account looked like after setup:

Now let’s walk through each step.

Step 1: Create Your Account

Go to the Harvest website and click Sign up.

Enter your work email and create a password.

You get a 30-day trial with no credit card required.

✓ Checkpoint: Check your inbox for the confirmation email and click the sign-in link.

Step 2: Invite Your Team

Go to Team and click the + Invite person button.

Choose their permission level, add their capacity and roles, then set their default billable rates and cost rates.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Once added, each teammate receives an email invite and shows up in your Team list.

Step 3: Customize Your Preferences

Administrators can customize account preferences under Settings > Preferences.

Set Timer mode to Duration or Start and end times, pick your week start day, and turn on automatic timesheet reminders.

Those gentle reminders do more for adoption than any policy document.

How to Use Harvest Time Tracker

Time Tracker lets you start a timer or log manual entries in seconds.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Open Your Timesheet

Go to Time > Timesheet in the left sidebar.

Click the green + Track time button.

Step 2: Choose Client, Project and Task

Pick the client, project, and task from the dropdowns.

Add a short description so the entry still makes sense next month.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: The timer appears at the top of your timesheet and starts counting.

Step 3: Stop and Save the Entry

Click the stop icon when the work is done.

Harvest will save the entry to that day automatically.

Forgot to start it? Click any past day and type the hours in as a manual entry.

How to Use Harvest Reports & Analytics

Reports & Analytics lets you pull instant reports across projects, budgets, and team capacity.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Open the Reports Tab

Click Reports in the top navigation.

Harvest opens the Time Report by default.

Step 2: Set Your Date Range and Filters

Choose a week, month, or custom range.

Filter by client, project, task, or teammate.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: A bar chart and a summary table load for the range you picked.

Step 3: Export or Drill Into a Row

Click any row to see the entries behind the number.

Export to CSV when you need the raw data elsewhere.

Bookmark the filtered view you check every week.

How to Use Harvest Invoice Tracker

Invoice Tracker lets you convert tracked time and expenses directly into an invoice.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Start a New Invoice

Go to Invoices and click + New invoice.

The invoice wizard opens with your client list.

Step 2: Pull In Uninvoiced Time

Choose the client and the billing period.

Harvest imports uninvoiced hours and expenses with a detailed breakdown.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: The draft lists every billable item with hours, rate, and total.

Step 3: Review and Send

Edit any line description, then click Send.

Your client gets an email with a payment link.

Harvest then tracks the status from Draft to Sent to Paid, and chases late payers for you.

How to Use Harvest Integrations

Integrations lets you start timers inside the tools your team already opens daily.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Open the Integrations Page

Go to Settings > Integrations.

Browse the list of connected apps.

Step 2: Install the Browser Extension

Add the Harvest extension to Chrome, Firefox, or Edge.

A timer button then appears inside Asana, Trello, and dozens of other tools.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: A small Harvest button shows up on tasks inside your project tool.

Step 3: Connect Your Accounting App

Link QuickBooks Online or Xero for automatic syncing.

Invoices and payments flow both ways without manual re-entry.

Add PayPal or Stripe here as well if you want clients paying online.

How to Use Harvest Project Manager

Project Manager lets you create projects, assign teammates, and define how each one bills.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Create a New Project

Go to the Projects section and click + New project.

Select an existing client or add a new one.

Name it something your team recognizes, not an internal job code.

Step 2: Pick the Project Type

Choose Time & Materials, Fixed Fee, or Non-Billable.

This decides how hours turn into money later.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: The project appears in your active list with the client name beside it.

Step 3: Assign Your Team

Add the teammates who will work on it.

Click Save and the project goes live.

How to Use Harvest Budget Monitoring

Budget Monitoring lets you set hourly or fixed fee budgets and watch them as work progresses.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Open Project Settings

Click a project, then choose Edit.

Scroll to the budget section.

Step 2: Choose a Budget Method

Set total project hours, hours per task, or total project fees.

Enter the number you agreed with the client.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: A budget bar appears on the project page showing hours used.

Step 3: Turn On Budget Alerts

Check the box for an email warning at 80 percent.

Save the project.

For retainer clients, choose the option that resets the budget every month.

How to Use Harvest Team Scheduler

Team Scheduling lets you track capacity and utilization to balance workloads.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Invite and Configure Your Team

Go to Team and click the + Invite person button.

Choose their permission level and add their roles.

Step 2: Set Weekly Capacity

Enter how many hours each person is available per week.

Part-time staff get a lower number here.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Each teammate shows a capacity bar next to their tracked hours.

Step 3: Review the Capacity Report

Open Reports and switch to the team view.

Anyone above their capacity line is overloaded.

How to Use Harvest Client Manager

Client Management lets you keep client records, contacts, and default rates in one place.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Add a New Client

Go to Manage > Clients and click + New client.

Enter the company name and billing address.

Step 2: Add Contact People

Add each person who should receive invoices.

Invoices then send to the right inbox automatically.

✓ Checkpoint: The client shows up in the dropdown when you create a project.

Step 3: Set Default Rates and Currency

Give the client a default hourly rate and currency.

Every new project inherits those settings.

How to Use Harvest Time-Off Manager

Time-Off Management lets you log holidays and sick days so reports show real available hours.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Create Time Off Types

Go to Manage > Time off.

Add holiday, sick leave, and any other categories you need.

Step 2: Let the Team Request Days

Teammates log time off from their own timesheet.

Requests land with the account administrator.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Approved days off show on the calendar and reduce available capacity.

Step 3: Approve and Check the Calendar

Approve requests from the time off screen.

Approved days appear in team reports.

Remaining balances update on their own as days are approved.

Harvest Pro Tips and Shortcuts

After two years of daily tracking, here are the shortcuts I actually use.

Fast Paths

Hidden Features Most People Miss

• Non-billable analysis: Filter reports by non-billable time to find where hours disappear into admin and rework.
• Cost rates: Add what each person costs you, not just what you charge, and reports show true project margin.
• Retainer projects: Set a fixed fee project with a monthly budget to see when a retainer client has gone over.
• Timesheet approvals: Turn on approvals and set a weekly deadline so hours are locked before invoicing day.

Harvest Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake #1: Tracking to Projects Instead of Tasks

Mistake #2: Setting Budgets and Never Checking Them

Mistake #3: Letting Timesheets Pile Up

Harvest Troubleshooting

Problem: Time Doesn’t Show On the Invoice

Cause: The project is set to Non-Billable, or the task is marked non-billable.

Fix: Open the project, change the type to Time & Materials, and mark the task billable. Then rebuild the invoice.

Problem: The Timer Keeps Running Overnight

Cause: The timer was left running when the browser tab was closed.

Fix: Edit the entry from your timesheet and correct the hours. Switch Timer mode to Duration if this keeps happening.

Problem: The Browser Extension Button Is Missing

Cause: The integration isn’t enabled for that app, or the extension needs permission on the site.

Fix: Open the extension settings, enable the app, refresh the page, and sign in again if prompted.

📌 Note: If none of these fix your issue, check the Harvest help center — its short articles and setup videos cover most edge cases — then contact Harvest support.

What is Harvest?

Harvest is a time tracking and invoicing tool that helps professional teams track time, bill clients, and measure performance with confidence.

Think of it like a timesheet, an invoice book, and a profitability report that all talk to each other.

Watch this quick overview:

It includes these key features:

• Time Tracker: Track time with a timer or manual entries from desktop and mobile apps
• Reports & Analytics: Instant reports across projects, budgets, tasks, and team capacity
• Invoice Tracker: Automated invoicing that turns tracked time and expenses into bills
• Integrations: Works with the tools you use every day so tracking starts fast
• Project Manager: Set up clients and projects with the right billing method
• Budget Monitoring: Hourly or fixed fee budgets tracked as projects progress
• Team Scheduling: Capacity and utilization tracking that helps you avoid burnout
• Client Management: Client records with contacts, currency, and default billing rates
• Time-Off Management: Time off logging that keeps capacity reports honest

For a full review, see our Harvest review.

Harvest keeps things deliberately simple. There is no AI activity scoring, no screenshots, and no mouse tracking — which is exactly why teams accept it.

Harvest Pricing

Here’s what Harvest costs in 2026:

Free trial: Yes — 30 days on paid plans, no credit card needed to sign up.

Money-back guarantee: No formal guarantee, but you can downgrade to the Free plan at any time.

💰 Best Value: Pro — unlimited projects, invoicing, and integrations for the price of one billable hour a year.

Harvest vs Alternatives

How does Harvest compare? Here’s the competitive landscape:

Quick picks:

• Best overall: Harvest — tracking, invoicing, and budgets in one place
• Best budget: Clockify — a free tier that stays free as the team grows
• Best for beginners: Toggl — start a timer in one click, learn nothing else
• Best for client billing: Harvest — tracked hours become an invoice in two minutes

🎯 Harvest Alternatives

Looking for Harvest alternatives? Here are the top options:

• 🔒 Time Doctor: Adds screenshots and activity monitoring for teams that need proof of work, not just totals.
• 💰 Clockify: Free for unlimited users, which makes it the obvious pick for large teams on no budget.
• 🏢 Clockit: Leans toward attendance, shifts, and leave management rather than client billing.
• 👶 Toggl: The friendliest timer on the market, with idle detection and almost no setup.
• 📊 TrackingTime: Visual timelines that show who worked on what, hour by hour.
• 🧠 Memtime: Records what you had open all day so you can rebuild lost hours later.
• 🎯 Timeular: A physical eight-sided die you flip to switch tasks — oddly effective.

For the full list, see our Harvest alternatives guide.

⚔️ Harvest Compared

Here’s how Harvest stacks up against each competitor:

• Harvest vs Time Doctor: Harvest wins on invoicing and team trust. Time Doctor wins if you genuinely need surveillance features.
• Harvest vs Clockify: Clockify wins on price. Harvest wins on budgets, invoicing, and the reports that follow.
• Harvest vs Clockit: Clockit is stronger for shift attendance. Harvest is stronger for billable project work.
• Harvest vs Toggl: Toggl is faster to start. Harvest handles the whole path from timer to paid invoice.
• Harvest vs TrackingTime: TrackingTime has prettier timelines. Harvest has deeper budget and profitability reporting.
• Harvest vs Memtime: Memtime reconstructs forgotten hours. Harvest is better once your team tracks in real time.
• Harvest vs Timeular: Timeular is a tracking gadget. Harvest is the full billing system behind it.

Start Using Harvest Now

You learned how to use every major Harvest feature:

• ✅ Time Tracker
• ✅ Reports & Analytics
• ✅ Invoice Tracker
• ✅ Integrations
• ✅ Project Manager
• ✅ Budget Monitoring
• ✅ Team Scheduling
• ✅ Client Management
• ✅ Time-Off Management

Next step: Pick one feature and try it now.

Most people start with the Time Tracker.

It takes less than five minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Harvest app used for?

Harvest is used to track time, manage project budgets, invoice clients, and report on team capacity. Teams use it to see where hours go and bill accurately.

Is the Harvest app free?

Yes. The Free plan costs $0 per seat per month and suits one person with a small number of projects. Pro is $11 and Premium is $14 per seat monthly.

Does Harvest track your screen or take screenshots?

No. Harvest does not capture screenshots, record your screen, or track mouse movement. It only logs the time entries your team starts and saves themselves.

How does Harvest track time?

Two ways: start a timer while you work, or add manual entries afterwards. Both work from desktop, mobile apps, and the browser extension inside other tools.

What is the difference between Harvest and Clockify?

Clockify is cheaper and free for unlimited users. Harvest costs more but adds stronger invoicing, project budgets, and capacity reporting for client-billing teams.