Kimai
Best open source
Harvest alternative
Kimai is the #1 open-source time-tracking alternative for Harvest. See how Kimai measures up to Harvest, so you can choose the right solution for your business.
Kimai vs Harvest: Which Time Tracking Software Fits Your Team Best in 2026?
Kimai is a powerful open-source time-tracking solution designed for teams and businesses seeking a powerful and privacy-first alternative to Harvest. Discover why thousands of organizations worldwide trust Kimai for their time tracking needs.
Why you should choose Kimai over Harvest
Harvest has become one of the most popular time-tracking and invoicing solutions in the market. It offers a user-friendly interface and robust features for freelancers and agencies. However, its subscription-based pricing model and cloud-only infrastructure can be expensive for growing teams and organizations concerned about data privacy.
Open source alternative with focus on privacy
Kimai stands out as an affordable, open-source alternative that puts control back in your hands. Built by developer who value transparency and data privacy, Kimai offers comparable features to Harvest at a fraction of the cost. Whether you choose to self-host your instance or use Kimai Cloud with servers located in Germany, you get data protection and GDPR compliance by default.
With Kimai, you’re not locked into expensive subscription tiers. You get flexibility, transparency, and the freedom to customize the platform to match your specific workflow needs. For organizations that value their data and want to avoid vendor lock-in, Kimai is the perfect choice.
Migrate from Harvest to Kimai
Switching from Harvest to Kimai is not a complex task anymore. We understand that your historical data matters, which is why we’ve built a robust CSV importer that lets you effortlessly transfer your time tracking records from Harvest to Kimai.
Export your data from Harvest in CSV format and use Kimai’s importer to load all your projects, clients, and time entries in minutes. You’ll retain complete control over your data while gaining access to a more flexible and affordable time-tracking platform.
For detailed instructions, please refer to our importer documentation.
Why Kimai is the better choice
Kimai is open source
Kimai is #1 open-source time-tracking software, providing unparalleled transparency and flexibility. By choosing Kimai, you’re investing in a secure, cost-efficient solution with complete control over your data and the ability to customize it exactly as your team needs.
Self-host with complete control
Kimai offers a self-hosted edition that puts data privacy to the front. With on-premises deployment, you maintain complete control over your sensitive business information, ensure compliance with stringent data protection regulations, and achieve a level of security that’s often challenging with cloud-only solutions. Plus, Kimai’s API allows seamless integration with your existing tools and workflows.
Unlike Harvest, which only operates in the cloud, Kimai gives you the flexibility to choose your deployment model.
EU-based data protection
With Kimai Cloud made in Austria and hosted in Germany, your data is protected by design. This means GDPR compliance by default, not as an afterthought. You can be confident that your business data remains secure, private, and under strict European data protection standards. Learn more about our privacy-first approach
Cost efficiency at scale
Harvest’s subscription model can become expensive as your team grows, with costs multiplying by the number of team members. Kimai Cloud offers predictable, per-user pricing starting at just €1/month for some industries, while the self-hosted option requires just the costs of server maintenance. For growing teams and organizations, Kimai delivers significant cost savings without compromising on functionality.
Final thoughts
Choosing the right time-tracking solution is crucial for your team’s productivity and your company’s data security. Harvest has been a popular choice, but it comes with trade-offs: high costs, cloud-only limitations, and potential data privacy concerns for EU-based organizations.
Kimai offers a powerful, open-source alternative that doesn’t compromise on features while delivering superior data protection, flexibility, and affordability. Whether you need a self-hosted solution for maximum control or Kimai Cloud with EU-based servers, you get a modern time-tracking platform built for the modern workplace.
Make the switch today and experience open source time tracking.
All your time-tracking needs in one platform
Time is money, and tracking it effectively has become a necessity for project-based teams. Kimai is a powerful time-tracker that's been the favorite of many businesses worldwide. But how does it stack up against Harvest? Dive into this comprehensive comparison to find out why businesses are choosing Kimai over Harvest
See the difference
Compare Kimai vs. Harvest: choose the options that make the most sense for your business.
Kimai
On-Premise
- Open source software :
- Available on-premises :
- Available in the cloud :
- Server location : Your choice
- Max. customers : Unlimited
- Max. projects : Unlimited
- Max. activities : Unlimited
- JSON API :
- Invoicing :
- Data export :
- SAML :
- Support : Forum (GitHub)
- Backups :
- TLS Certificate : Additional costs
- Custom domain : Additional costs
- Automatic upgrades :
- Server maintenance :
- IP access restriction :
- Custom content : Paid plugin
- Audit trail logs : Paid plugin
- Custom fields : Paid plugin
- Expense management : Paid plugin
- Task planning : Paid plugin
- Translations : Paid plugin
- Working hours, vacation, sickness, public holidays : Paid plugin
Kimai
Cloud
- Open source software :
- Available on-premises :
- Available in the cloud :
-
Server location
:
Hetzner Cloud
Germany (Falkenstein) - Max. customers : Unlimited
- Max. projects : Unlimited
- Max. activities : Unlimited
- JSON API :
- Invoicing :
- Data export :
- SAML :
- Support : Email, Forum
- Backups : Daily
- TLS Certificate :
- Custom domain :
- Automatic upgrades :
- Server maintenance :
- IP access restriction :
- Custom content :
- Audit trail logs :
- Custom fields :
- Expense management :
- Task planning :
- Translations :
- Working hours, vacation, sickness, public holidays :
Harvest
- Open source software :
- Available on-premises :
- Available in the cloud :
- Server location : USA
- Max. customers : unlimited in Pro
- Max. projects : unlimited in Pro
- Max. activities : Unlimited
- JSON API :
- Invoicing :
- Data export :
- SAML : available in Premium
- Support :
- Backups :
- TLS Certificate :
- Custom domain :
- Automatic upgrades :
- Server maintenance :
- IP access restriction :
- Custom content :
- Audit trail logs :
- Custom fields :
- Expense management :
- Task planning :
- Translations :
- Working hours, vacation, sickness, public holidays :
Germany (Falkenstein)
Please note that the above information were manually compiled on 2025-10-19 from the Harvest website. For the comparison, the best matching plans were chosen. Prices are subject to change. For the most current pricing, please visit the respective websites.
