tech from europe
vsHarvest

Kimai vs Harvest

Last updated October 2026

Looking for a European alternative to Harvest? Here's how Kimai compares, on EU hosting, GDPR and what it does.

Our pick for a European buyer: Kimai. We weight data residency, GDPR and EU jurisdiction above everything else — that is the constraint this directory exists to solve.

Kimai
Harvest
What it is
Open-source time tracking from Austria, hosted in the EU and ISO 27001 certified.
Time tracking and invoicing software for teams and freelancers.
Headquarters
🇦🇹 AT
🇺🇸 US · 2006
EU data residency
Yes, for all customers
Not offeredNo EU server location offered.
DSGVO / GDPR
Yes
Yes
Certifications
ISO 27001
ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II
Price from
€29.99/yr
$12/user/mo
Free plan
Yes
Yes
Open Source
Yes
No
Ratings
CAPTERRA 3.6/5 (7) · G2 4.4/5 (6) · TRUSTPILOT 4.5/5 (68)
CAPTERRA 4.6/5 (1,300) · G2 4.4/5 (850)
Integrations
Bexio, Microsoft Teams, Lexoffice, VS Code, Authentik +5
Asana, Trello, QuickBooks, Slack, Microsoft Teams +6

Where each one wins

Kimai

Strengths

  • +Easy setup and intuitive interface, ideal for small teams and freelancers with minimal onboarding overhead
  • +Comprehensive core features: multi-user support, project/customer/activity tracking, invoicing, billable hours, multiple billing rates, and detailed reporting
  • +Stable and reliable performance in self-hosted environments, ensuring full data control and privacy
  • +Fast, friendly, and competent support, including personalized assistance and responsiveness to feature requests
  • +Highly cost-effective as open-source software with no per-user licensing fees and optional paid cloud hosting
  • +Cross-platform browser-based interface with a dedicated mobile app (iOS/Android) for offline time tracking and sync
  • +Highly customizable workflows and integrations with Google Workspace, LDAP, SAML, and external identity providers
  • +Transparent and detailed reporting for client billing and internal accountability

Limitations

  • −User interface feels less polished and can be initially confusing due to rigid customer-project-activity structure
  • −Some feature limitations, such as restricted report exports and less developed idle/automatic tracking compared to competitors
  • −Onboarding and initial setup may require technical comfort and additional user training

Harvest

Strengths

  • +Intuitive and easy to use for time tracking
  • +Strong invoicing and payment features
  • +Seamless integrations with popular tools
  • +Reliable and stable performance

Limitations

  • −No EU server location (data residency concerns)
  • −Limited customization in reports
  • −Mobile app lacks some desktop features
  • −Pricing can add up for large teams

Data residency & compliance

Kimai
Harvest
EU data residency
Yes, for all customers
Not offeredNo EU server location offered.
Transfer mechanism
Not required — data stays in the EU
Standard Contractual Clauses
DPA
Published →
Published →
Sub-processors
Listed →
not established
Certifications
ISO 27001
ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II

Pricing

Kimai

  • Free (Self-Hosted) Free Open-source under AGPL 3 license · No subscription fees · Community support
  • Kimai Cloud (Standard) €2.99 per user / monthUnlimited customers, projects, activities · REST API and data export · Audit log and custom fields
  • Kimai Cloud (Professional) €3.99 per user / monthAll Standard features · Expense tracking and task planning · SAML SSO and custom domain
  • Kimai Mobile (Annual) €29.99 per year (incl. 19% VAT)7-day free trial · Requires connection to own Kimai server · Mobile time tracking for iOS and Android

All prices are exclusive of taxes. Cloud plans offer a 30-day free trial. Pricing may vary for third-party managed hosting providers.

Harvest

  • Free Free Forever1 seat · 2 projects · Limited features
  • Pro $12 per user/monthUnlimited seats · Unlimited projects · Invoicing & payments

Pricing is billed annually. Discounts available for larger teams.

Features

Kimai

Time Tracking & Management
Multi-timer and punch-in/punch-out mode, Time-clock mode to restrict arbitrary timesheet entries, Role-based permissions for multi-user support, Multi-timezone and multi-language support (30+ languages)
Reporting & Analytics
Detailed reports by users, customers, projects, activities, tags, and time periods, Data export in PDF, DOCX, XLSX, CSV, HTML, ODS formats, Audit log for all data changes to prevent manipulation, Dashboard with statistics and charts
Invoicing & Billing
Configurable invoice templates with entry grouping and numbering, Invoice generation in PDF, DOCX, ODS, XLSX, HTML, CSV formats, E-invoices compliant with EN 16931, XRechnung 3.0, Zugferd/Factur-X, Multi-currency support for global billing
Security & Authentication
Two-factor authentication (2FA) with TOTP tokens, Support for external identity providers via LDAP and SAML (Google Workspace, Azure AD, Authentik), GDPR-compliant EU hosting for cloud version, IP-based access restrictions and detailed role concept
Extensibility & Integration
Extensive JSON REST API for reading and writing data, Plugin marketplace for additional features (e.g., expenses, custom fields), Docker support and flexible deployment options (self-hosted or SaaS), Task planning and expense tracking via plugins

Harvest

Time Tracking
Track time from desktop, mobile, or browser, Start/stop timers with one click, Automatic time capture for apps and websites, Idle time detection
Invoicing & Payments
Create and send professional invoices, Accept online payments via Stripe, PayPal, Automated invoice reminders, Multi-currency support
Reporting & Insights
Visual project and team reports, Budget tracking and forecasting, Customizable dashboards, Export reports to CSV or PDF
Integrations
Connects with 100+ apps (e.g., Asana, Trello, QuickBooks), Zapier and API access, Slack and Microsoft Teams notifications, Google Calendar sync
See Kimai →More Harvest alternatives