ACOS vs Harvest + Basecamp

ACOS vs Harvest + Basecamp: two tools duct-taped together vs one operational loop

Harvest tracks time. Basecamp manages tasks. But neither knows about your deals, your invoices, your project margin, or your retainers. Every month you're manually exporting data between them — and still not knowing if you made money.

Harvest is the market leader in agency time tracking. Basecamp is a popular lightweight project tool. Together they cost $22–$49+/month and still leave gaps.

Try ACOS freeBook a demo

Where ACOS wins

  • One subscription instead of two — CRM, projects, time, and invoicing in one place
  • Margin visibility: see profit per project in real time, not after accounting closes
  • Pipeline → project conversion in one click — no re-entering client data
  • Retainer management with rollover hours and auto-invoicing
  • AI insights that surface risks before they become losses
  • Free plan forever for small teams

Where Harvest + Basecamp is stronger

  • Harvest has a best-in-class time tracking UX — very fast to log hours
  • Basecamp has a simpler, less opinionated interface some teams prefer
  • Both have been around for 15+ years with large, stable user bases
  • Harvest integrations with QuickBooks and Xero are well-tested

Feature comparison

Feature
ACOS
Harvest + Basecamp
CRM & Pipeline
Contact & company managementNeither Harvest nor Basecamp has CRM
Deal pipeline
Proposal builder + e-signature
Convert deal → project
Projects & Tasks
Task managementBasecamp handles tasks
Kanban boardBasecamp has card tables, not true Kanban
Partial
Task dependencies
Gantt / timeline view
Project templates
File attachments
Subtasks
Partial
Time Tracking
Time tracking with timerHarvest excels here
Manual time entries
Billable / non-billable split
Team utilisation reports
Partial
Time linked to project budget
Mobile time-log PWA
Finance & Invoicing
Invoice from billable hoursHarvest does this well
Project margin / profitabilityNo cost side — revenue only
Expense trackingHarvest has basic expenses
Partial
Retainer management
Recurring auto-invoicing
Partial
Stripe payment links
Partial payments
Invoice branding
Partial
Reporting & AI
Revenue & profitability reportsHarvest has revenue; no margin
Partial
Pipeline forecast
Smart alerts (overdue invoices, budget risk)
AI deal coaching + weekly digest
Pricing & Access
Free planHarvest free = 1 seat, 2 projects only
Partial
Works for solo consultantsBoth work solo; ACOS adds CRM and project ops
Client portal
2FA
GDPR compliance tools
Partial

✓ Included  ·  – Partial  ·  ✗ Not available  ·  Soon = planned  ·  Last updated June 2026. We update this page when features ship.

Pricing comparison

ACOS
Harvest + Basecamp
Free tier
Free forever (8 projects, 200 contacts)
Harvest free: 1 seat, 2 projects. Basecamp: none.
Paid entry
$9/seat/month (min 5 seats)
Harvest $13.75/seat + Basecamp $15/user = $28.75+/person
Team of 5
$45/month (Starter)
$143.75/month (both tools)
Team of 10
$90/month (Starter)
$287.50/month (both tools)
Data lives in
One database, one loop
Two separate tools, manual exports

Replace two subscriptions with one system that actually knows your margin.

Free plan forever. 21-day Growth trial. No credit card required.

Start free — no credit cardSee full pricing

Works for solo consultants too. ACOS Free gives freelancers 8 projects, 200 contacts, and full invoicing — no team required.