Cadensa vs Harvest: EU Time Tracking
Both track time and invoices. Only one keeps your data in Europe.
Harvest is popular with agencies for time tracking and invoicing — but it's a US company storing data on American servers. Cadensa delivers the same core workflow with EU data residency on every plan, including Free.
Start Free with CadensaQuick Verdict
Choose Cadensa if:
- Your agency is EU-based and GDPR compliance matters
- You want EU data residency on the free plan
- You want a founding-member price locked forever
- You need time tracking + invoicing in one EU-native tool
Choose Harvest if:
- Data residency is not a compliance requirement
- You rely on Harvest's deep QuickBooks or Xero integration
- Your team is already set up in Harvest
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Cadensa | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| Data stored in the EU by default (Germany & France) | ||
| GDPR rights tooling on the free plan (export, erasure, restriction, objection) | ||
| Self-service data export (GDPR Art. 20) | ||
| Account deletion with data erasure | ||
| Free plan available | ||
| Billable hours tracking | ||
| Project & task management | ||
| Team workspaces | ||
| Reports & CSV export | ||
| Invoice integration built-in | ||
| Two-factor authentication | ||
| Founding member price lock |
Comparison based on the providers' publicly available documentation, checked on 31 July 2026. Harvest may have changed since — if you spot an inaccuracy, write to legal@cadensa.io and we will correct it.
Pricing Comparison
| Plan | Cadensa | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Free forever — EU data storage + GDPR tools included | No multi-user free plan — 1 seat & 2 projects only |
| Paid plan | €4.99/user/mo — founding member price, locked forever (regular price €9.99) | $9–14/user/mo — Teams/Enterprise plans, US data storage |
The GDPR Difference
Under GDPR and Schrems II, EU companies are responsible for where their vendors store personal data. Harvest is a US-based company (New York) storing data on American servers — which creates compliance risk for EU businesses.
EU Data Residency
Cadensa's application runs on Hetzner (Germany), and the database runs on OVHcloud (France). No time entry, project name, or user data ever leaves the EU.
GDPR Tools on Every Plan
Data export, account deletion, and consent management are available on the free plan — not locked behind a paid upgrade.
Schrems II Risk Eliminated
With all customer data stored on EU servers, Cadensa removes the Schrems II transfer risk that Harvest carries for EU businesses processing personal data.
Switching from Harvest to Cadensa
Moving your time tracking data takes less than a day.
- 1Export your Harvest data as CSV from Reports → Export
- 2Sign up for Cadensa — free, no credit card required
- 3Create your workspaces, projects, and tasks
- 4Invite your team members
- 5Start tracking — your data stays within the EU from day one
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cadensa better than Harvest for GDPR compliance?
For EU-based agencies, yes. Cadensa stores all data within the EU (Hetzner, Germany & OVHcloud, France) and provides full GDPR tools — including self-service data export and account deletion — on the free plan. Harvest is a US company (New York) storing data on American infrastructure, which may create compliance obligations under Schrems II for EU businesses.
Does Cadensa have a free plan like Harvest?
Cadensa has a genuine multi-user free plan. Harvest's free tier is limited to a single seat and 2 projects — not practical for teams. Cadensa's free plan includes EU data storage and full GDPR compliance tools.
Can I import my Harvest data into Cadensa?
You can export your data from Harvest as CSV and recreate your projects in Cadensa. Full one-click import tooling is on the product roadmap.
Is Cadensa more expensive than Harvest?
Harvest's paid plans range from $9 to $14/user/month (Teams to Enterprise). Cadensa's current founding member price is €4.99/user/month (regular price €9.99), and is locked permanently — it will not increase as new features are added.
Where is Harvest data stored?
Harvest is a US-based company headquartered in New York and stores data on American cloud infrastructure. For EU businesses processing employee or client data, this may create compliance concerns under GDPR and Schrems II.
Is Harvest GDPR compliant?
Harvest is a US company headquartered in New York. While they offer a DPA, all data is stored on US cloud infrastructure subject to the CLOUD Act. For EU agencies requiring verified data residency within Europe — not just contractual assurances — Cadensa is the compliant alternative, storing all data within the EU (Hetzner, Germany & OVHcloud, France).
Is there an EU alternative to Harvest?
Yes. Cadensa is built for EU agencies as a direct Harvest alternative. Key differences: data stored within the EU (Hetzner, Germany & OVHcloud, France — not the US), EU-incorporated company (Hungary), GDPR compliance tools on every plan, and no CLOUD Act exposure. Cadensa also includes a genuine free plan — Harvest does not offer one.
Ready to switch to EU-native time tracking?
Start free — no credit card, no commitment. Your data stays in Europe from day one.
Start Free with Cadensa