How Aeto compares to the alternatives.
Aeto is built for freelancers who manage projects, track time, and invoice from one native Mac app. Here is how it stacks up against the most common alternatives.
30-day free trialNo credit card requiredmacOS 12+Apple Silicon
01
Harvest
Harvest is great for time tracking and invoicing. If you also need project management and a Mac-native app, see how Aeto compares.
Aeto vs Harvest
02
HoneyBook
HoneyBook is built around proposals, contracts, and client relationships. If you are past the proposal stage and need project and time management, see how Aeto compares.
Aeto vs HoneyBook
03
Bonsai
Bonsai covers proposals, contracts, time tracking, and invoicing in one web app. If you want a native Mac desktop app with a menu bar timer, see how Aeto compares.
Aeto vs Bonsai
Aeto vs. the Competition.
Many tools have some parts, but nobody has all the parts of Aeto.
Bottom line
Edit this verdict to summarise why Aeto wins for your target reader.
| Tool | Project management | Time Tracking | Invoicing | Menu Bar Timer | Monthly Price | Annual price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aeto | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | $10 / mo | $8.33 / mo |
| Harvest | No | Yes | Yes | No | $13.75 / mo | $11 / mo |
| HoneyBook | Basic | Basic | Yes | No | $36 / mo | $29 / mo |
| Bonsai | Yes | Yes * | Yes * | No | $29 / mo | from $9 / mo |
| Asana | Yes | Paid upgrade | No | No | Free / $13.49 / mo | Free / $10.99 / mo |
| Trello | Basic | Integration required | No | No | Free / $5 / mo | Free / $5 / mo |
| Jira | Yes (dev-focused) | Basic only | No | No | Free / $8.15 / mo | Free / $7.91 / mo |
| Basecamp | Yes | Integration required | No | No | $15 / mo | $15 / mo |
| Smartsheet | Yes | Integration required | No | No | $12 / mo | $9 / mo |
Notes:
* Bonsai: Invoicing and time tracking require the Essentials plan or above. Basic plan ($9/user/mo annual) includes time tracking and project management, but not invoicing. Essentials adds invoicing at $29/user/mo monthly; annual pricing not confirmed at time of writing.
Asana time tracking: Available on the Advanced plan only ($24.99/user/mo annual). The Starter and free plans require a third-party time-tracking integration. No invoicing at any tier.
HoneyBook: Primarily a client management and proposals tool. Time tracking is basic and not connected to invoicing. Significant price increase in February 2025 — up to 89% on some tiers.
Harvest: Time tracking and invoicing only. No project management. Per-seat pricing — costs rise with each additional user.
Jira: Official Jira Cloud Mac desktop app was sunsetted by Atlassian. Jira is currently web-only. Time tracking in Jira is basic issue time logging, not billing-focused.
Basecamp / Trello / Smartsheet: No native time tracking or invoicing at any price tier. All require third-party integrations for billing workflows.
All prices: Per-user pricing shown for one user. Annual prices shown as monthly equivalent unless a flat annual total is displayed. Prices verified at time of writing.
Aeto: Apple Silicon Macs only (M1 – M5). macOS 12 or later. Menu bar timer is macOS-exclusive.