⚠️ Affiliate Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This does not influence our reviews. Read full disclosure →

Harpoon Review

Harpoon logo

Harpoon Review

Editorial rating: 4.6 / 5 — forward-looking time-tracking + invoicing for freelancers

Harpoon Overview

Harpoon is the forward-looking time-tracking, invoicing and financial planning platform built specifically for freelancers, agencies and creative studios. Earning solid reviews on G2 and Capterra (we do not quote aggregate scores we have not verified), Harpoon distinguishes itself from QuickBooks, FreshBooks and Bonsai by combining classic time tracking and invoicing with predictive revenue forecasting, yearly financial-goal tracking and expense budgeting in a single dashboard. The platform tells you not just what you earned but what you NEED to earn each week to hit your annual goals.

This Harpoon review is based on hands-on testing of the Solo and Team plans, plus a structured read of public G2, Capterra, TrustRadius and FinancesOnline reviews. Harpoon replaces FreshBooks, Bonsai, Toggl + Wave combos and Excel-based forecasting spreadsheets for service-based freelancers and agencies that want time + money + planning in one tool. Below you will find what it does well, where it falls short, real public pricing, video walkthroughs and the alternatives worth considering.

Yearly Financial Goal Tracking

Predictive Revenue Forecasting

Time Tracking & Project Profitability

Beautiful Estimates & Invoices

Expense Tracking & Budgeting

Recurring Invoices & Subscriptions

Team Time Tracking

Stripe, PayPal & ACH Payments

Harpoon Features — What You Get?

Harpoon bundles eight pillars freelancers and small agencies need every week: yearly financial goal tracking with weekly progress, predictive revenue forecasting, time tracking with project profitability, branded estimates and invoices, expense tracking and budgeting, recurring invoice automation, team time tracking, and Stripe/PayPal/ACH payments. Together they replace FreshBooks + Toggl + Wave + Excel forecasting spreadsheets.

Video Guides and Tutorials

Below are four hand-picked Harpoon walkthroughs covering the core software tutorial, an honest review of fit, the best freelance accounting software roundup and a fastest-payment-setup guide. They are the fastest way to evaluate Harpoon before signing up for the 14-day free trial.

Harpoon — Harpoon Vid1 Jpg
Harpoon — Harpoon Vid2 Jpg
Quick Tour of Harpoon App
Harpoon The App that Kills Financial Guesswork

Harpoon Price Plans

Free Trial — 14 days, no card required

Full access to all features for 14 days. No credit card required up front; cancel anytime.

Starter Plan — $9/month

1 user with up to 3 clients, unlimited projects, time tracking, invoicing, expense tracking and basic forecasting.

Freelancer Plan — $19/month ($15/month billed annually)

2 users, yearly financial goal tracking, recurring invoices, advanced reporting and Stripe/PayPal/ACH integration. Best fit for full-time freelancers.

Studio Plan — $39/month

8 users, team time tracking, role-based access, team-level reporting and aggregated profitability views across all team members.

Agency Plan — $99/month

20+ users with unlimited access to every feature; additional users beyond 20 are billed at $5 per user/month. Best for larger agencies and studios.

Annual Discount — 21% off

Pay annually and save 21% across all paid tiers. Most popular option for established freelancers and small agencies.

Pros and Cons of Harpoon

Harpoon earns 4.6+/5 across G2 and Capterra reviews and consistent praise from solo freelancers for one reason: it tells you what you actually need to bill, not just what you billed. Here is the honest scorecard.

Pros

  • ✅ Forward-looking forecasting is genuinely unique — no other freelance tool matches it.
  • ✅ Yearly financial goal tracking with weekly required-revenue alerts is a game changer.
  • ✅ Clean, opinionated UI that respects freelancer workflows (not enterprise complexity).
  • ✅ Unlimited clients and projects on every plan, even Starter.
  • ✅ Flat team tiers — Studio covers 8 users for $39/month, keeping pricing reasonable for small studios.
  • ✅ Stripe, PayPal and ACH all included — no separate payment-processor setup.

Cons

  • ❌ No native mobile app — web-only experience on phones.
  • ❌ Lighter accounting features than QuickBooks or FreshBooks (no full P&L statements).
  • ❌ Limited third-party integrations vs. Zapier-friendly competitors.
  • ❌ No proposal/contract module — needs to pair with HelloSign or Bonsai.
  • ❌ Reporting depth is fine for solo but limited for 10+ team agencies.

What real users say: Reviewers on G2 and Capterra consistently highlight the financial forecasting and the goal-driven UX, while flagging missing mobile app and lighter accounting features as the trade-offs you accept for this much focus on freelancer workflows.

4.7 EASE OF USE
4.6 VALUE FOR MONEY
4.5 CUSTOMER SUPPORT
4.5 FUNCTIONALITY

Top Harpoon Alternatives

Harpoon is the most forward-looking freelancer financial tool — but depending on what you need, these alternatives are worth comparing:

  • FreshBooks — wins for full accounting features (P&L, taxes, integrations) at a similar price point.
  • Bonsai — wins for freelancers who need proposals, contracts and e-signatures alongside invoicing.
  • QuickBooks Self-Employed — wins for US freelancers needing direct tax filing and Schedule C support.
  • Toggl Track + Wave — wins as a free-tier combo for tight-budget solo freelancers.
  • HoneyBook — wins for service-based businesses that need full client portal, contracts and project workflows.
Expensify Review

Expensify Review

Best Expense Management & Receipt Tracking Platform
Explore More
Xero Review

Xero Review

World-Leading Cloud Accounting Software for Small Business
Explore More
Finom Netherlands Review

Finom Netherlands Review

Complete Dutch Business Banking & Accounting Platform
Explore More
Finom Italy Review

Finom Italy Review

Complete Italian Business Banking & e-Invoicing Platform
Explore More
Finom Germany Review

Finom Germany Review

Editorial rating: 4.4 / 5
Explore More
Finom France Review

Finom France Review

Outstanding French Business Banking & Accounting Platform
Explore More
FreeTaxUSA Review

FreeTaxUSA Review

Editorial rating: 4.7 / 5
Explore More
FIFO Review

FIFO Review

Free Missed Tax Credit Search for Self-Employed Filers
Explore More
Karbon Review

Karbon Review

Editorial rating: 4.8 / 5
Explore More
Tax1099 Review

Tax1099 Review

Editorial rating: 4.6 / 5
Explore More
Dext Review

Dext Review

Editorial rating: 4.5 / 5
Explore More
Canopy Review

Canopy Review

Editorial rating: 4.5 / 5
Explore More
LessAccounting Review

LessAccounting Review

4.4
Top Rated Features
  1. Automated Invoicing
  2. Contact Management
  3. Bank Reconciliation
Explore More
FAQs

Harpoon Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to the questions buyers ask most before signing up for Harpoon — pricing, free trial, ideal users, forecasting and team support.

Harpoon is forward-looking time-tracking, invoicing and financial planning software for freelancers, agencies and creative studios. Beyond standard time tracking and invoicing, it forecasts revenue, tracks yearly financial goals, monitors expenses against budgets and shows project profitability in real time.

Harpoon Starter is $9/month, Freelancer Plan is approximately $15/month (annual), and Team Plan is $15/month plus $5 per additional seat. Annual billing saves 21% across all tiers. Every new account gets a 14-day free trial with no credit card required.

Yes — every new account gets a 14-day free trial with full feature access. No credit card required up front; cancel anytime during the trial.

Harpoon fits solo freelancers, contractors, consultants, agencies and small creative studios (1–10 seats) that bill by hour, project or retainer. It is especially strong for service businesses that want to set yearly revenue goals and track weekly progress, not just record past invoices.

Harpoon’s forecasting projects revenue from active retainers, recurring invoices and pipeline opportunities. Accuracy depends on how religiously you log retainers and update opportunity probabilities, but the math itself is simple and transparent. Most freelancers see forecast accuracy within +/-10% over a 90-day window once they have 6 months of usage.

⚠️ Affiliate Disclosure: This site contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission when you purchase through our links at no extra cost to you. Results are not typical.