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What you can sync between Plutio and Harvest
Every time someone logs hours in Harvest, creates a project, or marks an entry as billable, the data can flow to Plutio automatically. The reverse works too: creating a project in Plutio can generate a matching project in Harvest so time tracking starts immediately without manual setup in both apps.
Time entries to Plutio tasks
Harvest time entries sync to Plutio with project name, client, hours, billable status, and notes attached. Project managers see exactly how many hours each task consumed without asking team members to update two systems, and the data feeds directly into Plutio's project view.
Billable hours to invoice line items
When billable hours land in Plutio, they inform invoice creation. Instead of cross-referencing a Harvest timesheet with a Plutio invoice, the hours are already there, so building an invoice with accurate line items takes minutes instead of an afternoon.
Projects to matching workspaces
Create a project in Plutio and a matching project appears in Harvest automatically. Team members start tracking time against the correct project from day one, and naming stays consistent across both platforms because Zapier copies the project title directly.
Client data between platforms
New clients added in Plutio can generate matching client records in Harvest, which keeps contact details, billing rates, and project assignments aligned without duplicate data entry.
Expense entries to project costs
Harvest tracks expenses alongside time entries. Syncing expense data to Plutio means project budgets reflect both labor costs and out-of-pocket expenses, so the total project cost stays accurate throughout the engagement.
Timesheet summaries to weekly reports
Pull weekly timesheet totals from Harvest into Plutio for combined reporting. Managers see hours worked alongside project milestones, deliverables, and invoice status in one place rather than flipping between two dashboards.
How do I sync Harvest time entries to Plutio?
Create a Zapier workflow that triggers on new Harvest time entries and sends the data to Plutio, where hours appear alongside your projects and tasks.
When someone logs time in Harvest, Zapier detects the new entry and pushes the details to Plutio: project name, client, hours worked, billable status, date, and any notes the team member added. The entry appears in Plutio within minutes (depending on your Zapier plan interval), attached to the matching project.
The result is a single source of truth for project progress. Plutio shows the proposal, contract, tasks, deliverables, and now the hours logged against each one. When a client asks how many hours went into a specific deliverable, the answer is already there without opening Harvest separately.
Syncing time entries eliminates the end-of-week scramble where freelancers cross-reference two apps to figure out what they worked on and how long each task took.
Fields that sync for each time entry
- Project name links the entry to the correct Plutio project
- Client name ties hours to a specific client record
- Hours worked feeds into budget tracking and utilization
- Billable status separates paid work from internal time
- Date and notes provide context for invoicing and reviews
How do I create Plutio tasks from Harvest projects?
Set up a Zapier workflow that watches for new Harvest projects and creates corresponding tasks or projects in Plutio with the project name, client, budget, and deadline mapped automatically.
When a new project appears in Harvest, Zapier copies the project details to Plutio and creates a task list or project shell. Team members working in Plutio see the new project immediately with the correct client attached, the budget set, and time tracking already active in Harvest. No one has to create the same project twice.
Agencies with separate project management and time tracking teams benefit most from this workflow. The project manager creates work in Harvest (or Plutio, depending on direction), and the other platform mirrors the structure automatically. Changes to project names or client assignments sync on subsequent triggers.
Mapping projects between both platforms prevents the common problem where a project exists in one tool but not the other, which leads to untracked hours and missing invoice data.
What to map when creating tasks from Harvest
- Project name becomes the Plutio task or project title
- Client attaches the correct client record in Plutio
- Budget sets the project budget for tracking against logged hours
- Notes carry over project scope details and billing instructions
How do I connect Plutio to Harvest?
Use Zapier to connect Plutio and Harvest. Choose what event in Harvest starts the sync (like a new time entry), choose what happens in Plutio (like creating a task), match the data fields between both apps, and activate the workflow.
Before connecting, decide which direction data should flow and what triggers matter most. Most freelancers start with "new Harvest time entry" as the trigger and "create or update record in Plutio" as the action. You need active accounts on both platforms and a free Zapier account.
Step by step
- Step 1: Log into Zapier and create a new workflow. Choose Harvest as the trigger app and select the event you want to watch for: New Time Entry, New Project, or New Invoice.
- Step 2: Connect your Harvest account by entering your Harvest credentials when Zapier prompts you. Authorize Zapier to access your Harvest data.
- Step 3: Choose Plutio as the action app. Select what should happen when the trigger fires: Create Task, Create Project, or Update Record.
- Step 4: Connect your Plutio account and map each Harvest field to the matching Plutio field. Project name to project name, client to client, hours to hours, and so on.
- Step 5: Test the workflow with real data from Harvest. Verify the record appears correctly in Plutio, then turn on the workflow.
Tip: Start with one workflow syncing time entries. Once that runs smoothly for a week, add a second workflow for projects or invoices.
How much does Plutio + Harvest + Zapier cost?
Harvest has a free plan, Zapier has a free tier, and Plutio has a free trial, so you can test the full integration without paying anything.
Harvest pricing
Harvest Free includes 1 seat and 2 projects with full time tracking, invoicing, and reporting features. The Pro plan costs $11 per seat per month and removes the project and seat limits. Most solo freelancers stay on the free plan until they take on a third concurrent project or add a subcontractor.
Zapier pricing
Zapier's free plan includes 100 workflow runs per month with 15-minute check intervals. A "run" happens each time data syncs. Logging 5 time entries per day across 20 workdays uses 100 runs, so active trackers may hit the limit. Paid plans start at $29.99 per month for 750 runs and 2-minute intervals.
Plutio pricing
Plutio offers a 7-day free trial with access to all features. After that, Core plan costs $19 per month and includes projects, tasks, invoices, contracts, proposals, and the client portal. Pro plan for teams costs $49 per month.
Bottom line: A solo freelancer can run Plutio Core ($19/month) plus Harvest Free ($0) plus Zapier Free ($0) for $19/month total. Add Harvest Pro ($11/month) only when you outgrow 2 projects.
What if my Harvest sync breaks?
Check Zapier's task history first because the log shows exactly which sync failed, when the failure happened, and what error message Harvest or Plutio returned.
Most Harvest sync problems come from field mismatches or expired authentication tokens. Harvest requires re-authorization every few months depending on your account settings, and Zapier workflows pause automatically after repeated failures.
Common issues and fixes
- Authentication expired: Harvest tokens expire periodically. Open your Zapier workflow, click the Harvest connection, and re-authorize with your Harvest credentials. The workflow resumes immediately.
- Project not found in Plutio: The workflow tries to attach time entries to a Plutio project that does not exist yet. Create a separate workflow that syncs projects first, or use Zapier's "Find or Create" action to handle missing records automatically.
- Duplicate time entries: Switch from "Create Record" to "Find or Create Record" in your Zapier action step. Use a unique identifier like the Harvest time entry ID to prevent duplicates.
- Sync delay feels slow: Zapier's free plan checks every 15 minutes. Upgrade to a paid plan for 2-minute or 1-minute intervals if near-real-time syncing matters for your workflow.
Disconnecting Zapier does not delete data in either platform. Time entries already synced to Plutio stay there permanently. Reconnect anytime and syncing resumes from where it stopped.
