Asana + Harvest for Freelance Writers (2026): Project Management Meets Precise Time Tracking

Freelance writers juggle deadlines, clients, and complex multi-step projects. Asana handles the project management. Harvest handles the time tracking and invoicing. Together, they create a professional workflow that ensures no deadline slips and no billable hour goes unrecorded.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you sign up for Asana or Harvest through the links below, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools I genuinely believe in.

Why Asana + Harvest?

Asana is built for managing complex work. Unlike simpler Kanban tools, Asana gives you list views, timeline views, boards, and calendars — all connected. You can break a big feature article into subtasks, set dependencies (research before drafting, drafting before editing), and track everything from pitch to publication in one place.

What Asana doesn't do is track your time or send invoices. That's where Harvest excels. Harvest is a time tracking and invoicing platform designed for creative professionals. It has a beautiful timer that integrates directly with your browser and desktop, automatic invoice generation from tracked hours, and expense tracking that makes tax season painless.

The combination is powerful because it mirrors how freelance writing actually works: Asana plans the work. Harvest tracks the time and gets you paid.

Feature Comparison

Setting Up Asana for Freelance Writing

Asana's flexibility is its strength. Here's an optimized setup for managing freelance writing projects:

The Multi-View Freelance Project

Create a project called "Writing Pipeline" and use Asana's multiple views:

• Board View: Kanban columns for Pitch → Accepted → Writing → Submitted → Revisions → Published
• List View: All assignments sorted by deadline, with custom fields for rate, word count, and client
• Timeline View: Gantt-style visualization showing overlapping deadlines and dependencies
• Calendar View: Monthly view of due dates and submission windows

Custom Fields for Writers

Set up these custom fields (available on Premium):

• Rate: Dollar amount (per word, per article, or hourly)
• Word Count: Target and actual
• Client/Publication: Dropdown of regular clients
• Content Type: Blog post, feature article, case study, newsletter
• Invoice Status: Not invoiced, invoiced, paid

→ Try Asana Free

Setting Up Harvest for Freelance Writing

Harvest is purpose-built for freelancers who bill by time. Here's the optimal setup:

1. Create Projects for Each Client

Set up a Harvest project for each publication or client. Assign your hourly rate or flat rate. Harvest will track time against each project and calculate earnings automatically.

2. Configure Task Types

Create tasks like "Writing," "Research," "Interviewing," "Editing," and "Admin." This helps you understand where your time goes — most freelance writers discover they spend 30-40% of their time on non-writing tasks like research and admin.

3. Set Up Invoice Templates

Design your invoice template with your branding. Harvest lets you include detailed time breakdowns or simple line items — choose based on what your clients prefer.

4. Enable Online Payments

Connect Stripe or PayPal to your Harvest account. Clients can pay directly from the invoice with a credit card. Harvest tracks which invoices are outstanding and sends automatic reminders.

→ Try Harvest Free

The Workflow: Asana → Harvest

Here's how the two tools work together throughout a freelance writing project:

1. Create assignment in Asana: Add the task with deadline, rate, and client. Set up subtasks: Research → Outline → Draft → Edit → Submit.
2. Start research: Click the Harvest timer from Asana's task pane (via the Harvest integration). The timer runs while you research, logging time to the correct project and task.
3. Write the draft: Switch the Harvest task to "Writing." The timer tracks your writing time separately from research.
4. Self-edit and revise: Mark the Asana subtasks as complete. Harvest continues tracking your editing time.
5. Submit to editor: Move the Asana task to "Submitted." Stop the Harvest timer. Review your total hours — are you pricing profitably?
6. Generate invoice: In Harvest, convert your tracked time into an invoice with one click. Add any expenses (research materials, travel). Send directly to the client.
7. Payment received: Harvest records the payment. Update Asana's "Invoice Status" field to "Paid."

The Native Integration

Asana and Harvest have a built-in integration — no Zapier needed. Here's what it does:

• Start/stop timer from Asana: A Harvest widget appears in each Asana task. Click to start tracking time without leaving Asana.
• Auto-link time entries: Every Harvest time entry is linked to the corresponding Asana task, so you always know which project earned which hours.
• Project sync: Harvest projects can be linked to Asana projects for unified tracking.

Pricing Breakdown

Recommended combo: Asana Premium ($10.99/mo) + Harvest Free. Total: $10.99/mo. The free Harvest plan (2 projects) works if you have 1-2 regular clients. Upgrade to Harvest Pro ($12/mo) for unlimited projects once you have 3+ clients.

Who Should Use This Combo?

Best for: Freelance writers who manage complex, multi-step projects with overlapping deadlines. Writers who bill hourly or want to understand their true hourly rate. Anyone who's outgrown Trello's simplicity and needs dependencies, timelines, and multiple project views.

Consider alternatives if: You prefer visual Kanban boards over list views (use Trello + Harvest instead). You need built-in accounting and tax filing (use Asana + QuickBooks instead). You want everything in one tool (use Notion, though you'll sacrifice specialized time tracking).

Asana + Harvest vs. Other Combos

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Asana-Harvest integration work on the free plans?

Yes. The Harvest timer widget appears in Asana tasks even on Asana's free plan. However, you'll need Harvest's free plan (1 seat, 2 projects) at minimum. The integration doesn't require any paid tier on either side.

Should I bill hourly or per-project?

Most freelance writers charge per-project or per-word, but tracking your time with Harvest is still valuable. It reveals your true hourly rate — if a $500 article consistently takes 15 hours, you're earning $33/hr. That data helps you raise your rates strategically. Harvest makes this effortless because the timer runs in Asana while you work.

What if I already use Toggl for time tracking?

Toggl is excellent for lightweight time tracking and integrates well with Asana too. The advantage of Harvest is built-in invoicing — Toggl tracks time but can't send invoices. If you're happy with your current invoicing tool, Toggl + Asana works great. If you want time tracking and invoicing in one, switch to Harvest.

Can I use Harvest for expense tracking too?

Absolutely. Harvest includes receipt scanning, expense categorization, and the ability to add expenses to client invoices. Common freelance writer expenses — software subscriptions, home office costs, research materials, and travel — can all be tracked and passed through to clients or deducted at tax time.

Final Verdict

Asana + Harvest is the "professional freelancer" stack. Asana gives you the project management horsepower to handle multiple clients, overlapping deadlines, and complex multi-step articles. Harvest gives you the time tracking precision and invoicing polish that makes your freelance business look and feel professional.

The native integration means you can start a timer from within Asana — no context switching, no forgetting to track time. At $10.99/mo (Asana Premium + Harvest Free), it's an affordable investment in your freelance career that pays for itself the first time you realize a "profitable" project is actually paying minimum wage.

→ Try Asana Free  |  → Try Harvest Free