Harvest subscription price increase

Harvest, time-tracking and invoicing software that the Italian tech company Bending Spoons acquired in July 2025, changed its pricing structure the following year and hiked bills by as much as 1,500%, BBC News reported. Businesses had paid a flat monthly fee for each user and under the new usage-based model can also be charged for their active projects, clients and tasks; the head of a UK consultancy firm told the BBC his monthly bill had risen from $130 to $2,110, and a Harvest spokesperson said customers on older legacy plans faced larger increases.

Businesses can pay Harvest by credit card, monthly or yearly, and under the terms last updated April 15, 2026 a plan renews automatically at the price in force at renewal, while a business that decides not to renew gets back none of the fees it has already paid. Harvest's Help Center says a business charged on a renewal it did not intend can ask for "a one-time goodwill refund", which the billing team reviews "case by case".

Reported bill increases

BBC News reported on August 20, 2026 that customers had shared their outrage after Harvest "hiked bills by as much as 1500%", with one person calling it "daylight robbery". The BBC reported that many businesses paying annually were "only now finding out about the increase" as their annual payments were coming up for renewal.

Salentis

Richard Haldenby, head of UK consultancy firm Salentis, told the BBC his monthly bill had risen from $130 (£95.50) to $2,110. Haldenby's business consists of up to 15 staff in the UK at any one time, with sister companies in the US and Australia. He said he was "in shock" when he received an email detailing the price changes. Haldenby said his three companies had used Harvest "for at least 15 years" and that, if the firm accepted the increase, it "would double our IT spend for the year, which is completely unaffordable".

Haldenby said he contacted Harvest to say his firm would not accept the change. He was then offered a discount for the next year, which the BBC reported would take the price down to $1,309 and would need to be paid up front. He said he believed this would just "delay the inevitable" and that he was "planning to migrate to a similar but less good service". He said: "It's a classic example of corporate greed over valuing customers".

Mike Martin

On August 13, 2026, Bloomberg News reported that web designer Mike Martin had paid Harvest for invoicing tools for 13 years. His freelance business last paid $211.20 for an annual subscription. Bloomberg reported that Martin was notified the previous month that the subscription "would renew at a higher price — a twelvefold jump to $2,547.60". Martin said he "was just trying to make sense of it" and asked: "How does this add up?"

Other reported increases

The BBC reported that others had described similar price hikes online, including one person in the US who said their annual charge went from $2,800 to $23,000. The technology news site Silicon UK reported on August 31, 2026 that customers of Harvest had "widely shared dramatic increases" that in some cases were "more than 15 times what they had previously paid". Silicon UK quoted a Reddit user who wrote that the new price "was 17 times (yes, 17x) what I paid for the past several years". Another user quoted by Silicon UK wrote of having "just had the email" about a price "rising from $12 (£9) a month to around $116 a month". The trade outlet Subscription Insider wrote that Harvest "has not raised every customer's price by the same percentage" and that the amount "depends on the account and the billing option".

Silicon UK reported that many users said they had easily migrated their data from Harvest to similar offerings. It also reported that one web developer told Bloomberg he had replicated the features he needed from Harvest into his own app using Anthropic's Claude Code.

Pricing consultants' assessments

Mark Peacock, head of the UK consultancy firm PriceMaker, which focuses on pricing strategy for small and medium-sized enterprises, said "Harvest has completely failed at the transparency test". Peacock said in the BBC report:

There is no way for a customer to work out how much it's going to cost them until they get their bill at the end of the month.

He added: "Many users are reporting a 10-fold increase in costs which is entirely unacceptable." Damian Foks, head of consulting at Valueships, said the Harvest price hike was "a clear sign of a shift in the company's strategy from growth to monetization". He said this was "likely" a result of the firm being taken over by new owners.

Switch to usage-based pricing

Until Harvest changed its pricing structure, businesses paid a flat monthly fee for each user and could add or remove users as their staffing needs changed. BBC News reported:

Under the new usage-based pricing model, businesses can also be charged according to the number of active projects, clients and tasks they have - as well as the amount of revenue they invoice through the platform.

Harvest's Help Center separates paid seats, which it describes as "slots available in your account", from active people, the individuals currently using the account.

Per-seat Pro and Premium plans

As of September 10, 2025, Harvest's Help Center told customers finishing a trial that they could choose from three plans: Premium, Pro, or Free. It still named the same three plans as of January 28, 2026.

The pricing page listed Pro at $11 or $13.75 per seat per month and Premium at $14 or $17.50 per seat per month, depending on billing period, with an "Annual 20% off" option, as of May 1, 2025. That page also listed a Free plan at "$0 forever" for one seat and two projects, and as of October 19, 2026, the pricing page lists the Free plan on the same terms. The same Pro and Premium prices were listed as of July 14, 2025, and Pro was still listed at $11 or $13.75 per seat per month as of January 4, 2026.

Teams and Enterprise plans

The pricing page listed a Teams plan "starting from" $9 or $11 per seat per month as of January 24, 2026, with Enterprise pricing shown as "Customizable". The page carried the line "The usage of some features may require the payment of fees." as of February 12, 2026. As of July 2, 2026, Enterprise was listed "starting from" $14 per seat per month, shown with "$168 per seat, billed annually", and the page said that as a team grows, additional invoices, projects, clients and tasks "are billed based on what you use, so you're never overpaying".

As of October 19, 2026, the pricing page carries the same usage line and lists Teams "starting from" $9 or $11 per seat per month, depending on billing period, shown with "$108 per seat, billed annually", and Enterprise "starting from" $14 or $17.50 per seat per month, shown with "$168 per seat, billed annually", with an Enterprise Plus tier at "Custom pricing". Paying for the year up front brings "a 20% discount", which the pricing page says is applied to the account automatically.

Harvest's Help Center says the Teams and Enterprise plans are each billed as Flex, which it labels "usage-based", or Unlimited, which it labels "fixed price". With Flex, a customer pays a per-seat rate plus usage-based charges calculated on the prior billing period's activity: active projects, active clients, active tasks and invoicing. Unlimited carries "a fixed usage fee", and either plan can be billed on a monthly or yearly cycle. The Help Center points customers who want "a predictable flat cost with no usage charges" to Unlimited billing. Subscription Insider also reported that Unlimited customers pay the fixed usage fee on top of the per-seat price and that Harvest did not publish "a standard Unlimited usage fee" on its pricing page.

Each plan includes a free usage allowance, and Harvest charges only for usage above it; only items with time tracked in the period count. For new accounts, usage-based charges begin at the second paid renewal. On Flex, the first invoice "usually covers seats only", and usage charges first appear at renewal; Harvest's own example is a bill that can jump "from a seats-only $44 to $404 once usage is added". The Help Center says the exact breakdown can be seen at any time under Settings, Billing, "My usage billing". When a trial ends, the checkout screen "pre-selects Enterprise + Annual by default".

Legacy plans

Harvest's Help Center says an account upgraded from a trial before November 7, 2024 "may be on one of our Legacy plans", whose pricing and features differ from the current pricing page. For a customer on a legacy plan, the in-app upgrade screen "may show several options side by side, including a higher-priced Enterprise option"; Harvest says that figure is "the cost of that specific plan, not a change to your current renewal".

As of January 28, 2026, the Help Center said Harvest was offering "our Legacy customers free access to Premium features" for a limited time. As of October 19, 2026, the Help Center says Harvest is offering "some of our Legacy customers" free access to Enterprise features, such as profitability reporting and the activity log, for a limited time. A legacy customer who upgrades to Enterprise is charged a prorated amount for the difference in price for the time remaining in the billing period.

Renewal, notice and refund terms

Contracting party and terms versions

The version of Harvest's terms effective March 3, 2025 defines "We" as "Iridesco, LLC d/b/a Harvest, a New York limited liability company, our Affiliates, and subsidiaries". In the version effective January 1, 2026, "We" means "Bending Spoons US Inc., a Delaware corporation, our Affiliates, and subsidiaries". The version last updated April 15, 2026 uses "We" for "Bending Spoons Operations S.p.A., with offices at Via Nino Bonnet 10, 20154 Milan, Italy". The April 2026 terms describe Bending Spoons Operations S.p.A. as a sole shareholder company "subject to the management and coordination of Bending Spoons S.p.A."

The April 2026 terms direct customers whose "usual residence is in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland" to a separate set of terms further down the same page. A separate Harvest page holding the terms effective January 1, 2026 says those terms applied "until June 30, 2026" to all customers who signed up to Harvest "on or before April 14, 2026".

Payment and automatic renewal

Harvest's pricing page states: "You can pay for Harvest via credit card either monthly or yearly." Its Help Center refers to "your card on file" and says customers who pay by credit card "receive an email for each payment". The April 2026 terms state: "You hereby authorize us to charge your designated payment method for all Fees payable."

Under section 5.1 of Harvest's April 2026 terms, when a Subscription Term expires, the plan "will automatically renew at the then-current Subscription Fee (except as provided below)" for recurring Subscription Terms of the same duration, unless Harvest elects "to renew the Subscription Plan for a shorter Subscription Term" or the plan "is canceled or not renewed in accordance with these Terms". The March 2025 terms, and the January 2026 terms on the transitional page, said a subscription "will automatically renew for successive Renewal Terms" lasting the shorter of the initial term or one year.

Notice of price changes

Another clause of the April 2026 terms says that changes, updates, suspensions or discontinuations of the service "may also result in adjustment to the applicable Fees, including price increases". In the version for customers outside the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, section 5.4 states that fees, including any Subscription Fee, and payment terms may be updated or changed "at any time at our sole discretion". Neither kind of fee change applies retroactively under that section; changes to Subscription Fees "will become effective upon the renewal of your Subscription Plan", and changes to other fees "will become effective upon posting the updated Fee on the Service".

Section 5.4 also says customers will get "30 days’ prior notice of any change in Subscription Fees that apply to you", to give them an opportunity not to renew before the change takes effect. The version for the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom and Switzerland says this notice comes "via email" or, where email notification is not possible, through "a pop-up or push notification within the Service". A Harvest Help Center page lists "Notifications of upcoming yearly payment (sent a month before annual renewal date)" among the emails customers "may potentially receive" from Harvest.

Both the March 2025 terms and the January 2026 transitional terms said the Subscription Fee "will remain fixed during the Current Term of your subscription" unless the customer added seats or otherwise upgraded, and reserved "the right to change Subscription Fee upon thirty (30) days notice". Under the March 2025 terms, that notice "may be provided at any time by posting the changes to Harvest or by email".

Refunds and cancellation

Section 5.2 of the April 2026 terms says a customer may elect not to renew "by logging into your account and canceling your Subscription Plan", or through "such other methods as we may make available from time to time", "no later than the last day of the then-current Subscription Term". Harvest's Help Center says canceling a subscription requires "a web browser" and cannot be done in the mobile or desktop apps.

Under section 5.2, a customer who elects not to renew "will not receive a refund or credit for any Fees you already paid". In the version for customers outside the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, section 6.4 says "prepaid but unused fees covering use of the Service after termination" will be promptly refunded if the customer terminates the terms "for cause" or if Harvest terminates them "with notice according to section 6.3(i)", the clause that lets Harvest end the terms "for any reason by providing you with 30 days’ prior notice". It adds: "Fees are otherwise non-refundable." The March 2025 terms said a customer "may choose to cancel your subscription early at your convenience", provided that Harvest "will not provide any refunds of prepaid fees or unused Subscription Fees" and that the customer "will promptly pay all unpaid fees due through the end of your Current Term".

Harvest's Help Center says canceling "stops the next renewal" but "doesn't automatically refund a charge already processed for the current term". Customers who were "charged on a renewal you didn't intend", or who must stop using Harvest mid-term because of "genuine hardship", can write in "to request a one-time goodwill refund", which the billing team reviews "case by case". If a refund is approved, the customer is "asked to close your account first", and the refund is then issued. The Help Center says the in-app chatbot "cannot issue a refund" and directs refund requests to the support team.

Reactivating a canceled account "starts a brand-new subscription at current pricing", and "a legacy or discounted rate you were on previously does not carry over". Once a plan has lapsed, the invoice and payments-received reports "can't be run", but a customer who has lost access and needs historical invoice reports can ask support for "a short courtesy reactivation so an Administrator can run and export them".

Arbitration and governing law

Section 1.4 of the April 2026 terms for customers outside the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom and Switzerland reads:

THESE TERMS CONTAIN A BINDING, INDIVIDUAL ARBITRATION REQUIREMENT AND CLASS-ACTION WAIVER, WHICH MEANS YOU AND WE AGREE TO RESOLVE MOST DISPUTES IN BINDING, INDIVIDUAL ARBITRATION AND NOT BY MEANS OF A CLASS ARBITRATION, A CLASS ACTION, ANY OTHER KIND OF REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING, OR A JURY TRIAL (SEE SECTION 14 BELOW). YOU MAY OPT OUT OF THE ARBITRATION REQUIREMENT WITHIN THIRTY (30) DAYS OF AGREEING TO BE SUBJECT TO THESE TERMS; INSTRUCTIONS FOR OPTING OUT ARE IN SECTION 14 BELOW.

Section 14 states that customers have "the right to opt out of binding arbitration" within 30 days of the date they first accept the terms, by email or by certified mail to Bending Spoons Operations S.p.A. in Milan, Italy. Subject to the terms of section 14, claims "may only be adjudicated by binding individual arbitration conducted by National Arbitration and Mediation". That version names "the laws of the State of New York, U.S." as the law governing the terms and any dispute arising out of or in connection with them. The version for the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom and Switzerland names "the laws of Italy" and says any controversy or claim in relation to the application or interpretation of the terms, or arising out of use of the service, "will be submitted to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Court of Milan, Italy".

Both the March 2025 and January 2026 terms said any legal action or proceeding arising under the agreement would be brought "exclusively in the federal or state courts located in the Southern District of New York".

Statements from Harvest and Bending Spoons

The BBC reported:

A Harvest spokesperson said customers on "outdated" legacy plans, some dating back to 2011, faced larger price increases as the product became "a significantly more powerful" tool.

The spokesperson added that customers are notified "30 days" by email and then "10 days before their renewal date", and can switch plans "in one click" or request help finding a better price.

Silicon UK reported on August 31, 2026 that Bending Spoons said its prices are in line with those of comparable products.

In the "Risk factors" section of its June 30, 2026 prospectus, the document offering its shares to investors, Bending Spoons stated:

In addition, optimizing marketing and monetization strategies may include price increases, changes to subscription tiers or plans, bundling strategies, or billing terms, which may result in higher churn, reduced conversion rates, or adverse public perception, including if customers believe that pricing changes are inconsistent with the value delivered.

Bending Spoons also stated in that section:

For example, requirements regarding simpler or more prominently featured cancellation mechanisms, or opt-in for changes in pricing, subscription plans, or billing models could increase churn and hinder our ability to maintain existing subscriptions.

Background

Harvest offers "time-tracking and invoicing software for freelancers and professional services firms", according to the Bending Spoons prospectus. BBC News described it as "an app used by many businesses to track timesheets and produce invoices". Harvest's homepage says "Over 70,000 companies use Harvest to turn tracked hours into paid invoices".

Harvest's About page says the product was created by two small business owners who were looking for "a better way to manage and grow their web design agency in New York City". The same page dates Harvest's launch to 2006. Danny Wen, who launched Harvest with his friend Shawn Liu, said in a 2011 interview with the startup business podcast Mixergy, "In 2003, we formed the company Iridesco."

Bending Spoons, a Milan-based tech conglomerate, has acquired more than 50 major tech firms since it was founded in 2013, such as the note-taking app Evernote, Vimeo and WeTransfer. The technology news site TechCrunch reported on July 5, 2026 that Bending Spoons had gone public on the Nasdaq that week.

In the prospectus, Bending Spoons states that on July 31, 2025 it completed the acquisition of 100% of the issued and outstanding equity securities of Iridesco, LLC, "a New York limited liability company and the owner of Harvest". The prospectus lists Iridesco, LLC, "doing business as Harvest", among the companies Bending Spoons acquired in 2025, with Brightcove Inc., komoot GmbH, Loomly Holdco, Inc. and MileIQ Inc. It gives $701 million as the total consideration paid for the Loomly, komoot, MileIQ and Harvest acquisitions combined.

The prospectus says Bending Spoons typically reimagines "an acquired business from scratch, aiming to maximize its performance with a long-term view" and calls the changes that follow "transformations". It states that, to appropriately staff the Harvest team after the July 2025 acquisition, Bending Spoons redeployed approximately half of the team previously dedicated to Evernote, "enabling us to execute the Harvest transformation quickly and effectively". The prospectus also says Bending Spoons' 2025 reorganization-related expense was driven by separation packages offered to team members in connection with the reorganizations of Brightcove, Harvest, komoot, Loomly, MileIQ and WeTransfer.

Prices and layoffs after earlier Bending Spoons acquisitions

In April 2023, months after the Evernote acquisition, Bending Spoons raised the annual personal subscription price for Evernote to $130 from $70, CNBC reported. TechCrunch reported on November 29, 2023 that Evernote would limit new and existing free users to 50 notes and one notebook per account starting December 4. TechCrunch reported that 129 people were laid off in February 2023, after Bending Spoons acquired Evernote.

Bending Spoons acquired Filmic, a maker of video and photo editing apps, in 2022 and laid off the entire staff in December 2023, TechCrunch reported. In September 2022, the filmmaking news site Newsshooter reported that the FiLMiC Pro app had cost $19 in the past and that "it looks like" it was moving to a plan of $2.99 a week.

In September 2024, Bending Spoons confirmed to TechCrunch that it was planning to lay off 75% of the staff of the file transfer service WeTransfer. The investigative journalism platform Follow the Money reported that the monthly WeTransfer subscription for the package used by video animator Gerbren Boere went up from 10 euros to 23 euros. Follow the Money also reported that, since the takeover of Meetup, an online platform for real-life socializing, Bending Spoons had more than doubled the costs for organizers such as Constantinos Papachristidis.

TechCrunch reported that the Vimeo deal closed in the latter half of 2025 and was followed by massive layoffs affecting most of the workforce, including the entire video team. On April 13, 2026, Bending Spoons said it had cut a large portion of the pre-acquisition workforce of the American ticketing platform Eventbrite and implemented broad product changes in the weeks following the deal closure, Reuters reported.

Bending Spoons chief executive officer Luca Ferrari told Follow the Money:

I agree that we often increase prices for users who use an application most frequently, but I would like to add that we almost every time greatly increased the value for free users. Take Meetup, for example. There are now more non-paying organisers than paying.

Bending Spoons co-founder Matteo Danieli told TechCrunch that despite all the changes, customer retention had been "remarkably stable". In its prospectus, Bending Spoons wrote "We intend to hold and operate the businesses we acquire indefinitely". Bending Spoons also wrote in the prospectus:

We have never sold a material business, nor do we expect to do so frequently in the future

Follow the Money reported that after many of its acquisitions, Bending Spoons followed "the same pattern": a massive round of redundancies, followed by a price increase and radical changes to the way the app works. TechCrunch wrote that Bending Spoons' focus is on making the brands it acquires more financially successful "with tech and AI", but also "often through price hikes and layoffs that have caused controversy". For customers of the companies Bending Spoons buys, "sudden price hikes can follow", CNBC wrote in October 2026. Silicon UK reported that ResetTech, which it described as a digital advocacy nonprofit, called Bending Spoons' business model of acquiring firms and raising prices "exploitative" and noted price increases at 10 Bending Spoons properties, including Evernote and WeTransfer.

See also

• Negative option marketing
• Click-to-cancel
• Forced arbitration
• Subscription service
• VMware licensing change since acquisition by Broadcom