You're Switching from Harvest.
Here's Why Animators Choose Nexa.

Harvest
$11/mo
$132/year — every year, forever
Nexa
$279
Once. Own it forever.
or 3 payments of $99
Break even in 25.4 months. Then it's free forever.
"Switched from Harvest after the last price increase. Nexa does everything I needed for $279. Wish I'd done it sooner."
— Verified animator, former Harvest customer

The Bottom Line

Animators on Harvest pay $11/month — $132/year. Over three years, that's $396. Nexa is $279 once. Break-even runs about 25.4 months. The median animator earns $45,000/year, so Harvest's annual cost is roughly 0.3% of typical revenue — every year, forever.

Key Numbers

$45,000
Median animator income
3%
Typical SaaS spend as % of revenue
25.4 mo
Break-even vs Harvest
$117
3-year savings switching to Nexa

What Harvest Is Costing You

The Damage

Harvest monthly $11/mo
Annual drain $132/yr
Year 2 (at today's price) $132
Year 3 $132
3-year total $396

That's $396 gone. And you don't own anything. Stop paying, lose access.

Your Harvest subscription has cost you $0.00 since you opened this page.

Why Animators Leave Harvest

✗Per-user pricing: 10 users = $110-$140/mo
✗Forecast add-on adds another $5/user/mo
✗Full workflow (Harvest + Forecast): ~$480/mo for 30 users
✗No built-in PTO/leave management
✗Just time + invoicing - need other tools for CRM/scheduling
✗Added a new forecasting tool as a separate product... costs additional monthly fee per user
✗Instead of extending Harvest capabilities, they froze features and charge more
✗The hidden application fee structure makes it most expensive despite appearing affordable
Animators are leaving Harvest every week.

You're not the only one who's had enough.

Why This Matters for Animators

A thirty-second animated explainer takes me three to five weeks. It starts with the script, which the client usually writes and I usually cut, because every second on screen costs animation time. Then a storyboard, a sequence of rough frames that shows every scene, and a style frame or two so the client sees exactly how it will look before I animate anything. Changes are cheap at the storyboard stage and expensive later, so I push for sign-off there. Next is the voiceover, recorded first so I can time the animation to it. Then the long part: building characters and assets, animating each scene, adding motion to text and transitions, and adding sound effects and music. Rendering can take hours for complex scenes. The client gets two rounds of revisions in my contract, and I'm specific about what counts as a revision versus a new request. Deliverables come in several formats for web, social and presentations. I take a deposit before the script is locked, a payment at storyboard approval and the balance on delivery.

Animators face unique challenges: Projects take weeks-months with unclear scope and revision cycles. Revision rounds are the profit killer — clients want 'just one more tweak'. Per-second pricing vs. flat rate vs. hourly decisions. Software subscriptions (Adobe CC, plugins) eating into margins. On top of all that, Harvest charges $11/month ($132/year) — money that comes directly from your revenue. The median animator earns $45,000/year. Software at $132/year is a meaningful percentage of that income, every year, forever. And you do not own anything.

Your Animation software (After Effects, Toon Boom, Blender) is yours. You bought it once. Nexa works the same way — $279 once for invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, and full accounting. All connected. All offline-capable. You own it like you own your tools.

Your Full Stack Cost

Harvest is just one piece. What else are you losing money on?

Want this breakdown emailed to you?

Your exact Harvest cost, full stack total, and what switching saves. 10 seconds.

"I was paying Harvest $11/month and didn't question it until I did the math. $396 over 3 years for tools I don't even own. Nexa was $279. Once. Done."
— Animator business owner

What You Get Instead

Feature Harvest Nexa
Invoicing ✓ ✓
Scheduling ✗ ✓
CRM ✗ ✓
Time Tracking ✓ ✓
Full Accounting ✗ ✓ (SIMPL)
Task Management ✗ ✓
Works offline ✗ ✓
Price $11/mo forever $279 once
or 3 × $99
3-Year Cost $396 $279
Stop paying? Lose everything Keep everything forever

Switching Takes 1-2 Days

Most animators are fully switched before the weekend.

1

Export your data

Go to Settings → Manage → Export. Download time entries, invoices, and expenses.

2

Set up Nexa

10-minute setup. Import your client list by CSV, then set up your projects.

3

Start tracking in Nexa

Begin using Nexa time tracker. Import historical time data if needed.

4

Cancel Harvest

Cancel subscription. Download a final export for your records.

✓ Run both in parallel. Cancel Harvest when you're confident. Zero risk.

What animators actually deal with

A day in the life of a animator

A thirty-second animated explainer takes me three to five weeks. It starts with the script, which the client usually writes and I usually cut, because every second on screen costs animation time. Then a storyboard, a sequence of rough frames that shows every scene, and a style frame or two so the client sees exactly how it will look before I animate anything. Changes are cheap at the storyboard stage and expensive later, so I push for sign-off there. Next is the voiceover, recorded first so I can time the animation to it. Then the long part: building characters and assets, animating each scene, adding motion to text and transitions, and adding sound effects and music. Rendering can take hours for complex scenes. The client gets two rounds of revisions in my contract, and I'm specific about what counts as a revision versus a new request. Deliverables come in several formats for web, social and presentations. I take a deposit before the script is locked, a payment at storyboard approval and the balance on delivery.

The tools a working animator actually owns

Why animators leave the big platforms

Where animators actually talk shop

Local animators on Nexa

Real animators near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee. Are you an animator? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time. Or browse every animator on Nexa →

FAQ

Is Nexa really a Harvest replacement for animators?

For solo operators and small teams (1-5), yes. Nexa includes invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, task management, and full accounting. Harvest may be better if you have a large team (10+) or need enterprise-specific features.

$279 seems like a lot.

It's $7.75/month over 3 years. Harvest is $11/month — that's $396 over 3 years. Which is more? And if you'd rather split it, Nexa is also available as 3 payments of $99.

Can I pay in installments?

Yes. Nexa is $279 as a one-time payment, or 3 payments of $99 ($297 total). Either way it's a one-time purchase — no subscription, no recurring fees ever.

What if I don't like it?

30-day money-back guarantee. Full refund. If Nexa doesn't save you $500 in year one, you get every penny back.

Can I import my Harvest data?

Export your data from Harvest as CSV, import into Nexa in about 5 minutes.

Animators in Oakland

The average solo operator there spends about $3,480/year on software — and animator face their own version of that math. CA state licensing requirements apply.

Numbers reflect typical solo operators in the Oakland metro. Your situation will vary.

If You Need These — Nexa Has Them

Specific gaps Animators run into with Harvest, and what Nexa does instead.

✗
Harvest gapScheduling
✓
NexaBuilt-in scheduling and booking — no separate tier.
✗
Harvest gapCRM
✓
NexaFull CRM module included in $279.
✗
Harvest gapFull financial suite
✓
NexaBuilt into Nexa’s $279 once purchase — no separate add-on.

Where Animators Talk Shop

If you want to compare notes or see how other animators are running their tools, here's where the conversation happens.

Reddit
r/animation, r/MotionDesign, r/AfterEffects, r/freelance
Forums
Motionographer Community
YouTube
Ben Marriott, School of Motion, Dope Motions
Podcasts
The Futur, School of Motion Podcast
"Harvest raised prices again and I was done. Found Nexa — $279 once. I own it. No more 'we're updating our pricing' emails. Best business decision this year."
— Animator, switched from Harvest

Stop Losing $132/Year to Harvest

$396 over 3 years. Or $279 once (or 3 × $99). Own your tools.

Get Nexa — $279 Once
or 3 payments of $99
✓ 30-day money-back guarantee — save $500 or full refund

Also Compare