Resource Planning and PSA · Researched comparison

Float vs Resource Guru: Which Scheduler Wins

TaskReports may earn a fee from some links on this page, and some placements are paid and labelled. Neither one decides the order. See our disclosure.

The short answer

Resource Guru is the best pick for teams that want the lowest price for simple scheduling, starting at $4.16 per person per month billed annually. Float is the better choice for teams that want capacity planning, time off and margin tracking in the same view, starting at $7 per person per month billed annually.

On this page

Key takeaways

  • Resource Guru Grasshopper at $4.16 per person per month billed annually is the cheapest entry in this list, but it has no reports.
  • Float Starter at $7 per person per month billed annually includes capacity planning and time off from the start.
  • Resource Guru Blackbelt at $6.65 adds timesheets, custom reports and budgets, which most agencies need.
  • Forecast Lite at $29 per seat per month billed annually is the most expensive entry here, aimed at larger professional services teams.
  • Kantata is quote only with no free trial, so budget time for a sales call before you can compare its price.

Comparison

How these compare
ToolBest forPrice rangeFree plan
FloatVisual scheduling with capacity bars$7 per person/month (billed annually)Free trial (30 days)
Resource GuruLow-cost booking and scheduling$4.16 per person/month (billed annually)Free trial (30 days)
ForecastAI scheduling for larger teams$29 per seat/month (billed annually)Free trial (14 days)
RunnReal-time capacity and forecasts$7 per resource/month (billed annually)Free trial (30 days)
ProductiveScheduling plus agency billing$10 per user/month (billed annually)Free trial (14 days)
KantataDeep PSA for large firmsquote onlyNo
TeamworkProjects and time in one tool$9.99 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
HarvestSimple tracking with invoicing$9 per seat/month (billed annually)Yes

How we choose

We reviewed vendor pricing pages, plan documents and feature lists for each tool in this list, and we compared entry prices, free plan limits, scheduling depth, capacity views and reporting. We did not run hands-on tests. Prices are list prices in US dollars from the vendor pricing pages linked in Sources, checked on 14 November 2026. Where a vendor shows a monthly and an annual price, we quote the annual figure, since that is the price most teams actually pay.

Our full method

The shortlist

★ Best overall

Float

Best for Visual scheduling with capacity bars

  • Drag-and-drop timeline with live capacity bars
  • time off and margin tracking built in
Price$7 per person/month (billed annually)
See Float pricing

Float is the scheduler most agency owners try first, because the timeline shows who is booked, who is free and who is overloaded without any training. Starter costs $7 per person per month billed annually and covers resource scheduling, unlimited projects, capacity planning, time off and reporting. Pro costs $12 per person per month billed annually and adds built-in time tracking, single sign-on, rate cards, cost estimation and advanced reporting. Enterprise is priced on request, and the trial runs 30 days.

The limit is scope. Float plans people and capacity very well, but it is not a full project management or billing system, so most teams pair it with another tool for tasks and invoices. There is no free plan, only the 30-day trial, and Float charges per scheduled person, so viewers and non-scheduled staff still need a seat if they are booked. For a team that wants a clean visual scheduler above all else, Float is the best pick in this list.

Price: $7 per person/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Free trial (30 days)

Website: float.com

Watch out for

  • No free plan
  • time tracking needs Pro at $12
2

Resource Guru

Best for Low-cost booking and scheduling
$4.16 per person/month (billed annually)

Resource Guru is the cheapest way into dedicated scheduling, and its booking grid is built around people first. Grasshopper costs $4.16 per person per month billed annually, or $5 billed monthly, and covers unlimited projects and clients with basic scheduling. Blackbelt costs $6.65 per person per month billed annually, or $8 billed monthly, and adds timesheets, custom reports, budgets and a 90-day activity history. Master costs $10 per person per month billed annually, or $12 billed monthly, and adds booking approvals and single sign-on. Prices rose across all plans on 1 July 2026.

The limit is reporting on the entry tier. Grasshopper has no reports at all, so a team that needs utilization or budget tracking must move to Blackbelt at $6.65. Resource Guru also bills per person, plus a second rate for non-human resources such as rooms or equipment, at $2.50 to $6 per item a month. Placeholders are limited to 1 on Grasshopper, 5 on Blackbelt and 10 on Master. For a team that wants the lowest bill and can live without reports, Grasshopper is the cheapest start in this list.

Price: $4.16 per person/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Free trial (30 days)

Website: resourceguru.io

What we like

  • Cheapest entry price in this list
  • tentative bookings and waiting lists

Watch out for

  • Grasshopper has no reports at all
3

Forecast

Best for AI scheduling for larger teams
$29 per seat/month (billed annually)

Forecast is the most expensive entry in this list, and it aims at larger professional services teams that need more than a booking grid. Lite costs $29 per seat per month billed annually and covers scheduling, capacity, time tracking and project financials in one place. Higher tiers add AI-assisted planning, rate cards, advanced reporting and deeper integrations. The trial runs 14 days, and there is no free plan.

The price is the main barrier. At $29 a seat, a team of 10 pays $290 a month, against $70 on Float Starter or $41.60 on Resource Guru Grasshopper. Forecast earns that price when a team needs financial forecasts, utilization targets and AI suggestions across many projects at once. A small agency that only needs to see who is free next week should pick Float or Resource Guru and save the difference.

Price: $29 per seat/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Free trial (14 days)

Website: forecast.app

What we like

  • AI-assisted scheduling and financial forecasts
  • built for larger teams

Watch out for

  • Highest entry price in this list
  • small teams pay for depth they do not need
4

Runn

Best for Real-time capacity and forecasts
$7 per resource/month (billed annually)

Runn is a focused scheduler that shows capacity and project forecasts in real time, without the weight of a full PSA. It costs $7 per resource per month billed annually, and the trial runs 30 days. A small team can load people and projects in an afternoon, and the forecast views show whether a project will finish on time and on budget before it slips. Runn suits agencies that want live capacity data and do not need invoicing or deep project management in the same tool.

The limits are breadth and integrations. Runn has fewer integrations than larger PSA tools, and it does not invoice, so teams that bill from tracked time need another tool. There is no free plan, only the 30-day trial. For a team that wants a simple, visual capacity planner at the same price as Float Starter, Runn is a fair alternative, and the choice between them comes down to which interface the team prefers.

Price: $7 per resource/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Free trial (30 days)

Website: runn.io

What we like

  • Real-time capacity and project forecasts
  • simple setup

Watch out for

  • No free plan
  • fewer integrations than larger PSA tools
5

Productive

Best for Scheduling plus agency billing
$10 per user/month (billed annually)

Productive is the pick for agencies that want scheduling, budgeting, time tracking and invoicing in one tool instead of two. Essential costs $10 per user per month billed annually and covers scheduling, time tracking, budgeting and invoicing. Higher tiers add advanced reporting, profitability analysis and deeper integrations. The trial runs 14 days, and there is no free plan.

Productive costs more than Float or Resource Guru at the entry tier, and Essential lacks the advanced reporting that larger agencies need, so many teams move up a tier within a year. The strength is the single workflow: a project is planned, time is tracked against it, and the invoice is built from that time without exports. For an agency that wants one tool for delivery and billing, Productive is the most complete option in this list.

Price: $10 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Free trial (14 days)

Website: productive.io

What we like

  • Scheduling plus budgeting, invoicing and time tracking
  • built for agencies

Watch out for

  • Essential tier lacks advanced reporting
6

Kantata

Best for Deep PSA for large firms
quote only

Kantata is the enterprise option in this list, built for large professional services firms that need a full PSA with deep resource forecasting. Pricing is quote only, so there is no published entry price to compare against Float at $7 or Resource Guru at $4.16. Kantata covers resource management, project financials, time tracking and business intelligence in one platform, and it suits firms with hundreds of staff and complex delivery processes.

The trade is access. There is no free trial, only a demo on request, and a team must go through a sales process before it can test the tool or learn the price. Small and mid-size agencies will find Kantata too heavy and too slow to buy. For a large firm that has outgrown a simple scheduler and needs one system for delivery and finance, Kantata is worth the sales call.

Price: quote only

Free plan: No

Website: kantata.com

What we like

  • Deep PSA for large professional services firms
  • strong resource forecasting

Watch out for

  • Quote-only pricing
  • no free trial, demo on request
7

Teamwork

Best for Projects and time in one tool
$9.99 per user/month (billed annually)

Teamwork is a project management tool with resource planning built in, rather than a dedicated scheduler. Basics costs $9.99 per user per month billed annually and covers projects, tasks, time tracking, milestones and reporting. Higher tiers add workload views, profitability reporting and more integrations. The free plan covers up to 5 users, which suits a small team testing the workflow.

Resource planning in Teamwork is lighter than Float or Resource Guru: there is no drag-and-drop booking grid with the same depth, and capacity views are simpler. The strength is breadth: a team gets projects, tasks, time and billing in one place for $9.99 a user. For a team that wants one tool for project work with basic scheduling on top, Teamwork is a fair pick, while a team that plans capacity every day should choose Float or Resource Guru.

Price: $9.99 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes, up to 5 users

Website: teamwork.com

What we like

  • Projects, tasks and time tracking in one tool
  • free plan for small teams

Watch out for

  • Resource planning is lighter than Float or Resource Guru
8

Harvest

Best for Simple tracking with invoicing
$9 per seat/month (billed annually)

Harvest is the simplest option in this list for a team that tracks time and bills for it. Teams costs $9 per seat per month billed annually and includes time tracking, expenses, invoicing, project budgets and reports. Enterprise costs $14 per seat per month billed annually and adds profitability reporting and extra controls. The free plan covers 1 seat and 2 projects, which suits a solo freelancer.

Harvest has no drag-and-drop scheduling view, so it cannot show who is booked next week the way Float or Resource Guru can. It also charges Flex usage fees for active projects, clients, tasks and invoicing, on top of the seat price. For a team that bills hours and wants invoices from the same data, Harvest is the most complete pick, while a team that plans capacity should pair it with Float or Resource Guru.

Price: $9 per seat/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes, 1 seat and 2 projects

Website: getharvest.com

What we like

  • Simple time tracking with invoicing
  • easy budget tracking

Watch out for

  • No drag-and-drop scheduling view
  • Flex usage fees add up

What to check before you buy

  • Per-person billing: Float, Resource Guru and Runn charge per scheduled person or resource, so count everyone you will book, not just logins.
  • Reporting gaps: Resource Guru Grasshopper has no reports, and Float keeps time tracking on Pro at $12.
  • Price rises: Resource Guru raised prices across all plans on 1 July 2026, so confirm the current figure at checkout.
  • Trial length: Float, Resource Guru and Runn give 30 days, while Forecast and Productive give 14 days, and Kantata offers no trial.
  • Free plans: Teamwork and Harvest have free plans for small teams, while Float, Resource Guru, Forecast, Runn and Productive do not.

FAQ

Is Resource Guru cheaper than Float?

Yes. Resource Guru Grasshopper costs $4.16 per person per month billed annually, against $7 for Float Starter. For a team of 10, that is $41.60 a month on Grasshopper against $70 on Float Starter, a saving of $28.40 a month. The gap narrows higher up: Blackbelt at $6.65 still undercuts Float Starter, while Float Pro at $12 costs more than Resource Guru Master at $10.

Does Float include time tracking?

Time tracking is not on Float Starter. Starter at $7 per person per month billed annually covers scheduling, capacity, time off and reporting, but time tracking needs Pro at $12, which also adds single sign-on, rate cards and advanced reporting. A team that wants time tracking at the entry price should look at Resource Guru Blackbelt at $6.65, which includes timesheets, or Productive Essential at $10.

Which tool is best for a small agency?

Float is best for a small agency that plans capacity every week, since Starter at $7 includes capacity bars, time off and margin tracking from the start. Resource Guru is best for a small agency on a tight budget, since Grasshopper at $4.16 is the cheapest entry in this list. Productive is best for a small agency that also wants invoicing in the same tool at $10 a user.

Does Resource Guru have reporting?

Resource Guru has reporting from Blackbelt at $6.65 per person per month billed annually, which adds custom reports, budgets and a 90-day activity history. Grasshopper at $4.16 has no reports at all, which is its main limit. Master at $10 adds booking approvals and single sign-on. A team that needs utilization or budget reports should start on Blackbelt, not Grasshopper.

Can Teamwork replace Float?

Teamwork can replace Float for a team that wants projects, tasks and time tracking in one tool with basic scheduling on top. Basics costs $9.99 per user per month billed annually, and the free plan covers up to 5 users. It cannot match Float on scheduling depth: there is no drag-and-drop booking grid with live capacity bars. A team that plans capacity every day should keep Float or Resource Guru.

Sources we checked

How we score

Need the method behind these picks?

We publish the criteria and the weights, so you can disagree with them.

Float#1 PICK
Visit site