Employee monitoring software records what happens on work computers: which apps and websites people use, how long they are active or idle, and, in some tools, screenshots, screen recordings, or keystrokes. Some products are built to measure productivity, others to stop data leaks, and a few to simply log hours without watching anyone’s screen. It is easy to pick the wrong type, and a tool built for security investigations will feel very different to your team than one built to show where the week went.
Below are the 10 best employee monitoring software tools in 2026, from light time trackers to full employee activity monitoring software, with what each one records and what it costs. Pricing and features come from each vendor’s own site, checked in 2026.
What employee monitoring tools actually track
Most employee monitoring tools sit somewhere between light and very intrusive:
- Time based tracking. Records hours against projects and tasks, sometimes with an automatic log of browser activity. The employee stays in control of what is shared.
- Employee productivity monitoring software. Logs apps, websites, and active versus idle time, then classifies them as productive or not. Screenshots are often optional.
- Employee activity monitoring software for security. Adds screen recording, keystroke logging, file and USB tracking, and alerts, mainly to detect insider threats and data loss.
The further you move along that scale, the more data you collect and the more you need to explain to your team. Our employee monitoring guide covers the pros and cons of each type and includes a monitoring policy template.
How to choose the best employee monitoring software
- Start with the question you need answered. “Where do our hours go?” needs time tracking. “Is anyone leaking client data?” needs a security tool. Buying the second to answer the first is how monitoring projects go wrong.
- Check what is recorded by default. Screenshots, screen video, and keystrokes are often switched on in the higher plans. Make sure you can turn off what you do not need.
- Look at employee visibility. Tools that let people see their own data, blur screenshots, or choose what to share are easier to introduce and less likely to damage trust.
- Deployment and compliance. If data cannot leave your network, look for on premises deployment. Controlio, Veriato, and Insightful offer it, though Insightful requires at least 250 licenses.
- Real cost. Several tools sell screenshots, screen recording, or security features as add ons, and some have seat minimums. Price the plan that has the features you need, not the entry plan.
If your main worry is remote work, our article on how to monitor employee productivity covers how to do it without micromanaging, and our look at employee monitoring for remote workers covers what the data says about its benefits and drawbacks.
Employee monitoring software compared
| Tool | What it records | Starting price |
|---|---|---|
| actiTIME | Hours on tasks; optional browser activity the employee chooses to share | Free for up to 3 users; from $5 per user per month |
| ActivTrak | Apps, websites, active and idle time; screenshots as an add on | Free for 3 users; from $10 per user per month, billed annually |
| Teramind | Screen recording, apps, websites, keystrokes on UAM and above | From €11 per seat per month, billed annually; 5 seat minimum |
| Insightful | Apps, websites, productivity; screenshots and recording as add ons | From $8 per seat per month, billed annually |
| Hubstaff | Time, activity levels, apps, URLs, screenshots | From $4 per seat per month; 2 seat minimum |
| Time Doctor | Time, screenshots, apps and websites from Standard | From $6.67 per user per month, billed annually |
| DeskTime | Apps, URLs, document titles; screenshots on Premium | From €5.50 per user per month, billed annually |
| Controlio | Continuous screen video, apps, websites, keystrokes, USB | From $6.67 per user per month, billed annually |
| Veriato | Email, chat, files, screenshots, keystrokes | From $18 per user per month, billed annually; 5 user minimum |
| WebWork | Time, apps, websites, activity, attendance | From $3.99 per user per month, billed annually |
10 best employee monitoring software tools
1. actiTIME
Key features:
- Time on tasks and projects
- Automatic browser activity log
- Employee controls what is shared
- Cost and profit reports
actiTIME is the option for managers who want to know where the team’s time goes without watching anyone’s screen. There are no screenshots, keystroke logs, or screen recordings. People log hours on a weekly timesheet, in a calendar view, or on mobile, and managers see time by project, task, and person, compared with estimates and deadlines.
For automatic tracking, the Time Management Assistant Chrome extension records which websites and web apps an employee uses. The key difference from monitoring tools is who decides: employees choose which activity to sync to actiTIME tasks and which to keep private. Managers then approve timesheets and can lock approved periods, and cost rates turn those hours into Cost of Work and Profit/Loss reports.
Limitation: it does not track desktop apps outside the browser, take screenshots, or detect insider threats, so it is not a security tool.
Pricing: free version for up to 3 users; from $5 per user per month; the Time Management Assistant is free on its own, and syncing it to actiTIME is not part of the free version; 30 day free trial.
We can generate any report we need
One of the greatest features actiTIME offers is the customizable reporting. We can generate virtually any report we need, grouped in different ways and only for the people assigned to each project. And if the report is not there, well, it’s really easy to create a new one and save it for future use. Go for actiTIME! It’s simple, but also very powerful! You won’t regret the decision. The software + support combination makes actiTIME the best tracking solution in the market.
2. ActivTrak
Key features:
- Productivity trends
- App and website usage
- Mouse jiggler detection
- SSO and MFA on higher plans
ActivTrak is employee productivity monitoring software that leans toward analytics rather than surveillance. It tracks time automatically, classifies apps and websites, and shows productivity trends by person and team. Screenshots are not part of the standard plans; they come as a separate Screen Details add on.
The plans step up from Work Activity Tracking ($10) to Workforce Management ($15), which adds compliance alarms, mouse jiggler detection, website blocking, SSO, and MFA, and Productivity Optimization ($17), which adds goals, benchmarks, and burnout insights. ActivTrak lists HIPAA, GDPR, CCPA, and SOC 2 Type 2 compliance. There is a 14 day trial of the top bundle, after which accounts drop to the free plan. For a head to head comparison, see Hubstaff vs. ActivTrak.
Limitation: the free plan keeps only 30 days of history, and screenshots cost extra.
Pricing: free for up to 3 workers; from $10 per worker per month, billed annually.
3. Teramind
Key features:
- Screen recording and live view
- Keystroke logging
- Data loss prevention
- Behavior rules and alerts
Teramind is at the security end of the scale. Even the Starter plan includes screen recording with live playback and app and website tracking. The UAM (user activity monitoring) plan adds keystroke logging, full forensics, unlimited behavior rules, SIEM integration, and recording of AI chat conversations.
The DLP (data loss prevention) plan goes further, with sensitive content detection and redaction, malicious activity blocking, and 200 prepackaged DLP rules. An Enterprise and Government tier adds OCR, professional services, and an SLA. That depth suits security and compliance teams, but it is far more than most companies need just to understand productivity. We compare it with a lighter tool in Hubstaff vs. Teramind.
Limitation: the level of recording can feel invasive outside security use cases, and every plan has a 5 seat minimum.
Pricing: Starter €11, UAM €23, and DLP €28 per seat per month, billed annually; Enterprise by quote; free trial.
4. Insightful
Key features:
- Workforce analytics
- Optional screenshots
- Insider threat add on
- On premises option
Insightful sells itself as workforce analytics: it tracks apps, websites, and productive time, then turns that into utilization and process data for operations and finance leaders. The core Workforce Analytics plan is $8 per seat per month billed annually, with a Workflow Optimization plan in beta and a combined plan at $16.
The more intrusive features are add ons you choose deliberately. On demand screenshots and screen recording are $4 per seat each, more frequent screenshots (up to 120 per hour) are $3, and a Workspace Security add on with insider threat detection is $4. Admins and managers are not charged unless they are tracked too. Insightful can be deployed entirely on your own infrastructure, but only with at least 250 licenses.
Limitation: the add ons raise the real price quickly; a seat with screenshots and screen recording costs $16 a month before security features.
Pricing: from $8 per seat per month, billed annually; 7 day free trial.
5. Hubstaff
Key features:
- Time and activity levels
- Apps and URLs
- Optional blurred screenshots
- Payroll and scheduling
Hubstaff combines time tracking with proof of work, which suits remote teams and agencies that bill clients by the hour. The desktop app records time, activity percentage, apps, URLs, and idle time, and can take screenshots that you can blur.
The plans are Starter ($4 per seat), Grow ($7), Team ($10), and Enterprise ($25), all with a 2 seat minimum. Starter and Grow include limited screenshots, Team adds unlimited screenshots, payments, scheduling, and unlimited integrations, and Enterprise adds further controls. There is a 14 day trial with no credit card and a 30 day money back guarantee. If Hubstaff does not fit, see our list of Hubstaff alternatives.
Limitation: unlimited screenshots and payroll need the Team plan, and the 2 seat minimum applies even to solo managers.
Pricing: from $4 per seat per month; 2 seat minimum; 14 day free trial.
6. Time Doctor
Key features:
- Automatic time tracking
- Screenshots on every plan
- Productivity ratings
- Video screen recording on Premium
Time Doctor sits between time tracking and monitoring. Every plan includes automatic tracking, projects and tasks, screenshots, and online and offline tracking. Standard adds web and app usage reports, productivity ratings, attendance, time approvals, payroll, and more than 60 integrations.
Premium is where the heavier monitoring sits: video screen recording, unusual activity reports, mouse jiggler and clicker detection, irregular keyboard activity, SSO, and open API access. Enterprise adds private cloud deployment and custom BI dashboards. Our Time Doctor pricing guide breaks down each plan.
Limitation: app and website reports are not on Basic, so the plan most teams actually need starts at $11.67.
Pricing: Basic $6.67, Standard $11.67, and Premium $16.70 per user per month, billed annually; 14 day free trial.
7. DeskTime
Key features:
- Automatic desktop tracking
- URL, app, and document titles
- Screenshots on Premium
- Shift scheduling
DeskTime tracks time automatically from a desktop app for Windows and Mac, with mobile apps and a web timer for manual entries. It records URLs, apps, and document titles, calculates productivity, detects idle time, and shows from the IP address whether someone is working in the office or remotely.
The Pro plan covers tracking, productivity calculations, and calendar integrations. Premium adds screenshots, the API, integrations with Jira, Asana, and Zapier, shift scheduling, and an absence calendar. Enterprise, for 200 or more users, adds a custom API, an account manager, and employee training. Prices on the vendor’s site are shown in euros or US dollars and exclude VAT.
Limitation: screenshots and integrations are only on Premium, and Enterprise starts at 200 users.
Pricing: Pro €5.50 and Premium €8.25 per user per month, billed annually; Enterprise by quote; 14 day free trial.
8. Controlio
Key features:
- Continuous screen video
- Live desktop view
- Keystroke and USB rules
- Cloud or on premises
Controlio is computer monitoring software that records screens as continuous video rather than periodic screenshots, so there are no gaps between captures. Managers can watch desktops live, see who is active or away, and set behavior rules and alerts for apps, websites, keystrokes, USB devices, and idle periods.
It is one of the few tools on this list that runs in the cloud, on premises, or in a private cloud, and Controlio says on premises deployment helps customers meet HIPAA requirements. There is also a GDPR mode for EU teams, multifactor authentication, and an audit log. The Basic plan already includes screen video, AI activity categorization, and six months of storage, expandable to three years.
Limitation: constant screen video and a stealth mode put it firmly in surveillance territory, which many employees will resist.
Pricing: Basic $6.67 and Advanced $9.99 per user per month, billed annually; 14 day free trial.
9. Veriato
Key features:
- Email, chat, and file tracking
- Productivity scoring
- Insider risk scoring
- Windows, Mac, Chrome, Android
Veriato collects nearly every type of activity data: email, chat, websites, apps, screenshots, logins, idle time, files, network activity, and keystrokes. Veriato UAM uses that for productivity scoring, configurable reports, and alerts, with sensitive data detection and redaction and a “do not record” option for specific websites.
Veriato IRM adds insider risk management on top: risk scores for users and groups, behavior baselines, and sentiment analysis using natural language processing. It monitors Windows, Mac, Chrome, and Android devices and can run in the cloud or on premises, with volume discounts below the list price.
Limitation: it is one of the more expensive options, with a 5 user minimum for UAM and 20 for IRM.
Pricing: UAM from $18 per user per month, billed annually; IRM by quote.
10. WebWork
Key features:
- App and web tracking
- Attendance and breaks
- Shift scheduling
- AI performance summaries
WebWork is a budget option that bundles time tracking, activity tracking, and workforce tools in one app. It records app and website usage and activity, tracks attendance, breaks, and overtime, and includes shift scheduling, reports, and invoices.
Extra features are sold as small add ons: payments and payroll for $1.50 per user, a Smart Monitoring add on with daily AI analysis of member activity for $2.50, and device compliance checks for $1. Project viewers do not count as paid members, which helps when clients need access. Every plan has a 14 day free trial with all features.
Limitation: there is no free plan, and the AI monitoring and payroll features cost extra on lower plans.
Pricing: from $3.99 per user per month billed annually, or $4.99 monthly; 14 day free trial.
Employee monitoring and the law
Rules differ by country and, in the US, by state, so check with a lawyer before you roll out anything beyond time tracking. As one example outside the US, the UK Information Commissioner’s Office says in its guidance on monitoring workers that employers must make sure workers know how and what personal information is collected. It also says covert monitoring is unlikely to be justified in most usual circumstances, with exceptions such as suspected criminal activity or gross misconduct.
Whatever the jurisdiction, the safest approach is the same: monitor only what you need for a stated purpose, tell people in writing, and give them access to their own data. Our employee monitoring guide includes a policy template you can adapt.
Frequently asked questions
What are the top employee monitoring software tools?
For productivity analytics, ActivTrak, Insightful, and DeskTime are strong choices. For security and insider threats, Teramind, Veriato, and Controlio go deepest. For time tracking with proof of work, Hubstaff and Time Doctor are the usual picks. If you want to know where time goes without screen monitoring, actiTIME tracks hours on tasks instead.
Is there free employee monitoring software?
Yes, but free employee monitoring software comes with limits. ActivTrak is free for up to 3 workers with 30 days of history, and actiTIME is free for up to 3 users, with its Time Management Assistant extension free on its own. Most other tools on this list offer a free trial rather than a free plan, usually 7 to 14 days.
Can I tell if my employer is monitoring my computer?
Not always. Some tools, including Controlio, offer a stealth mode that hides the agent from the user. The most reliable way to find out is to read your employment contract and company policies or ask HR. In the UK, for example, the ICO expects employers to tell workers what monitoring takes place.
What is the best software for tracking employee performance?
Activity data shows how busy a computer was, not whether the right work got done. To track performance, compare time spent with task estimates, deadlines, and project budgets. That is what time tracking tools such as actiTIME are built for, and it is a better basis for a conversation with an employee than an activity percentage. For more on this, see our guide to how to measure team performance.
Conclusion
The best employee monitoring software is the least intrusive one that answers your actual question. Choose Teramind, Veriato, or Controlio if data security is the priority. Choose ActivTrak, Insightful, or DeskTime for productivity analytics, and Hubstaff, Time Doctor, or WebWork if you bill clients and need proof of work. Whichever employee monitoring tools you shortlist, run a trial with a small group first. If you mainly want to see where hours go, what projects cost, and whether work stays on schedule, time tracking on tasks gives you that without recording anyone’s screen.
To see how actiTIME tracks time, estimates, and project costs for your team, start a free trial.
