The best employee monitoring software depends on what you need to see. BirdsEye and DeskTime suit teams that want automatic time tracking with visible, limited monitoring. Hubstaff and Time Doctor suit agencies and outsourcers that need payroll and many integrations. ActivTrak and Insightful focus on workforce analytics, and Teramind on security. Entry prices run from about $5 to $15 per user per month.
Key takeaways
- There is no single best tool. Start from the question you need answered: hours, project cost or security.
- Rule out any tool that records more than that question needs.
- Entry prices run from about $5 to $15 per user per month. Seat minimums, add-ons, caps and annual-only billing change the real cost.
- Check the employee's view before the manager's. A visible agent that shows the rules is easier to defend and to live with.
How do the seven tools compare?
| Tool | Best for | Entry price per user per month | Screenshots | Free trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BirdsEye | Automatic time tracking with visible rules and Jira worklogs | $5 billed annually, $6 monthly | Every plan, with blur | 14 days |
| Hubstaff | Agencies and field teams that need payroll and GPS | $4.99 billed annually, $7 monthly, 2 seats minimum | Capped on lower plans, unlimited on Team | 14 days |
| Time Doctor | Outsourcing teams that want detailed monitoring | $6.67 billed annually, $8 monthly | Included | 14 days |
| DeskTime | Simple automatic time tracking | $6.42 billed annually, $7 monthly | Premium plan | 14 days |
| Insightful | Workforce analytics | $8 billed annually, $10 monthly | Included, with paid add-ons for more | On the entry plan, length not stated |
| ActivTrak | Analytics with a lighter touch | Free for up to 3 people, then $10 billed annually | Paid add-on | 14 days |
| Teramind | Security and insider-threat programs | $14 billed annually, $15 monthly, 5 seats minimum | Session recording features | Available |
- Hubstaff$4.99
- BirdsEye$5
- DeskTime$6.42
- Time Doctor$6.67
- Insightful$8
- ActivTrak$10
- TeramindAbout $14
List prices per user per month on annual billing, checked on 11 November 2026.
Seat minimums apply to Hubstaff and Teramind, and ActivTrak also has a free plan for up to 3 people. The table above has the details.
Each tool also has a side-by-side page: BirdsEye vs Hubstaff, Time Doctor, DeskTime, Insightful, ActivTrak and Teramind.
What should you look for in employee monitoring software?
What it records
Hours and applications are enough for most teams. Keystroke logging and continuous recording belong to security work.
What employees can see
A visible agent that shows the rules is easier to defend and to live with.
When it runs
Check whether recording can be limited to working hours.
Privacy controls
Blur, retention settings and role-based access.
Pricing mechanics
Seat minimums, add-ons, caps and annual-only billing change the real cost. See How much does employee monitoring software cost?
Platforms and integrations
Count only the ones you actually use.
Which tool fits which team?
BirdsEye
BirdsEye is employee monitoring and time tracking software from BoomersHub LLC. A desktop agent records applications, website domains, idle time and screenshots at random intervals, and a web dashboard shows live status, timesheets, attendance and reports. Tracking runs only inside the working hours you set, every employee can see the rules applied to them, and Jira worklogs are kept matched to tracked time. Plans are $5, $8 and $12 per user per month on annual billing.
A good fit if you want accurate hours and attendance without timesheets, you care about employees seeing what is recorded, or your team works in Jira.
Look elsewhere if you need built-in payroll or invoicing, GPS tracking for field staff or a long list of integrations. The desktop agent is Windows first, with macOS and Linux builds on request, and the mobile app is for managers on Android.
Hubstaff
Hubstaff is a time tracking and workforce management platform. It combines time tracking with activity levels, optional screenshots, GPS locations, payroll and invoicing. As of late 2026, plans start at $4.99 per seat per month on annual billing with a two-seat minimum, rising to $10 for Team and $25 for Enterprise. Lower plans cap screenshots and application tracking per seat, and several features are paid add-ons.
A good fit if you run field or mixed teams and want payroll, GPS and many integrations in one product.
Look elsewhere if caps and add-ons would push your real price well above the headline.
Time Doctor
Time Doctor is time tracking and employee monitoring software aimed at remote and outsourced teams. Its support documentation lists Basic at $8, Standard at $14 and Premium at $20 per user per month, or $80, $140 and $200 per user per year. Reviews from September 2026 report that Basic covers time tracking, tasks and screenshots, Standard adds payroll, attendance and integrations, and Premium adds video screen recording.
A good fit if you want detailed monitoring, payroll and a wide choice of integrations.
Look elsewhere if the features you need sit in the higher tiers.
DeskTime
DeskTime is automatic time tracking software with application and website tracking. The vendor lists Pro at $7 per user per month, or $6.42 on annual billing. Premium is $10, or $9.17 annually, and adds screenshots and shift scheduling.
A good fit if you want simple automatic tracking and an absence calendar.
Look elsewhere if you need screenshots on the entry plan.
Insightful
Insightful, formerly Workpuls, is a workforce analytics and employee monitoring platform. Its pricing page lists the Analytics plan at $8 per seat per month billed annually or $10 monthly, with a free trial, and the Insights plan at $24 per seat, billed annually, from 50 seats. It offers a visible mode and a stealth mode. On-demand screenshots, higher screenshot frequency and screen recording are add-ons of $3 to $4 per seat.
A good fit if analytics across a large workforce is the goal.
Look elsewhere if hidden monitoring is something you want to rule out by design, or you want the upper plan for fewer than 50 people.
ActivTrak
ActivTrak is a workforce analytics and productivity monitoring platform. Its pricing page lists four paid plans at $10, $15, $17 and $21 per user per month, all on annual contracts, plus a free plan for up to three people. The entry plan is advertised from $7 on a three-year term. Screenshots are sold as an add-on. Data history is six months on the two lower paid plans and a year on the third.
A good fit if you want productivity analytics and coaching insights more than evidence of work.
Look elsewhere if you need monthly billing or screenshot-based proof of work.
Teramind
Teramind is a security-first monitoring and data loss prevention platform. Reviews from late 2026 list Starter at $15, UAM at $30 and DLP at $35 per seat per month, or $14, $28 and $32 on annual billing, with a five-seat minimum. Keystroke logging and email monitoring begin at the UAM tier.
A good fit if you are building an insider-threat or compliance program.
Look elsewhere if your aim is time tracking and trust. It records far more than that purpose needs.
How do you choose?
Write down the question you need answered
Hours? Project cost? Security?
Rule out the excess
Drop any tool that records more than that question needs.
Price your real team size
Include minimums and add-ons.
Run an open trial
Run it with a team that knows it is a trial.
Check the employee's view
Look at it before you check the manager's.
The ethical monitoring rules make a useful scorecard.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best employee monitoring software?
There is no single best tool. For transparent time tracking and attendance, look at BirdsEye and DeskTime. For payroll and field teams, Hubstaff and Time Doctor. For analytics, ActivTrak and Insightful. For security, Teramind.
What is the cheapest employee monitoring software?
Among these seven, Hubstaff Starter has the lowest list price at $4.99 per seat per month on annual billing, with a two-seat minimum and usage caps. BirdsEye starts at $5 with no minimum. ActivTrak has a free plan for up to three people.
Which employee monitoring software is least invasive?
Invasiveness depends on configuration more than on brand. Look for a visible agent, recording limited to working hours, blur for screenshots and no keystroke logging.
Is there free employee monitoring software?
ActivTrak offers a free plan for up to three people. Most other vendors, BirdsEye included, offer a free trial instead, usually 14 days.