13 Top DeskTime Alternatives & Competitors for 2026

DeskTime does time tracking and productivity monitoring without much complexity, which works for certain teams.

But limited reporting, unreliable idle detection, and missing features like live monitoring or anomaly detection push others to look elsewhere.

We went through hundreds of user reviews on G2 and Capterra, checked Reddit discussions, and compared features across competitors. These 13 DeskTime alternatives suit different priorities – whether that’s cost, accuracy, depth of monitoring, or integrations with your existing stack.

DeskTime Alternatives: Head to Head Comparison

The 13 platforms below are DeskTime’s most common alternatives, whether you need sharper accuracy, deeper productivity insights, or enterprise-grade security:

Tool	Best For	Key Differentiator	Pricing (Starts At)	Free Trial
Teramind	Organizations wanting monitoring, analytics, and threat prevention without juggling multiple tools	Productivity monitoring, insider threat detection, and DLP unified in one endpoint solution	$14/user/month (minimum 5 users)	Yes (7 days cloud / 14 days on-premise)
Toggl Track	Freelancers and consultants who want to log hours without surveillance	No screenshots or activity monitoring in any plan	Free for up to 5 users (paid starts at $9/user/month)	Yes (30 days)
Clockify	Cost-conscious teams that need unlimited users on a free plan	Unlimited free tier with unlimited projects and basic reporting	Free (paid starts at $3.99/user/month)	Yes (7 days on paid plans)
Hubstaff	Teams that need GPS tracking, scheduling, and payroll in one tool	Location tracking with geofencing and integrated payment processing	$4.99/seat/month	Yes (14 days)
Time Doctor	Remote teams that need real-time distraction alerts and burnout tracking	Pop-up nudges that prompt employees back on task when they drift	$6.67/user/month	Yes (14 days)
TimeCamp	Agencies and freelancers that bill by the hour and want automatic tracking	Keyword-based system that assigns time to projects without manual input	Free (paid starts at $3.99/user/month)	Yes (14 days)
ActivTrak	Teams that want productivity analytics without heavy-handed monitoring	Workforce intelligence with burnout risk alerts and workload balancing	Free for up to 3 users (paid starts at $10/user/month)	Yes (14 days)
QuickBooks Time	Businesses that use QuickBooks and need mobile workforce tracking	Direct sync with QuickBooks Online and Payroll for seamless job costing	$20/month base + $8/user/month	Yes (30 days)
Harvest	Professional services teams that want seamless time-to-invoice workflows	Generate invoices from tracked hours in two clicks with automated follow-ups	Free for 1 user (paid at $9/seat/month)	Yes (30 days)
Insightful	Teams that want AI-powered time mapping and behavioral insights	Automatic time allocation that predicts project assignments from past patterns	$6.40/user/month	Yes (7 days)
Timely	Teams that want automatic tracking with employee-controlled privacy	AI Memory app captures activity privately — only employees see raw data	$9/user/month	Yes (14 days)
Apploye	Budget-conscious teams that need monitoring and invoicing together	Full monitoring suite with built-in payroll documentation at a lower price point	Free for up to 10 users (paid starts at $4.50/user/month)	Yes (10 days)
Monitask	Teams that want transparent monitoring where employees see their own screenshots	Screenshots are visible to employees before managers review them	$6.49/user/month	Yes (10 days)

1. Teramind

Teramind is an all-in-one endpoint monitoring solution that offers employee activity tracking, behavioral analytics, insider threat detection, and data loss prevention in one tool.

For organizations that refuse to choose between workforce visibility and data security, it’s the most complete solution on the market right now.

DeskTime covers productivity tracking and idle time detection, which is enough for growing teams with straightforward needs. Teramind goes further with live screen monitoring, insider threat detection, data loss prevention, and the forensic capabilities that regulated industries depend on.

Key Features

• Live screen monitoring and session recording: You can view employee screens in real-time or replay historical sessions with full video playback. Every action is timestamped, so investigators can skip straight to the moment an incident occurred rather than scrubbing through hours of footage.
• Behavioral analytics and anomaly detection: The tool sets baseline behavior patterns for each user and automatically flags deviations. OMNI, Teramind’s AI-powered alert system, aggregates risk signals into a prioritized feed so security teams aren’t buried in data.
• Data loss prevention with 200+ pre-built rules: Define content-based and file operation rules to block sensitive data from leaving your organization via email, USB, cloud uploads, or print. Teramind’s DLP engine includes pre-packaged policies for common compliance scenarios like PCI DSS and HIPAA.
• Productivity tracking and workforce analytics: Teramind measures how employees spend time across apps, websites, and tasks, with productivity classifications you can customize by job function. Built-in dashboards compare performance across teams and flag where time is getting lost.
• OCR and keystroke logging: You can extract text from screenshots and screen recordings using optical character recognition, and log keyboard input in sensitive applications. These features catch exfiltration attempts that bypass traditional DLP (like manually retyping confidential data into a personal email).
• Audit-ready compliance tools: Integrates with SIEM platforms like Splunk, IBM QRadar, and LogRhythm. The platform holds ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type 2 certifications and supports GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI DSS compliance rules out of the box.

See Teramind’s features all in one place → Click here for a live demo of the platform

Advantages of Using Teramind

• Clean architecture that runs smoothly: Admins note that despite the breadth of features, everything runs reliably together without the stability issues you might expect from such a feature-dense platform. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Accessible to non-technical users: The interface is intuitive enough that managers outside IT can navigate reports and pull insights on their own, without relying on the technical team for every question. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Transparent monitoring that employees accept: Users report that the platform helps track productivity without creating a surveillance-heavy atmosphere – employees understand what’s being monitored, and the process feels fair. [Read Full G2 Review]

What Real Users Say About Teramind

Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging had no clear view into their hybrid workforce — multiple disconnected systems made investigations time-consuming and incomplete.

After signing up with Teramind, they gained deeper insights into 4,700 monthly activities, with the tool’s intelligent filters escalating only what matters.

Their CIO said the platform helps supervisors make evidence-based decisions about resource allocation instead of relying on gut feel.

“The trends we are able to uncover with Teramind strengthen our departments and empower supervisors to make positive changes.”  — Mark Davidson, Chief Information Officer, Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging

Another Teramind customer, BRMS, noticed output declining after moving to a hybrid working model, despite maintaining the same staffing levels.

They deployed Teramind and found that some employees logged eight hours but worked five. The data helped them optimize their existing workforce and have accountability conversations that weren’t possible before.

“We decided to invest in Teramind rather than human capital at this point to make sure that we know what we’re dealing with as far as productivity.” — Stacie Lautrup, VP of Human Resources at BRMS

For BPOs handling sensitive client work, security and performance monitoring have to work together. Peak Support, a fully remote outsourcing company with operations across four regions, set up Teramind using Microsoft Intune for automated rollout across all endpoints.

They now use Teramind’s live screen monitoring, activity logs, and detailed reporting to find disengaged employees early and build targeted coaching strategies (while also protecting against internal threats).

“We efficiently deployed the Teramind agent across all our managed endpoints without the need for manual intervention, ensuring a timely and seamless rollout.”

Pricing

Here’s a quick breakdown of Teramind’s pricing tiers (based on 5 seats, billed annually):

• Starter ($14/seat/month): Best for basic productivity use cases and identifying risky users. Includes quick visual evidence capture, live playback, and website/app tracking.
• UAM ($28/seat/month): Designed for comprehensive productivity optimization and security detection. This tier includes everything in Starter plus full digital activity telemetry, UEBA (User and Entity Behavior Analytics), forensics, and unlimited behavior rules.
• DLP ($32/seat/month): Best for comprehensive intent-based security detection and response. It includes everything in UAM plus content-based data exfiltration prevention and automated actions to block data leaks in real-time.
• Enterprise (Custom pricing): Tailored professional services for the most demanding large-scale enterprises and government organizations. Includes everything in DLP plus in-app parsing for fraud detection, an OCR engine, and unlimited activity-based behavior rules.

All paid plans shown above reflect an 8% discount for annual billing compared to the monthly rates.

Explore Teramind’s capabilities before committing → Click here for a live demo

2. Toggl Track

Toggl Track is a cloud-based time tracking software built for freelancers, consultants, and teams who need to log hours without the surveillance overhead. The platform takes an explicitly anti-monitoring stance, with no screenshots, no mouse tracking, and no proof-of-work features.

Where DeskTime focuses on productivity monitoring and employee surveillance, Toggl Track is built for logging hours and billing clients without any proof-of-work tracking. If you want time data without watching over shoulders, that’s the core value proposition here.

Key Features

• One-click time tracking across devices: Start and stop timers from the browser extension, desktop app, or mobile. Everything syncs automatically, so you can begin a task on your laptop and finish logging it from your phone.
• Project and client organization: You can assign time entries to specific projects, clients, and tasks. This makes it easier to track billable hours across multiple engagements and generate reports segmented by client or project type.
• 100+ integrations: Connects natively with tools like Asana, Jira, Trello, Google Calendar, Salesforce, and most major project management platforms. Time tracking fits into existing workflows.

Pros

• Reports that clearly outline where time goes: Users appreciate being able to see exactly how their hours break down across projects and tasks rather than just getting raw totals. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Quick setup with minimal friction: Users mention being able to start tracking almost immediately without wading through tutorials or configuration screens. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Simple, user-friendly interface that stays out of the way: The platform keeps things simple, which means less resistance when rolling it out to people who just want to log hours and move on. [Read Full G2 Review]

Cons

• Cross-device syncing can lag: Some users report that timers don’t always start or stop as expected when switching between devices, which can create gaps or overlaps in time entries. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Desktop interface feels cluttered: The desktop app defaults to a dark theme that some users find harder to navigate, and there’s no light mode option for those who prefer it. [Read Full G2 Review]
• No persistent on-screen timer: When you minimize the browser or app, there’s no floating widget to keep your active timer visible. Easy to forget you’re still on the clock. [Read Full G2 Review]

Pricing

Here’s a quick breakdown of Toggl’s pricing tiers:

• Free: Up to 5 users with unlimited projects and clients, basic reporting, and cross-device syncing. No time limit on this tier.
• Starter ($9/user/month billed annually): Adds billable rates, project time estimates, and the ability to set hourly rates for clients. Primarily designed for freelancers and small teams who invoice based on tracked hours.
• Premium ($18/user/month billed annually): Includes team management features, timesheet approvals, time audits, project forecasting, and labor cost tracking for profitability analysis. Built for managers who need oversight across multiple projects.
• Enterprise (custom pricing): Adds dedicated account management, custom integrations, priority customer support, and tailored onboarding. Pricing scales based on team size and needs.

All paid plans include a 30-day free trial, while annual billing saves roughly 10% compared to monthly.

3. Clockify

Clockify is a free time management platform for freelancers, agencies, and small teams that need to log billable hours across projects and clients.

Its main advantage is the unlimited free tier that supports unlimited users and projects. This makes it a popular starting point for teams that want to track employee time without incurring costs.

While DeskTime focuses on monitoring employee activities with automatic categorization and app tracking, Clockify is built purely for logging hours and managing billable time; it doesn’t offer any surveillance features.

Key Features

• Unlimited free tier for teams of any size: While most competitors cap free plans at 5 users, Clockify lets you add unlimited team members and projects at no cost. The free version covers core time tracking, timesheets, and basic reporting.
• Flexible time entry options: Start a timer for real-time tracking, log hours manually after the fact, or use the calendar view to fill in your week. The browser extension integrates with tools like Jira, Trello, and Asana, so you can start timers directly from tasks.
• Project and client organization with tagging: Assign time entries to specific projects, clients, and tasks. Custom tags let you slice data however you need it for billing breakdowns or internal analysis.

Pros

• Fast setup with minimal learning curve: Most users get up and running within minutes. The onboarding is simple enough that you don’t need technical expertise or extensive training to start tracking. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Easy report exports and integrations: Pulling data out of Clockify and connecting it to other systems like ERPs or calendars is straightforward, which helps teams that need time data flowing into billing or payroll workflows. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Useful for tracking against project estimates: Teams can set time budgets for projects and monitor progress against those estimates, so it’s easier to catch scope creep or adjust timelines before deadlines slip. [Read Full G2 Review]

Cons

• Limited visualization and color coding: If you rely on visual cues to scan entries quickly, the color options for projects feel restrictive. More variety would help teams that organize by sight. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Editing entries can feel clunky: Correcting time entries, switching between tasks, or managing anything other than the basic workflows takes more clicks than expected. The interface works, but it doesn’t always flow smoothly. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Not the most suitable for larger teams: Users at larger organizations often find the feature set too basic for complex workflows, which is part of why some companies eventually outgrow it and migrate to other tools. [Read Full G2 Review]

Pricing

The free tier supports unlimited users. Paid options range from $3.99/user/month (Basic) to $11.99/user/month (Enterprise) on annual billing, with Standard and Pro plans at $5.49 and $7.99, respectively.

A 7-day free trial is available across all paid tiers.

4. Hubstaff

See how Teramind compares to Hubstaff →

Hubstaff is a workforce management platform that combines time tracking with granular activity monitoring. GPS tracking, shift scheduling, and integrated payroll make it a fuller solution for teams managing remote employees or field workers who need more than just timesheets.

DeskTime leans toward automatic productivity categorization for desk-based teams, while Hubstaff is built for organizations that want tighter oversight across locations.

Key Features

• GPS and location tracking: For field teams, the platform tracks employee locations in real time and supports geofenced job sites. This works well for construction, real estate, or service businesses where knowing where people work matters just as much as knowing when they work.
• Built-in payroll and payments: Time data flows directly into payroll processing, so you can pay employees and contractors through the platform based on tracked hours. The tool supports multiple currencies and integrates with payment providers.
• Project budgets and profitability tracking: You can set hourly or fixed budgets for projects and clients, and then track actual time against those limits. Alerts notify you when projects approach budget caps.

Pros

• Lightweight time tracking that stays out of the way: The desktop app runs quietly in the background and logs hours accurately without constant interaction or slowing down your machine. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Real-time team notifications: Managers get instant alerts when team activity happens. This gives them oversight on distributed teams without them having to constantly check dashboards. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Easy onboarding with built-in guidance: The interface is intuitive enough that most users can figure it out quickly; the platform includes walkthrough videos and help articles for anything that isn’t immediately obvious. [Read Full G2 Review]

Cons

• Pricing doesn’t work well for solo users: The seat-based model requires a minimum of two users on paid plans, which means freelancers or single-user setups end up paying for capacity they don’t need. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Updates can introduce bugs: Some users report that new releases occasionally break functionality, with screenshots failing to upload or tracking data getting lost. The platform prioritizes feature development, but stability sometimes takes a hit. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Reporting customization feels limited: If you need tailored views for different projects or clients, the built-in reporting options may not offer enough flexibility. The mobile app also lacks quick notifications for managing remote teams on the go. [Read Full G2 Review]

Pricing

Hubstaff’s paid plans (billed annually):

• Starter ($4.99/seat/month): Core time tracking and limited reports. 2-seat minimum applies.
• Grow ($7.50/seat/month): Unlocks project budgets, tasks, and integrations.
• Team ($10/seat/month): Full screenshot capture, scheduling, advanced reports, and timesheet approvals.
• Enterprise ($25/seat/month): HIPAA/SOC-2 compliance, single sign-on, and dedicated support.

Add-ons for Insights, extra screenshots, and Tasks run $2.50/seat each. A 14-day free trial is available across all plans.

5. Time Doctor

See how Teramind compares to Time Doctor →

Time Doctor is a workforce analytics and time tracking tool. It’s built for remote teams and outsourcing operations that need proof of work and productivity analysis data. 

The platform differentiates itself with active intervention features that alert employees when they drift off-task, and analytics that help managers spot burnout risk early.

DeskTime also monitors time and captures screenshots, but Time Doctor offers real-time nudges for distracted employees and work-life balance analytics that DeskTime lacks.

Key Features

• Distraction alerts and productivity nudges: When employees spend too much time on sites like YouTube or Facebook during work hours, the platform sends a pop-up reminder to get them back on track.
• Work-life balance and burnout detection: The platform analyzes work patterns and alerts managers when employees show signs of overwork or burnout risk.
• Payroll and invoicing integration: Time data flows into payroll processing and client invoicing. The platform integrates with providers like Gusto, ADP, Deel, and major project management tools, including Asana, Trello, and Jira.

Pros

• Solid reporting with helpful support: The standard reports cover most weekly review needs, and when they don’t, the support team is responsive in helping generate custom data. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Clear breakdown of how time is spent: The platform separates hours into productive, unproductive, and idle buckets, which helps managers spot meaningful patterns without micromanaging every minute. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Convenient autostart with sensible idle tracking: The timer can kick in automatically at the start of the workday, and idle detection works reliably without creating friction for employees. [Read Full G2 Review]

Cons

• Productivity ratings can glitch in Chrome: Users report that website classifications sometimes fail to update unless you hard refresh the page. This slows down the process of managing what counts as productive or unproductive. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Billing practices raise concerns: Some users have experienced unexpected charges when changing plans, with complaints about being billed for annual plans when intending to stay monthly. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Break tracking lacks flexibility: The paid break feature resets the countdown when employees take partial breaks rather than tracking cumulative time. If someone takes a 5-minute break and then another 5 minutes later, the timer starts fresh instead of continuing from where it left off. [Read Full G2 Review]

Pricing

Three tiers are offered on annual billing – Basic ($6.67/user/month), Standard ($11.67/user/month), and Premium ($16.70/user/month).

There’s also an Enterprise plan, but it’s priced individually. The platform provides a 14-day free trial but doesn’t have a free plan.

6. TimeCamp

TimeCamp takes a hands-off approach to time tracking. The platform monitors desktop activity and uses keywords to automatically assign time entries to the right projects.

It’s built for teams that bill by the hour, with native invoicing, billable hour tracking, and employee productivity reports that show how time breaks down across clients and internal work.

Key Features

• Billable vs. non-billable hour separation: Track which hours are client-facing and which are internal overhead. This makes invoicing cleaner and helps teams understand the gap between total effort and revenue-generating work.
• Keyword-based automatic tracking: Assign keywords to projects, and TimeCamp will automatically categorize time based on the window titles, apps, and URLs you’re working with.
• Built-in invoicing and billing: Generate invoices directly from tracked time with support for multiple billing rates, currencies, and tax calculations. Useful for agencies and freelancers who bill by the hour.

Pros

• Quick time entry through calendar mode: Users appreciate the calendar view for quickly adding time blocks without having to navigate through multiple screens or dropdown menus. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Easy to navigate even after updates: Even when new features roll out or the design changes, the navigation remains familiar enough that users don’t lose time relearning where things are. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Automatic insights once tasks are tagged: If you’re consistent about labeling your work, TimeCamp handles the analysis and shows you how time is spent across projects and tasks. [Read Full G2 Review]

Cons

• No pause and resume on timers: If you get interrupted mid-task, you can’t pause the timer and pick up where you left off. You have to stop the entry and create a new one. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Steeper learning curve than expected: The platform has enough features that it takes time to get comfortable. Some users find the free onboarding consultation helpful, but expect an adjustment period before it clicks. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Reporting and filtering feel limited: The built-in reports cover the basics, but teams with specific data needs may find the filtering options don’t go deep enough for their use cases. [Read Full G2 Review]

Pricing

TimeCamp has five plans available:

• Free: Supports unlimited users/projects with basic time tracking solutions, desktop and mobile apps, and a single integration.
• Starter ($3.99/user/month billed annually): Adds automatic tracking, unlimited integrations, and attendance features.
• Premium ($6.99/user/month billed annually): Includes invoicing, project budgeting, and custom reports.
• Ultimate ($9.99/user/month billed annually): Offers screenshots, timesheet approvals, labor costs, and advanced analytics.
• Enterprise (custom pricing): SSO, on-premise options, and priority support.

Paid plans come with a 14-day trial.

7. ActivTrak

See how Teramind compares to ActivTrak →

ActivTrak is a workforce analytics platform that prioritizes productivity data over traditional employee monitoring. The focus is on helping managers have better conversations about workload and performance, not documenting every minute of employee activity.

While DeskTime functions as a time tracker with productivity features, ActivTrak positions itself as a workforce intelligence tool that happens to include monitoring.

Key Features

• Productivity classification by role: Label apps and websites as productive, unproductive, or neutral based on job function. Social media might count as productive for marketing but not for accounting, and the platform lets you set those distinctions.
• Real-time team dashboard: Team Pulse shows snapshot cards for each employee and team with activity levels, focus time, and productivity summaries.
• Early warning for burnout risk: The platform tracks work patterns and flags employees showing signs of overwork, so managers can rebalance workloads before productivity or morale takes a hit.

Pros

• Visibility into remote work without micromanaging: Managers can see how distributed teams spend their time during the day. This is especially useful for roles like sales, where activity levels matter but direct oversight isn’t quite possible. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Easy deployment with a clean interface: Setup is straightforward, whether you push the agent to users or install it manually. The dashboard is intuitive enough for managers while still offering granular event logs for those who want deeper data. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Simple license management: The interface makes it easy to navigate and assign licenses to users without getting lost in admin settings. [Read Full G2 Review]

Cons

• Support structure feels light for enterprise use: Users report that live chat and ticket-based support can be frustrating when dealing with complex or time-sensitive issues. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Exporting data is harder than it should be: Even with the paid export add-on, pulling data out of the platform isn’t straightforward. Some users end up routing exports through third-party apps to get what they need. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Activity categorization requires manual tuning: Getting websites and apps correctly labeled as productive or unproductive takes upfront effort, and the defaults don’t always match how your team truly works. [Read Full G2 Review]

Pricing

ActivTrak provides four plans, all paid tiers billed annually with no monthly option:

• Free: Up to 3 users get productivity reports, time tracking, and activity logs. Data is kept for 30 days, and accounts go inactive after a month without use.
• Essentials ($10/user/month): Adds real-time visibility, alerts, meeting time tracking, and calendar integration. 6-month data history.
• Essentials Plus ($15/user/month): Builds on Essentials with productivity goals, exception reporting, and work location tracking. Same 6-month retention.
• Professional ($19/user/month): Comes with team performance, capacity planning, workload management, burnout alerts, AI coaching, and 12 months of stored data.

Companies with 50+ licenses must buy a support plan. Free trial runs 14 days with Professional-level access.

8. QuickBooks Time

QuickBooks Time (formerly TSheets) is a time tracking and scheduling tool built for businesses with mobile or field-based workforces.

It works seamlessly with QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Payroll, so it’s a natural fit for companies already in the Intuit ecosystem.

The platform also handles time tracking, shift scheduling, GPS location tracking, and job costing, with a focus on employees who work across multiple sites or customer locations rather than at a single desk.

Key Features

• GPS tracking and geofencing: Track employee locations in real time and set up geofences that automatically remind workers to clock in or out when they arrive at or leave a job site.
• Offline time tracking with auto-sync: Employees can clock in and out even without cell coverage. Data syncs automatically once connectivity is restored, which delivers accurate time logs for remote employees.
• Job costing and project tracking: Assign time to specific jobs, customers, or projects to track labor costs at a granular level. The Elite plan also brings project estimates vs. actuals reporting.

Pros

• Flexible job code hierarchy: Teams can structure time tracking across multiple layers. It’s easy to pull reports by project, task, or client and see exactly where labor hours are going. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Seamless QuickBooks sync: Time data flows directly into QuickBooks Online and Payroll without manual entry. This simplifies job costing and payroll processing for teams already in the Intuit ecosystem. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Clean mobile experience for field workers: The app is intuitive enough that employees can clock in from job sites without training. It works well on both phones and tablets. [Read Full G2 Review]

Cons

• Scheduling lacks flexibility for complex needs: Teams with non-standard shift patterns or advanced scheduling needs may find the customization options too basic for what they need. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Support quality is inconsistent: Some users report frustrating experiences, such as technical issues dragging on for weeks or months, with support teams repeating the same troubleshooting steps without addressing the problem. [Read Full G2 Review]
• No in-platform communication for locked timesheets: Once time is submitted and locked, requesting edits means going outside the system. There’s no built-in way to message approvers or ask for changes directly within QuickBooks Time. [Read Full G2 Review]

Pricing

QuickBooks Time works only with an active QuickBooks Online account. Two plan options exist:

• Time Premium ($20/month + $8/user): Time tracking, scheduling, basic reporting, PTO management.
• Time Elite ($40/month + $10/user): Everything in Premium plus geofencing, project estimate tracking, mileage logs, and signature capture for timesheets.

Higher-tier bundles that include QuickBooks Payroll are also offered, and a 30-day trial is available.

9. Harvest

Harvest combines time tracking with client billing in a clean, no-frills package. It’s built for professional services teams who care more about accurate billing and project budgets than monitoring how employees spend their screen time.

It isn’t a direct DeskTime competitor — DeskTime watches how employees spend time, while Harvest helps teams log hours and bill clients for them.

Key Features

• One-click time tracking across devices: Start and stop timers from desktop, mobile, or browser. The platform sends subtle daily reminders to keep timesheets current without being intrusive.
• Invoicing built into the workflow: Generate invoices from tracked time in a few clicks, and then let clients pay directly from the invoice. There are also automated follow-ups to remind clients about outstanding payments.
• Capacity and utilization reporting: You can see how workloads are distributed across the team, track billable vs. non-billable time, and identify who’s overloaded or underutilized.

Pros

• Easy to edit past entries: If you forget to start a timer or miss logging time, you can go back and add or adjust entries without jumping through hoops. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Clean, intuitive interface: Users find the UI easy to navigate and customize, with permissions that make sense and good visibility into team activity. It works well for daily use at agencies tracking time across multiple projects. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Smooth integrations with existing tools: Syncs with project management and communication platforms, so logging time doesn’t interrupt the actual work getting done. [Read Full G2 Review]

Cons

• Pricing feels high for what you get: Some users find Harvest expensive relative to competitors, especially considering its intentionally limited feature set. [Read Full G2 Review]
• No AI or automatic time tracking: The platform relies on manual timers and entries. If you want keyword-based automation or background activity detection, you’ll need to look elsewhere. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Navigation gets clunky at scale: Teams with a large number of clients and projects may spend more time scrolling through lists than they’d like, especially without robust filtering or search. [Read Full G2 Review]

Pricing

Harvest keeps pricing simple with two options:

• Free: Single user with up to 2 projects. Includes time tracking, reporting, and invoicing basics.
• Pro: $9/seat/month (annual). Unlimited projects, timesheet approvals, advanced reports, and full invoicing features.

You can test Pro features free for 30 days – no payment info needed.

10. Insightful

See how Teramind compares to Insightful →

Insightful (formerly Workpuls) is a productivity and workforce analytics platform that tracks how employees spend their time across applications, websites, and tasks.

The platform uses AI to detect behavioral changes like burnout risk or disengagement. It also offers automatic time mapping for predicting how hours should be allocated across projects based on past patterns.

Key Features

• Productivity labeling by role: You can classify applications and websites as productive, unproductive, or neutral based on job function. What counts as productive for one role might not apply to another, and the platform lets you set those distinctions.
• Screenshots and proof of work: Capture periodic screenshots as documentation for clients or internal accountability. Useful for BPOs, agencies, and teams that need to demonstrate billable activity.
• Real-time activity monitoring features: Managers see which apps and websites employees are using, track active vs. idle time, and view live dashboards that show who’s working on what across the team.

Pros

• Responsive support with deep product knowledge: Multiple users mention the support team’s fast response times, thorough follow-up, and ability to help customize the platform for specific needs. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Useful integrated tools for visibility: The platform bundles performance dashboards, screen mirroring, and time tracking into one place, so managers get a clear view of activity without moving between tools. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Strong knowledge base for self-service: IT admins can find answers and configure the platform on their own. This helps with onboarding and ongoing customization without waiting on support. [Read Full G2 Review]

Cons

• Report generation can lag with larger teams: Users report delays when pulling detailed reports, especially for organizations with a higher headcount. Not ideal if you need real-time data exports. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Reporting layout takes time to learn: The platform has strong features, but some parts of the reporting interface aren’t immediately intuitive. Expect an adjustment period before you’re fully comfortable navigating everything. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Setup and policy configuration have a learning curve: First-time users may find the initial configuration more complex than expected, particularly around monitoring policies. Full value takes some ramp-up time. [Read Full G2 Review]

Pricing

Four plans are available based on the feature set:

• Productivity Management ($6.40/user/month): Screenshots, app/website tracking, activity logs, and attendance.
• Time Tracking ($8/user/month): Adds manual time entries, productivity categorization, and timesheet exports.
• Process Improvement ($12/user/month): AI-driven tracking that auto-assigns time to apps, projects, and tasks.
• Enterprise (custom, 100+ licenses): Dedicated support, enhanced security, on-premise deployment options.

11. Timely

Timely automates time tracking for consultancies, agencies, and software teams. A background app called Memory tracks everything you work on throughout the day, and then AI turns that activity into draft timesheets you can approve in seconds.

Employees review, adjust if needed, and submit. And only they can see your raw activity, so there’s no surveillance element for managers to access.

Key Features

• Automatic time tracking via Memory app: The desktop app quietly logs your activity across apps, files, and websites. No start/stop buttons needed.
• Project dashboards with budget tracking: Managers get real-time visibility into project health, budget spend, and team allocation. You can set one-off or recurring budgets and receive alerts at key milestones.
• Two-way sync with project management tools: Premium plans include syncs with monday.com, ClickUp, Jira, Asana, and Trello so projects and tasks stay aligned across platforms.

Pros

• Simple enough that you stop guessing hours: Logging time is fast and friction-free, so you’re not reconstructing your week at invoice time. Users say they catch hours they would have missed with manual tracking. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Good visibility into capacity and productivity: You can monitor daily workload and spot productivity trends over time. This helps with scheduling and resource planning. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Strong integration options for comprehensive tracking: Plugins pull in activity from browsers and other apps. Combined with custom tags and flexible budgeting, it simplifies documenting and justifying billable hours to clients. [Read Full G2 Review]

Cons

• Pricing feels steep for smaller teams: There’s no free plan, and per-user costs add up quickly. Solo users or small teams on tight budgets may find better value elsewhere. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Invoicing setup takes more effort than expected: The rest of the app feels intuitive, but the invoicing workflow is clunkier. It gets the job done, but the learning curve is steeper than it should be. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Teams need time to trust automatic tracking: If you’re used to manual timers, it takes a while to believe that Memory is capturing everything accurately. Expect an adjustment period before your team stops second-guessing the data. [Read Full G2 Review]

Pricing

No free plan exists, but Timely provides a 14-day trial with unrestricted features. Billing is per seat, either monthly or annually (annual saves up to 22%).

Smaller teams pay around $9/user/month, while larger teams with full feature requirements pay up to $22/user/month.

Plans are tied to team size, meaning teams with more than 5 users must move into higher pricing brackets. Custom and enterprise arrangements are available.

12. Apploye

Check out this list of Apploye alternatives →

Apploye combines time tracking with employee monitoring in a single platform that’s built for remote, hybrid, and office-based teams.

The tool also handles project management, invoicing, payroll documentation, and attendance, all at a lower price point than most competitors with similar feature sets.

Apploye offers similar productivity monitoring to DeskTime but at a lower cost and with the added benefit of built-in invoicing and payroll features.

Key Features

• Automatic timesheets with approval workflows: Time entries sync across devices and generate timesheets automatically. Managers can review and approve hours before they hit payroll to reduce any back-and-forth.
• Screenshot and activity monitoring: Apploye grabs random screenshots during work hours and tracks which apps and websites employees use. Activity levels are calculated based on keyboard and mouse input, so managers get a productivity score for each session.
• Built-in invoicing and payroll documentation: The platform generates invoices from tracked hours and documents payroll calculations based on hourly rates. Note that it doesn’t process payments directly, but it prepares the data for external payroll systems.

Pros

• Easy to pick up, even for new users: The interface is clean and intuitive, with a fast learning curve compared to more complex alternatives. New employees can get started without extensive onboarding. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Monitoring feels transparent rather than invasive: Users get notified about what’s being tracked and receive alerts before screenshots or recordings. This approach helps build trust instead of creating a surveillance-heavy atmosphere. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Covers the full workflow in one tool: From time tracking and task management to project visibility and payment documentation, Apploye handles what would normally need two separate products. Managers can see time spent per employee per project through to invoicing without switching platforms. [Read Full G2 Review]

Cons

• No real-time screen recording: The platform takes periodic screenshots but doesn’t record continuous video. If you need full session playback, you’ll either need the paid screen recording add-on or a different tool. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Promised features are still in development: Users report that attendance tracking, leave management, and task scheduling were expected but still aren’t live. If you need these, confirm they exist before signing up. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Reporting features lack depth: The current reports handle basics, but users say customization and detail are limited. The team has acknowledged plans to streamline this, though no specific timeline exists. [Read Full G2 Review]

Pricing

Apploye offers four plans with annual billing (saves 30%+):

• Starter (Free): Up to 10 users. Includes time tracking, timesheets, projects, attendance, payroll, screenshot monitoring, app/URL tracking, and activity analytics.
• Elite ($4.50/user/month): Adds real-time active view, custom reports, integrations, and optional screenshots.
• Power ($8/user/month): Everything in Elite plus real-time instant screenshots, API access, and AI features (coming soon).
• Enterprise (custom): Full feature set with SSO, account provisioning, higher API limits, ACH payments, guided onboarding, and dedicated support.

Optional add-ons include Stealth Mode ($2/user), extra screenshots ($2/user), API access ($1/user), white labeling ($3/user, 100-user minimum), on-premise hosting ($3/user, 100-user minimum), screen recording ($4/user), and Big Query analytics ($1,000/org/month).

A 10-day free trial is available with no credit card required. There’s also a 100% money-back guarantee.

13. Monitask

Monitask is a time tracking tool with lightweight employee monitoring for teams working remotely or across multiple locations.

Employees clock in manually, and from that point, the app logs their work through screenshots, app usage, and keyboard/mouse activity.

Monitask and DeskTime both monitor productivity, but Monitask prioritizes transparency by showing employees their tracked screenshots before managers review them.

Key Features

• App and website tracking: The platform logs which applications and websites employees use during clocked-in time, along with the percentage of time spent on each.
• Screenshot capture with employee visibility: Monitask takes random or interval-based screenshots during work hours. Employees can see the last screenshot taken, so they know exactly what’s being uploaded.
• Real-time dashboard: Managers can see who’s currently online, what projects they’re working on, and their activity status in real time. The dashboard is accessible from any device with a browser.

Pros

• Blurred screenshots balance accountability with privacy: The fuzzy screenshot option confirms that work is happening without exposing personal details on employee screens. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Simplifies repetitive reporting tasks: Users save time on recurring deliverables like coach reports by pulling data directly instead of manually gathering and formatting updates for each person. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Automatic summaries speed up billing and reporting: The daily and weekly rollups give you what you need for client invoices and project updates, no digging through data required. [Read Full G2 Review]

Cons

• Switching tasks takes longer than it should: Users report that transitioning between different types of work, like moving from one project to a client call, feels clunky. The interface doesn’t make it easy to quickly reassign time to a new task. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Reporting templates are limited for creative workflow: The built-in reports cover basics, but there’s no out-of-the-box support for marketing-specific breakdowns like time by content type, client, or campaign stage. [Read Full G2 Review]
• No automated storytelling for executive reporting: There’s no slide deck feature or story builder that shows time investment metrics alongside performance results. Users end up screenshotting charts and writing context manually every time they need to present to leadership. [Read Full G2 Review]

Pricing

Monitask has four plans, all with a 10-day free trial and 18% off for annual billing:

• Pro starts at $6.49/user/month with core time tracking, screenshots, activity monitoring, app/URL tracking, and basic reports (limited to one integration).
• Business at $8.99/user/month removes integration limits and adds team management, project budgets, and client login.
• Business Premium ($12.99/user/month) adds employee scorecards, document tracking, full URL reports, location tracking, and first access to new features.
• Enterprise (custom pricing) is built for 100+ teams with higher API limits, audit logs, VIP support, and personalized onboarding

Why is Teramind the Best DeskTime Alternative?

If your monitoring needs start and end with time tracking and productivity metrics, DeskTime is a capable option that doesn’t overcomplicate things.

But once security, compliance, or forensic investigation enters the picture, Teramind becomes the obvious choice. It combines productivity monitoring with insider threat detection, DLP, and audit-ready reporting in a single tool.

A few features and use cases worth noting:

• View employee screens in real-time or replay recorded sessions with timestamps; these let you skip straight to the moment an incident happened.
• Teramind builds behavioral baselines for every user and alerts you when something deviates through an AI-powered feed that filters out the noise.
• Over 200 pre-built rules let you block data exfiltration across email, USB, cloud uploads, and print, with policies for PCI DSS, HIPAA, and more already configured.
• Track how employees spend time across apps and websites with dashboards that compare productivity across teams and flag where hours are getting lost.
• Text extraction from screen content and keystroke logging help catch exfiltration methods that slip past traditional DLP.
• Integrates with major SIEM tools and holds ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type 2 certifications, with GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI DSS support ready from day one.

For teams that need more than idle detection and productivity scores, Teramind fills the gaps that DeskTime leaves open.

Try a live demo today to see how it works for your use case.

FAQs

Why Look for a DeskTime Alternative?

DeskTime handles the basics well, and for smaller teams with simple tracking needs, it often works fine. The complaints seem to come up once teams scale up or need more from their data.

These are the pain points that push users toward alternatives:

• Pricing scales steeply with team size: What starts as a reasonable per-user cost can add up fast once you’re tracking 50+ employees. Larger organizations often find the total spend harder to justify. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Idle time detection isn’t always reliable: Users report that the system sometimes flags employees as unproductive when they’re doing legitimate work – reading documents, on calls, or thinking through problems away from active clicking. [Read Full G2 Review]
• The interface makes it easy to lose track of time entries: The system tray icons for “running” and “idle” look nearly identical, so employees often forget to start or stop project timers until it’s too late. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Reporting feels underwhelming: Teams that need to pull insights from their data often find the reports visually cluttered and statistically limited, with room for improvement on both fronts. [Read Full G2 Review]
• No live screen viewing option: Managers who want real-time visibility into what employees are working on won’t find that capability here. DeskTime focuses on historical data rather than live monitoring. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Limited detection for gaming the system: The platform lacks AI-powered anomaly detection that could spot suspicious patterns or tools employees might use to inflate their activity metrics. [Read Full G2 Review]
• Connection drops can skew your data: Some users experience intermittent disconnections that create gaps in tracking, which undermines the accuracy you’re paying for. [Read Full G2 Review]

What Are the Key Features and Functionalities to Consider in a DeskTime Alternative?

Not every team needs the same things from a time tracking and monitoring platform. But based on the pain points that push users away from DeskTime, these are the capabilities worth evaluating as you compare alternatives:

• Time tracking accuracy: Unreliable data defeats the purpose of monitoring in the first place. Prioritize platforms with idle detection that understand context and can differentiate between someone stepping away and someone reading a work-related document.
• Live monitoring options: Historical reports work for some teams, but others need to see what’s happening right now. If real-time screen viewing is a requirement, confirm the platform supports live monitoring.
• Reporting depth and flexibility: Basic team productivity scores only tell part of the story. Evaluate whether the platform offers customizable reports, visual dashboards, and statistical depth.
• Integrations with your existing stack: Standalone monitoring tools create extra work. Look for platforms that integrate with your project management, HR, payroll, or security infrastructure, so your data goes where it needs to go.
• Data loss prevention capabilities: Monitoring employee productivity and protecting company data aren’t separate problems. Platforms with built-in DLP can detect when sensitive information gets copied, uploaded, or shared outside approved channels.
• Behavioral analytics and anomaly detection: Standard monitoring records what employees do, while behavioral analytics interprets whether it makes sense. Platforms with this feature (like Teramind!) can find anomalies like unusual login times, atypical data access, and activity spikes that don’t match real output.
• Compliance support: If your organization operates under GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, or similar regulations, look for platforms with built-in compliance features.
• Pricing that scales gracefully: Per-user costs add up fast. Understand how pricing works at 50, 100, or 500 employees, and whether the feature set grows with the price or stays flat while the bill climbs.