20 Best Computer Monitoring Software in 2024

Hybrid and remote work have become part of the new norm after the COVID-19 pandemic. As the number of workers favoring this kind of setup continues to grow, so does the demand for employee monitoring software for tracking employees’ computer activities and productivity levels during work hours. But despite having been created for the same purpose, software solutions under this category vary in terms of access levels, core capabilities, integrated tools, and, of course, operational cost.

If you are looking for a computer monitoring platform to add to your remote work tools, this article is for you. On the list below, we will share with you some of the best computer monitoring software solutions designed to give you data-driven insights into your team’s computer activities, which can help you maintain, enhance and reward the productivity of company employees at the team and individual levels.

One in every five companies are now using employee monitoring tools installed in the computers and even mobile devices that their employees use for work. But amid the increasing adoption rate of technologies that allow companies to keep a close eye on their employees, particularly remote workers, is the growing concern on its negative impact on employee morale. According to a recent study, the implementation of employee monitoring technologies may have contributed to the increase in resignation rate. Two of the reasons behind this is the decrease in job satisfaction and employees’ burn out that stem from the knowledge that they are being constantly watched.

The privacy concerns of employees are, of course, valid, considering the level of access and control employers can have. By using monitoring tools, companies gain access to keystrokes, device location, as well as the capability to remotely record video, audio, and more. Adding to this concern are the cases where companies would use stealth monitoring platforms to keep track of their employees’ computer activities without the latter’s knowledge. While there are companies that have done and still do this with the intent to protect business interest, it can still lead to employees losing their trust, which can eventually affect their motivation to work and productivity.

Implementing corporate surveillance and protecting employer-employee relationship is like walking on a tightrope. Fortunately, the best computer monitoring software can help strike the balance between these two seemingly conflicting aspects of remote work. In this article, we will also delve into computer monitoring software comparison of the best platforms included on the list below.

Best Computer Monitoring Software in 2025

1. Connecteam

Connecteam is the leading app in this category as it offers both usability and functionality on top of being a free platform. A highly-scalable software for monitoring computer activity, Connecteam provides business organizations with a variety of tools, including time tracking, task management, communication, and even scheduling tools, among others.

Its user management feature enables you to monitor unlimited activity and entries history across multiple devices. This also allows you to keep track of the device employees are using—desktop or mobile—and whether an employees switches to a new device, which helps avoid “buddy punching” during clock-in and clock-out. It’s time clock feature not only gives you real-time visibility into your employees’ work hours, it also shows you their locations, which is useful when they are working offsite. What makes this even more convenient is you can easily integrate your payroll and automate payroll processing based on the time clock rules you set.

Connecteam

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Aside from computer activity, time, and location tracking, Connecteam also comes with task management, HR and people management, and employee communication capabilities. Furthermore, employee training and onboarding is also part of Connecteam’s scope of capabilities, along with employee engagement via posts, quizzes, and surveys. Furthermore, this platform enables you to give rewards and recognition to your employees during special occasions, such as birthdays, etc., when they do exceptional work, or for displaying exemplary behavior. Although this is an all-in-one software solution, keep in mind that Connecteam has its pros and cons that you may want to check out first.

In terms of pricing, Connecteam is free for small businesses and its three-tier premium plans start at $29 per month.

2. Insightful

Next on our list is Insightful (formerly Workpuls), a leading time tracking solution equipped with robust computer activity tools that can be deployed both in the cloud and on-premise. Insightful’s user activity monitoring feature captures an extensive amount of data that gives you an insight into your team’s productivity whether they are on site or working remotely. This platform offers a team-wide view via a single dashboard, which enables you to see the apps and websites being accessed by your team to complete their tasks.

It also comes with a screen monitoring function that allows you to screen record or take screenshots according to the intervals or triggers you set. You can also check your team’s activity logs during active and idle times, as well as their manual logs and manual time entries for validation. Furthermore, you can set alerts so you will be notified in real time if the performance of any of your team members falls below the set productivity level.

Insightful

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As a computer software monitoring tool, Insightful is mindful of employees’ personal information. Its privacy standards are strictly ethical and legal-compliant and allows you to choose apps and websites that need to be monitored and exclude the ones that access employees’ personal information. Insightful’s flexible settings also enable you to set role-based access to sensitive data. Aside from computer monitoring, Insightful offers other features such as timekeeping and project management.

While Insightful does not have a completely free version, its subscription packages are priced to cater to businesses of all sizes. The starting price of Insightful’s subscription plans is $8 per month per employee.

3. Time Doctor

Time Doctor is one of the leading time tracking tools widely popular among businesses as well as independent freelancers. For businesses, Time Doctor serves as an ideal software to keep track of both their on-site and remote employees’ working hours.

As a top software for computer monitoring, Time Doctor keeps a detailed record of the apps and websites being used. The productivity levels of the app and websites are also measured and rated based on the amount of activity spent on each. In this way, you will not only be able to determine which app and website contributes to your employees’ productivity and which can potentially serve as distractions. Furthermore, Time Doctor detects if your employees are not focusing on their active tasks and automatically sends them alerts.

Other computer monitoring features Time Doctor takes screenshots and webcam shots to document your employees’ computer activity. You can also easily generate summary reports of your employees’ productivity and accurately track their online and offline working hours on both desktop and mobile devices.

4. FlexiServer

Developed by NCH Software, FlexiServer is designed to be an attendance monitoring and management solution for managers. This works hand-in-hand with FlexiStation, the software that employees need to download and run on their computers in order for FlexiServer to record their attendance and gain access to their computer activities. This computer monitoring system provides screenshots of your teams’ computer activity, as well as alerts you when a member of your team logs in to work. Moreover, you can toggle between work and private modes and set up notification preferences for when you have been idle, in private mode, or working mode for a specific length of time.

In terms of attendance management and monitoring, FlexiServer allows you to manually edit timesheets, as well as add and approve leave requests. The software is available for one-time purchase and pricing starts at $159.

5. Pivotal Tracker

Pivotal Tracker is an agile project management platform designed for software development teams. This user-friendly platform enables seamless collaboration among team members with the help of user-friendly tools, such as shared and individual workspaces, a file sharing feature, a communication function, and task and project prioritization capabilities.

For team leaders, supervisors, and project managers, Pivotal Tracker offers a 360-view of your team’s productivity down to individual members. You can view the entire history of a project, including code changes to make sure that a project is progressing as it should. You also get a detailed view of your team’s health based on the level of productivity and how it impacts your ongoing projects.

Aside from having robust features, Pivotal Tracker is also free for a team of five collaborators. Access to premium features start at $10 per month.

6. RescueTime

RescueTime is one of the ​​best platforms with positive computer monitoring software reviews when it comes to helping your team maximize productivity while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. It comes with a set of tools that helps you and your team set up a focus goal and eliminate distractions. Furthermore, it also helps you measure the time your team and individual members spend on various activities, including breaks, meetings, etc.

Other features RescueTime offers are automatic recording of computer activities, monitoring of active windows, offline activity tracking, and productivity scoring. This platform is available in two versions–RescueTime Lite, which is completely free and RescueTime Premium, which starts at $9 per user per month.

7. Deputy

Powered by AI technology, Deputy helps optimize your team’s schedule through its auto-scheduling functionality that leaves you enough room to cover employee unavailability, manage attendance and breaks, and set working hour limits to avoid fatigue and unnecessary overtime. It also takes pride in being the first touchless employee time clock as this feature is automatically activated via facial recognition technology in mobile devices or dedicated Deputy kiosks.

Aside from its scheduling capabilities, Deputy also automates timesheet verification and complex work hour calculation. And to complete the payroll process, you can integrate Deputy’s timesheet app with popular payroll software systems, such as QuickBooks, Netsuite, and Paychex, among others.

As for the price, you can get the scheduling and time and attendance tools separately for $2.50. Premium plan costs $4 and you can also tailor your subscription plan on quote-basis.

8. Hubstaff

A free time tracker for desktop and mobile devices, Hubstaff is quite a popular choice among freelancers and remote teams. This software is not only easy to set up and use, it also provides users with essential tools to keep track of your team members’ computer activity based on keyboard and mouse movement and boost their productivity. Its employee monitoring application runs quietly in the background, keeping tabs on the websites and applications being used by your team. You can also enable the app to periodically take screenshots as visual proof of your team’s progress in their tasks.

Hubstaff is also equipped with automated timesheet reporting and can integrate with more than 30 third-party software, including Asana, Trello, and QuickBooks. As for the price, Hubstaff is free for one user and the premium plans start at $7 per month.

9. ActiveCollab

ActiveCollab is a cloud-based software solution that serves as a project management, time tracking, and collaboration platform. Among its notable features are its capability to record activity logs and meticulously keep track of the time your team members spend on each task. These features do not just give you a clear view of how your team handles the tasks and projects, these also allow you to set up a more balanced workload to avoid overworking and burnout that can negatively affect your team’s productivity.

Another nifty tool this platform offers is its time monitoring that tracks billable hours on task and project levels. Working hours are automatically recorded on personal timesheets and calculated based on set rates. Furthermore, processing of your team’s payment can be automated by integrating ActiveCollab with invoicing and payment gateway platforms, such as Xero, PayPal, and Stripe.

In terms of pricing, ActiveCollab’s three-tier subscription plans start at $9 per member per month.

10. Mesh

Considered as one of the top performance appraisal solutions, Mesh provides companies with intuitive performance review tools, such as smart forms pre-populated with up to a year’s worth of record for a data-oriented performance assessment. The performance tools are also highly configurable to make it easy to adapt to the unique requirements and internal processes of different companies. Mesh is also big on transparency as it makes sure that employees have complete visibility of not only their goals but also their progress.

As an employee monitoring platform, Mesh also comes with a suite of project management tools that gives you a consolidated view of each team member’s tasks and shared projects. When it comes to 1:1 conversations, Mesh helps ensure that relevant talking points are properly documented. The platform’s smart analytics offers insights into the effectiveness of coaching sessions, giving you enough room to assess your coaching program and identify areas of improvement. Furthermore, you can effectively keep your team motivated and engaged by giving timely feedback and recognition via social posts and feed cards that can be automated based on progress and achievements made by your team members.

In terms of integrations, Mesh connects seamlessly with Gmail, Outlook, Slack, and Google teams as well as HRIS systems. As for the cost, Mesh offers three subscription plans that start at $4 per person per month.

11. Monitask

Another popular productivity and time tracking solution is Monitask. This cloud-based software solution is specifically created and designed for businesses that have remote employees. Monitask takes screenshots of your employees’ computer activities at random intervals, which allows you to see their progress on the tasks they are working on. Aside from screenshots, Monitask enables you to view the apps used by your employees and the websites they access while working on their assigned tasks or projects. It is also important to note that Monitask only takes screenshots when the employees are logged in on the platform and does not spy on offline activities.

What makes Monitask even more ideal for remote businesses is it also doubles as an invoicing software. The platform uses billable hours, which allow you to automatically generate invoices according to the agreed-upon hourly rate. Furthermore, you get access to detailed reports that give you an insight into your employees’ productivity and identify issues that need to be addressed immediately, as well as areas that need improvement.

Monitask offers affordable plans for businesses of all sizes. Starting plan costs $5.99 per user per month if billed monthly, or $4.99 per user per month if billed annually.

12. ActivTrak

Another employee monitoring platform that caters to both hybrid and remote teams is ActivTrak. This software solution offers near real-time visibility into your team’s productivity level as a whole and individually. This is accomplished by ActivTrak’s capability to gather and analyze the active and passive activity data of employees. By gathering and analyzing computer activity data, you can compare the habits and behaviors of both in-office and remote teams as well as identify possible challenges and distractions that affect their performances.

What makes ActivTrak ideal, especially for small businesses, is it is completely free and scalable with affordable premium plans. Pricing starts at $9 per user per month billed annually and you can get a custom quote for an enterprise-level subscription package.

13. InterGuard

Next on our list is InterGuard. This platform is designed for businesses that want a more comprehensive employee monitoring solution for their remote and work-from-home teams. InterGuard takes desktop screenshots and video playbacks continuously. You can set the intervals for this feature, and you can set an alert word that triggers screenshots once it is typed by an employee. And if there are websites and applications that need to be monitored more closely, you can configure the platform to screenshot every activity whenever these websites and apps are accessed.

If your company handles sensitive data, InterGuard is ideal for you as it is also equipped with a file activity tracker. This feature keeps track of activities that deal with all types of files, from emailing, uploading, deleting, copying, and even printing of documents. Real-time alerts are also triggered whenever an employee attempts to access data, apps, or websites that they are not supposed to.

You can get InterGuard for $25 per user per month or $179 per user per year.

14. Tanda

Tanda is a cloud-hosted workforce application that enables you to manage various administrative functions, from employee onboarding, rostering and scheduling, as well as timesheet and payroll. This platform allows employees to clock in from both desktop and mobile devices. This feature also uses unique passcodes and photo verification to make sure that the actual employee is the one clocking in.

Tanda also has an employee mobile app where employees can easily access their updated rosters and schedules, shift details, wages and hours, and detailed breakdown of their wage for a specific period. And to make the payroll process even more seamless, you can integrate Tanda with some of the leading payroll systems.

Tanda offers three types of subscription plans that you can customize according to your company’s needs. In terms of cost, prices for all subscription plans are quote-based and only available upon request.

15. We360.ai

This employee monitoring solution provides businesses with advanced tools to help you boost your team’s performance and efficiency. We360.ai gathers real-time data on employees’ computer activities. These include the websites and applications they use while on shift and how much time they spend working on tasks. The platform also allows you to manually or automatically take screenshots of your team’s computer activities at random intervals.

Aside from computer monitoring, We360.ai also functions as an employee scheduling tool with its capability to keep track of attendance and manage leaves. It also enables you to efficiently manage projects and tasks from a single dashboard using intuitive charts and graphs. Furthermore, We360.ai offers you insights into your team’s overall productivity via detailed reports and analytics that you can access from your desktop and the mobile app.

We360.ai offers affordable monthly and yearly subscription plans that cost $3.99 per user per month or $3 per user per month if billed annually.

16. Desklog

Desklog is another free computer monitoring software for businesses that have remote and freelance workers. Aside from the standard automated random screenshots, Desklog allows you to automatically take screenshots of an employee’s most used screen, as well as assess how much time is spent on each app or URL. In this way, you will be able to identify if an employee is being productive or being idle.

This software also allows you to categorize computer applications into productive, non-productive, and neutral categories, which gives you further insight into an employee’s productivity level based on the applications one frequently uses. URLs and documents being accessed are also tracked to make sure that employees are only using websites and documents relevant to their tasks.

Beyond computer monitoring, Desklog provides online and offline time tracking, employee attendance management, and project management tools, among others. Its free version can accommodate a maximum of 10 members and the premium versions start at $3.50 per user per month.

17. Apploye

Apploye is a time tracker application for desktop and mobile devices equipped with features specifically designed to monitor remote teams. Like the top computer monitoring software on this list, Apploye is capable of taking screenshots of your staff’s desktop activities. It also comes with a live feed feature that allows you to view an employee’s most recent start time and the task or project one is working on.

What makes Apploye different from other similar applications is the broad range of features it offers beyond time tracking and employee monitoring. These include tools for project and budgeting, client management and invoicing, task management, schedule and leave management, and payroll.

Furthermore, Apploye offers budget-friendly subscription plans that start at $4 per user per month if billed monthly or $2 per user per month if billed annually.

18. Kickidler

Kickidler is a powerful remote and office computer monitoring software for businesses, security service, IT, and computer classes. It provides users with comprehensive tools, such as visual assessment of an employee’s computer screen with the help of screenshots and screen video activity recording capabilities. To further assess an employee’s computer activity, this platform utilizes keystroke monitoring to capture every key log. Kickidler also generates detailed productivity reports for analysis, as well as accurately tracks working hours for payroll purposes.

Kickidler enables you to set violation alerts to immediately notify employees when they access websites and apps that are banned during work hours. You can also set automatic notifications that let employees know if they need to take a break. Supervisors and managers can also receive copies of these alerts.

This software solution has a free version that accommodates a single user who only needs visual monitoring tools. To gain access to Kickidler’s advanced features, you can purchase a license for employee monitoring software for as low as $10 per license for three months. Time tracking software licenses can be purchased separately.

19. CloudDesk

CloudDesk is an AI-powered computer monitoring application created for remote teams. This enables you to have real-time visibility of your team’s work hours via screenshots, web and app usage monitoring, and robust time tracking tools. Although CloudDesk prides itself in being one of the best employee monitoring solutions, it also ensures that employees will remain at ease while using the platform by taking their privacy seriously. CloudDesk does not have audio and video recording, no remote desktop access, and no stealth mode capabilities. And while CloudDesk has a screenshot feature, it ensures that passwords are not captured.

Other features offered by CloudDesk include face ID verification when logging in for the day, geo-location, and automatically generated productivity reports. As for the price, CloudDesk’s monthly subscription plan is $15 per user per month. Its annual plan, on the other hand, costs $10 per user per month.

20. Workstatus

Last on our list of computer system monitoring software is Workstatus. Primarily a workforce management solution integrated with workforce analytics tools, Workstatus gives you a real-time view of your team’s computer activity patterns. Some of the useful employee monitoring features Workstatus offers include active screenshots, apps and website usage, and detailed reports on individual employee’s productivity. Workstatus is also available on mobile devices, which is ideal for monitoring employees who are out on field work.

Aside from its employee monitoring capabilities, Workstatus also comes with other useful tools, such as attendance management, employee scheduling, project budgeting, and invoicing. Workstatus is completely free for single users who handle a maximum of five projects. Its premium plans start at $4.99 per user per month.

Ethical Considerations with Computer Monitoring Software

Using computer and employee monitoring tools has become the norm in recent years, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. But despite the widespread adoption of these software solutions, there still are those who remain skeptical about its ethical implications. One of the main reasons behind this concern is some companies’ failure to be transparent with their employees when it comes to utilizing computer activity monitoring software that spies on their computer activities. While these types of surveillance tools are necessary for businesses, it is also important to acknowledge the issues that may arise from employees’ end, especially when it comes to their fear of having their privacy invaded.

Before implementing a computer monitoring solution, it is absolutely important to make sure that the employees understand not only the reason behind it but also how they will be monitored. Employees will feel more comfortable working with a computer activity tracker knowing that their personal data, from passwords to personal accounts, are not being captured or retrieved without their knowledge. Choosing a paid or free computer monitoring software that addresses specific business needs and employees trust falls in the hands of the company. And regardless of which software a company ends up using, transparency plays a crucial role in how this technology can have a positive impact on productivity.

If you are past these concerns, you can test-drive the top app on this list of the best computer monitoring software solutions, Connecteam, via its free trial offer. If it doesn’t work out for you, you can try the others, too.

Key Insights

• Importance of Employee Monitoring: With the rise of hybrid and remote work setups, employee monitoring software has become essential for tracking productivity and computer activity. These tools help ensure employees are working efficiently and adhering to company policies.
• Features of Monitoring Software: Common features include time tracking, screenshots, real-time activity monitoring, website and app usage tracking, attendance tracking, keystroke recording, and remote access control. These features provide comprehensive insights into employee behavior and productivity.
• Impact on Employee Morale: While monitoring software can boost productivity, it can also negatively impact employee morale if not implemented transparently. Employees may feel their privacy is invaded, leading to decreased job satisfaction and increased resignation rates.
• Ethical Considerations: Transparency and ethical use of monitoring tools are crucial. Companies should communicate clearly with employees about the purpose and extent of monitoring to maintain trust and morale.
• Cost and Scalability: Monitoring software varies in cost and scalability. Some platforms offer free versions for small businesses, while others provide premium plans with advanced features suitable for larger organizations.

FAQ

1. What is employee monitoring software and why is it important?

   Employee monitoring software tracks employees’ computer activities, including time spent on tasks, websites visited, and applications used. It is important for ensuring productivity, maintaining security, and managing remote or hybrid work environments effectively.

2. What are the common features of employee monitoring software?

   Common features include time tracking, screenshots, real-time activity monitoring, website and app usage tracking, attendance tracking, keystroke recording, and remote access control. These features help provide a comprehensive view of employee productivity and behavior.

3. How can employee monitoring software impact employee morale?

   Employee monitoring software can negatively impact employee morale if not implemented transparently. Employees may feel their privacy is invaded, leading to decreased job satisfaction and increased resignation rates. Transparent communication about the purpose and extent of monitoring is essential to mitigate these effects.

4. What ethical considerations should be taken into account when using employee monitoring software?

   Ethical considerations include transparency, respect for privacy, and clear communication with employees about monitoring practices. Companies should inform employees about what data is being collected, how it will be used, and ensure that personal information is not monitored without consent.

5. How does employee monitoring software help improve productivity?

   By tracking time spent on tasks, websites visited, and applications used, employee monitoring software helps identify productivity patterns and areas for improvement. It can also help detect and minimize distractions, ensuring employees stay focused on their work.

6. What are some popular employee monitoring software options?

   Some popular employee monitoring software options include Connecteam, Insightful, Time Doctor, FlexiServer, Pivotal Tracker, RescueTime, Deputy, Hubstaff, ActiveCollab, and Mesh. Each platform offers unique features and pricing plans to cater to different business needs.

7. How does transparency in using monitoring software benefit a company?

   Transparency in using monitoring software builds trust between employers and employees. It helps employees understand the purpose of monitoring, alleviates concerns about privacy, and fosters a positive work environment. Transparent communication can lead to better acceptance and cooperation from employees.

8. What factors should be considered when choosing employee monitoring software?

   Factors to consider include the features offered, ease of use, scalability, cost, integration capabilities with other tools, and the level of transparency and privacy protection provided by the software. It’s important to choose a solution that aligns with your business needs and values.

9. Can employee monitoring software be used for remote and hybrid work setups?

   Yes, employee monitoring software is particularly useful for remote and hybrid work setups. It helps ensure that employees working from different locations remain productive and adhere to company policies. Features like time tracking, activity monitoring, and remote access control are especially beneficial in these environments.

10. How can companies address employees’ privacy concerns with monitoring software?

    Companies can address privacy concerns by being transparent about the monitoring practices, explaining the purpose of monitoring, and ensuring that personal data is not collected without consent. Providing clear guidelines and maintaining open communication with employees can help alleviate concerns and maintain trust.

By Nestor Gilbert

Nestor Gilbert is a senior B2B and SaaS analyst and a core contributor at FinancesOnline for over 5 years. With his experience in software development and extensive knowledge of SaaS management, he writes mostly about emerging B2B technologies and their impact on the current business landscape. However, he also provides in-depth reviews on a wide range of software solutions to help businesses find suitable options for them. Through his work, he aims to help companies develop a more tech-forward approach to their operations and overcome their SaaS-related challenges.