Best Employee Monitoring Software of 2025
October 7, 2025
Employee monitoring software helps businesses track, manage, and optimize workforce productivity across remote, hybrid, and in-office teams. These automated tools enable companies to monitor time usage, application activity, and work patterns in real-time, providing data-driven insights to improve performance without the manual effort of constantly checking in with individual employees.
Selecting the right employee monitoring platform can mean the difference between boosting team efficiency or damaging employee trust and morale. Given that 85 percent of major companies now use employee monitoring solutions with teams seeing up to 28 percent efficiency improvements, your decisions regarding this software can show high affect on your company’s productivity, compliance, and business growth.
Best Employee Monitoring Software
CoBanker’s recommendations and reviews are selected by our team of experts who have worked directly with each company in our network. While the companies featured are all partners we work with, reviews are based on our team’s experience across multiple criteria.
| Company | Best for | Price | Screenshots/Recording | Advanced Features | AI Tools | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|  | Small Business | Middle | Premium Only | Yes | Yes | 
|  | Comprehensive Security | High | Video & Screenshots | Yes | No | 
|  | Project Management | Middle | Screenshots | Yes | No | 
|  | Budget | Low | Video & Screenshots | Yes | No | 
|  | New Business | Low | Screenshots | Yes | Yes | 
|  | Time Tracking | Low | Screenshots | No | No | 
|  | AI-Powered Insights | Low | Screenshots | Yes | Yes | 
|  | Privacy-Focused Monitoring | Low | Screenshots | No | No | 
|  | Multi-Feature Integration | Low | Video & Screenshots | Yes | No | 
Best for Small Business ActivTrak
ActivTrak takes an ethical approach to data collection and emphasis on transparency in monitoring policies, fostering trust and respect while still offering valuable productivity insights. The user-friendly nature of the dashboard and the depth of reporting available allow for straightforward setup, with many emphasizing that the software’s ability to categorize most actions as productive or unproductive allows for rapid implementation and simplicity of use.
The standout feature noted by several users is the advanced analytics that extend beyond monitoring to offer strategic workforce insights, including burnout detection, productivity benchmarking, and workflow optimization suggestions. While some of the more advanced features are locked behind premium subscriptions, overall reliability remains strongly positive. This platform’s focus on insights over surveillance align more with modern management philosophies.
- AI-powered productivity insights
- Automatic activity classification
- Privacy-focused monitoring
- Team productivity benchmarking
- Workflow optimization
- Burnout detection
Free trial is available for new users alongside a free plan which offers up to 3 users, 30-day data history and basic activity tracking. Paid plans start at Essentials, priced at $10 per user per month with annual billing, and include 6 months of data history, with all paid plans providing real-time activity monitoring. Essentials Plus offers detailed activity breakdowns and productivity goal setting, for $15 per user per month. The Professional plan adds 12 months of data history, AI-powered coaching, team productivity dashboards and workforce planning, for $19 per user per month.
Best for Security Teramind
Teramind is a feature-rich and intuitive employee monitoring platform that has been consistently rated by users as the most comprehensive employee monitoring solution on the market. Teramind provides outstanding value for businesses that require advanced insider threat detection, DLP, and 360-degree visibility into all workforce activities to drive large gains in productivity. Its mature features and functionality are designed for a wide range of use cases, from tracking basic productivity to providing powerful enterprise forensic tools.
Teramind provides granular controls over policies to allow companies to strike a balance between security needs and employee privacy. The platform has a learning curve because of its wide breadth of features, but the interface is intuitive and customer support is very responsive. While some users find the pricing difficult for scaling teams, the advanced capabilities and overall cost savings of productivity and risk mitigation lead most to feel it is a good investment.
- Advanced threat detection
- Data loss prevention
- Real-time screen recording
- Keystroke logging
- Behavioral analytics
- Compliance reporting
Teramind offers four plans starting with the Starter plan at $14 per user per month (minimum 5 users, billed annually) for basic productivity monitoring and screen recording. This is followed by the UAM plan, priced at $28 per user per month with comprehensive user activity monitoring, keystroke logging, and behavior rules. The DLP plan at $32 per user per month adds enterprise-grade data loss prevention with 200 pre-packaged DLP rules and content-based blocking. The Enterprise plan offers custom pricing with premium support, professional services, and government cloud availability for large organizations.
Best for Project Management Hubstaff
Hubstaff’s accuracy and automated payroll are often highlighted as its key strengths. The time tracking software’s attention to detail and automatic calculations prevent manual timesheet errors, ensuring accurate payroll and simplifying client work billing. Hubstaff’s GPS tracking and mobile app features provide wonderful utility in managing remote and field teams, often resulting in increased project visibility.
Its integrations with project management platforms like Asana, Trello, and Jira create a streamlined workflow that users find extremely helpful for productivity. Although some mention that the screenshot monitoring feature can be intrusive if not used transparently, most appreciate the proof-of-work for client billing. A few users report occasional syncing issues with offline tracking, but Hubstaff’s responsive customer support and regular updates continue to resolve these issues, making it a trusted time tracking and team management tool.
- Automatic time tracking
- GPS location tracking
- Project budgeting
- Team scheduling
- Invoice generation
- Mobile apps
The Starter plan costs $4.99 per user per month (minimum 2 users) and includes basic time tracking, limited reports, and client invoicing. The Grow plan is $7.50 per user per month and includes project management tasks, advanced reports, and 1 integration. The Team plan is $10 per user per month, the most popular and includes unlimited screenshots, unlimited integrations, payments & payroll, and a 3-month Insights trial. The Enterprise plan is $25 per user per month (billed annually) and includes HIPAA compliance, SOC-2 compliance, and dedicated support with optional add-ons available for an additional $1.67-$3.33 per user per month.
Best for Budget Time Doctor
Time Doctor is widely commended for its rapid 10-minute setup and user-friendly design. Often highlighted is the software’s screenshot and screen recording functionality as essential for providing transparent work verification, especially useful for billing clients and ensuring remote employee accountability.
The platform has a particularly comprehensive productivity tracking and customizable report tools, adding to significant boosts in productivity. Time Doctor’s integration with popular project management tools like Asana, Trello, and Jira streamlines workflows. Although some feedback indicates that per-user pricing can become costly for larger teams and the software may occasionally freeze, overall user sentiment suggests that Time Doctor offers good value for the features provided.
- Detailed time tracking
- Productivity analysis
- Client billing integration
- Distraction alerts
- Project reporting
- Multi-platform support
Time Doctor has three plans beginning with the Basic plan which is $6.70 per user per month (yearly billing) and includes automatic tracking, screenshots, and basic reporting. The Standard plan is $11.70 per user per month and includes productivity ratings, attendance tracking, 60+ integrations, and work-life balance tracking. The Premium plan is $16.70 per user per month and includes AI benchmarks, unusual activity detection, video screen recording, and dedicated success manager support. There are also Enterprise plans with custom pricing that include private cloud deployment and professional services. There are optional add-ons from $2-200 per user/account per month.
Best for New Business Insightful
Insightful’s intuitive onboarding and low learning curve make it a preferred choice for organizations that require immediate deployment of monitoring solutions with minimal training. The software’s automatic time mapping and behavioral analytics allow for enhanced visibility into productivity and resource utilization within weeks of implementation. Stealth monitoring and productivity labeling features also deliver valuable insights without disrupting employee workflows.
These real-time tracking frameworks show high effectiveness in helping managers proactively address bottlenecks before they affect project timelines. However, some users suggest that customization options could be more robust and integration with Microsoft 365 could be smoother. Overall Insightful’s shows a strong value proposition, with many organizations citing a transformative impact on their workforce management practices, especially for remote and hybrid teams.
- Automatic time mapping
- Stealth monitoring mode
- Productivity labeling
- Real-time activity tracking
- Advanced reporting
- API integrations
Insightful offers four plans starting with Productivity Management at $6.40 per user per month (billed annually) including apps & web activity analysis, attendance tracking, and productivity reports. The Time Tracking plan at $8.00 per user per month adds project management, budgeting, and invoicing capabilities. The Process Improvement plan at $12.00 per user per month (for teams over 50 users) includes automated project tracking and workflow analysis. The Enterprise solution offers custom pricing for teams over 100 users with SSO, on-premise deployment, and dedicated support, plus optional add-ons ranging from $1-3 per user per month.
Best for Time Tracking DeskTime
DeskTime has built a strong reputation for its exceptional automatic time tracking DeskTime offers exceptional automatic time tracking capabilities through a clean, intuitive interface that requires minimal manual intervention from employees. The platform delivers high accuracy in tracking productive versus idle time, featuring automatic detection capabilities that eliminate the need for constant manual time entry.
DeskTime’s straightforward approach to productivity calculation and project time allocation provides clear insights into work patterns without excessive intrusiveness. The software generates comprehensive productivity reports and integrates with payment systems, making it particularly valuable for businesses focused on accurate billing and project cost management. However, some users note that DeskTime requires manual launching rather than starting automatically, and a few mention that the reporting interface could be more intuitive for complex analysis.
- Automatic time tracking
- Project time allocation
- Productivity calculations
- URL and app monitoring
- Screenshot capture
- Billing integration
DeskTime offers three plans starting with the Pro plan at $6.42 per user per month (billed annually) for small teams, including automatic time tracking, productivity calculations, and calendar integrations. The most popular Premium plan at $9.17 per user per month adds screenshots, API integrations, and shift scheduling features. The Enterprise plan offers custom pricing for organizations with 200+ users and includes everything in Premium plus custom API development, dedicated account manager, and personalized employee training. All annual plans include one month free, and the platform is backed by ISO 27001 & 27701 certification.
Best for AI-Powered Insights We360.ai
Users consistently praise the platform’s quick setup process that can be configured within minutes, providing immediate visibility into team productivity patterns and work habits. The software’s Health360 feature receives particular acclaim from HR managers for its ability to identify overworked, under-utilized, or unproductive employees, enabling better task allocation and workload management.
Many users highlight the platform’s real-time analytics capabilities and domain blocking features, which help organizations maintain focus by restricting access to unproductive websites during work hours. The automated attendance management system has proven invaluable for businesses transitioning to remote or hybrid work models, with users reporting significant improvements in workforce coordination and accountability. While some users mention that the idle time calculation settings can be rigid and may not suit all work types, most find the comprehensive reporting and screenshot monitoring features provide excellent value.
- AI-powered analytics
- Real-time productivity tracking
- Automated attendance management
- Screenshot monitoring
- Health360 workload analysis
- Domain blocking
We360.ai offers four plans starting with a Free plan for up to 3 users including basic monitoring and 3 weeks of data retention. The Starter plan at $5 per user per month adds scheduling, project management, and 6 months data retention. The popular Pro plan at $7 per user per month includes workload analysis, productivity goal setting, automated reports, and website utilization tracking. The Enterprise plan offers custom pricing with 2-year data retention, single sign-on, ActiveDirectory integration, and up to 60 screenshots per hour, plus optional add-ons ranging from $1-2 per user per month for API access and extended data retention.
Best for Privacy-Focused Monitoring Monitask
Monitask has earned a loyal user base by prioritizing employee privacy and transparency while delivering effective productivity monitoring capabilities across Mac, Linux, and Windows platforms. The platform’s commitment to ethical monitoring practices resonates strongly with users, as it only tracks activity when employees are actively clocked in and automatically pauses during scheduled breaks and outside work hours.
The platform’s multi-platform compatibility makes it particularly valuable for businesses with diverse technology environments, and the simple clock-in/out functionality eliminates confusion about when monitoring is active. Monitask’s transparent approach allows for comprehensive activity screenshots and website tracking features without compromising employee privacy through excessive surveillance. While Monitask lacks some of the advanced security features found in enterprise-level solutions, the consensus is overwhelmingly positive about its balanced approach to monitoring.
- Transparent monitoring
- Multi-platform support
- Activity screenshots
- Website and app tracking
- Clock-in/out functionality
- Productivity reporting
Monitask offers four plans with an 18% discount for annual billing, starting with the Pro plan at $6.49 per user per month including time tracking, screenshots, and 1 integration with 1-month data storage. The Business plan at $8.99 per user per month adds unlimited integrations, team management, and client login with 2-month data storage. The new Business Premium plan at $12.99 per user per month includes employee scorecards, advanced tracking features, and priority access to new features. The Enterprise plan at $15.99 per user per month (100+ employees only) offers VIP support, audit logs, and custom data storage, plus optional screenshot add-ons ranging from $2.40-$7.20 per user per month.
Best for Multi-Feature Integration Time Champ
This software’s strength lies in its ability to seamlessly blend time tracking, task management, attendance monitoring, and screen recording capabilities, making it particularly valuable for organizations seeking an all-in-one productivity solution. Time Champ’s automated time tracking and reminder systems help maintain consistent productivity levels while reducing the administrative burden on managers.
The platform’s integration capabilities with over 50 tools including Jira, Trello, and QuickBooks receive particular acclaim for creating unified workflows that enhance overall business efficiency. Users appreciate that Time Champ scales effectively from startups to Fortune 500 companies, adapting to diverse organizational needs and compliance requirements. While some users mention that the extensive menu system can be overwhelming for first-time users and requires a learning curve to fully utilize all capabilities, most find that the comprehensive training resources and responsive support team help overcome these initial challenges.
- Automated time tracking
- Screen recording and screenshots
- Task and project management
- 200+ detailed reports
- Attendance management
- API integrations
Time Champ offers three main plans with annual billing starting with the Starter plan at $3.90 per user per month including interactive mode, automatic attendance, and basic reporting features. The popular Professional plan at $6.90 per user per month adds silent tracking, configurable settings, productivity reports, and screenshot functionality. The Enterprise plan at $13.90 per user per month includes live videos, real-time alerts, dedicated account manager, and advanced analytics with Azure SSO. The platform offers extensive add-ons ranging from $1-17 per user per month for features like screen recording ($3), project management ($2), keylogger ($2), and behavior alerts ($17 per 10 reports), plus a one-time implementation cost of $4 per user with a $62.50 minimum.








