Best Employee Monitoring Software for Remote Teams

Insightful, formerly Workpuls, combines automatic time tracking with workforce analytics, so managers see app and website use, productivity trends and attendance without asking staff to start timers. Screenshots come with the entry plan, which sets it apart from ActivTrak, where screenshots cost extra. The platform also maps time to projects and tasks, which helps remote teams that bill clients or track delivery against a plan.

The Workforce Analytics plan costs $8 per seat per month on annual billing, and the Workflow Optimization plan costs $12. The Combo plan bundles both at $16 per seat per month. There is no free plan, only a 7-day trial with no credit card required. Screen recording, on-demand screenshots and workspace security are add-ons priced from $0.50 to $4 per seat per month, so check which of those your team needs before you compare the headline price with rivals.

Price: $8 per seat/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Free trial (7 days)

Website: insightful.io

Hubstaff started as a time tracker for remote teams and still feels like one, with timers, timesheets, activity levels and optional screenshots built around the working day. It adds GPS tracking for field staff and payroll features that turn approved hours into payments, which suits remote teams that mix office work with site visits. The interface is plain and quick to learn, so a small team can be running in a day.

The Starter plan costs $4.99 per user per month on annual billing, with a two-seat minimum, which makes it the cheapest entry point in this list. Grow costs $7.50 and adds more screenshots, integrations and reports. There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial. Teams that need deep productivity analytics or workforce planning will find more in ActivTrak or Insightful, but for verified hours at a low price, Hubstaff is hard to beat.

Price: $4.99 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Free trial (14 days)

Website: hubstaff.com

Time Doctor records time automatically, takes screenshots at set intervals, and shows activity levels alongside projects and tasks, which gives managers a clear record of what a remote team worked on. It includes offline tracking, so hours worked without a connection still reach the timesheet, and payroll tools that turn approved time into payments. The reports cover attendance, projects and individual output, which suits teams that need evidence of hours for clients.

The Basic plan costs $6.67 per user per month on annual billing, or $8 month to month, and includes screenshots, which is rare at this price. Standard costs $11.67 on annual billing and adds web and app tracking, attendance tools and integrations, so most teams should budget for Standard rather than Basic. Premium costs $16.70 and adds video recording and advanced analytics. There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial with full access to every tier.

Price: $6.67 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Free trial (14 days)

Website: timedoctor.com

DeskTime tracks time automatically from the moment the computer turns on, capturing URLs, apps and document titles, then sorting them into productive and unproductive categories. Staff never need to start a timer or fill in a timesheet, which removes the daily friction that makes other trackers fail. The dashboard shows productivity scores, project costs and capacity, and it includes shift scheduling and an absence calendar for teams that plan cover.

The Pro plan costs $6.42 per user per month on annual billing, or $7 month to month, and covers automatic tracking, productivity scores and basic reports. Premium costs $9.17 on annual billing and adds screenshots, integrations, API access and shift scheduling. Enterprise is custom priced for teams of 200 or more users. There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial with no credit card required. Teams that need invoicing should look elsewhere, since DeskTime does not bill clients directly.

Price: $6.42 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Free trial (14 days)

Website: desktime.com

Monitask records time against projects as the work happens, with screenshots, application and website use, and an activity percentage attached to each entry. That record is the point of the product: hours a client will accept without argument, backed by visible evidence rather than trust alone. Managers get timesheets, attendance reports and payroll exports, and staff can see their own activity data, which keeps the monitoring visible to both sides.

The Pro plan costs $6.49 per user per month on annual billing and covers time tracking, activity monitoring and screenshots. Business costs $8.99 and adds internet and application monitoring, while Business Premium costs $12.99. Enterprise is priced on request. There is no free plan, only a 10-day trial with no credit card required, which is shorter than most rivals, so plan the trial around a real working week. Monitask does not handle invoicing, so billing stays in another tool.

Price: $6.49 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Free trial (10 days)

Website: monitask.com

Controlio records screens as continuous video rather than periodic screenshots, so there are no gaps between captures when a manager needs to review a session. Managers can watch desktops live, see who is active or away, and set behavior rules and alerts for apps, websites, keystrokes, USB devices and idle periods. The platform also offers on-premises deployment, which suits organizations that must keep monitoring data inside their own walls.

The Basic plan costs $6.67 per user per month on annual billing and covers live monitoring, video recording, app and website tracking, and behavior rules. Advanced costs $9.99 and adds department-level reports and more storage. Enterprise is priced on request for 100 or more users. There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial. The stealth mode and keystroke logging put Controlio firmly in surveillance territory, so it fits security-led teams better than teams that want light productivity data.

Price: $6.67 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Free trial (14 days)

Website: controlio.net

Teramind is the security end of this list, built for insider risk and data loss prevention as much as for productivity. It captures screen activity, watches file transfers and email, scores user risk, and flags anomalies, with rules that can block risky actions before data leaves the company. The forensic audit trail and SIEM integration suit teams that must prove what happened after an incident, not just how time was spent.

The Starter plan costs $14 per seat per month on annual billing and covers live view, basic activity monitoring and limited behavior rules. UAM costs $28 and adds keystroke logging, email and file monitoring, risk scoring and anomaly detection. DLP costs $32, and Enterprise and Government plans are custom priced. Every plan has a five-seat minimum, so the smallest annual bill is about $840 before tax. There is no free plan, only a 7-day trial.

Price: $14 per seat/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Free trial (7 days)

Website: teramind.co