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Top 12 Employee Monitoring Apps

Date: 3rd March 2023

Employee monitoring has become essential to determine productivity on the job. Since most of the work these days is done in front of computers, it gets difficult for employees to focus entirely on the task at hand when they could also use their computers to play games, use social media, or shop online. All these distractions could make an employee lose focus of the job. This is why there is a need for introducing apps that monitor activity during work hours.

Many apps in 2023 already exist in the market for this purpose. These range from the cell phone- to computer-monitoring programs. These apps provide managers and employers insight into the activity of their employees. It helps the management determine the overall productivity level and what is done during work hours. When employees know that they are being monitored, it creates a sense of accountability. Hence, it motivates them to get the tasks done. It also prevents them from wasting their time.

Reviewing 10 best employee monitoring apps
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How Important Are Remote Employee Monitoring Apps?

For an organization, such apps can ensure the loyalty of their employees as well. The features offered by the modern employee tracking apps can help organizations determine the activities of their workforce, whether they are conspiring against the organization, leaking company secrets to other people, and such.

The Need for Employee Monitoring Apps

This specific form of monitoring hasn’t always been the most pertinent solution for businesses but has become a powerful tool in recent times. Helped by the pandemic, the requirement has only increased.

With most businesses shifting to hybrid and remote working setups, ensuring employee productivity doesn’t suffer has become the need of the hour. Where managers could easily check in on project deliverables and progress by walking to the relevant cubicle before suddenly founding themselves clamoring to Skype and Slack for inefficient updates. Employee monitoring can act as a backdoor for managers, which they can use to access updates without unnecessary distractions or prior intimation.

The need for workplace surveillance was furthered by the growing number of cyberattacks on companies every year. With most attacks being attributed to employee negligence and internal bad actors, companies had to enlist the help of specific software to curb internal security issues. This help came in all shapes and forms. Some used an employee tracking iPhone app, while others had specific time tracking and screenshotting software.

Advantages of Employee Monitoring

The following are the advantages you can expect with employee monitoring:

Increased Productivity: Studies on human performance have indicated that people tend to perform better when they feel an audience is watching them. This can have similar benefits to productivity if the staff believe their managers can check in on them at any given time. Monitoring can also allow you to create stronger teams with an emphasis on collaborative efforts. Managers are better able to gauge employee strengths and weaknesses and assign tasks that play to their strengths. This can result in balanced teams that provide higher quality work output.

Cost-Effectiveness: Monitoring can highlight the employees at your company that may be costing you valuable money and resources. Whether these are the low-performers or ones that leave all tasks to the last minute and rush by them. You can even highlight people that may be wasting company time or committing time theft.

Employers can also check for any bad actors that may be present in the company and avoid potential data breaches in time.

Increased Internal Security: Today’s businesses are prime targets by cyber-criminals that are looking to gain any information on the inner working of your company to exploit. Data loss and data breaches are commonplace and can cost any company multiple millions of dollars in course correction. Such tools can help you identify potential threats before any such breach occurs. Suspicious and malicious behavior can be picked on from the get-go.

Protection from Harassment: Employers can also uncover inappropriate employee behavior in time or have definitive evidence when any such occurrence surfaces with monitoring tools. Theft, harassment of other employees, and sexual misconduct can all be identified using monitoring programs.

Disadvantages of Employee Monitoring

The following are some of the disadvantages you can expect with employee monitoring:

Ethics and Potential Distrust: If you consider employee morale and monitoring, it can have a negative impact. Employees tend to view all forms of monitoring negatively. This can have a serious hit on employer-employee trust. This can cause a high turnover and increase tensions among the existing personnel. Ethical monitoring practices should always be preferred.

Cost in Time and Resources: Researching the right tool for the job can take significant time and resources. Fortunately, for all businesses, our list of the best tools for the job drastically helps cut down research time. However, this isn’t to say that deployment of these tools and the subsequent training they may require won’t cost you time and money.

Legal Implications: While the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 (ECPA) allows companies to track devices used for work, it can be a tricky landscape to navigate. Consult with your local laws and state laws before proceeding. If you stumble upon employee personal records while monitoring, it can be your job to protect confidential information. Failure to do so could invite a lawsuit and damage the company’s reputation.

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Frequently Asked Questions

question General Questions

  • Workplace surveillance laws allow for full-scale monitoring of company devices and any data coming in and out of company devices. However, any form of surveillance requires valid business reasons. Always check with your local, state, and federal laws to see if your business has probable cause to monitor. Any monitoring unspecified to employees without intimation may be illegal in your state.

  • All across different organizations and companies, employee theft and productivity pitfalls are concurrent. Companies believe that a monitoring infrastructure gives employees a reason to improve their performance consciously. Another reason can also be attributed to the rise in cyberattacks, with most of them originating from within the company. Employees can (unknowingly or knowingly) leak corporate data, which can be an expensive issue to fix. Monitoring the staff keeps bad actors at bay while simultaneously improving employee productivity.

  • There are mixed views on the subject. Not everyone enjoys having all of their moves getting monitored. Most have issues with their employer installing monitoring tools on company devices as they feel this puts them constantly under surveillance. The truth is that most employers use these tools as a deterrent rather than an active tool. This means employees are seldom being checked, and their activity times are the only aspect consistently tracked. This is to ensure productivity in the workplace. That being said, many employees prefer digital surveillance over physical forms of over-the-head monitoring.

  • The most common monitoring systems include video surveillance and email monitoring, followed by employee monitoring software. Many big corporations have also included health and wellness monitoring into their mix. Specific software to keep tabs on company-issued devices such as laptops and mobile phones. This can be an app to track employee location or one that monitors screen usage, email data, or social media use.

  • Ever since work-from-home directives were implemented globally, the prediction was that employees would prefer a remote working setup once these directives were lifted. So far, that has been the case for the majority of industries still operating in a hybrid or entirely remotely. While it helps companies save capital by skipping out on infrastructural investments and gets rid of long commute times for employees, distance work isn’t without its share of issues. Primarily, the issue of data protection and employees contracted with multiple companies (which may be illegal or disallowed by their primary employer). To understand how remote employees handle work and projects and to ensure no corporate data is leaking, such software is used.

  • The general rule is to avoid discrete or secretive monitoring. Employees are quite tech-savvy and can catch on very quickly to any unwarranted monitoring. This can cause a rift between the management and the workforce too. Something most companies would ideally like to avoid at all costs. We recommend always letting employees know that their activity and device usage are monitored and may be reviewed at any time. The motivations and reasons behind monitoring should be made clear as well, and we suggest companies include this subject in relevant training guides and manuals. Or even in orientation meetings during the employee onboarding process.

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Comparing 12 Best Employee Monitoring Apps

To help you understand the difference in the apps in this genre, we provide a list of 12 best ones in 2023 for the job.

Apps

Rating

Features Offered

Price

XNSPY

9.8/10

35+

Basic: $4.99/month
Premium: $7.49/month

HubStaff

9.3/10

30+

Basic: $5/month
Premium: $10/month

ActivTrak

9.0/10

30+

Freemium: Free for 3 users
Advanced: $7.20/month

Clever Control

8.7/10

25+

$8.88/month

Kickidler

8.5/10

22+

Premium: $9.99/month
Lifetime: $170

XNSPY

9.8/10

35+

Basic: $4.99/month
Premium: $7.49/month

HubStaff

9.3/10

30+

Basic: $5/month
Premium: $10/month

ActivTrak

9.0/10

30+

Freemium: Free for 3 users
Advanced: $7.20/month

Interguard

8.2/10

20+

$9.99/month for a single user

BambooHR

7.8/10

18+

Essentials: $4.95/month for a single user
Advantage: $8.25/month for a single user

Time Doctor

7.3/10

15+

Basic: $7/month for a single user
Standard: $10/month for a single user
Premium: $20/month for a single user

Insightful (Workpuls)

6.8/10

15+

Employee monitoring: $6.40/month for a single user
Timetracker: $8.00/month for a single user
Automatic time mapping: $12/month for a single user

DeskTime

6.5/10

15+

Pro: $7/month for a single user
Premium: $10/month for a single user
Enterprise: $20/month for a single user

Time Champ

5.9/10

10+

Basic: $0.99/month for a single user
Standard: $2.99/month for a single user
Premium: $4.99/month for a single user

MobiTask

5.5/10

5+

No pricing info. Demo available on request.

Clever Control

8.7/10

25+

$8.88/month

Kickidler

8.5/10

22+

Premium: $9.99/month
Lifetime: $170

Interguard

8.2/10

20+

$9.99/month for a single user

BambooHR

7.8/10

18+

Essentials: $4.95/month for a single user
Advantage: $8.25/month for a single user

Time Doctor

7.3/10

15+

Basic: $7/month for a single user
Standard: $10/month for a single user
Premium: $20/month for a single user

Insightful (Workpuls)

6.8/10

15+

Employee monitoring: $6.40/month for a single user
Timetracker: $8.00/month for a single user
Automatic time mapping: $12/month for a single user

DeskTime

6.5/10

15+

Pro: $7/month for a single user
Premium: $10/month for a single user
Enterprise: $20/month for a single user

Time Champ

5.9/10

10+

Basic: $0.99/month for a single user
Standard: $2.99/month for a single user
Premium: $4.99/month for a single user

MobiTask

5.5/10

5+

No pricing info. Demo available on request.

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1. XNSPY

Rating 9.8/10

Monitoring your employees with Xnspy is as easy as it can get. This employee monitoring app provides a plethora of features that helps you in getting your hands on your workforce’s cell phone activity. The features that Xnspy provides include GPS tracking, text messages, call logs, contacts, emails, and browsing history monitoring. It can even track employee internet usage and has a multitude of features that extend its capability far outside the office cubicle. These features are found in both Android and iPhones.

One key factor that makes Xnspy the best employee tracking app is its good performance. While other applications may provide more features than Xnspy, they often lack in this aspect. Furthermore, the web-based user interface of the application makes navigation on the dashboard user-friendly.

Monitor your employees with Xnspy

Features

  • Email monitoring: View their mailbox.
  • Location tracking: View live and previous locations off an employee’s phone
  • Internet monitoring: View the list of websites visited along with URL, timestamp, and the frequency of visits.
  • Social media tracking: View all messages on instant messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Kik, LINE, Skype, Instagram Direct Messages, Tinder, and Viber
  • Phone logs: Monitor all incoming, outgoing, and missed calls along with the details of the caller and timestamp
  • Contact list: View all the contacts on the phone, including email
  • Multimedia files: View all photos and videos stored on the device
  • Watchlist: View alerts generated for specific contacts, words, and locations
  • Keylogger: Logs all keystrokes made on the device on apps such as WhatsApp, Skype, Viber, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, and others
  • Calendar: View all calendar entries on the device
  • Ambient listening: Listen to the surroundings of the phone when it is in idle mode
  • Live Screenshots: Take screenshots of the device to monitor the real-time activity on the device
  • Wi-Fi Network: Logs in all the Wi-Fi networks that the device connects to

Compatibility

  • Android: OS versions 4.x, 5.x, 6.x, 7.x, 8.x, 9.x, 10, 11, 12, 13
  • Jailbreak: iOS versions 6.x, 7.x, 8 up to 9.0.2
  • No-Jailbreak: iOS versions 6.x, 7.x, 8.x up to 17.0.3

Pricing

Xnspy Basic Edition:

  • 1 month: $29.99/month billed monthly
  • 3 months: $13.99/month billed $41.99 quarterly
  • 12 months: $4.99/month billed 59.99 annually

Xnspy Premium Edition:

  • 1 month: $35.99/month billed monthly
  • 3 months: $19.99/month billed $59.99 quarterly
  • 12 months: $7.49/month billed $89.99 annually

Installation

To install Xnspy on an Android or an iOS device, you need physical access to the device. However, for the No-Jailbreak iOS version, you only require iCloud credentials of the Apple account.

Once you purchase a subscription package, a link will be sent to your email. Open the link in the browser of the device. This will download Xnspy on the device. Follow along with the instructions, and you will have the app installed on the phone in no time. After that, open your Xnspy account to view data captured on the monitored device.

Pros

  • Do not drain the battery and data of the device.
  • Remotely control the device, such as blocking apps, wiping data, locking the phone, etc.

Cons

  • Need physical access to the device for installation
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2. Hubstaff

Rating 9.3/10

Hubstaff is one of the top apps to track employees when you have distance or hybrid teams working for you. The app allows you to keep an eye on your employees and determine how productive they are. This stealth employee monitoring program can be installed on a variety of devices, including cell phones, tablets, laptops, and PCs. You can monitor the live location of your employee and how much time they spend on a given task. Apart from monitoring, Hubstaff makes it easy to manage employees as well.

Before installing the app for Android or iPhone employee tracking, you can avail the 14-day trial of HubStaff and find out whether the app provides you any benefit or not. With Hubstaff, you can integrate other apps such as Asana, Basecamp, GitHub, Quickbooks, and Trello.

Hubstaff

Features

  • Time tracking: Tracks time on desktops and mobile phones
  • GPS tracking: Records time spent by the employees on-site by viewing their clock in and out times
  • Online timesheets: : Record the number of hours that employees work
  • Reporting: Gain insights by viewing the productivity levels of your employees
  • Productivity monitoring: Monitor office-hour activity by taking screenshots, viewing apps in use, and URL tracking
  • Scheduling: View employee attendance and make schedules for your employees
  • Project Budgeting: Allocate a budget for projects and get alerts when the budget is nearing its limit
  • Geo-fencing: View the route taken by employees to get on-site, including the time spent and the current location.
  • Online invoicing: Creates invoices automatically and sends them to clients and employees without delays

Compatibility

  • macOS: 10.6 Snow Leopard or later versions
  • Windows: Windows 2000/XP or later versions
  • Linux: Any Linux distribution released in 2010 or later, including Ubuntu
  • Chrome: Google Chrome 47 or later versions
  • iOS: iOS 8.0 or later versions
  • Android: OS versions 4.1 and later versions

Pricing

  • Basic: $5/month paid monthly
  • Premium: $10/month paid monthly

Installation

The app can be directly downloaded on the device. To monitor internet browsing history, you need to add the extension for Hubstaff on Google Chrome. Once the software is downloaded, you can install it and provide your credentials to receive notifications regarding your employees’ activities.

Pros

  • Makes it easier to track remote staff.

Cons

  • Users need to pay extra for additional features such as in-app chats, file storage, and progress reports.
  • You only monitor one device with one subscription.
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3. ActivTrak

Rating 9.0/10

ActivTrak is an employee monitoring software for computers and laptops to view employee app activity. The app allows managers and employers to monitor the daily activity of their employees. An interesting feature of the app is that it helps in detecting threats such as cybersecurity risks. The app calculates a risk score and informs employers so that they can take necessary actions.

Integrating ActivTrak with other software tools such as Slack, Github, Quickbooks, and others increases the functionality of the app. What gives ActivTrak an edge over other alternatives is the option of choosing different modes. Users of the work monitoring app can choose to operate in invisible mode, although you can run it invisible mode as well. The dashboard displays the information gathered on the employee’s device in an organized manner.

ActivTrak

Features

  • Website blocking: Blocks websites on the device that are considered inappropriate
  • Real-time reporting: Sends reports to the dashboard to give information about activity at a glance
  • Scheduled monitoring: Allocate time to monitor a device for 15 minutes or the entire day
  • User risk scoring: Calculates risk scores and sorts them according to the score and individual.
  • USB detection: Detects USB and generates alerts
  • Screenshots: Takes screenshots of real-time usage of the device and exports it to the dashboard

Compatibility

The website does not mention the OS versions with which the app is compatible. But the ActivTrak is compatible with Windows, Mac, and Chrome OS. The app is not compatible with iOS and Android phones.

Pricing

  • Freemium: Free for up to 3 users, forever
  • Advanced: $7.20 per user/month

Installation

To install the ActivTrak real-time employee monitoring software on a laptop or PC, create an account by entering your email address. Once your account has been created, you can install the software on the computer you wish to monitor. After installation, you will receive reports and screenshots from the monitored device. You will also start receiving PC usage data within minutes after the installation of the app.

Pros

  • There is a free version of the app, which provides limited features to users. You can block apps, take screenshots, and schedule monitoring of the device.

Cons

  • Does not provide monitoring for mobile phones
  • Additional payment for add-on features makes the app expensive.
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4. Clever Control

Rating 8.7/10

Next on the list of employee monitoring apps is Clever Control. It takes monitoring to a whole new level and offers many features to employers, allowing them to monitor all activity on the computer remotely. The employee tracking iPhone app provides updates in real-time so that you can keep a close eye on your employees. At a time, you can monitor 16 people from your dashboard. The software also allows users to monitor web activity, the websites visited, and the duration of site visits.

All of the data is uploaded to the cloud and can be accessed by a web-based account. The collected data is organized into charts and graphs. Thus, converting a huge amount of data into meaningful insights. This makes it easier for managers to view their employees’ activities.

Clever Control

Features

  • Remote monitoring: Monitor the activity on the computer remotely on a web-based account
  • Internet usage monitoring: Monitor internet, application, and search engine activity
  • Keylogger: Record all keystrokes, including mouse clicks made on the monitored device
  • Screenshots: Take screenshots when a window or URL is changed
  • Video and audio control: Record audio and video on the device
  • Removable storage monitoring: Detect when a USB, HDD, or an SD is inserted into the computer.
  • Social media: Monitor social media websites, including Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace
  • Internet Messenger activity: Monitor more than 20 instant messaging applications, including Skype.

Compatibility

  • macOS: 10.13 High Sierra versions and above
  • Windows: Any version, including the latest versions.

Pricing

To monitor 1 PC per month, the following charges hold:

  • 3 months: $8.88/month
  • 6 months: $6.00/month
  • 12 months: $5.00/month
  • 24 months: $4.00/month
  • 36 months: $3.00/month

Installation

After signing up, you can download the Clever Control Agent from your account on the computer you want to monitor. The software takes a couple of minutes to install on the monitored computer. When the software is installed, you will start getting data that can be viewed on the Clever Control account.

Pros

  • Can monitor the desktop activity for an unlimited number of employees
  • The dashboard displays information that is easy to understand at first glance

Cons

  • Prices offered for the 3-month up to the 12-month subscription plans are expensive.
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5. Kickidler

Rating 8.5/10

Another worthy contender on the list is Kickidler. It is a desktop monitoring tool so employers know what an employee is doing in real-time. This software allows users to track employee activity and visualize them in the form of graphs and diagrams. Users can also record the sessions on the computer and search for the specific activity of an employee. You can monitor the activity of your remote employees as well.

Employees can use Kickidler to monitor the time-wasting activities of their employees and guide them to perform better. This includes allowing managers complete access to employee browser monitoring, where most of the company time is likely to be wasted. It can help managers determine the performance of all of their employees based on the same metrics. This makes it convenient for employers to compare employee performance.

Kickidler

Features

  • Online computer monitoring: Monitors the activity of employees in real-time, including website browsing and app usage
  • Time tracking: Tracks employees' work time, including absenteeism, lateness, early leaves, overtime, coffee breaks, and other activities.
  • Productivity analysis: Determine whether an employee is spending time on work or personal matters
  • Computer screen recording: Records the activity on the computer screen and allows searches to be made.
  • Violation monitoring: Generates alerts in case of violation and negligence.
  • Productivity metrics: View employee behavioral analytics according to different hours of the day, weekdays, and seasons
  • Remote PC access: Remote administration of an employee’s PC, including configuring programs, restoring data, browsing files, and viewing logs
  • Keylogger: Logs all the keystrokes on the monitored PC
  • Remote employee monitoring: Records the time spent on a task by a remote employee

Compatibility

  • Windows: Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows XP, Windows 8, Windows 10, and Windows Server 12
  • Mac: macOS 10.11, macOS 10.12, and macOS 10.13
  • GNU/LINUX

Pricing

The following prices are for 1 license

  • 1 month: $9.99
  • 3 months: $24
  • 6 months: $30
  • 1 year: $50
  • 3 years: $100
  • Lifetime: $170

Installation

To subscribe to Kickidler, fill out the registration form available on their website. Then download distributions files which include Server, Grabber, and Viewer distributions. Install these components on the computer you want to monitor. This takes about 5 minutes. You will be able to view data on the employee’s desktop after the Grabber files install.

Pros

  • Monitor employees in all working setups
  • Unlimited technical support

Cons

  • Cannot be integrated with other software
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6. InterGuard

Rating 8.2/10

Interguard is another prominent employee cell phone monitoring app that extends its usability on a multitude of platforms. InterGuard can record, alert, review, and even block certain activity. The software also measures the productivity and idle time of employees, making for an excellent addition for offices looking to monitor and manage remote workers.

Detailed reporting is also possible with InterGuard. It can summarize and track activity over weeks and months and is one of the few software that monitors employee activity and restricts access to websites and data. This data-first approach makes it a great reporting and reviewing tool to catch bad actors in a company.

InterGuard

Features

  • Online computer monitoring: Keep track of websites visited, folders opened, and running programs.
  • Offline support: Doesn’t stall tracking and reporting if there is a loss of internet connection. All reports are uploaded once connectivity is restored.
  • Data loss prevention: Provides control over which users and software can access confidential data and where and to whom they can send it.
  • Web filtering: Can clock social media, pornographic, gambling, and shopping websites.
  • Violation monitoring: Generates alerts in case of violation and negligence.
  • Incident response: Can access and take control of the computer in a breach situation.
  • Remote PC access: Can configure programs, restore data, browse files, and view logs

Compatibility

  • Windows: Windows 7 SP1, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and Windows Server 2012 and 2016
  • Mac: macOS 10.10 to macOS 10.15.
  • Android: v5.0 and above
  • iOS: iOS 9 and above.
  • ChromeOS: ChromeOS 20 and above.
  • Linus: Works in Chrome browser only, via the Chrome extension

Pricing

The following prices are for a single license:

  • Monthly: $9.99

Installation

Purchase a license on the InterGuard website and download the version you’re looking to install on the supported device. After installation is complete, run the program and configure it on the device. The installation can take a few minutes to complete. Once that's done, all data will be visible on the InterGuard control panel.

Pros

  • Great technical support.
  • Offline reporting.
  • Data protection measures.

Cons

  • No Linux version is available.
  • Pricing plans are the same across all platforms despite the disparity in features and function.
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7. BambooHR

Rating 7.8/10

BambooHR is positioned as an all-in-one work monitoring app. But unlike the previous entries on the list, this program has the HR department as its core user base. The program collects and organizes all data throughout an employee’s time at the company, and helps HR departments better manage and compensate employees on the company’s payroll and ones that need to be brought on board.

While its primary purpose is to facilitate human resource employees, it can also be used as a tracking app. With features like time documentation, calculating employee time off, managing payrolls, and performance management, BambooHR is among the best employee tracking apps. Its HR features include management of employee records, workflows, reports, and analytics, and can even be used to track candidates for any role.

BambooHR

Features

  • Thorough reporting: It can track employee records and detail HR reports on performance and conduct.
  • Hiring support: This can be the only tool needed in every department, especially for HR. Identifying and hiring new employees is possible.
  • Time tracker: Logs all online and offline employee time.
  • Performance management: Start conducting performance reviews that can indicate personnel- and company culture-related issues.
  • Employee records: Keeps track of all employee data in a secure way.
  • PlanSource integration: Seamless employee management and benefits administration from one place.

Compatibility

  • Windows: Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 and 11.
  • Mac: macOS 10.10 to macOS 10.15.
  • Android: v5.0 and above
  • iOS: iOS9 and above.

Pricing

BambooHR comes in two plans. The Essentials plan costs $4.95 per employee per month, whereas the second Advantage plan comes in at $8.25 per employee per month.

Installation

BambooHR has an implementation service that can be opted for when installing or signing onto the software. This service can provide the necessary data and assign an implementation specialist that guides through the processes. Implementation can take four to six weeks.

Alternatively, a QuickStart process is available for smaller businesses, where video guides are provided to install the program.

Pros

  • Great payroll management solution.
  • Complete HR onboarding, managing, and hiring suite.
  • Great UI design.

Cons

  • Can only do the basic time tracking only.
  • Can be pricey for larger businesses.
  • Mobile app performance leaves a lot to be desired.
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8. Time Doctor

Rating 7.3/10

Time Doctor is the simplest and barebones stealth employee monitoring software available online. This simplicity works to its advantage as the app does a few things but does it incredibly well. This is why it has earned the number 8 spot on our list of the best remote employee monitoring software.

Time Doctor tracks employee time effortlessly and even has support for different work environments. Businesses deploying a hybrid or remote work environment can also leverage its utility to ensure productivity remains at an all-time high. Time Doctor can also take screenshots of the device it is installed on, track employee internet usage, and monitor active hours.

Time Doctor

Features

  • Detailed reporting: Time Doctor can monitor all device activity at specific intervals.
  • Time tracker: Logs all online and offline employee time.
  • Performance management: Monitors all activity logged with the keyboard and mouse.
  • Integration: Can be integrated with multiple APIs, JIRA, Asana, Trello, G Suite, Salesforce, Slack, and Office 365, among others.
  • Cross-platform support: Supports a range of devices from cell phones to PCs.
  • Offline Time Tracking: Can be used when internet connectivity isn’t available.

Compatibility

  • Windows: Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 and 11.
  • Mac: macOS (all versions)
  • Android: v5.0 and above
  • iOS: iOS9 and above.
  • ChromeOS: Version 20 and above

Pricing

The following are the prices for a single license and user:

  • Basic: $7/month
  • Standard: $10/month
  • Premium: $20/month

Installation

To use TimeDoctor, users are recommended to sign up for a plan and log in to their accounts. Then, they’re redirected to the download page, and after selecting the device and operating system they want to remotely monitor, the setup download will commence.

Once downloaded, run the setup file and install. Next, grant all the necessary permissions to the app, and begin monitoring from your Time Doctor control panel.

Pros

  • Excellent time tracking capabilities, with inactive time monitoring too.
  • Detailed performance reports.
  • Online timesheets and payroll management.
  • Cross-platform and cross-device support.

Cons

  • Pricey plans for multiple users.
  • Outdated user interface.
  • Idle time alerts can be annoying and distracting for employees.
  • The macOS version is riddled with bugs.
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9. Insightful (Workpuls)

Rating 6.8/10

Another great entry for software that monitors employee activity is Insightful. The Insightful app was formerly known as Workpuls, which has long been the standard for workforce analytics to aid in business productivity. Insightful takes this ethos a step further by enhancing the capabilities of the previous software and adds a few new features that distinguish it from the rest on the list.

Insightful is a real-time employee monitoring software that is aimed at enterprises regardless of their category or sector. It promises to be the only workforce management and analytics tool for the job. The software can monitor all activity seamlessly, and even takes regular screenshots of their screens. Like Trello, Insightful provides employees with project overviews and even helps managers budget for the project. Its automatic time mapping is also an essential tool that can provide detailed reports on any project’s progress.

Insightful (Workpuls)

Features

  • Detailed reporting: Insightful provides all employee work data to managers in a concise and clear dashboard.
  • Smart time tracker: Collects data on all work activity logged in for projects and can intelligently highlight idle time too.
  • Secure cloud storage: All data is backed up in Insightful’s secure cloud storage solution, making it available for users at a moment’s notice.
  • Complete employee monitoring suite: Tracks activity on all devices, takes regular screenshots of the device’s screen, and even logs employee attendance.
  • Cross-platform support: Supports a range of devices from mobiles to PCs.
  • Cross-industry support: Supports a wide range of industries and sectors, including insurance, healthcare, law, and architecture.

Compatibility

  • Windows: Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 and 11.
  • Mac: macOS (all versions)
  • Linux: OS not specified

Pricing

The following are the prices for a single license and user:

  • Employee monitoring: $6.40
  • Time Tracker: $8.00
  • Automatic Time Mapping: $12.00

Installation

To view employee app activity with Insightful, all that is required is to download the app on the relevant device and operating system. Once installed, create an account with the app and subscribe to any of the plans from the company.

Pros

  • Great employee monitoring features.
  • Solid time tracking options with project overviews.
  • Automatic time mapping.
  • Enterprise solutions are available.

Cons

  • Plans can be expensive for medium to large-sized businesses.
  • No phone or Chrome OS support.
  • Email reports aren’t flexible or intuitive.
  • Limited trial period.
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10. DeskTime

Rating 6.5/10

DeskTime is another addition to our list of employee supervising tools. This employee browser monitoring and time-noting software has garnered a lot of praise for its simplicity in design and feature-rich ensemble. DeskTime can be deployed in offices and be used for remote workforces too. The company promises its software boosts employee productivity by 30% and can minimize business losses too.

DeskTime is primarily an automatic time tracker with offline tracking capabilities too. It can even work out invoicing and perform cost calculations too. Shift scheduling for a team is also possible, and it can also function as a URL and app tracking tool. This keeps managers updated on their employees’ exact performance. Furthermore, DeskTime can take screenshots at specified intervals and generate custom reports for productivity analysis.

DeskTime

Features

  • Automatic time tracker: DeskTime can be scheduled to initiate the minute a computer is powered on and only stops once the computer is shut down.
  • URL and app tracking: Specific websites and programs can be tracked using the app.
  • Document title tracking: Highlight the titles of documents – whether in Word, Excel, Photoshop, or Google Chrome – for managers to know what project is being worked on.
  • Shared workspace: DeskTime has a shared workspace similar to Trello where tasks can be displayed and interacted with.
  • Offline time tracking: Managers can collect accurate tracking data even when the internet connection isn’t available.

Compatibility

  • Windows: Windows 7 SP1 and higher. Server OS is supported.
  • Mac: macOS (10.6 and above)
  • Linux: Ubuntu starting from 16.04

Pricing

The following are the prices for a single license and user:

  • Lite: Free
  • Pro: $7
  • Premium: $10
  • Enterprise: $20

Installation

Windows and Windows Server users are requested to install Microsoft NET Framework 4.6.2 to run DeskTime. Simply download the installation file and run it until the setup is complete. Subscribe to a plan of your choice and sign in with the credentials.

Pros

  • Easy time tracking setup.
  • Shows which websites are productive and unproductive.
  • Free plan for starters.
  • Custom daily email report configuration.

Cons

  • Expensive enterprise-level plans.
  • Not a dedicated employee phone monitoring app as there is no support for phones and tablets.
  • Uses a lot of app resources which can lead to laggy performance.
  • Cannot manually change time after it has been logged.
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11. Time Champ

Rating 5.9/10

The further down the list we go, the less frequent dedicated employee cell phone monitoring applications show up. Or even ones that can work on desktops and mobile phones concurrently. Time Champ is another example of this, but it does have a strong suite of features that may make it ideal for desktop use. While it does not allow for Android or iPhone employee tracking, it can easily report on various activities performed by the staff on computers.

Time Champ provides timesheets for managers with detailed reports of employees' logged times. It can also access productivity metrics for an individual team. An absence management system is also supported with detailed attendance reports, and the app can take screenshots at set intervals. Time Champ also has a built-in messenger that can function as the primary method of communication within a company and features a project management dashboard where tasks can be assigned and reported on.

Time Champ

Features

  • Absence management system: The software can log employee presence and provide detailed attendance reports.
  • Activity tracker: Features a built-in screenshot tool and time tracker.
  • Project management center: Managers can assign tasks using this panel and check in on project statuses.
  • HR records: Detailed suite of options for HR managers, including a payroll management system and a leave recording system.

Compatibility

  • Windows: Windows 7 SP1 and higher.
  • Mac: macOS (All versions)
  • Linux: All versions.

Pricing

The following are the prices for a single license and user:

  • Basic: $0.99
  • Standard: $2.99
  • Premium: $4.99

Installation

Sign up for any of the desired plans with Time Champ and download the software for the intended device and operating system. Complete the setup process and run the app. Time Champ will initiate once log-in credentials are provided.

Pros

  • Seamless time tracking features.
  • HR management tools and payroll management options.
  • Project management system built-in.
  • Stealth mode option available.
  • Keystroke and mouse usage tracking.

Cons

  • No integration with popular productivity tools like Slack and Trello.
  • No app or website blocking capabilities.
  • Not supported on Android, iOS, or ChromeOS.
  • Linux and macOS versions are slow and have infrequent updates.
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12. MobiTask

Rating 5.5/10

MobiTask is a new entry to the category of employee monitoring software. It is a few development cycles behind the rest of the options on the list, which is why it is placed last. This is due to a few key features missing from the software in its present state.

MobiTask has the basics down, however. It can track activity time on computers. But unlike some of the higher ranking apps here, it isn’t a dedicated employee phone monitoring tool either. In fact, MobiTask only has support for Windows devices, with macOS and Linux development in the works.

MobiTask prides itself on being a low code software that makes deployment easy and fast for IT teams. It is also built on modern architecture, which ensures that the software experiences zero downtime as the developers update it. Data capture, such as photos, timestamps, and text, are stored on the software and can be easily retrieved for managers to use.

MobiTask

Features

  • Structured data capture: Can capture photos, activity, timestamps, and keystrokes.
  • Workflow management: MobiTask can suggest specific employee workflows to enhance productivity and reduce errors based on the gathered data.
  • Documentation: All files and documents related to project management can be saved on the software.

Compatibility

  • Windows: Windows 7, 8, and 10.

Pricing

No pricing plans are officially provided by the company. Users can request a demo to test it out before purchasing, however.

Installation

After requesting a demo from the company, an email containing the download link would be provided. Users can download the software for Windows and initiate the setup process.

Pros

  • Time tracking and keylogger built-in.
  • Low code development makes it a lightweight program.

Cons

  • No pricing info is available on their website.
  • Company presence is sparse, which isn’t confidence-building for enterprises looking for a robust setup.
  • Key features missing, such as screenshots and an activity tracker.
  • No app blocker is available.
  • Slow development pace.
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Conclusion:

The list discussed above allows employers to closely monitor their employees. These provide real-time information and insights about an employee’s activities. Whether phone, tablet, or computer, you can remotely monitor what your employee does. Some of these apps for Android also provide insights and allow you to determine how productive your employee is. This makes it easier for organizations to determine a hardworking employee from the rest.

Without a doubt, these applications are becoming a necessity in the current times. What matters is how an organization uses it for the benefit of its team and the organization.

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Frequently Asked Questions

question General Questions

  • Measuring employee performance is not a simple equation. However, companies go for employee productivity and efficiency. Again, measuring productivity is subjective to the metric you are using. Most companies use key performance indicators (KPIs) as a set of quantifiable measurements. These can accurately gauge a company’s long-term performance. For your reference, here is a full guide from Fitzgerald on the subject of employee performance monitoring.

  • Better productivity and (subsequent) profitability and lower instances of data leaks, thefts, and workplace harassment are just a few reasons to introduce an employee monitoring mix at work. Software of the sort can even act as an app to track employee location to ensure the complete safeguarding of company assets. You wouldn’t want to find out your Google developers are suddenly found strolling around the Cupertino campus, would you? Workplace surveillance thus helps improve office productivity, ensures faster delivery times, complete safeguarding of company assets and data, and helps maintain an air of responsibility in the workplace.

  • Privacy debates rage on when this topic is brought up. employee monitoring is the subject. While companies prefer to keep tabs on their team, monitoring hasn’t always come off as a positive reinforcement tool. But many of the negative implications of workplace surveillance could be eliminated by introducing transparency. When it comes to strictly negative effects, employee monitoring (when done without warning) can introduce distrust among the workforce. This can, in turn, lead to greater job dissatisfaction levels in employees.

  • The answer is not a simple yes or no. Whether spying on employees will improve productivity is highly contingent on the industry, your teams (remote or in-house), and the type of monitoring tools used. A rule of thumb in this scenario is to identify whether your business can do without employee monitoring. Typically, businesses working in the healthcare, software, and banking industry rely heavily on monitoring as they’re working with sensitive customer data that cannot be leaked. Lately, technology companies such as Apple and Samsung have adopted similar policies to keep data and leaks at bay. Once employees have distractions mitigated, logic dictates they’d be more likely to focus on their work at hand.

See Also :

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