Knowing how your employees spend their time is crucial to boosting productivity and maintaining smooth operations. That’s why you need employee productivity trackers to provide the insights you need to understand how work is getting done, identify areas for improvement, and ensure that your operations run smoothly.
These tools offer a range of features, from tracking application usage to generating detailed reports, helping you make data-driven decisions.
This guide covers the eight best employee productivity trackers available in 2024. From comprehensive monitoring capabilities to user-friendly dashboards, these tools are designed to enhance your team’s efficiency and effectiveness.
Whether you’re managing a remote team or in-office staff, the right productivity tracker can significantly improve your operations.
1. Teramind
Teramind is a comprehensive solution for businesses seeking to boost efficiency and productivity. Our platform employs advanced behavioral analytics to deliver real-time insights into employee activities, including application usage, web browsing, email interactions, and even social media use. The data captured is organized and displayed on intuitive dashboards, allowing managers to pinpoint productivity bottlenecks, streamline workflows, and enhance overall productivity.
A distinctive feature of Teramind is its intelligent rule-based activity monitoring. This functionality enables organizations to establish specific policies and rules that, when violated, trigger automatic alerts or actions. For example, if an employee visits unauthorized websites or uses unapproved applications, Teramind can immediately notify the manager or restrict access, enhancing data security and ensuring adherence to company policies.
Additionally, Teramind integrates smoothly with other enterprise systems, offering a unified view of productivity across various departments and functions. The software supports on-premise, cloud, and hybrid deployment options to meet various business needs. This flexibility makes Teramind an ideal choice for companies aiming to maintain rigorous productivity and security standards.
Features
- Intelligent User Activity Monitoring. Tracks and records employee activities in real-time across applications, websites, and devices, providing detailed logs, metadata, and video playback of user sessions, including mouse movements and keystrokes.
- Behavioral Anomaly Detection. Utilizes machine learning algorithms to create a baseline of normal user behavior and employs statistical models to identify and flag deviations from this baseline in real-time.
- Risk-Based User Scoring. Calculates risk scores for users based on their activity patterns and adherence to established policies, using weighted metrics and real-time data analysis to prioritize high-risk behaviors.
- File and Email Activity Monitoring. Monitors all file operations (create, read, update, delete) and email communications, capturing metadata, attachments, and content for analysis and ensuring data integrity.
- Remote Desktop Control. Provides administrators with the capability to remotely access, view, and control user desktops, including taking screenshots, recording sessions, and performing administrative tasks.
- Productivity Analysis. Uses advanced algorithms to categorize and quantify employee activities, providing detailed reports on application usage, idle time, and active hours, allowing managers to identify inefficiencies and optimize workflows.
- Individual & Team Productivity Tracking. Continuously monitors and records the productivity metrics of both individuals and teams. This utilizes data from application use, keystrokes, and mouse activity to offer real-time insights and historical comparisons.
How Teramind Makes It Easy to Improve Productivity
Workforce Productivity Optimization
Teramind offers an in-depth look at employee activities through its ‘workforce productivity optimization’ feature. By monitoring application usage, website visits, and idle times, it helps managers identify patterns and inefficiencies. This data helps businesses implement targeted improvements, such as reassigning tasks, refining processes, or offering additional training, ultimately boosting overall productivity.
Business Process Optimization
Teramind helps companies streamline their operations by identifying bottlenecks and inefficiencies in real-time. It analyzes workflow patterns and provides detailed process maps and performance metrics. This information guides businesses in enhancing their operations, reducing redundancies, and improving productivity for more efficient, cost-effective processes.
Hybrid Workforce Management
Teramind makes it easy to manage a combination of remote and on-site employees. It helps track productivity, ensure compliance, and maintain security across different work environments. With this, whether employees are remote or in-office, managers can monitor activities effectively, ensuring consistent performance and accountability.
Business Intelligence Dashboards
These dashboards pull data from multiple sources, providing a comprehensive view of the organization’s performance. Managers can customize widgets and generate detailed reports to spot trends, monitor progress, and make informed decisions to boost productivity and operational efficiency.
Set & Measure Custom KPIs
By defining unique performance indicators and tracking them through Teramind’s analytics tools, companies can ensure that their teams are aligned with organizational targets. This continuous monitoring and improvement keeps businesses on track to meet their productivity targets effectively.
Pricing
Teramind’s pricing structure varies based on the number of users, business size & type, and the specific features needed:
- Starter: Starts at $15 per seat per month.
- UAM: Starts at $30 per seat per month.
- DLP: Starts at $35 per seat per month.
- Enterprise: Customized for large organizations that require full functionality, including video recording and forensic auditing.
Each tier is available in both cloud-based and on-premise deployment options, and pricing is typically on a per user per month basis.
Summary → Teramind’s real-time monitoring, paired with its advanced behavioral analytics and intelligent automated responses, helps organizations to manage and mitigate security threats. With robust data loss prevention (DLP) capabilities that secure sensitive information across all endpoints, Teramind stands out as an ideal solution for businesses aiming to strengthen their security posture and ensure compliance with industry regulations.
2. Time Doctor
Time Doctor is a time-tracking and performance analytics platform designed to help businesses monitor and enhance team efficiency.
It precisely tracks work hours, distinguishing between productive and non-productive activities to give managers a clear view of time spent. It achieves this through a combination of desktop and mobile applications that track active work time, including application usage, websites visited, and idle time.
Time Doctor also offers both automated and manual time tracking, allowing employees to start and stop timers for various tasks, which helps in maintaining accurate records of their productivity.
In addition, it allows screenshots to be taken at random intervals, providing visual evidence of the work being done— this way, ensuring accountability. This feature is particularly useful for remote teams, as it offers transparency and helps maintain productivity standards across geographically dispersed workforces.
Furthermore, Time Doctor’s integration with various project management tools, such as Trello, Asana, and Jira, facilitates seamless task management and time allocation, further enhancing productivity.
Features
- Distraction Alerts. Sends real-time alerts to employees when they spend too much time on non-work-related websites or applications, helping them stay focused and on track.
- Offline Time Tracking. Allows employees to track time spent working offline, syncing the data automatically when they reconnect to the internet, ensuring accurate time records even without continuous internet access.
- Payroll and Payment Integration. Integrates with various payroll systems to automate the calculation of employee payments based on tracked time, including support for different pay rates, currencies, and payment methods.
Drawbacks
- Time Tracking and Support Issues. Tracking time for payroll with Time Doctor is complex, requiring managers and staff to sync tasks. Sometimes, the software incorrectly tracks time automatically, and fixing bugs often involves contacting support for help with specific versions [*].
- Forced Upgrade with Missing Features. Upgrading to TD2 has been problematic, with some essential features missing from the new version, leading to extra costs. [*].
- Difficult Navigation for New Users. New users often struggle with Time Doctor’s interface, finding it complicated and frustrating when trying to learn how to use the tool effectively [*].
Pricing
- Basic. $5.9 per user/month.
- Standard. $11.7 per user/month.
- Premium. $16.7 per user/month.
Summary → Time Doctor is essential for remote teams looking to optimize time management and boost productivity. Its automated time tracking, combined with detailed website and application monitoring, provides a thorough understanding of how work hours are utilized. However, frequent screenshots can raise privacy concerns among employees, affecting morale.
Related → Time Doctor vs. Teramind
3. Insightful
Insightful (formerly Workpuls) leverages advanced monitoring tools to track how employees use various applications and websites in real time, providing a detailed view of task engagement during work hours.
The platform includes an AI-powered behavior analysis feature called ‘InsightsAI’ that utilizes machine learning algorithms to identify patterns and anomalies in employee activities. This offers predictive insights, allowing for early intervention in cases of unusual behavior that may suggest disengagement or burnout.
Additionally, Insightful enhances its time tracking capabilities with comprehensive project management tools. These tools help teams allocate time efficiently, track project progress, and meet deadlines, ensuring high productivity and project efficiency.
Features
- Stealth Mode. Operates in a discreet manner, allowing monitoring without visible software icons or notifications. This ensures undetectable tracking of employee activities for security and compliance purposes.
- Activity Levels. Tracks mouse movements and keystrokes to gauge employee engagement. This provides a detailed view of how actively employees are working, helping to spot idle time and areas for improvement.
- Project Management. Allows managers to track time spent on specific projects and tasks, providing a clear overview of project progress and resource allocation. It is useful for budgeting and ensuring projects stay on track.
Drawbacks
- Unfair User Calculation and Poor Azure Integration. User calculation favors the vendor by charging for built-in/system accounts without cost control. Poor Azure integration requires manual user management, making it unmanageable for medium-sized organizations. Plus, support and billing are only available via chat, adding to the frustration [*].
- Limitation in Displaying Only Screenshots. The software only displays screenshots, not video images. Including video would provide a more comprehensive view of employee activity and productivity [*].
- Persistent Bugs and Manual Time Entry Issues. There are bugs, such as duplicated timesheets. Manual clock-in and out entries cannot be tagged as 100% productive, and you can’t adjust production hours and idle time per line manually [*].
Pricing
- Productivity Management. $6.40 per user/month.
- Time Tracking. $8.00 per user/month.
- Process Improvement. $12.00 per user/month.
- Enterprise Solution. Custom.
Summary → With features like automated time tracking, AI-driven productivity classification, and real-time activity monitoring, Insightful provides a thorough understanding of employee performance. However, the initial setup and customization to fit specific organizational needs can be time-consuming, requiring significant effort.
Related → 7 Insightful Alternatives & Competitors in 2024
4. ActivTrak
ActivTrak is a cloud-based workforce analytics platform that operates discreetly in the background to collect data in real-time on employee activities. It offers cross-platform functionality, working seamlessly with Windows, macOS, and Linux systems. The platform also utilizes lightweight agents installed on endpoints to gather data, which is then transmitted to a central dashboard for analysis.
In addition, ActivTrak’s analytics engine processes large volumes of data to produce detailed reports and visualizations. These reports provide insights into metrics like productive and unproductive hours, application usage patterns, and user behavior trends.
Features
- Disengagement & Burnout Detection. Monitors user activity patterns and identifies signs of reduced engagement or potential burnout. It detects anomalies such as decreased productivity, increased idle times, and irregular work patterns.
- Personal Insights & Subscriptions. Provides users with a breakdown of their work habits, productivity scores, and activity categories. Subscriptions allow users to receive regular updates and reports directly in their inbox, facilitating ongoing awareness and self-management of work performance.
- Activity-based Alarms. Enables setting custom triggers based on specific user activities or behavior patterns. When a predefined condition is met, such as excessive non-productive activity or unauthorized application use, the system sends real-time alerts to supervisors.
Drawbacks
- Poor Customer Service and Unresolved Issues. Customer service is responsive during sales but unhelpful afterward. The product is slow, requiring extra staff to manage data, and classification must be done daily. Additionally, the company enforces year-long contracts without flexibility, even when issues persist [*].
- Slow Loading and Tedious Setup. The program loads very slowly, making it time-consuming to navigate and set up. Plus, users have to manually classify website daily, which is time consuming, adding to the workload [*].
- Need for Individual Metrics. The software currently lacks individual metrics, providing only team-based comparisons in the Focus and Collaboration report. This limitation restricts the ability to assess individual performance and productivity independently [*].
Pricing
- Free. $0 per user/month.
- Essentials. $10 per user/month.
- Professional. $19 per user/month.
- Enterprise. Request a quote.
Summary → ActivTrak offers real-time visibility and detailed analytics, which are beneficial for modern work environments. However, despite its extensive features, setting up and customizing ActivTrak to meet specific organizational needs can be time-consuming and demand considerable effort.
Related → ActivTrak vs. Teramind – Which is Best in 2024?
5. Hubstaff
Hubstaff is a time-tracking and productivity management tool built to assist remote, mobile, and office teams in optimizing their workflows and monitoring performance. It can seamlessly integrate time tracking, payroll, scheduling, and employee monitoring into one platform.
With Hubstaff, businesses can automate many administrative tasks, such as generating timesheets, processing payments based on set hourly rates, and managing invoices. This integration simplifies administrative processes and enhances transparency, allowing managers and team leaders to make data-driven decisions that can lead to improved productivity and operational efficiency.
Hubstaff also features an advanced activity monitoring system, which includes features like random screenshot capture, app and URL tracking, and GPS location monitoring for mobile teams. These features enable businesses to gain insights into how work time is spent, ensuring that teams remain focused and projects stay on track.
Features
- Team Scheduling and Shift Management. Provides tools for creating and managing employee schedules and shifts, including notifications for upcoming shifts and the ability to track attendance and time off.
- Geofencing. Allows managers to track employee locations and ensure they are working within designated areas. This is particularly useful for field teams and remote workers, providing insights into location-based productivity.
- Screenshots and App Monitoring. Captures periodic screenshots and monitors application usage, providing visual and data-based evidence of employee activities. This feature ensures compliance with work policies and helps verify work progress.
Drawbacks
- Linux Bypass and Tracking Issues. Hubstaff can be bypassed on Linux, and tracking on dual screens often stops, requiring a reboot. Billing is also based on maximum licenses used, not actual usage [*].
- Poor Customer Service. Customer service is very poor. A significant issue with Jira integration took 8 months to address, and the problem was ultimately deemed “unsupported” without any real assistance or compensation. Requests for a refund were denied despite ongoing unresolved issues [*].
- Inflexible Payroll Timing and Manual Time Tracking. There is no option to update the time for automatic payroll runs. Time off and holiday hours don’t count against limits, requiring manual tracking adjustments, which is frustrating [*].
Pricing
- Starter. $4.99 per seat/month.
- Grow. $7.50 per seat/month.
- Team. $10 per seat/month.
- Enterprise. $25 per seat/month.
Summary → Hubstaff is a good option for businesses seeking a comprehensive solution that facilitates tracking, analysis and management of team productivity. However, smaller businesses or startups might find the cost of implementing Hubstaff relatively high compared to simpler, more affordable alternatives.
6. Veriato UAM
Veriato User Activity Monitoring (UAM) is designed specifically for monitoring employee behavior on company-owned networks and devices. It continuously collects data from endpoints on over 60 activities and analyzes this information to detect early signs of cybersecurity risks, productivity issues, non-compliance, or to facilitate workplace investigations.
The software includes a real-time alerting mechanism that uses advanced algorithms to identify deviations from established user behavior patterns, quickly pinpointing potential security threats as they arise. Veriato UAM also features intuitive data visualizations and dashboards that provide administrators with a clear overview of activities and trends.
Furthermore, Veriato UAM offers flexible deployment options, enabling seamless integration within various IT environments—whether cloud, on-premises, or hybrid—ensuring the integrity and availability of monitored data are never compromised.
Features
- Alerting and Notifications. Notifies managers of suspicious or non-compliant activities in real-time. Customizable alerts can be set for various scenarios, such as unauthorized data access or attempts to visit restricted websites.
- Keyword and Content Filtering. Scans and filters user-generated content, including emails, chats, and documents, for specific keywords or phrases, helping to detect and prevent inappropriate or harmful communications.
- Forensic Data Collection and Analysis. Collects and stores detailed forensic data on user activities, including metadata and content, enabling comprehensive analysis and supporting investigations into policy violations or security incidents.
Drawbacks
- Issues with Mac Systems. Veriato has many issues with Mac systems, including unintended user interaction and recording problems [*].
- Difficult Deployment for MSPs. Deploying Veriato is manual and challenging, particularly for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) who manage large user groups across multiple devices. This complexity can lead to extended deployment times and potential disruptions in service [*].
- Frustrating Implementation and Agent Updates. The implementation of Veriato can be frustrating, as agent updates are often blocked by antivirus programs or endpoint monitoring systems. Additionally, the reports generated can include duplicate keywords and irrelevant information, and sometimes provide incomplete results for user activities [*].
Pricing
- Cloud.
- User Activity Monitoring (UAM). $15 per user/month.
- Insider Risk Management (IRM). Request quote.
- On-premise.
- User Activity Monitoring (UAM). Request quote.
- Insider Risk Management (IRM). Request quote.
Summary → Veriato UAM’s data capture, behavioral analysis, and real-time alerting capabilities ensure that potential security threats are identified and addressed promptly. However, the platform’s advanced analysis tools and real-time alerting require significant configuration and customization, which can be time-consuming and resource-intensive.
7. Controlio
Controlio is a web-based, real-time employee monitoring solution designed to provide comprehensive oversight for enterprises. The platform excels in continuous monitoring of employee activities across various endpoints, offering detailed insight into the use of company resources.
It captures a broad array of data such as screen captures, application usage, website visits, and keystrokes. This information is then analyzed to produce actionable insights, helping managers pinpoint operational inefficiencies and ensure adherence to company policies.
A standout feature of Controlio is its live video monitoring and history playback capability. This allows administrators to watch user actions as they happen or review recorded footage, which is crucial for incident response and auditing. This feature ensures that all user activities are transparent and can be traced effectively.
Features
- Customizable Monitoring Policies. Allows administrators to create and implement customizable monitoring policies and rules tailored to the specific needs of their organization, ensuring flexible and targeted monitoring.
- File and Document Tracking. Tracks and logs file and document activities, including creation, modification, deletion, and transfer, providing a comprehensive audit trail of document handling within the organization.
- Remote Access and Control. Provides administrators with the ability to remotely access and control user desktops, enabling them to take immediate action, provide support, or perform administrative tasks as needed.
Drawbacks
- Challenging Configuration. Setting up the product from scratch is difficult and typically requires technical support assistance [*].
- Lacks Summary Report. The product does not include a summary report that consolidates top-level data from each report category into a single comprehensive report [*].
- Mac Update Issues. Software updates on Mac machines cause the software to stop working, necessitating manual adjustments [*].
Pricing
- Cloud. $7.99 per user/month.
- On-premises. Request quote.
- Private Cloud. Request quote.
Summary → Controlio’s real-time monitoring and screen recording capabilities ensure comprehensive visibility for companies and accountability for employees. On the flip side, smaller businesses or startups might find the cost of implementing Controlio relatively high compared to simpler, more affordable alternatives.
8. Traqq
Traqq is a modern time-tracking and employee monitoring software designed to help businesses and remote teams enhance productivity and ensure accurate billing and payroll management. What sets Traqq apart is its ethical monitoring approach; the software blurs screenshots to protect employee privacy while still giving managers enough information to gauge productivity and conduct.
The platform also aggregates data into insightful analytics, showing trends in employee activity levels, most-used applications, and time spent on different tasks. This makes it easy for managers to pinpoint areas where efficiency can be improved and to support their team members more effectively. Additionally, Traqq includes an automatic time tracking tool that simplifies the process of logging work hours, making it highly useful for remote teams that need to manage flexible schedules.
For deployment, Traqq offers a cloud-based solution that ensures data is accessible from anywhere, facilitating remote management and team collaboration. Its lightweight design means it can run in the background on both Windows and Mac OS systems, ensuring comprehensive monitoring without significant impacts on system performance.
Features
- USB Device Monitoring and Control. Monitors the usage of USB devices, logging all activities related to external storage devices, and providing options to block or restrict USB device usage to prevent data leaks.
- Detailed Productivity Reports. Generates comprehensive productivity reports that include metrics such as time spent on tasks, application usage, and activity levels, displayed in easy-to-read charts and graphs for in-depth analysis.
- Offline Time Syncing with Intelligent Conflict Resolution. Tracks offline work time and syncs data when reconnected, with intelligent conflict resolution to handle discrepancies between online and offline records seamlessly.
Drawbacks
- Limited Tool Integrations. Traqq does not integrate with popular productivity and project management tools, hindering seamless collaboration and requiring users to switch between multiple applications, which reduces overall productivity [*].
- Misinterpreted Activity Levels. The software often misinterprets user activity, failing to accurately detect tasks that require minimal mouse or keyboard interaction [*].
- Frequent Crashes. The app frequently crashes, and customer support is unresponsive, making it frustrating to use for work [*].
Pricing
- Premium Starter. $0 per seat/month.
- Premium Teams. $7 per seat/month.
- Enterprise. Request quote.
Summary → While the platform’s privacy-focused approach is a significant advantage, it might limit the granularity of monitoring data available to managers, potentially impacting the depth of insights. The blurring of screenshots, although privacy-friendly, might hinder the ability to fully verify work activities.
Teramind: The Smart Choice for Modern Productivity Management
How would life be if you had a tool that provides real-time insights into your team’s performance, allowing you to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies immediately?
With Teramind, this becomes a reality. You get comprehensive monitoring capabilities that track application usage, website visits, email activity, and even keystrokes. This helps you understand how your employees spend their time, enabling informed decisions to boost productivity. It’s like having a magnifying glass over your operations, revealing hidden patterns and opportunities for improvement.
Teramind’s user-friendly dashboard makes it easy to navigate and analyze the collected data. You can customize reports, set alerts for specific activities, and get a centralized view of your workforce’s performance.
Whether you’re managing a remote team or a large in-office staff, Teramind provides the tools you need to keep productivity high and operations smooth.
