13 Best Remote Employee Monitoring Software

According to a recent study done by FlexJobs, there is over 150 percent increase in the number of people working remotely.

And over 80 percent of all the people who were interviewed said they preferred remote work.

With an increasing number of workers opting for this work arrangement, it means that this system of working is very popular.

Thankfully, there are several tools that employers can use to supervise their workers.

With these tools, you can keep track of your workforce and know whether they are productive or not.

These software can track applications, monitor web browsing and check what your employees are doing at any given time.

In addition, they can track how much time an employee spends on a specific job. This, therefore, gives you a better idea of whether they are working or doing their own things.

Based on our reviews, here are The 13 Best Remote Employee Monitoring Software.

1. Time Doctor

Time Doctor is currently among the best remote employee monitoring software.

Used by a number of businesses, it can help you calculate the jobs your employees are working on, sites they’re visiting and the time they are spending on each job.

Since it let you know when your employees are working, you can use it to encourage transparency.

The best part is that you can set screenshots at intervals to see when your remote workers are working.

This way, you can view the progress of the job at any given time. With this tool, you’ll always have important information at your fingertips.

You can integrate it with all the best accounting and management tools. You can also use it to prepare your payroll by either using hours worked or days spent on the job.

Furthermore, this tool will give you a better picture of the apps or websites that your employees are using at any given time so you can ensure that they are focused at any given time.

By receiving daily and weekly report from this app, you can identify employees who are wasting a lot of time and encourage them to improve.

This will, in turn, boost their productivity and improve your production.

How Much Does Time Doctor Cost

• The business plan that accommodates up to 5 users is $49 per month
• Enterprise plan that accommodates up to 5 users is $99 per month

Pros

• User-friendly interface
• Plays the best role in tracking time
• Can help manage tasks systematically
• Comes with a free trial
• Has the best functionalities

Cons

• Need to start and stop manually
• Several annoying bugs

2. Spyrix

Whether you have a small firm or huge enterprise this software is just perfect for you. Used as detailed remote monitoring software, Spyrix has several amazing functionalities.

For instance, you can use it to track apps, websites visited, chats, and social media activities of the employee.

In addition, you can use it to track external USB storage and printing activities. Plus, regardless of where you are, you can control and monitor all your employees.

As compared to other software out there it’s not only affordable but also easy to use. Once you’ve bought it you just need to install an agent on your employees’ systems and you are good to go.

If you want to monitor your employees you can log in from any device.

You can also use it to monitor your workers through the microphone and computer webcam with relative ease.

It will allow you to view your workers’ computers in real-time mode and know what they are doing at any particular time.

This means when your employees are not around you’ll know what they are doing at any given time.

It also has a special secure web account that you can use to view all the activities of your employees.

Because it gives you an opportunity to carry out remote administration you can also choose the sites that you need to block so that your workers can focus on the core tasks.

How Much Does Spyrix Cost

• Spyrix personal monitor plan cost $59 per PC
• Spyrix personal monitor pro plan is $89 per 3 PCs
• Spyrix employee monitoring plan is $239 per 10 PCs

Pros

• Completely hidden in the computer
• Takes screenshots
• Records all keystrokes
• Settings wizards to guide you through the process
• Several options t take screenshots

Cons

Inactive features in the free version

3. DeskTime

Just like other remote employee monitoring software, DeskTime is a unique software that comes with both monitoring and tracking functionalities.

From individuals to a group of employees, you can use this tool to track all your workers.

Featuring a range of features it will allow you to see everything your workers are doing with their machines.

Apart from the main features it also has a website and app categorization feature for taking screenshots and customizable reports.

When it comes to protecting your employees’ privacy it’s the best software to use. Besides the options to blur the screenshots, it also allows them to turn off the tracking program on and off.

This is very important during those times when they are taking a break.

Although it does not have features such as project management and calendar integrations you can use it on the cloud.

In terms of resources, you’ll enjoy a very good customer support network. You can always call, email or request for in-person session with them.

With this tool, you can easily pinpoint any inefficient habits that are negatively affecting your company so as to maximize productivity.

It also allows the employees to plan for their leaves by checking when their colleagues will be out.

How Much Does DeskTime Cost

• Pro plan is $7 per user per month
• The premium plan is $9 per user per month
• The enterprise plan is $14 per user per month

Pros

• Provides maximized productivity
• Automatic time monitoring
• Computer use monitoring
• Coordinated time off
• Mobile monitoring
• Quite easy to use

Cons

The app is not the most user-friendly

4. Workpuls

If you are looking for a user friendly and lightweight remote employee monitoring software then Workpuls is the right choice.

With this awesome tool, you can track your workers’ activities on both Windows and Mac OS.

Whether you are looking for a tracker, employee monitoring system or project time tracker it has everything you need.

It helps you track the websites and apps that your workers are using and also captures screenshots of what they are working on at any given time.

You can use it to track the work and calculate payroll based on what your workers have been doing.

Your workers can also fill in their presentation and meeting times so you don’t factor in these.

With its customizable screenshot feature, you can set the rules that need to be followed.

Since it focuses a lot on the work done it comes with additional resources such as productivity guides, blog, and additional remote team.

It’s so flexible and simple to use that you’ll not find any issues with it. Apart from installing it on the company’s machines, you can also install it on other computers used by your workers.

If you are looking for valuable data then it’s the right tool.

To get the right information you can look at reports on time spent and real-time data. Once you’ve installed it you’ll get everything that you need

How Much Does Workpuls cost

• Employee monitoring is $4.80 per worker per month
• Time tracking is $6.40 per worker per month
• Automatic time mapping is $12 per worker per month
• Enterprise monitoring price is negotiated

Pros

• Improves overall operations
• Clear picture f the work that the employee is doing
• Manages to track all the tasks done
• Easy to use hence does not require training
• Good support team

Cons

Does not have any agent for Mac yet

5. Work Examiner

Apart from monitoring your workers, Work Examiner is also a tool that you can use to schedule reports. It’s not only easy to set up but also flexible and user friendly.

Although you can do this without telling your employees, in some countries, you are required to inform your staff that you are tracking them.

As no-nonsense employee monitoring software this is a tool that comes with some of the best tracking capabilities and data to ensure that your work is made easy.

With this software, you can boost your productivity, improve efficiency and provide a good HR management.

You can basically use it for surveillance, control of web usage and work time monitoring.

You can also use it to filter out the websites that your worker is likely to access to ensure that they are fully committed to the work at hand.

With its features, you can see how your workers spend time in the office and whether they are productive. As a matter of fact, this tool will show you exactly what they are doing at any given time.

Apart from its web filtering and tracking features, it will also help you track all your local computers and other activities.

By considering the time which there is no computer movement it can help you to know whether your employees are active or not.

Because it works silently in the background, there are add-ons that the task managers can process.

Further, you can use it to get a screenshot of any system and see the kind of apps that your clients are using at any given time.

How Much Does Work Examiner Cost

• Work Examiner Standard plan is $60 per PCs
• Work Examiner Professional plan is $60 per PC

Pros

• As compared to others it’s very to use
• Intuitive interface
• You can use it to block certain social media sites
• Has some of the best features
• Provides you with usage reports
• Has email recording features

Cons

It’s only available on PC

6. Toggl

Toggle is one of the best remote employee software that allows you to check whether your employees are working or not.

Whether you have a small business or a large company it has some of the best features to meet your needs.

With its powerful browser extension, you can always track time using a number of tools.

To ensure that you check the time your employees spend on work, it will provide you with a report in the form of CSV, XLS and PDF file.

You can also integrate it with over 100 different tools across different industries. For instance, you can integrate it with a to-do list such as Todoist and Toggl Zappier to help you automate all your jobs.

As one of the best time trackers in the market, it has a handy browser add on that will allow you to track time without opening any web application.

Although it’s mostly web-based it also has a number of apps for iOS desktop, and Android that you can sync together.

The best thing about it is its time tracking feature. Since it makes the process quite easy you only need to click the start button and click the stop button once you are done.

Plus, it has integrations for Mozilla, chrome, desktop, iPhone, and Android. Regardless of the app that you choose all that the data that you have will be stored on the Toggl account.

Did you know that you can use it to add time manually? Yes, it’s quite possible.

How Much Does Toggl Cost

• Start plan is $9 per user per month
• The premium plan is $18 per user per month
• The enterprise plan is $49 per user per month

Pros

• It’s simple and quite easy to use
• Alarms and goals feature will help you achieve your goals
• Weekly emails updates
• Can block sites that you feel as distracting

Cons

• No invoicing capabilities
• Cannot operate rescue time when you are offline

7. Harvest

This is a remote employee monitoring software that you can use to track your employees and expenses.

As cloud-based time tracking app it has some of the best features to keep your employees on track.

This software will provide you with a timesheet and invoicing features to ensure that your business succeeds.

By providing a one-click time entry you’ll be able to track time using devices such as PC, Mac, desktop, and mobile.

With the help of its data, you can get insight on how your employees are spending time and how much money you need to complete your projects.

Next to each timer, there is a little pencil icon for adding notes.

Besides adding time according to the job done you can also do this in bulk. This is very important especially if you want to make some adjustments.

It’s also capable of integrating with several popular tools to ensure that your work is even better.

Regardless of where your workers are you can comfortably monitor all of them without any issues. Just by a quick look, you can always see what they are working on at any given time.

This will ensure that you succeed in what you are doing.

How Much Does Harvest Cost

• The free plan does not cost anything
• Pro plan is$12 per person for unlimited projects and an unlimited number of people

Pros

• One of the best customer supports
• Easy to use
• Well designed user interface
• Several integrations
• Keep staff hours in check

Cons

Lack features for non-admin users

8. Teramind

As one of the best monitoring software, Teramind runs on both Windows and Mac.

Featuring user activity monitoring, keystroke logger and productivity levels, It’s a tool that cannot disappoint you.

In addition to the normal workers usabilities, it will also give you a very unique behavior based analysis. With this tool,you’ll get valuable insights into threats that may come from your employees.

Once it captures any violations it will either alert you or stop everything altogether.

If you are looking for all round control and the best security then this may be the best tool for you.

Besides contacting their support team through phone or email you can also find valuable resources from, blogs, eBooks and white papers.

Unlike other tools, Teramind comes with all the features that you might be looking for a remote employee monitoring software.

The good thing is that you can easily access each tool from their dashboard.

You’ll be able to monitor or even track your employees in real time so you know what they are doing at any given time.

Since it displays all the users you can easily filter and find specific users you are looking for.

It also has a focused dashboard that you can configure to show your entire company or a particular user or group.

For instance, you can add network usage, and other widgets for application if you like.

If you think that your workers are spending a lot of time massaging their friends, you can set it in such a way that it monitors all their whatssapp, Facebook and other chats.

How Much Does Teramind Cost

• Teramind starter plan is $30.15 per month per 5 users
• Teramind UAM plan is $60.57 per month per 5 users
• Teramind DLP plan is $78.78 per month per  5 users

Pros

• Intuitive user interface
• Tracks key strokes
• Provides OCR on screen recording
• Access control and privacy compliance
• Full automation layer

Cons

In depth monitoring features

9. ActivTrak

ActivTrak is a remote employee monitoring software that’s quite useful in monitoring your employees especially when they are working.

But before you install it to your machine you need to configure it the way you want.

Once you install it without their knowledge you can always get a true picture of their work ethics and get rid of the ones who are not productive.

As a cloud-based analytics tool, it will help you gain deep insights into the behavior of your employees.

To monitor their activity you need to install it on their computers. You can also use it to block certain apps, websites, and files without their knowledge and ensure that they concentrate on their core duty.

If you want to get rid of the distractions then it’s the most ideal tool to use.

Apart from boosting their productivity and monitoring their activities, you can also use it to prevent any malicious threats that may affect your businesses.

Besides being compatible with Android and IOS, you can also integrate it into a number of other applications out there. But if you are looking for customized plans you may have to get in touch with the best vendor.

Overall it’s software that will provide you with everything that you need for your business and ensure that you succeed.

How much Does ActivTrak Cost

• Freemium is $0 per 3 users
• Advanced plan is $7.20 per user per month with annual contract

Pros

• Quite impressive software
• Significantly improve productivity
• Easy to use
• Intuitive user interface
• A powerful tool for businesses
• Value for money
• User privacy features

Cons

• Lacks keystroke logging
• Installation may be blocked by antivirus programs

10. Timely

If you have a team working remotely then this is also an amazing tool worth considering.

Coming with strong time tracking capabilities, you can use it to eliminate the need of supervising your workers manually.

With this software, you can easily capture billable activities through reports and detailed timesheet.It also has advanced dashboard that you can use to coordinate of the activities of your team.

As one of the best products you can integrate it with several communication, project management and video chat apps to make your work easy.

From small, midsized businesses and large companies, it caters for all businesses regardless of the size.

With this in mind, you can use it to run your appointments remotely, send notifications and even generate reports.

With its calendar management feature, you can manage recurring bookings and initiate other bookings.

It will also allow your customers to make online bookings with a lot of ease. The best part is that it has links to different social media sites such as Facebook among others.

You can also integrate it to third party applications such as Xero, MYOB and Google among others.

How Much Does Timely Cost

• Freelancers and Solopreneurs plan is $7 per month
• Teams plan is $14 per month
• Advanced collaboration plans is $21 per user per month

Pros

• Powerful time tracking capabilities
• Fully automated
• Can capture data across mobile devices
• Good advanced reporting capabilities

Cons

• It’s a bit expensive
• The dashboard can be a bit expensive

11. ClickTime

As among the best remote employee monitoring software, ClickTime is a tool that will allow you to allocate your workers’ time in the best way possible.

Whether you need to track the hours or boost your business productivity it’s a tool worth considering.

With this amazing tool, you’ll learn to understand where your employees spend most of their time.

It features an in-app time tracking system that will help your workers to record their time usage so that they can accurately bill

It has all the details that will help you plan and predict the number of hours that they will need to accomplish a project.

Coming with employee timesheets you can always track the hours. Plus you can view details such project costs and employee time usage trends.

By removing all the barriers that may prevent time tracking among the employees it will ensure that your work runs smoothly.

Once you’ve planned and organize and set everything your workers can start tracking the time.

This means they can either record the time and end or just record the total time that they’ve used to accomplish a particular project.

You can also use the job allocation schedule to see who still has time to take up additional projects.

The best thing is that you’ll know the time that each task will take so you can plan well. This is, therefore, a tool that you cannot just ignore.

How Much Does Click Time Cost

• The starter plan is $9 per user per month
• Starter plus plan is $12 per user per month
• Team plan is $24 per user per month
• For premier plus plan, you need to call

Pros

• A very easy to use time tracking tool
• Extensive report
• Easy to understand
• Providing real-time updates
• Time tracking syncs

Cons

• Even the basic version is a bit expensive
• System set up is complicated

12. Hours

Hours refer to remote monitoring software that allows for better monitoring and collaboration. As the best time tracking app it allows you to track all the projects that your employees are working on at any given time.

With this in mind, you can set several projects running at the same time and allow your workers to move from one job to the next.

This is better than working one project to completion before moving to the next.

Since it produces accurate reports you can always view what kind of jobs your workers are working on at any given time.

It also features cloud reporting planning or budgets, invoicing reports and other important things that you may need.

If you are looking for software that will make all your employee monitoring and time tracking easy then this is the best project.

With their intuitive user interface you can always start, stop or even use timers the way you want.

Whether you want to log the time or not it makes all this work very easy. It has a 3D touch shortcut that will allow you to start and stop your tracker.

In addition it will allow you to set up your work schedule and notification that will tell you to start your timer in case you forgot to do this.

Another great feature that you’ll find is its built-in reporting. By producing reports for projects and clients and including the notes you can provide the details of everything you were working on at any particular time.

Whether you are freelancer, business owner or consultant this is the best software to use.

How Much Does Hours Cost

• Free plan is free
• Pro plan is $7.99 per month

Pros

• Provides real time tracking
• Helpful reports t see what your workers are ding
• It’s easy to make any adjustments
• You can start free and upgrade later

Cons

The free plan does not have a lot of features

13. Hubstaff

As compared to other remote monitoring software, Hubstaff is among the best ones in the market.

Besides being compatible with Mac, Windows, and Linux it’s also available as an Android, iOS app and chrome extension.

By measuring the activity levels depending on the mouse and keyboard usage you can know whether your workers are working or not.

It also has an optional periodical feature that you can turn off wherever you want.

Plus, it can easily detect idle time and track geo location, attendance and productivity tends. It will then compile for you reports based on the data that you get.

And if you get into trouble you can always get into touch with the support and have your issues sorted.

Additionally, there are a number of resources, including blogs, help center and remote team that can assist you with your issue.

However, just like other software, it’s only available on cloud hence you must have a stable internet for you to use it well.

As one of the best monitoring tools it will provide your organization with the ability to keep track on the tasks going on and know what your staff is doing at any given time.

Once your workers have embarked on the task they just need to set the timer on.

How Much Does Hubstaff Cost

• Free plan is $0 forever
• Basic plan $7 per user per month
• Premium plan is $10 per user per month
• Enterprise plan is $10 per user per month

Pros

• It’s a very user friendly app
• It’s a good investment t the company
• Allows time tracking from different devices
• Works even when its offline
• Keystroke monitoring and screenshot
• Easy schedule shifts for employees

Cons

• No advanced tracking
• No IP address restrictions

Frequently Asked Questions

Wrap Up

If you want to run a profitable business then you need to understand what your workers are doing at any given time. This means you must monitor them and keep track of their time.

Monitoring your employees and keeping track of what they are doing does not have to hard. By choosing the right remote employee monitoring software you can boost your productivity and keep your workers engaged.

Although all these tools are great, they have their own advantages and disadvantages. You, therefore, need to choose comprehensive software that can provide you with everything that you need.

Some of them even come with a free trial that you can use to check whether they are the best. Best of luck even as you embark on monitoring your employees.