Alternatives
The best ActivTrak alternatives for remote teams in 2026
7 tools, ranked for one job: tracking a remote or offshore team’s time with screenshots, at the lowest long-run cost. Some of them beat AirStaff at other jobs, and we say which.
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The short answer
For a remote team that wants screenshots without a monthly bill, the best ActivTrak alternative is AirStaff: $198 once for 15 staff, against $5,400 over three years on ActivTrak Work Activity Tracking. If you need a free plan for up to 3 people, ActivTrak itself may still be the right tool.
- 7
- tools ranked, each with one pro and one con
- $5,202
- saved over three years for 15 staff moving from ActivTrak Work Activity Tracking to AirStaff
- 25 Sep 2026
- when every price on this page was checked
Summary
| # | Tool | Best for | Price | Screenshots |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AirStaff | Remote and offshore teams that want screenshots and timesheets without a monthly bill | $99–$396 once | Included on every tier |
| 2 | Hubstaff | Teams that need GPS, invoicing or payroll in the same subscription | From $4.99 per user per month, annual | Included, capped on Starter and Grow |
| 3 | Time Doctor | Teams that want payroll, client login or a Linux app | From $6.67 per user per month, annual | Included from Basic |
| 4 | Clockify | Small teams that want free timesheets, or invoicing and time off | Free plan; paid from $3.99 per user per month | Pro plan and above |
| 5 | DeskTime | Office and hybrid teams that want shift scheduling and calendar integrations | From $6.42 per user per month, annual | Premium plan and above |
| 6 | Insightful | Larger organisations that want analytics depth and SSO | From $8 per user per month, annual | Paid add-on, $3–$4 per seat |
| 7 | Teramind | Security and compliance teams that need data-loss prevention | From $14 per user per month, annual (third-party figure) | Not verified |
The 7 alternatives, one by one
1. AirStaff
- Best for
- Remote and offshore teams that want screenshots and timesheets without a monthly bill
- Price
- $99 once for 5 staff, $198 for 15, $396 for 50
- Screenshots
- Included on every tier; detailed low-res, blurred or off
- Pro
- One payment instead of a per-user subscription, with a 60-day money-back guarantee
- Con
- No GPS, mobile or Linux agent in version 1; integrations are Slack webhooks and CSV export
2. Hubstaff
- Best for
- Teams that need GPS, invoicing or payroll in the same subscription
- Price
- From $4.99 per user per month, annual
- Screenshots
- Included, capped on Starter and Grow
- Pro
- Broad feature set, including GPS through an add-on and payroll on Team
- Con
- Screenshots capped at 500 per user per month on Starter
3. Time Doctor
- Best for
- Teams that want payroll, client login or a Linux app
- Price
- From $6.67 per user per month, annual
- Screenshots
- Included from Basic
- Pro
- Linux desktop app and payroll from the Standard plan
- Con
- Payroll and integrations start at $11.67 per user per month
4. Clockify
- Best for
- Small teams that want free timesheets, or invoicing and time off
- Price
- Free plan; paid from $3.99 per user per month
- Screenshots
- Pro plan and above
- Pro
- Free for up to 5 users; invoicing from $5.49
- Con
- Screenshots need the $7.99 Pro plan
5. DeskTime
- Best for
- Office and hybrid teams that want shift scheduling and calendar integrations
- Price
- From $6.42 per user per month, annual
- Screenshots
- Premium plan and above
- Pro
- Shift scheduling, absence calendar and many integrations on Premium
- Con
- Screenshots only on Premium ($9.17), not on Pro
6. Insightful
- Best for
- Larger organisations that want analytics depth and SSO
- Price
- From $8 per user per month, annual
- Screenshots
- Paid add-on, $3–$4 per seat
- Pro
- Workforce analytics, integrations and on-premise option
- Con
- Screenshots cost extra: $3–$4 per seat per month on top of the plan
7. Teramind
- Best for
- Security and compliance teams that need data-loss prevention
- Price
- From $14 per user per month, annual (third-party figure)
- Screenshots
- Not verified
- Pro
- Data loss prevention and insider-threat features
- Con
- Prices not published by the vendor; five-seat minimum per third-party review
How we ranked them
The ranking is for one buyer: a business with remote or offshore staff on Windows or Mac computers that wants tracked time, activity and screenshots, and wants to pay as little as possible over several years. After AirStaff, tools are ordered by two things: first, whether screenshots are included in the plan price, sold only as an add-on, or not offered by design; then, within each group, by the published annual price of the cheapest plan that includes them. A different job gives a different order: field teams should weight GPS, and freelancers should weight billable rates.
AirStaff is ranked first because this is AirStaff’s site and because, for that buyer, one payment costs less than every per-user plan on this list within the first year, at 5, 15 or 50 staff. Among subscriptions, Hubstaff has the lowest published price with screenshots included, at $4.99 per user per month. Clockify has a free plan.
What staying on ActivTrak costs
| Team size | ActivTrak · 1 year | 3 years | 5 years | AirStaff, once |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 staff | $600 | $1,800 | $3,000 | $99 Tier 1 |
| 15 staff | $1,800 | $5,400 | $9,000 | $198 Tier 2 |
| 50 staff | $6,000 | $18,000 | $30,000 | $396 Tier 4 |
When ActivTrak is the better choice
We would rather you buy the right tool than ask for a refund. Choose ActivTrak over AirStaff if any of these matter to you:
- A free plan for up to 3 people.
- Workforce planning and productivity analytics beyond time tracking.
- Multi-year and volume discounts through sales.
AirStaff version 1 covers desktop time tracking for remote and offshore office work on Windows and macOS, and it is honest about the edges.
What your staff experience
Staff did not choose the tracker, so what they see matters as much as the price. On AirStaff:
- Nothing is recorded until they accept a monitoring notice, and notice periods such as the 14 days required in New South Wales run first.
- Keyboard and mouse activity is counted, never captured. There is no keystroke log.
- They can see which screenshot mode is on, and screenshots are deleted after 60 days by default.
- Their own “My data” view shows the same hours, screenshots and activity their manager sees, with a one-click download.
- Nothing is recorded while they are clocked out, and idle time is never counted as paid time.
The detail is on the privacy-first monitoring page.
How to switch from ActivTrak
AirStaff has no importer for ActivTrak data in version 1, so switching means starting fresh and keeping your history where it is. It takes an afternoon, plus any notice period your staff are owed.
Keep your history
Export the timesheets and reports you need to keep from ActivTrak while your subscription is still active.
Buy and invite
Pay once for the tier that covers your team. Your licence code arrives by email; redeem it at signup and invite staff with a role and a team.
Install and consent
Each person installs the Windows or macOS agent and accepts the monitoring notice. Tracking starts once any notice period has run.
Overlap, then cancel
Run both for one pay period and compare the timesheets. Then cancel ActivTrak at the end of your billing term — check its terms for notice and refunds.
Related comparisons
Sources and how we checked
Prices checked on each vendor’s own pricing page, in US dollars per user per month on annual billing unless stated. Teramind does not publish prices; its figures are from a third-party review and are labelled as such. Plans and prices change — check the vendor’s page before you decide.
- ActivTrak pricing page (plans, free plan, billing, Screen Details)
- Hubstaff pricing guide (plans, screenshot caps, add-ons)
- Hubstaff pricing page (trial)
- Time Doctor pricing plans and features (support article)
- Time Doctor pricing page (plan features, platforms)
- Clockify pricing page (plans and features)
- Clockify help: screenshots require Pro or Enterprise
- DeskTime pricing page (plans, screenshots, integrations)
- Insightful pricing page (plans and add-ons)
- Teramind pricing page (plans; prices not shown)
- Third-party figures: WorkTime Teramind review (2026)
ActivTrak, Hubstaff, Time Doctor, Clockify, DeskTime, Insightful, Teramind are trademarks of their owners. AirStaff is not affiliated with or endorsed by any company named on this page. No competitor logos or screenshots are used.
Questions people actually ask
What is the best alternative to ActivTrak for a remote team?
For a remote or offshore team on Windows or Mac that wants screenshots, activity and timesheets, AirStaff: one payment of $198 covers 15 staff, against $5,400 over three years on ActivTrak Work Activity Tracking at published annual prices. For other jobs the answer changes, and the list above says where each tool wins.
What is the cheapest ActivTrak alternative that still takes screenshots?
Over any period longer than a few months, AirStaff, because it is one payment from $99. Among per-user subscriptions on this list, Hubstaff Starter has the lowest published price with screenshots included, at US$4.99 per user per month on annual billing.
Is there a free alternative to ActivTrak for small teams?
Yes, with limits. Clockify: free for up to 5 users, without screenshots. Free plans on this list do not include screenshots. AirStaff has no free plan, but its live demo needs no signup and every direct purchase has a 60-day money-back guarantee.
Which ActivTrak alternative suits freelancers who bill clients by the hour?
A billable-time tracker rather than a monitoring tool. Toggl Track, from US$9 per user per month on annual billing, says it does not take screenshots or record keystrokes, and offers billable rates and budgets. Clockify has a free plan for up to 5 users and invoicing from its Standard plan. AirStaff is built for managing a team, not for tracking your own hours.
Which ActivTrak alternatives offer a lifetime licence instead of a subscription?
AirStaff is sold only as a lifetime licence: $99, $198, $297 or $396 once for 5, 15, 30 or 50 staff seats. Every other tool on this list is a per-user subscription at the time of checking. WebWork ran a lifetime deal on AppSumo, but that listing now says it is sold out.
How did you rank these ActivTrak alternatives against each other?
For a remote team that wants screenshots at the lowest long-run cost. After AirStaff, which costs less than every plan listed within the first year, tools are grouped by whether screenshots are included in the plan, sold as an add-on, or not offered by design, then ordered by published annual price. AirStaff is also first because this is its site; every card says where the other tools do better.
Can I pay for ActivTrak month to month instead of annually?
Not at the time of checking. ActivTrak’s pricing page says it currently offers annual plans only, with multi-year and volume discounts through its sales team. AirStaff is a single payment, so there is no contract term at all.
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