Best-of list
The best employee monitoring software for Australian businesses in 2026
The short answer
The best employee monitoring software for Australian businesses makes the notice NSW and ACT law requires easy to give, and keeps costs predictable. AirStaff is made in NSW, stores data in AWS Sydney and costs $99 once for 5 staff. Every tool here prices in US dollars; ask each where your data is stored.
- 14 days
- written notice before surveillance starts in NSW and the ACT
- Sydney
- the AWS region where AirStaff stores your data
- US$
- the currency every price on this page is published in
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Summary
| Tool | Best for | Price | Screenshots | 15 staff, 3 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. AirStaff | Remote and offshore teams that want screenshots and timesheets without a monthly bill | $99–$396 once | Included on every tier | $198 once |
| 2. Backlsh | Very small teams that want the lowest per-user price with screenshots | $2.99 per user per month; billing basis not stated | Included | $1,615 |
| 3. WebWork | Teams that want the lowest monthly price with screenshots and invoicing | From $3.99 per user per month, annual | Included from Pro | $2,155 |
| 4. 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 | $2,695 |
| 5. Time Doctor | Teams that want payroll, client login or a Linux app | From $6.67 per user per month, annual | Included from Basic | $3,602 |
| 6. DeskTime | Office and hybrid teams that want shift scheduling and calendar integrations | From $6.42 per user per month, annual | Premium plan and above | $4,952 |
| 7. Insightful | Larger organisations that want analytics depth and SSO | From $8 per user per month, annual | Paid add-on, $3–$4 per seat | $4,320 |
| 8. ActivTrak | Analytics-led teams that do not need screenshots on every plan | From $10 per user per month, annual | Screen Details add-on, price not published | $5,400 |
| 9. Teramind | Security and compliance teams that need data-loss prevention | From $14 per user per month, annual (third-party figure) | Not verified | $7,560 |
The 9 tools, 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. Backlsh
- Best for
- Very small teams that want the lowest per-user price with screenshots
- Price
- $2.99 per user per month; billing basis not stated
- Screenshots
- Included
- Pro
- The lowest published per-user price with screenshots that we found, and a lifetime deal for up to 10 users
- Con
- Its lifetime deals stop at 10 users; the subscription billing basis is not stated
3. WebWork
- Best for
- Teams that want the lowest monthly price with screenshots and invoicing
- Price
- From $3.99 per user per month, annual
- Screenshots
- Included from Pro
- Pro
- Cheapest per-user plan with screenshots, from $3.99
- Con
- Still a per-user subscription; its lifetime deal is sold out
4. 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
5. 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
6. 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
7. 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
8. ActivTrak
- Best for
- Analytics-led teams that do not need screenshots on every plan
- Price
- From $10 per user per month, annual
- Screenshots
- Screen Details add-on, price not published
- Pro
- Free plan for 3 people, plus productivity and workforce analytics
- Con
- Annual contracts only; screenshots need the Screen Details add-on
9. 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 buyer: an Australian business with staff on Windows or Mac, working in an office, from home or offshore, that wants tracked time, activity and screenshots. After AirStaff, tools are grouped by whether screenshots are included in the plan price, sold as an add-on or not verified, then ordered by the published price of the cheapest plan that includes them.
AirStaff is first because this is AirStaff’s site and because one payment costs less than every plan here within the first year. It also enforces a notice gate: nothing is recorded until each person accepts a monitoring notice, and notice periods such as the 14 days in NSW run first. Other tools can be used lawfully too; the employer is responsible for giving notice either way. Teramind and Insightful are stronger at security and analytics, and their cards say so.
What does Australian law expect before you monitor staff?
It depends on the state or territory where your staff work. In New South Wales, the Workplace Surveillance Act 2005 requires written notice at least 14 days before camera, computer or tracking surveillance starts, unless the employee agrees to a shorter period, and computer surveillance must follow a policy staff have been told about. The ACT’s Workplace Privacy Act 2011 has a similar 14-day notice and adds a duty to consult.
Victoria has no equivalent notice law yet. Its government said in November 2025 that it will assess legislative options to require notice. At the federal level, the OAIC says monitoring of email, internet and computer use would generally be allowed if staff have been told about it.
General information, not legal advice. The detail, with every source, is in our workplace surveillance notice guide.
Where does your monitoring data live?
Screenshots and activity records are personal information about your staff, so it is worth knowing which country holds them. AirStaff runs on Amazon Web Services in the Sydney region: screenshots in S3, records in Postgres, with tenancy isolation on every query and privileged actions audit logged.
We did not verify where each other vendor on this list stores data, so we do not state it. Ask before you buy: which region holds screenshots, whether you can choose, and how long they are kept. On retention, AirStaff deletes screenshots after 60 days by default, configurable from 7 to 180, and rolls raw ten-minute records up to daily summaries after 90 days.
Why are the prices in US dollars?
Every tool on this page, AirStaff included, publishes its prices in US dollars. AirStaff charges in US dollars through Stripe, and your card provider converts at its own rate on the day. We do not print Australian-dollar estimates, because the exchange rate moves and a stale conversion is worse than none.
The practical effect for an Australian buyer: a subscription is exposed to the exchange rate every month or year it renews, while a one-time payment is exposed once. For 15 staff, AirStaff Tier 2 is $198 once; Hubstaff Starter is $898 a year at list price.
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.
Related reading
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. Backlsh publishes one price without saying whether it is an annual or monthly rate, and its lifetime-deal prices are from the deal sites’ own listings. Plans and prices change — check the vendor’s page before you decide.
- Backlsh pricing page (Premium plan, screenshots, no keystrokes)
- Dealify listing for Backlsh (lifetime deal tiers)
- DealMirror listing for Backlsh (lifetime deal tiers)
- WebWork pricing page (plans, screenshots, features)
- AppSumo listing for WebWork (lifetime deal sold out)
- 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)
- DeskTime pricing page (plans, screenshots, integrations)
- Insightful pricing page (plans and add-ons)
- ActivTrak pricing page (plans, free plan, billing, Screen Details)
- Teramind pricing page (plans; prices not shown)
- Third-party figures: WorkTime Teramind review (2026)
- Workplace Surveillance Act 2005 (NSW), NSW Legislation
- Workplace Privacy Act 2011 (ACT), ACT Legislation Register
- Victorian Government response to the inquiry (November 2025)
- OAIC: Workplace monitoring and surveillance
Backlsh, WebWork, Hubstaff, Time Doctor, DeskTime, Insightful, ActivTrak, 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 employee monitoring software for an Australian business?
For staff on Windows or Mac who need tracked time, screenshots and timesheets, AirStaff: made in New South Wales, data stored in AWS Sydney, and $99 once for 5 staff or $198 for 15. Businesses that need data-loss prevention should look at Teramind, and analytics-led teams at Insightful or ActivTrak.
Is employee monitoring software legal to use in Australia?
Generally yes, if you follow the law where your staff work. NSW and the ACT require written notice at least 14 days before surveillance starts, and a computer surveillance policy staff know about. Other states differ. This is general information, not legal advice.
Does AirStaff store employee monitoring data in Australia?
Yes. AirStaff runs on Amazon Web Services in the Sydney region. Screenshots are deleted after 60 days by default, and deleting an organisation purges everything within 30 days.
Can I pay for employee monitoring software in Australian dollars?
Not directly with any tool on this page: each publishes prices in US dollars. AirStaff charges in US dollars through Stripe and your card provider converts the amount. A one-time payment means you are exposed to the exchange rate once, not at every renewal.
How much does employee monitoring cost for 15 staff in Australia?
In US dollars at published annual prices, 15 staff on Hubstaff Starter cost $898 a year and on Time Doctor Basic $1,201. AirStaff Tier 2 covers 15 staff for US$198, once.
Is AirStaff software made by an Australian company?
Yes. AirStaff is made in New South Wales by Open Pantry Tech Pty Ltd, trading as AirStaff, a company that runs staff across Australia, the Philippines, India and Vietnam and built AirStaff to replace the per-user tracker it had paid for every month.
Do I need to give staff notice before installing monitoring software?
In NSW and the ACT the law requires written notice at least 14 days before surveillance starts, unless the staff member agrees to less. AirStaff blocks tracking until each person accepts a monitoring notice and applies notice periods by jurisdiction. Our notice guide has the detail and sources.
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