Best-of list
Lifetime time tracking software: the one-time payment options we could verify
The short answer
Time tracking software with a one-time payment exists, but few vendors sell it. AirStaff sells lifetime licences directly: $99 once for 5 staff, $198 for 15, $396 for 50. Backlsh has lifetime deals on Dealify and DealMirror for up to 10 users. Trackabi’s and WebWork’s AppSumo deals are sold out.
- 2
- lifetime options on sale when we checked: AirStaff and Backlsh
- 2
- lifetime deals now sold out: Trackabi and WebWork on AppSumo
- 9
- subscription trackers in our comparison set, none selling a lifetime licence on its own pricing page
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Summary
| Tool | How you pay once | One-time price | Covers | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. AirStaff | Directly from AirStaff, by card | $99 (5 staff) to $396 (50 staff) | 5, 15, 30 or 50 staff; codes stack | On sale |
| 2. Backlsh | Dealify and DealMirror | $79–$299 (Dealify), $99–$700 (DealMirror) | 1, 5, 10 users | On sale on Dealify and DealMirror |
| 3. Trackabi | AppSumo | Not on sale | 25, 50, 75 users | Sold out on AppSumo |
| 4. WebWork | AppSumo | Not on sale | — | Sold out on AppSumo |
| 5. Clockify | Free plan instead | $0 | Free for up to 5 users, without screenshots | Free plan available, no screenshots |
| 6. ActivTrak | Free plan instead | $0 | Free for up to 3 people, with 30 days of data history | Free plan available, no screenshots |
The 6 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
- Pay once
- Direct, by card. $99, $198, $297, $396 for 5, 15, 30, 50 staff seats; codes stack
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
- Lifetime deals
- Dealify: $79 for 1 user, $169 for 5 users, $299 for 10 users (on sale); DealMirror: $99 for 1 user, $399 for 5 users, $700 for 10 users (on sale)
3. Trackabi
- Best for
- Buyers watching for its lifetime deal to return
- Price
- Subscription price not verified
- Screenshots
- Listed in its AppSumo deal
- Pro
- Its AppSumo lifetime deal covered 25 to 75 users
- Con
- The lifetime deal is sold out, and we could not verify subscription prices
- Lifetime deals
- AppSumo: 25 users, 50 users, 75 users (sold out)
4. 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
- Lifetime deal
- WebWork ran a lifetime deal on AppSumo; the AppSumo listing now says it is sold out.
5. 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, annual
- Screenshots
- Pro plan and above
- Pro
- Free for up to 5 users; invoicing from $5.49
- Con
- Screenshots need the $7.99 Pro plan
- Pay nothing
- Free for up to 5 users, without screenshots
6. 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
- Pay nothing
- Free for up to 3 people, with 30 days of data history; screenshots are not included
How we ranked them
This list answers one question: can you pay for a time tracker once instead of every month? Tools you can buy on a one-time payment today come first, then lifetime deals that have sold out (worth watching, in case they return), then free plans, which avoid paying at all but leave out screenshots.
AirStaff is first because this is AirStaff’s site, and because it is the option on this list that covers more than 10 staff on one payment you can make today. Backlsh is second: its lifetime deals are cheaper than AirStaff for one user, and for 10 users its Dealify tier is $299, against AirStaff’s $198 for 15. We say “could verify” in the title because deal sites change quickly; every status here links to the listing it came from.
What does “lifetime” actually mean?
A lifetime licence is a one-time payment for a fixed number of seats, for the life of the product. It is not a promise that the product will exist forever. AirStaff’s terms put it plainly: a lifetime licence covers the product for as long as we commercially operate it, and every organisation can export its own data at any time.
Deal sites add their own terms. The AppSumo listing for Trackabi offered lifetime access, all future plan updates and stacking of up to 3 codes, with a 60-day money-back guarantee. Backlsh’s listings on Dealify and DealMirror ask you to redeem your code within 60 days of purchase; Dealify lists a 30-day money-back guarantee, and DealMirror 30 days, or 60 for its Prime members.
The practical question is not whether a vendor will last forever, but whether the licence pays for itself before anything changes. Against Hubstaff Starter at $4.99 per user per month, AirStaff’s $198 for 15 staff is covered by the first 3 months of subscription.
What should you check before buying a lifetime deal?
| Question | Why it matters | AirStaff’s answer |
|---|---|---|
| How many seats, and can I add more? | Deals cap users per code: Backlsh’s stop at 10 users, Trackabi’s stopped at 75. | 5, 15, 30 or 50 staff seats; codes stack to Tier 4, then $3 per seat per month |
| What counts as a seat? | It decides whether people you invite but who do not work that month use one. | A member with at least one tracked slot in a calendar month |
| Is anything held back for a subscription? | A deal tier is only good value if it includes the features you need. | Tracking, screenshots, activity, timesheets and reports are on every tier |
| What is the refund window? | Deal-site windows differ: 30 or 60 days. | 60-day money-back guarantee on direct purchases |
| What does “lifetime” cover? | The product’s life, not yours. | For as long as we commercially operate AirStaff; export your data at any time |
| What costs extra later? | Anything metered after purchase is a running cost. | Screenshots beyond 60 days: $2 per seat per month |
Lifetime deal or subscription: what do 10 users cost?
A like-for-like example for a team of 10, using the one-time prices and published per-user prices on this page.
| Option | Year 1 | Over 3 years | Over 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| AirStaff Tier 2 (covers 15) | $198 once | $198 | $198 |
| Backlsh lifetime, Dealify (10 users) | $299 once | $299 | $299 |
| Backlsh lifetime, DealMirror (10 users) | $700 once | $700 | $700 |
| Backlsh Premium subscription | $359 | $1,076 | $1,794 |
| WebWork Pro subscription | $479 | $1,436 | $2,394 |
| Hubstaff Starter subscription | $599 | $1,796 | $2,994 |
The full tables for 5, 15 and 50 staff are in lifetime vs subscription: the real cost.
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. 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)
- AppSumo listing for Trackabi (lifetime deal, sold out)
- WebWork pricing page (plans, screenshots, features)
- AppSumo listing for WebWork (lifetime deal sold out)
- Clockify pricing page (plans and features)
- Clockify help: screenshots require Pro or Enterprise
- ActivTrak pricing page (plans, free plan, billing, Screen Details)
- Hubstaff pricing guide (plans, screenshot caps, add-ons)
- Hubstaff pricing page (trial)
- AirStaff terms of service (lifetime licence terms)
Backlsh, Trackabi, WebWork, Clockify, ActivTrak, Hubstaff 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
Is there time tracking software with a one-time payment?
Yes. AirStaff is sold as a lifetime licence: $99, $198, $297 or $396 once for 5, 15, 30 or 50 staff seats. Backlsh sells lifetime deals on Dealify and DealMirror for 1 to 10 users. Most other trackers are per-user subscriptions.
Is AirStaff the only time tracker sold as a lifetime licence?
No. Backlsh has lifetime deals on sale on Dealify and DealMirror, and Trackabi and WebWork have sold lifetime deals on AppSumo that are now sold out. Of the 9 subscription trackers in our comparison set, none sells a lifetime licence on its own pricing page.
Can I still buy the Trackabi lifetime deal on AppSumo?
Not when we checked on 25 Sep 2026. The AppSumo listing for Trackabi says the deal is unavailable. It offered plans for 25, 50 or 75 users with screenshots and activity tracking, stackable up to 3 codes.
How much is the Backlsh lifetime deal for a small team?
On Dealify, US$79 for 1 user, US$169 for 5 users, US$299 for 10 users. On DealMirror, US$99 for 1 user, US$399 for 5 users, US$700 for 10 users. Both were on sale when checked on 25 Sep 2026.
Is a lifetime licence riskier than a monthly subscription?
It is a fair question. A lifetime licence covers the product for as long as the vendor operates it, so the useful test is how quickly it pays for itself. AirStaff’s $198 for 15 staff is less than the first year of every subscription we compared, and direct purchases carry a 60-day money-back guarantee.
What happens to a lifetime licence when my team grows?
It depends on the vendor. With AirStaff you stack another code to move up a tier, to 50 staff on Tier 4, and add monthly seats at $3 each beyond that. Backlsh’s lifetime deals stop at 10 users, and deal-site terms vary.
Is a free plan better than paying for a lifetime deal?
If you do not need screenshots, it can be. Clockify is free for up to 5 users and ActivTrak for up to 3 people, but neither free plan includes screenshots. If you want screenshots and activity for a team, a lifetime licence is usually the cheaper paid route.
Try the one you pay for once.
One payment, no renewals, and a 60-day money-back guarantee on every direct purchase.