ActivTrak vs Controlio (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, ActivTrak grades higher than Controlio: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
ActivTrak grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
ActivTrak
Workforce analytics that tracks activity and work time automatically
Controlio
Employee monitoring with time logs, screen video and app tracking
Which one is for you
Pick ActivTrak if
- Fits if you manage a remote team and want to see where their time goes
- Works for a manager who wants reports sent into Power BI or Tableau
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want to bill clients by project hours, as it tracks activity, not projects
- Tight if you stay free: 3 workers and 30 days of data
- Watch out: screenshots, live view and website blocking need the Screen Details add-on
- Watch out: the $7 rate needs a 3-year term, and more than 50 licences need a paid support plan
Pick Controlio if
- Fits if you manage Windows and Mac staff and need activity reports
- Works for companies that want the data kept on their own servers
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if your team uses Linux or phones, as agents run on Windows and Mac only
- Skip it if you need billing or invoicing, as it is built for monitoring, not billing clients
- Watch out: the agent can run hidden, so check local monitoring and consent laws first
- Watch out: the API, single sign-on and burnout views need Advanced at $9.99, and on-premises starts at 10 users
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAActivTrakFair | 2.0GPAControlioFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CWork Activity Tracking is $10 a worker billed yearly, and $7 only on a 3-year term. Time-tracking's dearer quarter starts at $9. | C$6.67 per user a month billed yearly, which is the middle of time tracking. The monthly rate is not stated. |
| Free plan and trial | CA free plan for 3 workers with 30 days of data and limited functions, plus a 14-day trial. | C14-day free trial with no card needed, and no free plan. |
| Features | CAutomatic tracking, adherence and productivity reports. It does not log project hours for billing, and screenshots need an add-on. | CProductivity reports, screen recording, behaviour rules and compliance modes, but the listing shows agents only on Windows and Mac and nothing on projects or invoicing. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You deploy an agent to each worker's computer and tune the reports. | CNo store rating on record. Agents have to be installed on each computer and rules set before the reports mean much. |
| Platforms and integrations | BA web dashboard with Power BI, Tableau and Looker Studio. | CWeb dashboard with Windows and Mac agents; a REST API only on Advanced, one integration on record and no phone apps. |
| Best for | seeing how a team spends its working time | staff monitoring on Windows and Mac |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: ActivTrak and Controlio. How we grade
Price against what you get
ActivTrak starts at $10 a month for each person and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Controlio starts at $6.67 a month for each person and scores 2.0.
ActivTrak scores higher, and starts $3.33 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other time tracking apps on the chart, 30 score higher than ActivTrak for less, and 26 score higher than Controlio for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Controlio is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- ActivTrak also covers site & app blocker and reports.
- Controlio also covers screen recording.
At a glance
| ActivTrak | Controlio | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $10 per worker / month, billed annually | $6.67 per user / month, billed annually |
| Free plan | Free plan for up to 3 workers: basic activity visibility with 30 days of data history and limited functionality. | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of Workforce Management plus Productivity Optimization | 14-day free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Made by | ActivTrak | EfficientLab, LLC |
| Price read from | activtrak.com | controlio.net |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
ActivTrak
- It monitors worker activity rather than logging project hours, so it suits oversight more than client billing.
- Screenshots, live view and website blocking need the paid Screen Details add-on.
- The $7 rate for Work Activity Tracking applies only on a 3-year subscription; the standard annual rate is $10.
- The free plan is limited to 3 workers and 30 days of data, and more than 50 licenses require a paid support plan.
Controlio
- Endpoint agents run on Windows and macOS only.
- The agent can run in a stealth mode with no visible icon, so local monitoring laws matter.
- Prices shown are for annual billing; the monthly rate is not stated in the page text.
- On-premises installs start at 10 users and private cloud at 100 users, on request.
Key features
ActivTrak
- Automatic time tracking
- Records activity in the background and summarizes it by user and team, with daily work metrics and real-time visibility.
- Schedule and location adherence
- Compare actual work against schedules, spot exceptions and trends, identify breaks and validate work location policy on higher plans.
- Productivity and capacity reports
- Utilization, workload balance, benchmarks, headcount planning and coaching opportunities, plus an on-demand Work Advisor.
- AI usage measurement
- An AI Insights add-on at $4 per worker per month covers AI usage, governance and compliance, adoption and productivity impact.
- Screen Details add-on
- Screenshots, live screen view, title bars, full URLs, alarms and website blocking are an optional add-on, not part of the base plans.
Controlio
- Productivity measurement
- AI-based categorization of activity as productive or distracting, with scores for users and departments.
- Work time logging
- Breaks the day into applications and websites, with attendance and working-hours reports.
- Screen recording
- Records screens as continuous video instead of periodic screenshots, and offers a live view of user desktops.
- Behavior rules
- Alerts on rules about apps, websites, keystrokes, USB devices, sessions and idle or active periods.
- Cloud or on-premises
- Runs as a hosted dashboard or on-premises, with server support for AWS, Windows and Linux.
- Compliance modes
- Offers a GDPR mode, and says on-premises deployment can be used to meet HIPAA.
Plans
ActivTrak
Free$0
for up to 3 workers
Basic activity visibility, 30 days of data history, limited functionality. A trial downgrades to this plan.
Work Activity Tracking$10
per worker / month, billed annually ($7 on a 3-year term)
Adherence to working hours and tech policy: automatic time tracking, real-time visibility, attendance, app and website usage. 6 months of data.
Workforce Management$15
per worker / month, billed annually
Adds utilization and financial loss, productivity against goals, schedule exception reports and offline meeting tracking. 6 months of data.
Productivity Optimization$17
per worker / month, billed annually
Adds organization productivity trends, workload balance, benchmarks and goals, capacity planning and coaching. 1 year of data.
Workflow$21
per worker / month, billed annually
Finds repetitive work and AI or automation opportunities; sold through sales for AI and operations teams.
Controlio
Basic$6.67
per user / month, billed annually
5 to 10,000 users: productivity and time reports, behavior rules, screen live stream and video, 6 months of storage.
Advanced$9.99
per user / month, billed annually
Adds workload and burnout views, mouse jiggler detection, REST API, single sign-on and location tracking.
EnterpriseCustom
For 100+ users: private cloud, custom storage and SLA, onboarding and priority support.
Ways to pay less
ActivTrak
- Other savings
Save 30% on a two-plan bundle
ActivTrak's pricing page offers a 30% saving when Workforce Management and Productivity Optimization are bought together.
Controlio
- Annual discount
Save 17% with annual payments
The pricing page labels annual payments as 17% off compared with monthly payments.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, ActivTrak or Controlio?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Controlio is cheaper to start with: $6.67 a month for each person, against $10 a month for each person for ActivTrak. ActivTrak starts at $10 per worker / month, billed annually, and Controlio starts at $6.67 per user / month, billed annually.
Which has a free plan, ActivTrak or Controlio?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only ActivTrak has a free plan. Controlio does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do ActivTrak and Controlio run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Controlio lists macOS and Windows apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.