Controlio vs KeepActive (formerly Kickidler) (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Controlio and KeepActive (formerly Kickidler) share a 2.0 GPA, neither has a free plan, and KeepActive (formerly Kickidler) starts cheaper, at $4.17 a month for each person against $6.67 a month for each person.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Controlio grades higher on the free plan. KeepActive (formerly Kickidler) grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Controlio
Employee monitoring with time logs, screen video and app tracking
KeepActive (formerly Kickidler)
Employee monitoring and time tracking with screenshots and recordings
Which one is for you
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
Pick KeepActive (formerly Kickidler) if
- Fits if you want to watch screens and activity on staff computers
- Works for firms that want to host it on their own servers
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you want shorter terms, as the page shows only yearly prices and no monthly rate
- Skip it if you need billing or projects, as it is a monitoring product
- Watch out: one licence covers one computer, paid upfront for the term
- Watch out: data loss prevention is a separate product at $8.25 a month, and setup help costs $20 per server plus $5 per computer
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAControlioFair | 2.0GPAKeepActive (formerly Kickidler)Fair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$6.67 per user a month billed yearly, which is the middle of time tracking. The monthly rate is not stated. | B$4.17 a month per licence on a one-year term ($50), inside the cheaper quarter of time tracking, which ends at $4.50. Monitoring is $5.50. |
| Free plan and trial | C14-day free trial with no card needed, and no free plan. | DA free trial exists, but its length and card terms are shown only at registration, and there is no free plan. |
| Features | 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. | CTime, attendance, screenshots, live screens and recording, with no project or billing side on record. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Agents have to be installed on each computer and rules set before the reports mean much. | CNo store rating on record. Agents go on each computer and the server option has to be installed. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb dashboard with Windows and Mac agents; a REST API only on Advanced, one integration on record and no phone apps. | CWindows, Mac and Linux programs only, with no integrations or phone apps on record. |
| Best for | staff monitoring on Windows and Mac | employee monitoring with live screens, on yearly licences |
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: Controlio and KeepActive (formerly Kickidler). How we grade
Price against what you get
Controlio starts at $6.67 a month for each person and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. KeepActive (formerly Kickidler) starts at $4.17 a month for each person and scores 2.0.
They score the same, and KeepActive (formerly Kickidler) starts $2.50 a month lower. Of the other time tracking apps on the chart, 26 score higher than Controlio for less, and 14 score higher than KeepActive (formerly Kickidler) 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 also covers dashboards.
- KeepActive (formerly Kickidler) also covers reports.
At a glance
| Controlio | KeepActive (formerly Kickidler) | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $6.67 per user / month, billed annually | $4.17 per user / month, billed annually ($50 per license) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial, no credit card required | Free trial; terms are shown at registration |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | EfficientLab, LLC | TELE LINK SOFT (TLS) CY LTD |
| Price read from | controlio.net | kickidler.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
KeepActive (formerly Kickidler)
- The page shows prices for a 1-year term; shorter terms cost more per month and the monthly rate is not shown.
- One license covers one computer, and licenses are paid upfront for the term.
- Data loss prevention is a separate product, listed at $8.25 a month on a yearly term.
- Concierge setup is an optional paid service: $20 per server plus $5 per employee computer.
Key features
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.
KeepActive (formerly Kickidler)
- Time and attendance
- Tracks working hours, attendance and timesheets against schedules, with manual time entries that a manager approves.
- Productivity analysis
- Classifies apps and websites as productive, unproductive or neutral and compares employees and teams.
- Live activity and screenshots
- Shows who is online, idle or offline with the current app, and can take an instant screenshot.
- Screen recording
- The Employee Monitoring edition streams screens live, records video and audio, and exports clips.
- Anomaly alerts
- Flags unusual activity, including possible mouse jiggler use, and sends scheduled PDF or email reports.
- On-premises deployment
- Can be installed on a company's own servers, including a version with no internet access on request.
Plans
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.
KeepActive (formerly Kickidler)
Time Tracking$4.17
per user / month, billed annually ($50 a license)
Time and attendance, productivity reports, apps and websites, screenshots, manual time and anomaly alerts.
Employee Monitoring$5.50
per user / month, billed annually ($66 a license)
Everything in Time Tracking plus live screen streams, video and audio recording, remote access and keystroke logging.
Ways to pay less
Controlio
- Annual discount
Save 17% with annual payments
The pricing page labels annual payments as 17% off compared with monthly payments.
KeepActive (formerly Kickidler)
- Other savings
Longer terms cost less per month
Prepaying 3 months is 10% off the monthly rate, 6 months 20%, 1 year 30% and 3 years 40%, as the pricing page states.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Controlio or KeepActive (formerly Kickidler)?
As of Nov 12, 2026, KeepActive (formerly Kickidler) is cheaper to start with: $4.17 a month for each person, against $6.67 a month for each person for Controlio. Controlio starts at $6.67 per user / month, billed annually, and KeepActive (formerly Kickidler) starts at $4.17 per user / month, billed annually ($50 per license).
Which has a free plan, Controlio or KeepActive (formerly Kickidler)?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Controlio nor KeepActive (formerly Kickidler) has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do Controlio and KeepActive (formerly Kickidler) run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Controlio lists a web app and only KeepActive (formerly Kickidler) lists a Linux app. Both list macOS and Windows apps. 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.