DeskTime vs HiveDesk (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, DeskTime grades higher than HiveDesk: 2.6 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
DeskTime 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.
DeskTime
Automatic time tracking and productivity monitoring for teams
HiveDesk
Time tracking with screenshots and scheduling for remote teams
Which one is for you
Pick DeskTime if
- Fits if you run a team and want hours recorded without anyone filling in a timesheet
- Works for hybrid teams that want to see who's working from the office and who's remote
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free plan, because there isn't one once the 14-day trial ends
- Not for you if your team would object to being watched, since managers see sites, apps and document titles
- Pricey if you need screenshots, integrations, the API or shift scheduling, which start on Premium at $9.17 a user
- Too light for tracking away from a desk, as the phone app is a companion to the desktop app, not a full tracker
- Watch out: there's no invoicing, and Enterprise for 200 or more users is priced on request
Pick HiveDesk if
- Fits if you manage remote staff and want screenshots and activity levels
- Works for agencies that invoice from tracked hours
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Android, as only an iPhone app is listed
- Tight if you want screenshots on a phone, which work only in the desktop app
- Not for you if you need many integrations, since only Asana is listed
- Watch out: the annual per-user price isn't shown
How we grade them
| 2.6GPADeskTimeGood | 2.4GPAHiveDeskFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPro is $6.42 a user a month paid yearly, or $7 monthly, which lands right in the middle of what time trackers charge. Screenshots, integrations, the API and shift scheduling are all on Premium at $9.17, and that's the plan most teams will end up on. | C$5 per user a month billed monthly, with 20% off annually. The category's cheaper quarter starts at $4.50, so it sits just above. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan. You get a 14-day trial and it asks for no credit card, but after that it's a subscription or nothing. | CA 14-day free trial with no card required. |
| Features | BIt tracks hours, apps, sites and document titles with no timer, works out a productivity figure per person, and takes screenshots. Projects, shift scheduling, an absence calendar and an AI write-up of each day are in there too. The team job is covered; invoicing isn't part of it. | BAutomatic tracking, screenshots and activity levels, schedules and adherence, timesheets, leave, invoicing and cost tracking. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. On the employee's side you install it and it tracks by itself, but somebody has to invite the team, sort apps into productive and not, and set up projects and shifts before the reports mean anything. | CNo store rating on record. There's a desktop app and team set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWindows, Mac, Linux, web, iOS and Android, plus Jira, Asana, Trello, GitLab, Zapier and an API. One catch: the phone app is a companion to the desktop one, not a full tracker. | BWeb, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and a browser extension. No Android app and only Asana is listed, with API access on request. |
| Best for | team hours tracked without timesheets | remote teams that want screenshots and activity tracking |
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: DeskTime and HiveDesk. How we grade
Price against what you get
DeskTime starts at $6.42 a month for each person and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. HiveDesk starts at $5 a month for each person and scores 2.7.
DeskTime scores higher, and starts $1.42 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other time tracking apps on the chart, 3 score higher than DeskTime for less, and 8 score higher than HiveDesk 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
- HiveDesk also covers screenshots, invoicing, shift scheduling and time off.
At a glance
| DeskTime | HiveDesk | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $6.42 per user / month, billed annually ($7 billed monthly) | $5 per user / month |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial, no credit card required | 14-day free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Draugiem Group | HiveDesk |
| Price read from | desktime.com | hivedesk.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
DeskTime
- No free plan is listed; a subscription is needed after the 14-day trial.
- Screenshots, integrations and API access, and shift scheduling are listed under Premium rather than Pro.
- The mobile app is described as a companion to the desktop app rather than a full tracker.
- Enterprise is aimed at teams of 200 or more users and priced on request.
HiveDesk
- Screenshots work only in the desktop app on Windows, Mac and Linux, not on the iPhone app.
- The mobile app is listed for iPhone only; no Android app is mentioned on the pricing page.
- The integrations page lists only Asana, with API access requested by contacting the vendor.
- The 20% annual saving is shown on a toggle, but the annual per-user price is not displayed.
Key features
DeskTime
- Automatic time tracking
- The desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux tracks working time without timers or manual timesheets. A web timer and offline time entries cover work away from the computer.
- URL, app and document tracking
- Managers see which sites and apps were used, along with document names, email subjects and app titles, and the data feeds a productivity calculation for each person.
- Screenshots
- Screenshots of employees' screens can be captured as proof of work. The pricing page lists them as a Premium feature.
- Project tracking
- Tracked time can be assigned to projects and tasks to follow the hours and progress of specific pieces of work.
- Shift scheduling and absences
- Plan and manage employee shifts in one place, and use the absence calendar to see who is sick, on vacation or out of office.
- Private time and AI summaries
- Employees can turn on private time for off-the-clock computer use. An AI summary describes each day's work activity in text.
HiveDesk
- Automatic time tracking
- The desktop app tracks time against projects and tasks, with manual entries and notes allowed, break tracking and a web app or Chrome extension as alternatives.
- Screenshots and activity levels
- Periodic screenshots plus keyboard and mouse activity levels, which the vendor says never record what is typed. Screenshots are not available on mobile.
- Schedules, adherence and shrinkage
- Shift scheduling with overtime slots, plus reports comparing check-ins against the shift and scheduled hours against hours worked.
- Timesheets and approval
- Tracked hours roll up into weekly timesheets by project and task that managers can edit, approve and export to PDF or Excel.
- Leave and attendance
- Leave policies, time-off requests with approval, public holiday lists, attendance tracking and overtime tracking for payroll.
- Invoicing and cost tracking
- Invoices can be generated from timesheet data with custom tax rates, and hourly cost rates give labor cost per task, project and client.
Plans
DeskTime
Pro$6.42
per user / month, billed annually ($7 billed monthly)
For small teams and startups. Highlights include document title tracking, productivity calculations and calendar integrations.
Premium$9.17
per user / month, billed annually ($10 billed monthly)
For hybrid and growing teams. Highlights include screenshots, integrations and API access, and shift scheduling.
EnterpriseCustom
For organizations of 200 or more users. Everything in Premium plus custom API work on request, an account manager and employee training.
HiveDesk
HiveDesk$5
per user / month, billed monthly
The only plan: time tracking, activity monitoring, scheduling, attendance, leave, invoicing, projects, clients and reporting. Annual billing is listed at 20% less.
Ways to pay less
DeskTime
- Annual discount
Lower rate with annual billing
DeskTime lists Pro at $6.42 per user a month with annual payment against $7 monthly, and Premium at $9.17 against $10, which is about 8% less.
- By country
Lower price shown to buyers in India
On 9 October 2026 the pricing page showed Pro at ₹366.67 per user a month, billed annually, to a reader in India, or $4.58 in dollars. A copy of the page from 8 September lists Pro at $6.42.
HiveDesk
- Annual discount
20% off with annual billing
The pricing page has a Monthly or Annual toggle labeled as saving 20%; it does not show the per-user annual figure.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, DeskTime or HiveDesk?
As of Nov 13, 2026, HiveDesk is cheaper to start with: $5 a month for each person, against $6.42 a month for each person for DeskTime. DeskTime starts at $6.42 per user / month, billed annually ($7 billed monthly), and HiveDesk starts at $5 per user / month.
Which has a free plan, DeskTime or HiveDesk?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither DeskTime nor HiveDesk has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do DeskTime and HiveDesk run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only DeskTime lists an Android app and only HiveDesk lists a browser extension. Both list a web app and macOS, Windows, Linux and iOS 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.