DeskTime vs Trackabi (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Trackabi grades higher than DeskTime: 3.2 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Trackabi grades higher on value for money and the free plan. 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.
DeskTime
Automatic time tracking and productivity monitoring for teams
Trackabi
Time tracking with activity monitoring, payroll and leave planning
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 Trackabi if
- Fits if you run a team of up to 5 and want a free tracker
- Works for teams that need desktop, web and phone timers
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you go past 5 users, 30 projects or 10 clients on the free plan
- Watch out: paid prices are for teams starting at 5 users, and the page doesn't say which billing toggle it opens on
- Watch out: activity monitoring and screenshots only come from the desktop app, not the web timer
- Tight if you need many user roles, as Starter allows only 3
How we grade them
| 2.6GPADeskTimeGood | 3.2GPATrackabiVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | AFree Starter for up to 5 users, and paid from $3.20 a user a month on yearly billing, inside the cheaper quarter of time tracking. |
| 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. | BFree Starter covers 5 users, 30 active projects and 10 clients, which a small team could live on; larger teams hit the cap. |
| 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. | BTimers, activity monitoring, leave, reports, invoices and payroll; the listing names no gap in the core job. |
| 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. Projects, roles and clients are set up first. |
| 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. | AWeb, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android, with an API and 5 integrations on record. |
| Best for | team hours tracked without timesheets | a free time tracker for a team of up to five |
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 Trackabi. 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. Trackabi starts at $3.20 a month for each person and scores 3.0.
They score the same, and Trackabi starts $3.22 a month lower. Of the other time tracking apps on the chart, 3 score higher than DeskTime for less, and none scores higher than Trackabi 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
- Trackabi also covers invoicing, payroll and time off.
At a glance
| DeskTime | Trackabi | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $6.42 per user / month, billed annually ($7 billed monthly) | $3.20 per user / month, billed annually |
| Free plan | None | Starter plan: up to 5 users, 30 active projects and 10 active clients. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial, no credit card required | 30-day trial |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Draugiem Group | Trackabi LLC |
| Price read from | desktime.com | trackabi.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
Trackabi
- The page does not say which billing toggle it opens on; $3.20 and $4 sit beside annual totals ($192 and $240 for 5 users), so they are read as annual.
- Paid prices are shown for teams starting at 5 users.
- Activity monitoring and screenshots come from the desktop app, not the web timer.
- The Starter plan is capped at 5 users and 30 active projects.
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.
Trackabi
- Desktop, web and mobile timers
- A desktop app for Windows, Mac and Linux with idle detection, a browser timer, and iOS and Android apps with GPS locations.
- Activity monitoring
- Logs apps and URLs, scores activity, separates productive and unproductive time and can capture screenshots at a set frequency.
- Leave planning
- Individual and company leave schedules, with requests that managers can approve.
- Reports, invoices and payroll
- Timesheet reports export to Excel and PDF, and the hours feed invoices, payments, wages and paystub generation.
- Project plans and expenses
- Estimate project time by task and milestone, with projected cost against actual spending.
- Trackabi AI
- Each user gets monthly AI credits for answers about their data; more credits can be bought.
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.
Trackabi
Starter$0
Up to 5 users, 30 active projects, 10 active clients and 3 user roles.
Growth$3.20
per user / month, billed annually, from 5 users
Up to 50 users, 200 active projects and 50 active clients. The page shows $16 a month for a 5-user team.
Scale$4
per user / month, billed annually, from 5 users
Unlimited users, projects and clients, and up to 100 user roles. The page shows $20 a month for 5 users.
EnterpriseCustom
Quote-based plan with unlimited roles and teams.
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.
Trackabi
- Annual discount
Save 20% with annual billing
Trackabi's pricing page says annual billing saves 20% compared with monthly billing.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, DeskTime or Trackabi?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Trackabi is cheaper to start with: $3.20 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 Trackabi starts at $3.20 per user / month, billed annually.
Which has a free plan, DeskTime or Trackabi?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Trackabi has a free plan. DeskTime does not, though it has a free trial.
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.