DeskTime vs WorkTime (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, DeskTime grades higher than WorkTime: 2.6 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
DeskTime grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan 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
WorkTime
Non-invasive employee monitoring for attendance and productivity
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 WorkTime if
- Fits if you want attendance and app reports for a small team
- Works for companies that want an on-premise option
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay on Free, with 3 employees and 2 weeks of history
- Skip it if you use Linux or phones, as agents are Windows and Mac only
- Watch out: Basic and Free allow one account access
- Watch out: HIPAA-safe and GLBA-safe modes only arrive on Enterprise at $10.99
How we grade them
| 2.6GPADeskTimeGood | 2.0GPAWorkTimeFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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$6.99 per employee a month, or $69.90 a year ($5.83 a month), around the time-tracking middle of $6.67. |
| 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. | CFree plan for 3 employees with 2 weeks of history and one account access, which most teams will outgrow. |
| 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. | CAttendance, activity and reports, but unlimited accesses, Active Directory and the API are Premium. |
| 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. Agents have to be installed and reports tuned. |
| 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. | CWeb with Windows and Mac agents, an API on Premium and 3 integrations on record; no phone apps. |
| Best for | team hours tracked without timesheets | attendance and activity monitoring with a small free plan |
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 WorkTime. 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. WorkTime starts at $6.99 a month for each person and scores 2.0.
DeskTime scores higher and starts $0.57 a month lower. Of the other time tracking apps on the chart, 3 score higher than DeskTime for less, and 28 score higher than WorkTime 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
- WorkTime is self-hostable, according to its own site.
At a glance
| DeskTime | WorkTime | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $6.42 per user / month, billed annually ($7 billed monthly) | $6.99 per employee / month, billed monthly ($69.90 billed annually) |
| Free plan | None | Up to 3 employees, 2 weeks of data history, one account access and basic reports. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial, no credit card required | 14-day free trial |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Draugiem Group | NesterSoft Inc. |
| Price read from | desktime.com | worktime.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.
WorkTime
- The free plan stops at 3 employees and 2 weeks of data history.
- Only the Premium and Enterprise plans offer unlimited accesses, Active Directory and API integration.
- Basic and Free allow just one access to the account.
- Agents are listed for Windows and macOS only.
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.
WorkTime
- Attendance and overtime
- Sets attendance goals and watches weekend and out-of-hours work for unexpected overtime.
- Active and idle time
- Records active and idle computer time and login and logout events, with goals per team.
- Productivity monitoring
- Rates apps and websites as productive or not, with AI help, and tracks a distraction score.
- Screenshot alternative
- Uses screen productivity data in place of screenshots, and has an optional keystroke counter.
- Compliance modes
- Offers HIPAA-safe, GLBA-safe and GDPR-safe modes, which the vendor says avoid collecting protected data.
- Cloud or on-premise
- Runs on Windows and macOS, including terminal and Citrix servers, with cloud or on-premise hosting.
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.
WorkTime
Free$0
Monitors up to 3 employees with 2 weeks of history, summary, app and website, and log reports.
Basic$6.99
per employee / month, billed monthly ($69.90 billed annually)
Unlimited data history and active, login, app, website and internet reports; one account access.
Premium$8.99
per employee / month, billed monthly ($89.90 billed annually)
Adds unlimited accesses, Active Directory integration, API integration and personalized working hours.
Enterprise$10.99
per employee / month, billed monthly ($109.90 billed annually)
Adds HIPAA-safe and GLBA-safe modes on top of the Premium features.
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.
WorkTime
- Annual discount
Two months free with annual billing
The pricing page labels annual billing as 2 months free; the yearly figure is 10 times the monthly price.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, DeskTime or WorkTime?
As of Nov 12, 2026, DeskTime is cheaper to start with: $6.42 a month for each person, against $6.99 a month for each person for WorkTime. DeskTime starts at $6.42 per user / month, billed annually ($7 billed monthly), and WorkTime starts at $6.99 per employee / month, billed monthly ($69.90 billed annually).
Which has a free plan, DeskTime or WorkTime?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only WorkTime has a free plan. DeskTime does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do DeskTime and WorkTime run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only DeskTime lists Linux, iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app and 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.