The DeskTime Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about DeskTime in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
DeskTime
The Insider’s Guide
Automatic time tracking and productivity monitoring for teams
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among time tracking apps, read from DeskTime’s own pages.
Made by Draugiem Group · checked Oct 9, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from DeskTime’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on DeskTime’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 19 of the 42 other time tracking apps we grade
DeskTime is an automatic time tracker and employee monitoring tool for on-site, remote and hybrid teams. Its desktop app records working time, apps, websites and document titles without timers, and turns the data into productivity figures, reports and AI-written daily summaries. Higher plans add screenshots, integrations, an API and shift scheduling, and employees can switch on private time when they use the computer off the clock.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about DeskTime, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for team hours tracked without timesheets
DeskTime is a time tracker for managers: its desktop app records hours, apps, websites and document titles by itself and turns them into productivity figures and reports, from $6.42 a user.
- 2
Paid plans start at $6.42 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $6.42 per user / month, billed annually ($7 billed monthly).
- 3
You can try it first
14-day free trial, no credit card required
- 4
It runs on 6 platforms
Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
Screenshots
Screenshots of employees' screens can be captured as proof of work. The pricing page lists them as a Premium feature.
- 8
A 2.6 GPA, above 19 of 42
That is against the other time tracking apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
The plain part of DeskTime you could make: time tracking and reports. What surrounds it you could not. The 5 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
DeskTime at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $6.42 per user / month, billed annually ($7 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial, no credit card required
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Draugiem Group, since 2011
- Category
- Time Tracking
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for team hours tracked without timesheets
DeskTime is a time tracker for managers: its desktop app records hours, apps, websites and document titles by itself and turns them into productivity figures and reports, from $6.42 a user. There's no free plan after the 14-day trial, screenshots, integrations, the API and shift scheduling sit on Premium at $9.17, the phone app is only a companion, and there's no invoicing.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Pro 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. |
| Free plan and trial | C | No free plan. You get a 14-day trial and it asks for no credit card, but after that it's a subscription or nothing. |
| Features | B | It 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. |
| Ease of use | C | No 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. |
| Platforms and integrations | A | Windows, 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. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who DeskTime is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Employers who want hours and productivity recorded automatically
- Hybrid teams that need to see who is working from the office or remotely
- Shift-based teams that need scheduling and an absence calendar
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$6.42
A month to start, for each person
DeskTime is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $6.42 per user / month, billed annually ($7 billed monthly).
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.
Enterprise
Custom
For organizations of 200 or more users. Everything in Premium plus custom API work on request, an account manager and employee training.
Trying it first
14-day free trial, no credit card required
Read from desktime.com on Oct 9, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on desktime.comBy 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.
Stated on desktime.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
6
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android
Automatic time tracking and productivity monitoring for teams. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, time tracking, reports.
It tracks hours, apps, sites and document titles with no timer, works out a productivity figure per person, and takes screenshots.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Jira
- Asana
- Trello
- GitLab
- Google Calendar
- Outlook
- Zapier
DeskTime is made by Draugiem Group, and has been around since 2011.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
19/42
Other time tracking apps it is graded above
DeskTime's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 19 of the 42 other time tracking apps we grade, and level with 8.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (A, above 24 of 42) and worst on free plan and trial (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $6.42 a month for each person, against a middle price of $6.55 for the category: 17 of the 35 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. 3 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 43 time tracking apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. DeskTime’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 8 of 42
- CFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 42
- BFeaturesAbove 22 of 42
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 42
- APlatforms and integrationsAbove 24 of 42
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 39 time tracking apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. DeskTime is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
The plain part of DeskTime you could make: time tracking and reports. What surrounds it you could not. The 5 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
It costs $77.04 a year.
What you could make
- Time tracking and reports: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- It plugs into other products, Jira, Asana and Trello among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. DeskTime’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Hubstaff, Time Doctor, TimeCamp, WebWork and Apploye
The 5 tools DeskTime is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
Hubstaff
Free trial · from $4.99/mo
Time tracking with screenshots, activity levels and payroll.
- Only Hubstaff lists a browser extension.
- Hubstaff also covers tasks and invoicing.
- 2.4GPA
Time Doctor
Free trial · from $6.67/mo
Employee time tracking and workforce analytics for remote teams.
- Only Time Doctor lists a browser extension.
- 3.2GPA
TimeCamp
Free plan · from $3.99/mo
Time tracking with attendance, billing and a free plan for any team.
- TimeCamp has a free plan. DeskTime does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only TimeCamp lists a browser extension.
- TimeCamp is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 2.8GPA
WebWork
Free trial · from $3.99/mo
Time tracking with screenshots, payroll and an AI assistant.
- Only WebWork lists a browser extension.
- WebWork also covers tasks, team chat and invoicing.
- 2.6GPA
Apploye
Free plan · from $4.50/mo
Time tracking and employee monitoring with a free 10-user plan.
- Apploye has a free plan. DeskTime does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Apploye lists a browser extension.
- Apploye also covers tasks, Pomodoro timer and invoicing.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is DeskTime free?
No, DeskTime is a paid product, but you can try it first. 14-day free trial, no credit card required.
How much does DeskTime cost?
DeskTime lists 3 plans. Pro: $6.42 per user / month, billed annually ($7 billed monthly).
What platforms does DeskTime work on?
DeskTime is available on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
Does DeskTime offer any discounts?
DeskTime publicly lists the following: Lower rate with annual billing; Lower price shown to buyers in India.
Is DeskTime open source?
DeskTime is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 9, 2026.
Does DeskTime have an API?
Yes. DeskTime offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does DeskTime integrate with?
DeskTime's listing names Jira, Asana, Trello, GitLab, Google Calendar, Outlook and Zapier.
Who makes DeskTime?
DeskTime is made by Draugiem Group. It dates from 2011.
What are the alternatives to DeskTime?
The closest alternatives to DeskTime in our directory are Hubstaff, Time Doctor, TimeCamp, WebWork and Apploye.
How does DeskTime compare with other time tracking apps?
DeskTime's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 19 of the 42 other time tracking apps we grade, and level with 8.
Is DeskTime good value for money?
ToolGPA grades DeskTime C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $6.42 a month for each person, against a middle price of $6.55 for the category: 17 of the 35 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of DeskTime?
The plain part of DeskTime you could make: time tracking and reports. What surrounds it you could not.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from DeskTime’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from DeskTime's own pages on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-03-12.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Draugiem Group. Prices change, so check desktime.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- DeskTime, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/desktime
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "DeskTime: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/desktime
Know someone choosing between time tracking apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/desktime/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded time tracking apps after DeskTime, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Time Tracking Insider's GuideEvery one of the 43 time tracking apps we grade, compared
- Jibble Insider's GuideFree time clock and attendance tracker with GPS and face recognition3.4 GPA
- Clockify Insider's GuideTeam time tracker and timesheets with a free plan for 5 users3.2 GPA
- TimeCamp Insider's GuideTime tracking with attendance, billing and a free plan for any team3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what DeskTime’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. DeskTime is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Draugiem Group. Prices and plans change: check desktime.com before you buy.