ActivTrak vs DeskTime
Both record automatically and both classify what they see, so the choice is not about capture — it is about who the output is for. ActivTrak is an analytics product aimed at whoever is looking across teams: benchmarks, focus time, collaboration metrics. DeskTime points at the individual and reports a productivity percentage, alongside absence and shift management.
The difference that decides it
Feature lists make these products look interchangeable. This is the axis they actually differ on.
The unit of analysis. ActivTrak is built to compare teams and quarters; DeskTime is built to report on a person and their week. Both classify applications as productive or not — but one turns that into an organisational trend line and the other into a number next to somebody's name.
At a glance
ActivTrak and DeskTime facts come from their own public pages, on the dates shown below the table.
| Dimension | ActivTrak | DeskTime | ActivityPulse |
|---|---|---|---|
| How time gets recorded | Automatically and continuously while the agent runs; there is no timer for a person to start. | Automatically from the moment the desktop app starts, and classified as it is recorded. | Automatically, from the foreground window. Nobody starts or stops a timer, so nothing is lost to forgetting. |
| What is captured by default | Application and website usage, with productivity classification applied automatically. | Automatic application and URL tracking with productivity classification applied. | Foreground app and window metadata only. Nothing more without an explicit admin change. |
| Screenshots | Optional screen captures, configurable by policy. | Available on the Premium tier and above. | Off by default. Available on higher plans and only after a compliance review. |
| Keystroke capture | Does not record keystroke content. | Does not record keystroke content. | Never records keystroke content, on any plan. |
| Productivity scoring | Central to the product: productivity scores, focus and collaboration metrics, and benchmarking across teams. | A productivity percentage per person, derived from productive versus unproductive application time. | None. Hours are attributed to projects; the product does not grade the person. |
| Tenant data isolation | Shared multi-tenant architecture. | Shared multi-tenant architecture. | A separate database per organisation, so isolation is structural. |
| Offline capture | Records activity offline and uploads when the agent reconnects. | Tracks offline time and reconciles it when the app reconnects. | Queues locally and syncs idempotently — no hour lost, none counted twice. |
| Desktop platforms | Windows, macOS and ChromeOS. | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android. | Windows and macOS. |
| Entry price (per user / month) | Free for up to 3 users, then around $10 with a seat minimum. | Around $7 on the entry paid tier. | Free up to 3 users, then $4 billed annually ($5 monthly). |
Sources: ActivTrak (checked 2026-09-05); DeskTime (checked 2026-09-05). Products change — if something here is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.
Choose ActivTrak if…
Choose ActivTrak if the deliverable is workforce analytics — measuring focus time, comparing teams, and tracking those metrics over quarters. It is the more mature analytics product of the two.
Choose DeskTime if…
Choose DeskTime if you want time tracking, absence and holiday management and shift scheduling from one vendor, and the per-person productivity percentage is a number you actually intend to use.
Choose ActivityPulse if…
Choose ActivityPulse if the classification itself is the problem. Both of these products decide, on your behalf, which applications count as work — a judgement that misreads any role whose thinking happens in a browser. ActivityPulse attributes hours to projects and leaves the interpretation to a manager who knows the context.
ActivTrak vs DeskTime — questions
Do ActivTrak and DeskTime both track automatically?
Yes. Neither has a timer for a person to start — both record continuously while the agent runs. That is also how ActivityPulse works.
Which one gives a productivity score?
Both do, in different shapes. DeskTime reports a productivity percentage per person; ActivTrak reports productivity, focus and collaboration metrics with benchmarking across teams. ActivityPulse reports none of these by design.
Is either free to start?
ActivTrak is free for up to three users, then around $10 per user with a seat minimum. DeskTime starts at around $7 on its entry paid tier. ActivityPulse is free up to three users and $4 billed annually after that.
See where the hours actually went
Free for up to three people. Windows and macOS. No keystroke content on any plan, and screenshots off unless an administrator turns them on.