Top 5 Employee Monitoring Software

As a small business owner, you balance multiple roles, from HR to accounting, and need solutions to manage your team effectively. The right employee monitoring software can help you track time and enhance productivity, secure data, and ensure compliance with policies.

But there are so many different employee monitoring software solutions in the market, and shortlisting the best can be tricky.

That’s why we’re comparing the best employee monitoring software in the market. We’ll analyze each tool based on its key features, pros and cons, and pricing to help you make the most informed choice

Key features to look for in an employee monitoring software

When selecting employee monitoring software, it’s essential to understand the features that will bring the most value to your business:

• GPS time clock and geofencing: Enhances the accuracy of time tracking by preventing incorrect time recording and buddy punching. 
• Alerts and notifications: These built-in communication tools manage attendance and help employees adhere to their schedules by alerting them about upcoming shifts and timetable changes.
• Compliance tools: It enables proactive management, allowing you to ensure staff take necessary breaks and redistribute workloads effectively.
• Fully functional mobile app: A mobile version of the monitoring software that mirrors the desktop features enables you to manage your business on the go.
• Affordable pricing: Ensures you only pay for the features you need, keeping the software cost-effective and within your budget.

Top 5 employee monitoring software for small businesses

We’ll explore what makes each of these options stand out, helping you determine which solution aligns best with your business needs.

1. Homebase: Best all-in-one solution for small businesses

2. Hubstaff: Best for generating reports to identify trends
4. Clockify: Best for visually tracking time and logging activities

5. Veriato: Best for protecting sensitive information and data breaches

1. Homebase: Best all-in-one solution for small businesses

Homebase offers essential employee management tools for small businesses, especially designed for hourly workers. It combines time tracking, scheduling, and payroll in one platform. With free and paid plans at fixed rates, Homebase allows businesses to choose options that fit their budget and needs, making it a practical choice for efficient employee management.

Top features

• GPS time clock: Verifies employee locations during clock-in and clock-out, ensuring accurate time tracking and preventing time theft.
• Integrated scheduling and payroll: Combines shift management, time tracking, and payroll processing, simplifying administrative tasks and improving efficiency.
• Automatic compliance alerts: Offers proactive alerts for compliance issues, helping avoid legal complications and ensuring fair labor practices.
• Built-in chat tool: Enables immediate communication with employees, facilitating better coordination and quicker responses to operational needs.
• Template-based scheduling: Provides customizable schedule templates, making it easy to manage shifts and save time in planning.

Pros and Cons

Pros

👍 All-in-one solution

👍 Designed for hourly teams

👍 Free plan

👍 Beginner-friendly

👍 Easy to use

👍 Range advanced time tracking tools

👍 Built-in payroll, scheduling, and chat app

Cons

👎 Doesn’t have a location tracking system

Pricing

• Basic plan: Free for one location and up to 20 employees, offering basic scheduling and time tracking.
• Essentials plan: $20/location/month (annual) or $24.95/month (monthly), unlimited employees, includes advanced features.
• Plus plan: $48/location/month (annual) or $59.95/month (monthly), unlimited employees, adds hiring and time-off controls.
• All-in-one plan: $80/location/month (annual) or $99.95/month (monthly), unlimited employees, includes comprehensive HR tools.
• Payroll add-on: Available for any plan at $39 base fee/month + $6/employee/month.

2. Hubstaff: Best for generating reports to identify trends 

Hubstaff, primarily known for time tracking, provides a detailed view of employee performance with privacy in mind. It measures productivity through mouse and keyboard usage, offering insights into team efficiency. The software’s reports help identify project hurdles and ensure employees meet work goals, facilitating workflow improvements and training opportunities.

Top features

• Time tracking: Offers streamlined tracking of work hours on projects and tasks, with the ability to set limits and review detailed timesheets.
• Employee productivity tracking: Measures productivity based on mouse and keyboard usage, and allows managers to discard idle time​.
• Screenshots and employee monitoring: Captures customizable screenshots and monitors the apps and URLs visited during work hours​.
• Schedule and shift management: Enables creation of shift schedules and notifies about late or missed shifts, along with managing holidays and time off.

Pros and Cons

H5: Pros

👍Unlimited screenshots

👍Idle timeout on premium plans

👍Job site and geolocation features

👍Easy to schedule shifts for employees

Cons

👎Stopwatch requires a second app on the desktop

👎Reporting is basic

👎Limited hours for phone support

Pricing

Hubstaff also provides a 14-day free trial and a 30-day payback guarantee. They have the following paid plans:

• Starter ($7/user/mo): Time tracking, limited screenshots, basic reports, client invoicing, 2-day email support.
• Grow ($9/user/mo): Adds tasks, integrations, project budgets, and 1-day email support.
• Team ($12/user/mo): Includes everything in Grow, plus unlimited screenshots, advanced insights, scheduling, and chat support.
• Enterprise ($25/user/mo, annually): Offers all Team features, plus HIPAA compliance, higher API limits, and dedicated support.

3. Teramind: Best for insider threat detection

Teramind stands out for its insider threat prevention and comprehensive tracking tools. It specializes in detecting workflow inefficiencies, blocking malicious activities, and supporting compliance regulations. With features like screen recordings, email tracking, and user behavior analytics, Teramind excels in enhancing data security and preventing data loss, making it an ideal choice for companies focused on protecting sensitive information.

Top features

• User activity monitoring: Tracks activities on apps, websites, and emails, providing valuable insights into employee productivity and behavior patterns, helping to streamline workflows.
• Keystroke monitoring: Records keystrokes, offering detailed insights into employee work habits and attitudes, crucial for productivity analysis and attitude assessment.
• Remote desktop control: Enables direct control of an employee’s desktop to immediately address illegal activities, enhancing real-time security response.
• Compliance management: Features pre-built and customizable rules for global compliance regulations, simplifying compliance management and reducing the risk of penalties.

Pros and Cons

Pros

👍Intuitive UI and dashboard

👍Unique live session viewing and video recording

👍Keystroke tracking

Cons

👎In-depth monitoring features can be complicated

👎Custom behavior rules only available on most expensive plan

👎​​High learning curve

👎Requires minimum of 5 users

Pricing

• Starter (₹4623.75/month total): Basic screen recording, website/app tracking, and limited monitoring features.
• UAM (₹9251.25/month total): Advanced user monitoring, unlimited rules, OCR, and SIEM integration.
• DLP (₹10796.25/month total): Adds content-based rules and sensitive content detection to UAM features.
• Enterprise: Customized for large-scale operations with advanced security and support.

4. Clockify:  Best for visually tracking time and logging activities

Clockify streamlines employee monitoring with its time tracking and project management features. It offers managers real-time views of employee tasks, enabling efficient workload management and productivity analysis. 

Top features

• Timekeeping: Enables precise time tracking with options for manual entry and automatic monitoring, along with a calendar view for task scheduling and time management​​.
• Reporting: Offers detailed reporting on project progress and employee activities, facilitating effective management of tasks and resource allocation​​.
• Management: Provides comprehensive tools for managing team schedules, approving timesheets, tracking expenses, and generating invoices, ensuring streamlined project management and financial tracking.

Pros and Cons

Pros

👍Free plan

👍 No limits on manual tracking

Cons

👎 Charge per kiosk user, unlike many competitors

👎 Free plan has restrictions on features

Pricing

• Basic ($3.99/user/month, annually; $4.99 if monthly): Includes all Free features plus administration tools like time audit, bulk edit, project templates, and breaks.
• Standard ($5.49/user/month, annually; $6.99 if monthly): Builds on Basic with timesheeting and billing features like time off, invoicing, approval, and QuickBooks integration.
• Pro ($7.99/user/month, annually; $9.99 if monthly): Adds to Standard with profit and productivity tools like scheduling, forecasting, expenses, labor cost analysis, and GPS tracking.
• Enterprise ($11.99/user/month, annually; $14.99 if monthly): Expands on Pro with advanced control and security features like single sign-on (SSO), custom subdomain, account control, and audit log.

5.  Veriato: Best for protecting sensitive information and data breaches

Veriato is designed to enhance productivity and secure sensitive data in various work environments, including on-site, hybrid, and remote settings. Its standout feature is the use of AI-powered algorithms for detailed analysis of user behavior. This technology tracks and predicts potential security threats by alerting users to abnormal activities. Its emphasis on insider risk management makes it a valuable tool for companies prioritizing data security and efficient workforce management.

Top features

• Geolocation: Includes geolocation and geofencing for device tracking and security, particularly useful for remote workers and in case of lost or stolen devices​.
• Digital device usage tracking: Tracks all actions on work devices, monitoring file usage, website access, and communications in emails and chats, providing a complete overview of digital activity​.
• Reporting and alerts: Features intuitive and customizable reporting, enabling systematic employee tracking and alerts when activities deviate from set parameters, ensuring operational compliance​.

Pros and Cons

Pros

👍Visibility into employee activity and communication

👍Risk score dashboard detects threats

👍Measures and analyzes Employee Engagement

Cons

👎Expensive for larger teams

👎Data files take up space

Pricing

Veriato’s pricing plans require a minimum of 5 licenses:

• Vision plan: Priced at $25 per user, focusing on monitoring user activity and boosting employee productivity.
• Cerebral plan: Customized pricing based on specific requirements. Offers comprehensive features including omni-device monitoring, screen recording, advanced alerts, custom dashboards, AI-powered behavior analysis, and enterprise-level support.

How to choose the right employee monitoring app for your SMB

Selecting the perfect employee monitoring app isn’t just about tracking time; it’s about unlocking the full potential of your team. Whether you’re waving goodbye to your staff at the end of the day or welcoming them in the morning, the right tool can transform how you manage their time and productivity.

If you need precise time tracking and productivity insights, Hubstaff is an excellent choice. For businesses focused on mitigating insider risks, Teramind’s behavior analytics are invaluable. And if comprehensive monitoring with a strong emphasis on security is your priority, Veriato’s advanced features are ideal.

Your choice depends on your specific needs: whether you need detailed activity tracking, robust security features, or a comprehensive all-in-one solution. If you’re managing a retail store, restaurant, or salon, Homebase could be your go-to. 

We integrate time tracking, scheduling, payroll, and communication into one seamless platform, so you can take care of all your team management needs from shift allocation to payroll processing. Homebase also features advanced clock-in verification tools, including GPS tracking, selfie verification, and shared time kiosks, so you can keep an eye on when staff members are working, whether they’re on-site, off-site, or in and out.

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Build a better business with the right tools

If you know one thing, it’s that the quality of your tools can make or break a project. The same is true for the tools you use in your business. 

With Homebase, you get everything you need to take control of your construction business. Built for teams like yours, Homebase helps you schedule your team, track their hours, and run payroll even if you’re all on different job sites. 

Homebase is the all-in-one management app that simplifies running your construction business. Get started for free.