The Best 7 Free and Open Source Employee Monitoring Software

Updated on :February 18, 2025
By :Jason Adams

The modern workspace breaks all conventional definitions as the 21 century evolves. The modern office culture intertwines remote workspaces, non-cubicle departments, and immense collaboration and communication - something like a digital web, that the old physical workspace simply cannot keep up within the modern-era. However, with increased freedom from employers, employees’ autonomy should not interfere with their productivity or the overall security of a company’s sensitive information. There must be a balance between security and privacy. This is where employee monitoring comes into the picture.  

Employee monitoring software is an all-in-one solution designed to bridge gaps in employee efficiency and ensure organizations have a birds-eye view of all activities undertaken by an employee during work hours and/or on company assets. This blog details all the free and open source employee monitoring software available for implementation by a firm, irrespective of industry, employee working model, or size. 

The features, advantages, and analysis of the workplace monitoring software enlisted in this blog can redirect both first-time and repeat buyers in the right direction. So, do not wait any longer! Get down to reading our free and open source employee monitoring software blog and make the right decision today. 

What is Employee Monitoring?

Employee monitoring is necessary for organizations - irrespective of size and scale, industry, or even turn over. It is the process by which an employer observes an employee’s work routine and scans for any irregularities in the execution of duties and related factors through online means. The employee monitoring ambit extends to the following:  

  • Check-ins on status of employee tasks,
  • Location-based data of employees, 
  • Information on the nature of the usage of company resources, 
  • Work-hours analytics and, 
  • Proprietary data usage/Sensitive information access reports
  • Keystroke logging
  • Clipboard monitoring
  • Screenshots

Various other factors also receive significant consideration, besides the points mentioned above. Proponents of employee monitoring believe that the procedure addresses several issues. First, it enables a transparent feedback loop between employer and worker. In this fashion, companies enforce protocols on attendance, performance, and administration. It also helps hone in professionalism within the leaders of tomorrow. 

Second, it helps companies prevent internal fraud by employees or hired personnel - such as system compromises, as well as data leaks and theft. Third, companies depend on data obtained from employee monitoring systems to bring about company policies - such as leaves and absenteeism, work distribution, etc.   

Almost all organizations with remote workers deploy an employee monitoring system of some kind. Infact, 70% of HR leaders rely on data from tools like employee monitoring software to gain critical insights into employee behavior and attitude. Its importance will grow as we delve into the criticality of this exercise. 

What Are The Current Trends Seen in Employee Monitoring At The Workplace?

The employee monitoring app industry underwent a technology shake-up, and it is no surprise given the extent to which improvement in employee tracking is possible. First, companies are seeing the light in terms of analytics in the HR department, resulting in people’s thriving nature as a function. Extension of people analytics includes employee monitoring system use cases too. Companies also favor real-time data in place of one-time information. It helps make quick decisions on quality and load of work on employees, their daily productivity periods, and other significant factors. It affects organizational culture, employee loyalty, and productivity. Organizations have multiple data points beyond just productivity at their fingertips - such as location, resources accessed, etc. - which makes fraud detection an ongoing process in the workplace. 

With the proliferation of remote work jobs (and freelancers), companies need easily deployable solutions, cost less, and are operationally efficient. These values have mirrored themselves as cloud-based employee tracking tools, many of which are also open source in the digital era. Employee monitoring data storage is also secure and remote, which helps companies lower costs on hardware storage. All an employee needs to do is install the client interface on their system. 

Wearable devices are also gaining momentum as an employee monitoring method. According to a recent Employer Health Care Strategy Survey, 77% organizations saw an increase in employee mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, SUD, etc. This increase in employee health issues (besides benefits) cost employers close to billions per year in the United States alone. Wearable devices now come under the ambit of employee monitoring solutions. They help companies monitor employee health, reducing health-care costs, and productivity loss. The tools also double up as location trackers, so employers know their workers’ movements exactly.

AI and automation are also rapidly catching up in the employee time tracking software industry as several tasks are efficiently streamlined and executed without human intervention.

What is an Employee Monitoring Software?

Employee monitoring software is a system that assures companies an increase in organization-wide productivity by tracking employee activity at work or working hours with company resources with accurate alerting systems. Companies can highlight and reduce unproductive activities of employees - such as personal web surfing, games - and nefarious ones, too - like information theft through a combination of real-time analytics and employee pattern insight, besides other monitoring methodologies. To this extent, employee monitoring technology also pinpoints the exact periods of productivity wherein an employee is most active. Companies may program work quality and type best suited for them.  

Employee monitoring apps are incredibly helpful when employers need to protect sensitive resources from exploitation. Access to core resources can be highlighted on employee monitoring service dashboards and the corresponding action initiated. Location tracking enables a quick assessment of user integrity, and all data access is recorded by employee monitoring software to help companies file a legal action with proof when needed. 

An employee monitoring solution is the need of the hour, especially with many roles going remote. Analysts believe that employee disengagement and attrition could cost companies between $228 million and $355 million per year in terms of productivity losses. It is up to companies to invest in the right employee monitoring software.

Why should Companies Invest in Employee Monitoring Software?

Companies should invest in employee monitoring software for the following reasons -

Remote Work Culture - With Remote Working, or Work From Home (WFH), growing in popularity, organizations must monitor employee performance to ensure completion of all projects on time, with high-quality standards. Remote employee monitoring through remote systems ensures employees stay on guard and are constantly productive. This includes recording when the employees clock in and out; keeping track of the time they spend on a website or other pages; taking screenshots at regular intervals; tracking your location; monitor emails; monitor chats and ability to view your work computer in real-time.  

Data Integrity - Preventing theft, modulation, or deletion of sensitive information is pertinent for businesses. According to a 2023 cybersecurity insider report, nearly 74% organizations are worried about insider attacks that have become much more frequent than ever, shifting the lens on employees. It is justified in having employee monitoring technology highlight who accessed the data, when, and what they did to it. 

Productivity Checks - Keystroke mapping, screenshots, web usage analytics, content filtering, blocking, etc., are some of the most critical ways employee monitoring solutions keep track of behavior and update employers on productivity gains/losses per device.  

Lower Costs - Many employee monitoring software today have free versions associated with them, while cloud-based solutions don’t require specific hardware for storing vast amounts of data. Even handling the client interface and accessible functions occur via the cloud. Therefore, the costs associated with running employee monitoring software is lower. 

Real-Time Analytics - The lifeline of several companies, analytics helps employee productivity software showcase tidbits of information that would not meet the naked eye. Organizations can focus on real-time data to make quick decisions on productivity and discipline than wait for periods to compile data and execute decisions. 

why invest in employee monitoring software

What are the Essential Features of Employee Monitoring Software?

Employee monitoring technology and its digital suite of functions are necessary for organizations to achieve organizational goals. Unsurprisingly, employee monitoring software needs to have a core set of features to distinguish it from mere employee productivity applications. Some of the essential elements of employee monitoring solutions are as follows -

Features of Employee Monitoring Tool

What are the benefits of Employee Monitoring Software?

As discussed earlier, employee tracking software has features that help control employee infractions and improve internal feedback loops. The advantages of using the entire employee tracking system are as follows -

Advantages of Employee Monitoring Software

Is there any Free and Open Source Employee Monitoring Software?

There are plenty of options available on the open software market - be it regular employee monitoring tools or remote employee monitoring software. However, free and Open Source employee monitoring software is exemplary owing to their custom set features, and easy availability for organizations operating on a strict budget. Let us take a look at some of the best free and open source employee monitoring software in the next section.    

But, before we discuss the free and open source employee monitoring platform, let us have a look at a popular tool - Tmetric.

Tmetric

Launched in 2016 as the internal productivity tool, Tmetric is a notable time tracker that fits well as an efficient employee monitoring tool for all types of businesses. In just a click, employers can get a detailed overview of the time spent by each of the employees on any given task. For precise evaluation of their productivity, the dashboard can display all the apps and sites frequently visited by the employee during any workday, in addition to spotting the idle time sessions. The app can track work time activities even while offline. Managing the team and their projects with the right time tracking reports from Tmetric can help track and improve productivity. The software is available in English, German, Portuguese, Ukrainian, Deutsch, Russian and many more languages.

tmetric ui

Source: Tmetric

Features of Tmetric Employee monitoring software:

  • Offline mode time tracking
  • Idle time detection
  • Activity summary reports
  • Facility to add/edit time manually
  • Screen activity tracking
  • Task Management
  • Multiple browser extension
  • Desktop and mobile version
  • Time-sync with other apps
  • CSV data import from multiple platforms
  • 50+ integration including Zoho SalesIQ, Asana, Hubspot, Figma, GitHub, etc.
  • Workweek and holiday settings
  • Inbuilt billing and invoicing
  • Supports macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android

Let us now move to free and open source employee tracking tools.

The Best 7 Free and Open Source Employee Monitoring Software

comparison table the best free and open source employee monitoring software

#1 eHour.nl

eHour is a free and open source employee monitoring software that helps companies track employee productivity through an on-site, web-hosted solution. The company prides itself on an easy to use interface. Once a company has installed this employee tracking software, they need to create an administrative account. Post this, they can add users into departments using unique employee codes. The process of creating projects is equally simple. Reminders and dedicated task sheets are also accessible to the administrator. Administrators can track employee performance based on the allotted date range and the nature of roles assigned - Project Manager, Manager, or Administrator. The latest version of the software is eHour 2, a cloud-deployed solution with added features, such as approval and claims processes.

ehour ui

Source - eHour

Some of the critical features of eHour are as follows:    

  • Customizable alerts and reports
  • Employee activity tracking
  • Idle time
  • Productivity enhancements
  • Screen activity monitoring
  • Task management
  • Easy-to-use timesheets with automated approvals
  • Integration with notable apps like Azure, Microsoft 365, Power BI, etc.
  • Multiple project managers for timesheet reviews
  • Intuitive dashboards with a comprehensive employee activity view
  • Time locking features

#2 Kimai

Primarily a time tracker, Kimai also doubles up as a free and open source employee monitoring software. Kimai allows a company to create timesheets and invoices within a browser. Installing the employee tracking tool happens on a PHP-enabled web server. The employee monitoring system’s signature highlights include its time tracking features and platform-independent capabilities. The latest version of the open source employee monitoring software is Kimai 2. The added advantage for users is the extensions that Kimai supports. Founded in 2006, the employee monitoring tool allows you to add any number of users/projects to the tracking system. The employee monitoring solution supports multiple languages and standard translation Xliff.

Kimai Demo

Source - Kimai

The essential features of Kimai are as follows: 

  • Alerts
  • Employee activity reports with weekly, monthly and yearly view
  • Time tracking with idle time, weekly hours, calendar, etc.
  • Productivity enhancements
  • Task management
  • Timesheet with detailed information
  • High security with LDAP and SAML logins and two-factor authentication
  • Invoicing with inbuilt templates, entry grouping options and configurable numbers
  • Supports JSON API for reading and writing data
  • Invoice creation and history
  • Bills, expense and expenditures tracking for admins
  • Industry-specific translations

#3 StaffCounter

StaffCounter is a free and fully automated employee monitoring solution, uses real-time analytics, combined with GDPR-adhering technology and task tracking tools to ensure employees stay productive, have quality work assigned to them, and investigate all incidents concerning workforce or resources. StaffCounter is available on multiple platforms - including Android, Linux, macOS and Windows - and is free for a basic version. The employer monitoring software secures all audit records and tracks all sensitive data accessed. StaffCounter employee tracking tool has remote workforce management protocols, with deployment models ranging from on-site to cloud-hosted.

StaffCorner Demo

Source - StaffCounter  

The features of StaffCounter are as follows - 

  • Rule-breaking and violations alerts
  • Employee activity monitoring
  • Idle time, pauses and breaks tracking
  • Productivity enhancements and chart
  • Screen activity tracking and screenshots
  • Task management
  • Time sheet
  • Keystroke recording
  • Location tracking
  • Real-Time audit reports with data access trail
  • Application and internet usage tracking
  • Surrounded sound recording
  • File access and upload monitoring

#4 Veyon

Veyon is a cross-platform and open source employee monitoring system to control, monitor, and access multiple computer systems through a centralized platform. Advanced screen sharing capabilities, real-time monitoring, intuitive UI, and remote support are some of the leading features of this free tool. The latest version, i.e., Veyon 4.8.3, comes with optimized code paths and improved reliability of DBus connections. Besides employee monitoring, Veyon also comes equipped with a lot of classroom management features that help educators ensure better teaching in digital learning environments, provide virtual training sessions and serve remote support for flexible and continuous learning. Addons for chat, internet access control, extra ID connector, screen recording, etc., are also available at extra costs to strengthen the system's performance.

veyon ui

Source: Veyon

The major features of Veyon are as follows;

  • Built-in LDAP/AD support with custom configurations
  • File sharing features to share documents within teams
  • Remotely power on/off/reboot computers
  • Condition-based access control rules
  • Configuration option to control clipboard synchronization
  • Inbuilt adaptive image quality control mechanisms to better meet bandwidth constraints
  • Internal configuration key cache to improve log message handling
  • Demonstration mode for screen presentations
  • Screenshot for single or all computers
  • Lock screen feature to prevent input devices and distractions

#5 LumOffice

LumOffice is a free employee monitoring software that consistently tracks a user’s activity through screenshots, application and URL visits, and other real-time data. The employee monitoring system adheres to strict data protection standards and offers immensely granular data analytics, including an employee activity level tracker and timesheets, to ensure they stay productive. The employer monitoring tool’s dashboard also enables easy sharing of data with employees for feedback and behavioral improvement planning.

LumOffice Demo

Source - LumOffice

The important features of LumOffice are as follows - 

  • Employee activity monitoring
  • Idle time tracking
  • Screen activity with custom screenshot timings
  • Timesheet
  • Application and website usage tracking
  • Real-time analytics dashboard
  • Invoicing 
  • Report sharing with graphs, Excel and pdf
  • SSL encryption for secure data access

#6 WorkTime 

WorkTime is a free employee monitoring software. The employee tracking system is HIPAA compliant and promises not to record and monitor keystrokes, chats, or documents. It instead narrows in on employee idle time, logins and logouts, and internet usage to help employers engage employees and make them better productive. WorkTime is an employee productivity tracking software that ensures it is easy on company system hardware and allows remote tracking. Privacy is vital for the company, and they advocate their ability to store all data with the latest encryption standards, either in the cloud or on-site.

WorkTime Demo

Source - WorkTime 

The main features of WorkTime are as follows - 

  • Customizable alerts
  • Employee activity and attendance monitoring
  • Active/Idle/Over time tracking
  • Productivity monitoring and enhancements
  • Screen productivity 
  • Time sheet
  • Keystroke counter
  • Location tracking
  • Remote & in-office monitoring and comparison
  • Application and internet usage monitoring
  • GDPR and HIPAA compliant
  • Burnout signs tracking

#7 WorkTrackZilla

Another leading tool in the list of open-source employee monitoring software is WorkTrackZilla which helps businesses know how their employees are working. Since 2022, the tool has been assisting remote, hybrid, and in-house teams of all sizes with flexible invoicing, team performance monitoring, cost-effectiveness tracking, efficient teamwork management, task management, and tracking, etc., through a user-friendly and easy-to-understand dashboard. Besides employee monitoring and tracking, WorkTrackZilla also features insider threat protection, automated attendance, productivity audits, in-the-moment analytics, etc., ensuring seamless and smoother workflow.

worktrackzilla ui

Source: WorkTrackZilla

The important features of WorkTrackZilla are as follows;

  • Automatic and customized screenshots
  • Employee idle time tracking
  • Automated and well-categorized timesheets
  • Real-time tracking and management
  • Application and website usage
  • Daily routine and login/out auditing
  • Computer activity reports and records
  • Multi-level access management for robust security
  • Supports multiple devices, including Windows and macOS
  • Stealth operations feature

Apart from the above mentioned best 7 free and open source employee monitoring tools, there are a few prominent employee monitoring software that offer an exquisite set of features to help employees unlock new levels of performance and productivity. They are as follows;

List of the Most Popular Employee Monitoring Software

Insightful

Since 2016, Insightful has been a leading employee monitoring software with key features for workforce analytics to track the productivity of the teams. It is trusted by 5100+ organizations for flexibly monitoring their employees using productivity-rich features such as Insights AI, website and app usage, screenshots, activity tracking, stealth mode, alerts, real time monitoring, location insights, and insider threat detection. Additionally, remote teams and businesses of all sizes can benefit from the separate login for employees and managers. The software supports effortless one-click integration with 50+ daily-use office tools, including Adobe Workfront, BambooHR, Asana, Azure DevOps, ClickUp, GitHub, etc. Besides a 7-day free trial, the premium plans of Insightful start from $6.40/user per month, billed annually.

Controlio

Launched in 2004, Controlio is another top-notch employee monitoring software that can be used by both in-house and remote teams to analyze workforce performance, automate monotonous functions, calculate productivity scores, and eliminate micro-monitoring. Notable features of this productivity tracking tool include work time logging and monitoring, performance trend analysis, technology usage, clocking & attendance, working hours breakdown, screen recording, work policies, etc., are great for enhanced workforce monitoring, tracking, and management. Controlio is ISO 27001 certified and uses SSL encryption to protect user and business data. The software  complies with AICPA SOC 2, GDPR, and HIPAA regulations. Controlio comes as both cloud and on-premise deployments. The premium versions of this tool start from $7.99/user per month, billed annually. 

Monitask

Trusted by several users, Monitask is a comprehensive cross platform employee monitoring software that comes with strong employee tracking, workforce analytics and project management capabilities to accurately observe the work process and prevent employee distractions on a real-time basis. Small to large businesses and remote teams of all sizes from education, consulting, creative agencies, software development, and eCommerce industries can use this tool to seamlessly monitor, control, and view the activities, time, and projects of their employees through a user-friendly interface. Features such as sophisticated time tracking, enhanced application and website detection, reports with actionable insights, accurate timesheets, instant notifications, and IP and VPN tracking make it unique from the competitors. It is available for a 10-day free trial, and premium plans start from $4.99/user per month, billed annually. 

Desktrack

Another performance-driven name in the list of the most-rated employee monitoring software is Desktrack that businesses can use to unlock the next level of productivity and profits. Operations executives, HR managers, Sales managers, IT managers and project managers can use this tool for better project estimations, improved employee engagement and performance and do much more. It is distinct from competitors in terms of features like time tracking, employee productivity tracking, file monitoring, screenshot tracking, automated attendance, and application & URL tracking that come with online data sync, real-time analytics, advanced monitoring, and an intuitive user interface. It is available for a 15-day free trial, after which the paid versions start from $5.99/user per month, billed annually.

Kickidler

Used by more than 5000 leading organizations from 60 countries, Kickidler is a non-intrusive employee monitoring software to track team activities and working time. For time tracking and performance management, features like working hours report, timesheet, apps and web usage report, activity history, work dynamics report, employee performance rating, etc., are available. For visual monitoring, features such as online screen monitoring, screen video recording, violation detection, keylogger, remote access, etc., are available. Apart from these, there are many more features like notifications automation and configuration, file transfer tracking, digital file prints, user behavior analytics, and geolocation that are beneficial for businesses in ensuring optimal security during remote tracking. Kickidler is available in a free version for a single user. For multiple users, the premium plans start from $2.75/user per month, billed annually.

Hubstaff

Released in 2013, Hubstaff is an all-in-one employee monitoring software to track time, evaluate performance, monitor employees, set hours goals, and do many more things from an easy-to-use, intuitive dashboard. Features such as optional screenshots, apps and website usage, mobile apps, trend analysis, device activity trackers, achievement badges, automated timesheets, 30+ integrations, etc., are great to use for remote workers, construction workers, field service professionals, freelancers, consultants, and accountants. Besides these, Hubstaff also offers online invoicing and payroll tracker, instant report generation, project management, habit tracker, workforce optimization, and many more features to ensure better workforce management and employee experience. It is available for a 14-day free trial, and the premium versions start from $4.99/user per month, billed annually. 

ActivTrak

Trusted by over 9000+ organizations, ActivTrak is an advanced employee monitoring system for productivity improvements, performance optimization, better operational visibility, accurate capacity assessment, and enhanced workforce planning. From executives and interns to managers and directors, this tool can be used to monitor the work of each and every employee irrespective of location or position. It comes equipped with features like daily work activity tracker, real-time insights, apps categorization, habit comparison, automated time tracking, flexible monitoring schedules, instant alerts, productivity dashboard, privacy-first workforce analytics and user management to help employees become more productive. For a 14-day free trial, users can avail all the premium features.

Conclusion

The global employee monitoring software industry will grow at a CAGR of 12.1 percent to become a $1.46 billion market in the upcoming years. 97% companies believe that they can improve their organizational productivity by using employee monitoring software. It gives the industry sufficient headroom to grow, especially when Work From Home (WFH) is a culture that is taking hold in the workforce, irrespective of industry. Emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and machine learning are set to play a crucial role in employee monitoring.

This figure will only grow as more employees choose to work remotely. Also, it is critical to remember that AI tools have been enabled to detect stress in employee tones, as well as their frequency of bathroom breaks through wearable devices. 

If you are looking to purchase an employee monitoring software, be sure to read our Buyer’s Guide, which will help you make the perfect decision on the features, cost, and other factors of employee monitoring tools. 

Help us with your feedback if you used any of the above-discussed employee monitoring tools, previously. 

Be sure to check out our Software Directory if you are exploring multiple, feasible software solutions for your large, medium, or small scale business.

Jason Adams
Jason Adams

Jason Adams is a writer with a keen interest to continue learning and develop his research abilities. An avid reader and an eye towards growth, he is associated with GoodFirms, a frontline, and evolving reviews and rating platform.

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