Free Employee Monitoring Software: Features, Limitations & How to Choose

We reviewed popular free employee monitoring software, listed the features, limits of the free version, and provided selection recommendations. Free software can assist growing businesses in gathering employee activity and attendance data to refine business processes and reduce costs. 

Free employee monitoring software has some limits on the free version to entice prospective customers to purchase the premium version. Sometimes, free versions are time-restricted. 

This guide describes the limits of the free versions of employee monitoring software, when the free versions are appropriate to use, and how to properly assess the free versions for the business. 

This is a general overview of an employee monitoring process: 

Employee Device >> Activity Data >> Secure Server >> Dashboard >> Reports and Insights 

The particular data recorded is determined by the employee monitoring software and is adjustable by the organization. 

What is the Catch with Free Employee Monitoring Software? 

Different businesses utilize different marketing strategies for their "free" products. Familiarize yourself with the strategies to avoid surprises. 

Free-Forever Plans 

A true free-forever plan has no strings attached. Be wary if the plan limits the number of users, storage, or functionality. 

Free Trials 

Trial periods vary in length. Plan for the software to expire at the end of the free trial. 

Freemium Plans 

A basic level of employee monitoring is provided for free. Additional employee monitoring features are provided only with a subscription. 

Limited Free Plans 

Employee monitoring is provided for free; however, the software may restrict the number of employees monitored, the number of reports generated, the retention of monitored data, and/or integration with other software. 

Always review the details of a plan before assuming the product is free. 

What Employee Monitoring Capabilities are Provided for Free? 

The following features of employee monitoring are provided for free by various software: 

Tracking Employees' Work Hours and Workdays 

Employee Attendance and Schedule Tracking 

Tracking Employees' Use of Applications 

Tracking Employee Work and Breaks 

Employee Monitoring Software 

There are many reasons to monitor employees. For example, many employers are interested in learning more about their employees’ out-of-office behaviors. Employee monitoring software provides tools to analyze employee activity. 

There are several things an employee monitoring program can do. For example, some programs take screenshots of employees’ computer screens at specified times. 

Some employees think that not using their computer means they are not working. However, employees may not use their computer because they are in a meeting or because they are doing other work-related activities. Programs that only monitor computer and mouse activity may not be able to determine if an employee is working. 

Many employee monitoring programs provide tools to help managers with work-related issues. The programs may provide tools to track employee activity and summarize the data. 

Data Export and Device Support are examples of important considerations that are handled through the software's export and import capabilities. 

Limitations of Free Employee Monitoring Software 

Free employee monitoring software can be useful to evaluate potential alternatives, but it is important to consider the trade-offs. 

User Limits 

Some free monitoring software is only meant for use by individuals. Others limit the number of employees that can be monitored. 

Feature Limits 

Free software may limit the types and number of reports and automation rules available. 

Data Retention 

The data and/or reports may be retained for a limited time. 

Third Party Integrations 

Integrations to other business software may be unavailable. 

Customer Support 

Help documentation may be the only support provided. 

Business Growth 

A free employee monitoring software that is adequate for a small business may not work for a larger business. 

Is it Free? Should not be the only consideration. The right question is: Is it free, and does it offer the features necessary for the business? 

Evaluating Free Employee Monitoring Software 

When considering employee monitoring software, free or paid, always evaluate the features available against a standard checklist. 

This comparison is helpful to identify the capabilities of employee monitoring software with a file in a free plan. Often, permanent free plans do not exist, and potential customers are sometimes misled by free trials and other limited plans. 

Assuming All Features Are Free 

Although all featured functions of the software may be accessible for free. 

Ignoring Data Retention 

Insufficient data history may impact the generation of meaningful reports and analysis. 

Thinking That All Employee Work Activity Is Work Performance 

Not all work activities may reflect employee work output. Employees may perform work activities to achieve a certain output, but multiple other factors may contribute to achieving that output. 

Not Considering Employee Privacy 

Implementation of employee monitoring should be done after considering all legal requirements and information security practices, and with adequate employee notification. 

Which Employee Monitoring Software Companies Offer Free Plans? 

Small Businesses 

Free employee monitoring software can help owners track employee activity for a short period of time until they can justify the cost of a more robust product. 

Large Companies 

Large firms can use the free plans to experiment with employee monitoring software to see if more advanced features are warranted. 

All Businesses 

All firms can use the free plans to try out the software to monitor the work activity of remote employees. 

Teams using our free trial or plan report that our software helped them automate workflow and gain valuable insight into their teams. They also appreciate how easily our software integrates with their other tools. 

Because our software achieves these goals for our customers, we suggest that you consider your business goals first. We find that this approach takes the focus off the features of our software. 

After you've determined your monitoring goals, consider your current and anticipated business constraints. Think about the types of reports you're obligated to or want to generate, the types of devices your employees use, your employee privacy concerns and other agreements, and the types of integrations you need. 

Many of our customers also appreciate that we offer a free plan to give them the ability to monitor their employees for basic, uncomplicated tasks. For more advanced or longer monitoring, customers tell us that our paid plans provide more features and greater control. When your business is growing, and your employees are working in more complex ways, it's a good time to consider upgrading to a more robust employee monitoring solution. 

Employee Monitoring Software: Responsible Use 

Monitoring should be done for a legitimate business purpose. 

Prior notification to employees should be done for transparency regarding the purpose and nature of the monitoring. Use the right to access data, and do not provide unnecessary access to employee-monitored data. Periodically review the monitoring practice. 

Use of Employee Monitoring Software to Replace Management and Communication 

Employee monitoring practices should be used in a manner to support effective management and communication practices. 

Employee Monitoring Software: International Law and Legality 

Due to differences in employee location and the device used for work, the applicable laws may differ. It is important for a business to review and understand the applicable laws. 

Employee Monitoring Software: Most Common Questions 

Free employee monitoring software is available. Check out the offer terms to confirm if it is truly free. 

Can I monitor employees for free? 

You are usually allowed a certain number of users and features with free or trial-based monitoring solutions. 

What does free employee monitoring software do? 

These solutions can help you manage employee attendance and work hours, track application and website usage, and capture employee screen usage and activity. Some solutions also help you understand employee productivity and identify idle time. 

Does free employee monitoring software provide screenshots? 

Most solutions provide the ability to capture employee screenshots in their free versions, while others charge for this feature. 

Does free employee monitoring software provide application and web tracking? 

Most solutions charge for this feature. 

Is free employee monitoring software right for my small business? 

Yes, if you require monitoring for a limited number of employees. 

What is the difference between free employee monitoring software and a free employee monitoring software trial? 

A free employee monitoring software trial usually allows you to evaluate a paid version of the software for a limited period. 

Employee monitoring software provides a free plan that does not require a subscription. A free plan that is provided as a limited-time offer is revoked upon the expiration of the trial period. 

Is employee monitoring software legal? 

The legality of employee monitoring software depends on the location and the method of employee monitoring. It is advised that a given business evaluates its position in accordance with local workplace privacy and data protection laws. 

Final Thoughts 

Although free employee monitoring software is attractive for businesses that do not want to immediately allocate a budget for employee monitoring software, it is important to assess the product beyond the feature's 'free' plan. 

The features of comparable products should be assessed, including the number of users, monitoring features, data retention, reports, supported platforms, privacy settings, and the limits of the free plan. 

Small businesses may benefit from a free plan the most. However, as a business grows and more advanced features become necessary, the free plan should also provide a path for business growth. 

Ultimately, the goal of employee monitoring software should be to provide a reasonable and justified means for a business to assess and improve its employees' productivity and work activity. 

Written by the Staff Tracker Team 

This content was authored by the Staff Tracker team, who have lots of experience managing the workforce as well as tracking time and attendance and employing HR Technology. Staff Tracker creates practical content that speaks to businesses' pain points around optimizing workforce operations and improving productivity.