EmpMonitor Review: Paid Employee Monitoring with Screenshots and Keystroke Logs
EmpMonitor is commercial, subscription-priced employee monitoring software. It captures screenshots, keystrokes, visited URLs, application use and idle time on Windows, macOS and Linux computers, and reports productivity scores to managers. The vendor claims 15,000+ companies and 500,000+ monitored employees in 100+ countries.
Despite the phrase "open source" in its own page titles, EmpMonitor is proprietary. It sells per-user plans from $3 to $6 a month and I found no public source code or open-source license for it.
The verdict
EmpMonitor sits at the surveillance end of workforce software. Its core is activity capture on company computers: Automatic Screenshots, live screencasting and recording, keystroke monitoring, URL and app tracking, and a Stealth/Un-stealth mode that controls whether the agent is visible to the employee. It is a different kind of tool from the scheduling and time clock apps it is often compared with.
Where it fits is a desk-based team, often in BPO, back-office or remote contracting, where an employer wants proof of activity and has a clear legal basis and written policy for monitoring. The price is low: the Gold band is $3 per user per month on annual billing for 51 to 200 users.
If you mainly need shift schedules, mobile clock-in or payroll-ready timesheets for hourly staff, choose Connecteam, Homebase or Deputy instead. If you want open-source software you can inspect and self-host, EmpMonitor is not it.
One practical note: EmpMonitor only sees what happens on the computers where its agent is installed. Personal phones, shop floors and field work outside Field Force Management are not covered, so it does not replace a time clock for mixed desk and non-desk teams.
Where EmpMonitor fits
Who it suits
EmpMonitor suits small and mid-sized desk-based teams, typically 10 to 200 people on Windows, macOS or Ubuntu, that want screenshot and keystroke-level visibility at a low per-user price and have a documented monitoring policy.
What it does differently
Compared with the scheduling and time clock tools in this category, EmpMonitor's difference is the depth of computer activity capture: keystrokes, live screen recording, data loss prevention and insider threat features. Connecteam, Homebase, Deputy and When I Work do not market keystroke logging or screen recording, and EmpMonitor's $3 to $4.66 per user per month on annual terms is low enough for small teams to test.
How it gets bought
The self-serve bands make it easy to trial and buy with a card. The commercial risk is legal rather than financial: employers must check local rules on keystroke logging and covert monitoring before switching on stealth mode.
EmpMonitor pricing by headcount band
EmpMonitor's pricing is unusual in that the per-user rate falls as headcount rises. Bronze covers 1-10 users at $4.66 on annual billing ($6 monthly), Silver 11-50 users at $3.83 ($5), and Gold 51-200 users at $3 ($4). Above 200 users the Diamond band is quoted.
A 30-person team on Silver pays about $1,380 a year on annual billing. Higher tiers add HRMS, shift scheduling and USB detection and blocking, so check which band includes the features you need before comparing on price alone.
| Plan | Published price | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Bronze (1-10 users) | $4.66/user/mo billed yearly, or $6 monthly | Not stated |
| Silver (11-50 users) | $3.83/user/mo billed yearly, or $5 monthly | Not stated |
| Gold (51-200 users) | $3/user/mo billed yearly, or $4 monthly | Not stated |
| Diamond (200+ users) | Custom quote | Not stated |
Pricing last checked September 25, 2026. View source
Annual versus monthly billing
Monthly billing costs roughly 29 to 33% more per user than annual across the three published bands. Use the 15-day free plan to confirm the agent runs on your machines before committing to a year.
Cloud or on-premise
EmpMonitor offers an on-premise deployment for organizations that want monitoring data on their own servers. The pricing page does not list a price for it, so request a quote if data residency matters.
Working out the real cost at your headcount
Because the band is set by total users, crossing a threshold lowers the rate for everyone. A company moving from 48 to 55 monitored users drops from Silver at $3.83 to Gold at $3, so the annual bill rises less than headcount does. Above 200 users there is no list price, so larger buyers should get the Diamond quote before rollout.
EmpMonitor features: screenshots, keystrokes and DLP
Activity and productivity monitoring
The agent records active apps and URLs, flags idle time, and calculates a productivity score per employee, shown on a real-time dashboard.
Productivity Calculation. Classifies time as productive or unproductive based on apps and sites.
Auto Email reports. Scheduled reports sent to managers.
Screenshots, screen recording and keystrokes
Automatic Screenshots and live screencasting show what is on an employee's screen, and keystroke monitoring logs typed input.
Stealth/Un-stealth mode. Controls whether the monitoring agent is visible on the employee's computer.
Alerts. Notifications when defined rules are triggered.
Security and data loss prevention
EmpMonitor markets Data Loss Prevention and Insider Threat Prevention features, and higher tiers add USB detection and blocking.
USB control. Detects and can block USB storage devices.
Insider threat. Flags risky behavior patterns on monitored machines.
Attendance and HR add-ons
Beyond monitoring, EmpMonitor lists attendance and time tracking, Face Recognition Attendance and Access Management, Field Force Management, task and project management, and, in higher tiers, HRMS and shift scheduling.
Face recognition attendance. Attendance and access tracking using face recognition.
Field force. Tracking for employees who work away from a desk.
EmpMonitor pros and cons
Strengths
Low, published per-user pricing
Prices are listed for every band up to 200 users, from $3 to $6 per user per month, with a 15-day free plan.
Deep activity capture
Screenshots, live screencasting and recording, keystroke monitoring, URL and app tracking, and idle time give a detailed record of computer use.
Cross-platform desktop agents
The agent supports Windows (including Windows Server editions), macOS 10.8 and later, and Ubuntu 16, 18 and 20.
On-premise option
Organizations that cannot store monitoring data in a vendor cloud can deploy EmpMonitor on their own servers.
Limitations
Not open source, despite the marketing
The vendor's page titles use the phrase open source, but EmpMonitor is sold as a paid subscription and I found no published source code or license. Buyers who need auditable, self-hostable code will not find it here; ActivityWatch or Kimai publish their licenses and source.
Legal exposure from keystroke logging and stealth mode
Keystroke capture and hidden monitoring are restricted in many jurisdictions. In the EU, GDPR requires a lawful basis and transparency, so stealth mode may be unusable for European employees.
Weak for hourly and frontline scheduling
EmpMonitor is built around computer activity. Shift scheduling is only in higher tiers, and it offers far less for rota planning, mobile clock-in or payroll prep than dedicated scheduling tools.
Employee trust cost
Screenshot and keystroke monitoring can damage morale and retention if introduced without consultation. That is a cost the price table does not show.
Despite its listing among open-source monitoring tools, EmpMonitor is a commercial product: seats run $3 to $4.66 per user per month on annual billing, depending on headcount band, after a 15-day free plan. It records screenshots, keystrokes, URLs and idle time, and offers both cloud and on-premise deployment.
EmpMonitor buying motion: trial, policy and rollout
EmpMonitor is bought self-serve after a free plan period, with sales involvement only above 200 users or for on-premise. The main work happens before the trial, not during a demo.
- Write and share a monitoring policy before installing the agent, because keystroke logging and screenshots without notice can breach privacy law in the EU and elsewhere.
- Install on a small pilot group of each operating system you use, since the agent's behavior on Windows, macOS and Ubuntu is what determines data quality.
- Check which pricing band includes shift scheduling, HRMS and USB blocking, because those features are not in every tier.
- Request on-premise pricing in writing if data residency matters, because it is not listed on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions about EmpMonitor
Is EmpMonitor open source?
No. Although its page titles use the phrase, EmpMonitor is commercial software sold on per-user subscriptions, and the company has not released its code under any license.
How much does EmpMonitor cost?
On annual billing: $4.66 per user per month for 1-10 users, $3.83 for 11-50 and $3 for 51-200. Monthly billing is $6, $5 and $4. Over 200 users is quoted.
Does EmpMonitor have a free trial?
Yes, a 15-day free plan with no commitment.
Can EmpMonitor run on-premise?
Yes, the vendor offers an on-premise deployment alongside its cloud service.
Which operating systems does EmpMonitor support?
Windows (including Server editions), macOS 10.8 and later, and Ubuntu 16, 18 and 20.
Is keystroke monitoring legal?
It depends on jurisdiction. Many countries require notice, a lawful basis or consent; check with counsel before enabling keystroke logging or stealth mode.
Alternatives worth comparing
Most workforce management tools focus on scheduling and time clocks rather than screen-level monitoring. These alternatives suit teams whose main need is managing hourly staff.
| Product | Pricing model | Free trial | Why buyers shortlist it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infor WFM | Custom quote | Not stated | Infor WFM handles time and attendance, demand-based scheduling and absence for large manufacturing, healthcare and retail employers. |
| Open Time Clock | Freemium, flat rate per company | Not stated | Open Time Clock is a proprietary hosted time clock, in business since 1997, with PIN kiosk, face, QR, RFID and GPS-geofenced clock-ins, WiFi-restricted punching, PTO accruals and 80+ reports. |
| Dayforce | Custom quote | Not stated | Dayforce is a single-database HCM suite covering payroll, HR, workforce management and talent for mid-market and enterprise employers. |
| Connecteam | Tiered pricing | Yes | Connecteam is a mobile app for frontline teams with scheduling, GPS time clock, checklists and chat, and it does not record screens or keystrokes. |
| When I Work | Per-user pricing | Yes | When I Work is a shift scheduling and time clock app for hourly teams, suited to employers who need rotas rather than productivity surveillance. |
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