An ActivTrak alternative that starts from hours, not screens
ActivTrak is workforce analytics software: an agent records application and website activity on every plan, and turns it into productivity and focus reports, with screenshots available as an add-on. Tickin is an employee productivity tool that starts from the work record instead: hours worked against target, late starts, breaks and overtime, read in Slack. Monitoring exists in Tickin too, but it is optional, opt-in and off until an admin switches it on.
In short
Choose ActivTrak if you want detailed activity analytics across applications and websites for the whole team. Choose Tickin if you want productivity insights from attendance and hours in Slack, with leave and payroll alongside, and monitoring only if you deliberately turn it on.
| Tickin | ActivTrak | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Teams that want productivity from the work record, in Slack | Organisations that want activity analytics across apps and websites |
| What it measures by default | Clock-in hours, attendance, breaks, overtime | Application and website activity, on every plan |
| Screenshots | Only with the Desktop App add-on, after an admin turns monitoring on | Available as an add-on |
| Keystroke content | Never recorded | Check ActivTrak's site |
| Employees see their own data | Yes, always | Check ActivTrak's site |
| Slack and Microsoft Teams | Clock in, leave, approvals and team reports in Slack; Teams on Scale | Alarm notifications via webhooks |
| Attendance, leave, payroll | Built in (payroll on Growth) | Not included |
| Free plan | Free for up to 10 employees | Free for up to 3 people, 30 days of history |
| Paid pricing | Starter $2, Growth $3, Scale $6 per employee a month; Desktop add-on $3 per seat | From $10 per user a month, annual billing only |
What ActivTrak is great at
ActivTrak is built for activity analytics. Its agent captures which applications and websites people use and turns that into productivity, focus and workload reports across a team, on every plan, including a free plan for up to 3 people. Screenshots are available as an add-on, and Slack or Microsoft Teams can receive alarm notifications through webhooks.
Where Tickin is different
Tickin answers a different first question: did the agreed work happen? People clock in from Slack, the browser or the desktop app (Microsoft Teams on the Scale plan), and Tickin turns that into hours against target, late starts, breaks and overtime. Managers can ask Slack who is working right now or subscribe a channel to a daily, weekly or monthly report. The same record holds leave and, on Growth, payroll.
Monitoring, if you choose it
Tickin can record the active application, the website domain and periodic screenshots through its Desktop App add-on ($3 per seat a month on any paid plan). It is off until an admin switches it on, so buying the add-on does not start it. It never records keystroke content, breaks, idle time or admins, and every employee sees their own record. ActivTrak records application and website activity from the start; it is its core purpose.
Which should you choose
If you need organisation-wide activity analytics, ActivTrak is purpose-built for it. If you want productivity insights your team will accept, built from attendance and hours inside Slack, with monitoring available but off unless you choose it, Tickin is the lighter, more trust-friendly option.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Tickin a good ActivTrak alternative?
- Yes, if you want productivity insights from hours and attendance rather than activity tracking by default. If you need detailed app and website analytics for everyone, ActivTrak is built for that.
- Does Tickin track apps and websites?
- Only with the optional Desktop App add-on, and only after an admin turns monitoring on. By default Tickin records clock-in hours, attendance, breaks and overtime.
- Can employees see their own data in Tickin?
- Yes. Every employee sees their own hours, attendance and leave, and their own monitoring record if monitoring is on.
- How does pricing compare?
- Tickin is free for up to 10 employees, then from $2 per employee a month; the Desktop add-on is $3 per seat. ActivTrak is free for up to 3 people and paid plans start at $10 per user a month, billed annually.
Competitor capabilities and pricing change often. ActivTrak details on this page come from ActivTrak's own pricing, feature and help pages as of October 2026; Tickin details reflect Tickin's shipped features. It is not an exhaustive feature audit, so please check each product's own website for current details.