KeepActive (prev. Kickidler) KeepActive demo

KeepActive (prev. Kickidler) vs Hubstaff

Compare employee monitoring software: work hours, productivity, app usage, screen recordings and prices.

See KeepActive in actionCompare prices
Dashboard

Team dashboard

KeepActive (prev. Kickidler) images are captured from the public Live Tour; other images come from vendor documentation. Demo data shown.

The practical difference

Understand how your team spends its time

Why choose KeepActive (prev. Kickidler)

KeepActive (prev. Kickidler) analyzes work hours, productivity, and app and website use. Time Tracking includes screenshots and project costs; Employee Monitoring adds live screens and recordings. You provide and manage the server.

Where Hubstaff fits

Hubstaff combines project timers, contractor payments and job-site tracking. Budget controls start in Grow; payments in Team. Location-based timers need Locations or Enterprise.

Price comparison · USD

Compare prices and plans

USD per month with annual billing. Annual totals appear below. Plans include different features.

Eligible small teams: Hubstaff also has a $12/month organization bundle for up to 4 members, billed annually.

Time Tracking

Time, productivity and app reports, screenshots, activity alerts, and project time and costs.

≈$ 4.2

$ 50 per computer / year

per computer / monthbilled annually

$ 7 when paid monthly

Starts at 1 computer

Employee Monitoring

Time Tracking plus live screens, recordings, keystroke history and remote control.

$ 5.5

$ 66 per computer / year

per computer / monthbilled annually

$ 10 when paid monthly

Starts at 1 computer

Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

Separate security product: detect sensitive files, block transfers and review data risks.

$ 8.25

$ 99 per computer / year

per computer / monthbilled annually

$ 15 when paid monthly

Separate DLP product · rate for 1–99 computers

—
—

One license per monitored computer. You provide the server, recording storage and IT maintenance. For 50+ computers, request Time Tracking or Employee Monitoring volume pricing. Data Loss Prevention rates cover 1–99 computers; request a quote for 100+.

Starter

Track project hours, activity and periodic screenshots.

$4.99

$59.88per seat / year

per seat / monthbilled annually

$7 when paid monthly

Minimum 2 seats · $119.76 / year

Grow

Add project budgets, expenses, Tasks and one integration.

$7.50

$90per seat / year

per seat / monthbilled annually

$9 when paid monthly

Minimum 2 seats · $180 / year

Team

Connect approved time with payroll, schedules and attendance.

$10

$120per seat / year

per seat / monthbilled annually

$12 when paid monthly

Minimum 2 seats · $240 / year

Enterprise

Add enterprise access controls, provisioning and included tracking add-ons.

$25

$300per seat / year

per seat / monthbilled annually

Minimum 2 seats · $600 / year

Small Business Essentials

An annual organization package for eligible new small teams.

$12

$144per organization / year

per organization / monthbilled annually

One organization · up to 4 members, including one owner

Standard paid plans have a 2-seat minimum; owners and managers count as paid seats.

Annual cost calculated from the published rate × 12.

KeepActive (prev. Kickidler)

Other license terms · USD per computer
Term Time Tracking Employee Monitoring DLP
3 months 20 25 38
6 months 30 40 60
3 years 100 132 198
No-expiry license 126 168 252

Totals for the full term, per computer. Data Loss Prevention: 1–99 computers. The no-expiry license offer ends 31 October 2026; confirm support and update terms.

  • Air-gapped operation (without internet) and private-cloud hosting are quoted separately.
  • Volume rates are available for Time Tracking and Employee Monitoring from 50 licenses; DLP has quantity tiers.

Optional installation service

Get help with the installation.

Our specialists install KeepActive (prev. Kickidler) on your server and employee computers.

$ 20 / server
+ $ 5 / employee computer

Optional one-time service

Request setup

Hubstaff

Insights $2.5 / seat / month with annual billing; $3 billed monthly
$30 / seat / year at the displayed annual rate
Paid on Grow/Team; included in Enterprise. Team has a three-month trial that converts to paid unless removed.
Tasks $2.5 / seat / month with annual billing; $3 billed monthly
$30 / seat / year at the displayed annual rate
Paid on Starter; included in Grow/Team/Enterprise. Essentials cannot add it.
More Screenshots $2.5 / seat / month with annual billing; $3 billed monthly
$30 / seat / year at the displayed annual rate
Up to 10 captures per 10 minutes; removes screenshot quantity limits. Priced separately on the current plan table.
Data Retention $1.67 / seat / month with annual billing; $2 billed monthly
About $20 / seat / year from the rounded annual rate; $24 across 12 monthly payments
Paid add-on; extensions differ by data type.
Locations $3.33 / seat / month with annual billing; $4 billed monthly
About $40 / seat / year from the rounded annual rate; $48 across 12 monthly payments
Paid on Team; included in Enterprise.
Silent App $2.5 / seat / month with annual billing; $3 billed monthly
$30 / seat / year at the displayed annual rate
Paid on Team; included with Enterprise.
  • Add-on prices shown are starting rates.

How the products compare

Projects, billing and payments

Project budget limits

KeepActive (prev. Kickidler)

KeepActive (prev. Kickidler) Project Tracking manages projects, tasks, work boards and schedules, and tracks salary-based costs, revenue and profit. Included with Time Tracking and Employee Monitoring.

Hubstaff

Hubstaff project budgets can use hours or costs, notify at a chosen threshold and stop timers at the limit. Budgets can reset weekly, monthly or never.

Paying contractors

KeepActive (prev. Kickidler)

KeepActive (prev. Kickidler) Project Tracking records labor costs and financial results. Its published payment-provider integration is planned, so project costing does not itself transfer money.

Hubstaff

Hubstaff connects a payment account, applies rates and runs manual or scheduled payouts from reviewed time. A default two-day approval buffer gives the organization time to review before payment.

Job-site tracking or computer activity

KeepActive (prev. Kickidler)

KeepActive (prev. Kickidler)’s documented workflow monitors computer activity and supports project timers or end-of-day reporting. It suits work performed on monitored desktops.

Hubstaff

Hubstaff’s iOS/Android geofences can start time on arrival, stop it on departure or send reminders. Sites are assigned to projects and tracking can be limited to the site radius.

Feature comparison

Features and included plans

Time Tracking covers time and productivity analysis. Employee Monitoring adds live screens and recordings. Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is a separate product for protecting sensitive data.

Capability
Live monitoring
Live employee screen views YesEmployee MonitoringLive employee screens. The web overview also shows status, current apps and on-demand screenshots. NoMonitoring uses periodic screenshots.
Recorded screen playback YesEmployee MonitoringRecord screens on a schedule; configure capture frequency and storage duration. Play several monitors together. NoMonitoring uses periodic screenshots.
Screenshot capture YesTime Tracking / Employee MonitoringScheduled and on-demand screenshots. Capture can be disabled for selected employees. YesStarter / Grow / Team / EnterpriseDesktop screenshots: Starter 500 and Grow 1,500 per seat/month; Team and Enterprise unlimited. Eligible Essentials includes unlimited.
Export recorded screen activity YesEmployee Monitoring · WebM exportSelect a recorded time range and export a WebM video file. Detail depends on the capture frequency. NoDate-range screenshot downloads are available.
Remote keyboard and mouse control YesEmployee MonitoringControl an employee computer’s keyboard and mouse remotely. No
Keystroke logging YesEmployee MonitoringReview typed keys alongside screen recordings; access and text export follow permissions. NoMeasures seconds with keyboard/mouse activity without storing individual keys or click destinations.
Time & productivity
Work-time tracking YesTime Tracking / Employee MonitoringTrack work hours and attendance. Add approved time for meetings or other work away from the computer. YesStarter / Grow / Team / EnterpriseTimer tracking across plans; scheduled automatic start/stop on Team/Enterprise. Silent App enables background tracking on managed devices.
Application usage YesTime Tracking / Employee MonitoringSee time and sustained focus by app. Compare employees and periods to find time-consuming tools. YesStarter / Grow / Team / EnterpriseDesktop app usage is supported. Starter and Grow have monthly quotas; Team/Enterprise are unlimited. Capture must be enabled and is not provided by the browser extension.
Website usage reports YesTime Tracking / Employee MonitoringSee time spent on websites, categories and AI services. Usage does not measure output quality. YesStarter / Grow / Team / EnterpriseDesktop URL usage is supported for listed browsers. Starter/Grow quotas apply. Browser permissions and supported-browser restrictions affect capture.
Productivity reports YesTime Tracking / Employee MonitoringCompare productive, neutral, unproductive and idle time by person or team. Categories can match each role; activity does not measure work quality. YesGrow / Team + Insights; EnterpriseInsights adds app/website productivity classification and scores. Entry plans have basic time/activity reports.
Employee self-monitoring YesTime Tracking / Employee MonitoringEmployees can see their statistics, submit offline work and pause tracking when enabled. YesPersonal DashboardUsers can view their own dashboard, timesheets and reports within plan and role permissions.
Manager email notifications YesTime Tracking / Employee MonitoringConnect your company email server to send notifications. YesGrow / Team + Insights; EnterpriseInsights provides configurable email/Slack alerts; Team also supports schedule alerts.
Data protection
Sensitive-content detection YesDLPThe separate Data Loss Prevention product detects sensitive content in files and screenshots and applies configured rules. No
Clipboard monitoring and restriction YesDLPThe separate Data Loss Prevention product records copied text, files and images and can restrict copying. No
Deployment
Deployment on your own server YesTime Tracking / Employee Monitoring / DLPRuns on your server with no separate server license. You provide storage and administration. YesEnterpriseOn-premises / self-hosted option advertised for Enterprise.
Custom software integrations YesCustom integrationsAn API lets your developer connect other systems. Ready-made payroll connections are not included. YesTeam / EnterpriseThe API guide includes Team and higher plans.
Workflow differences
Scheduled contractor payouts through payment providers NoProject Tracking calculates project finances; direct Payoneer/payment-provider integration is listed as planned. YesTeam / EnterpriseConnect a payment provider, set rates, approve hours and schedule payouts. Provider fees are separate.
Mobile GPS and geofenced job-site timers NoDLP device geolocation serves security monitoring. Mobile job-site clock-in/out is a different workflow. YesTeam + Locations / EnterpriseLocations can start or stop timers, or remind staff to use them at job sites; included in Enterprise.

How the products compare

Screenshots and recordings

Screenshots or recorded playback

KeepActive (prev. Kickidler)

KeepActive (prev. Kickidler) Employee Monitoring records screen history, supports simultaneous multi-monitor playback and exports WebM from the desktop review app. Capture frequency is configurable.

Hubstaff

Hubstaff normally takes up to three random screenshots per ten minutes across active monitors. The More screenshots add-on raises this to ten; these remain still images.

Activity levels and focus time

KeepActive (prev. Kickidler)

KeepActive (prev. Kickidler) combines productivity categories, software-use breakdowns, focus periods and insights. Anomaly events flag possible mouse-jiggler activity; activity history and Employee Monitoring recordings help verify the context.

Hubstaff

Hubstaff’s core activity percentage measures seconds with keyboard or mouse input. Insights adds classified app/website time and focus periods of at least 30 minutes on one project or task.

Storage periods for each type of data

KeepActive (prev. Kickidler)

KeepActive (prev. Kickidler) allows separate retention settings for reports, screenshots and Employee Monitoring video on customer storage. Its defaults are one year, three months and one month respectively, and can be changed.

Hubstaff

Hubstaff screenshot and detailed-activity history is one month in Starter, three in Grow and six in Team/Enterprise. App/URL detail normally lasts one month; the retention add-on extends that to one year.

Deployment & support

Computers, hosting and support

Check supported computers, who manages the server, and installation support.

Requirement
Operating systems
Windows KeepActive (prev. Kickidler)YesDesktop and Windows Server agents. HubstaffYesNative Windows agent; non-Apple ARM devices are unsupported.
macOS KeepActive (prev. Kickidler)YesIntel and Apple silicon Macs. HubstaffYesNative macOS agent; permissions required for screenshots, apps and URLs.
Linux desktop agent KeepActive (prev. Kickidler)YesNative agent for supported GNU/Linux distributions. HubstaffYesNative Linux agent; Xorg and limited GNOME Wayland support.
Wayland desktop support KeepActive (prev. Kickidler)YesFull monitoring support on Linux desktops using Wayland. HubstaffYesGNOME only. Screenshot support has version limits; Xorg is the fallback.
Where your data lives
Vendor-hosted cloud KeepActive (prev. Kickidler)NoThe standard product runs on your server. Ask who hosts and manages a private-cloud installation. HubstaffYesHosted web console; screenshots use cloud storage.
On-premises / self-hosted KeepActive (prev. Kickidler)YesYour own server. Private-cloud and air-gapped options are available on request. HubstaffYesAdvertised Enterprise option, offered through sales.
Air-gapped operation KeepActive (prev. Kickidler)YesAir-gapped version works without internet access; quoted separately. HubstaffNoOffline tracking synchronizes after reconnection; no isolated deployment offering.
Getting started and staying supported
Assisted installation & setup KeepActive (prev. Kickidler)YesConcierge Setup: $ 20 per server + $ 5 per employee computer. Optional, one-time. HubstaffYesConcierge setup and an assigned account representative included with Enterprise.
Mass deployment KeepActive (prev. Kickidler)YesIT can install the Windows software centrally using device-management tools. HubstaffYesEnterprise: managed Windows, macOS and Linux rollout via installers and MDM.
Training & technical support KeepActive (prev. Kickidler)YesTechnical support and updates with paid licenses; user guides and help center. HubstaffYesLearning resources and tiered support. Live chat from Team; VIP phone with Enterprise. Paid VIP upgrades available.

How the products compare

Team costs and setup

Special pricing for small teams

KeepActive (prev. Kickidler)

For four computers, KeepActive (prev. Kickidler) Time Tracking costs $200/year with workforce analytics, anomaly alerts and included Project Tracking. Employee Monitoring costs $264/year and adds screen streams, recording and remote access.

Hubstaff

Hubstaff’s qualifying Small Business Essentials offer is $144/year for three paid seats and one included owner. Ordinary paid plans bill owners and managers and have a two-seat minimum.

Scheduled and background tracking

KeepActive (prev. Kickidler)

KeepActive (prev. Kickidler) computer collection follows centrally configured schedules and policies. Employees can be allowed to pause, while Project Tracking separately supports start/stop timers or end-of-day reporting.

Hubstaff

Hubstaff’s normal timer can follow shifts or schedules only when the app is running and automatic start/stop is allowed. Silent App supplies background tracking on managed company devices.

Linux support and hosting

KeepActive (prev. Kickidler)

KeepActive (prev. Kickidler) supports the full Wayland feature set and customer-operated infrastructure, including an air-gapped option. The server has no separate license charge.

Hubstaff

Hubstaff documents GNOME-specific Wayland support and screenshot workarounds, with Xorg as a fallback. It also advertises Enterprise self-hosting, with scope set through its Enterprise offer.

Customer reviews

How customers rate the products.

G2 customer ratings · 20 October 2026

G2
4.4/ 5

2331 reviews on G2

“that they have smart reports that allow me to oversee our teams performance”

Michelle R. · HR Coordinator

14 Aug 2026 · Incentivized · G2 invite on behalf of seller

Read reviews on G2

Hubstaff · In customers’ words

What the reviews add to the comparison.

Individual experiences from G2: what customers value and where they report friction.

Read 4 more Hubstaff customer experiences

Wayne W. · HR and Talent Development Director

Wayne uses Hubstaff to verify hours across time zones. He values payroll clarity and fewer disputes, but says extracting a specific report can require additional effort.

2026-10-12 · Incentivized · G2 invite on behalf of seller

Read on G2

Holly P. · International Coordinator

Holly describes clearer visibility into time spent on client projects during a move to hybrid work. Categorizing that time helped her team understand work allocation and maintain transparency around client activity.

2026-09-08 · Incentivized · G2 invite on behalf of seller

Read on G2

Faye D. · AI Trainer and Editor

Faye appreciates viewing hours in different time zones and handling contractor invoicing. She also raises concerns about navigation, earnings visibility and screenshot privacy from the individual contributor’s perspective.

2026-09-08 · Organic

Read on G2

Amro A. · Customer Support

Amro values project visibility and activity reports. He mentions occasional synchronization friction and time spent tailoring reports, alongside better planning and accountability.

2026-06-17 · Incentivized · G2 invite on behalf of seller

Read on G2

Who it’s for

Which product fits your team?

Choose KeepActive (prev. Kickidler) for

  • Managers comparing work time, productivity and app use across teams.
  • Teams checking possible simulated activity against reports and screen recordings.
  • Businesses with IT support for their own server that want lower license costs.

Hubstaff is geared towards

  • Distributed teams tracking time against projects and budgets.
  • Businesses connecting work hours to payment workflows.
  • Field teams that need mobile GPS alongside time tracking.

Your questions, answered

The details that matter before you choose.

Can Hubstaff send contractor payments?

Yes. Team and Enterprise connect to payment providers for manual or scheduled payouts based on tracked time and rates. The approval buffer and provider charges are separate parts of that workflow.

Does Hubstaff provide screen-video playback?

Its documented capture workflow uses screenshots: normally up to three random captures per ten minutes, or ten with the More screenshots add-on. KeepActive (prev. Kickidler) Employee Monitoring supplies recorded screen playback and WebM export.

How does KeepActive (prev. Kickidler) help detect simulated activity?

KeepActive (prev. Kickidler) flags possible simulated keyboard or mouse activity, including mouse jigglers. Managers can check alerts against time reports, app history and screen recordings. An alert calls for review; it does not prove misconduct.

See how your team works. Understand what to improve.

Explore KeepActive (prev. Kickidler) analytics, insights and activity history, then see how Employee Monitoring adds visual evidence. Choose the toolkit that fits your team and budget.

See KeepActive in action

Checked: 20 October 2026

Sources

Checked against official vendor documentation and pricing on 20 October 2026. KeepActive (prev. Kickidler)’s newly released full Wayland support is confirmed by the product team. Yes means the capability is available in the named plan or module; No means unavailable; Not documented means the reviewed sources do not confirm availability. Capture modes, operating systems and deployment can change the documented scope.

Each price column states its currency and license unit. Every numeric plan shows its full annual license cost alongside its monthly equivalent. Where the vendor publishes only a monthly equivalent, the annual amount is calculated and identified accordingly. Hosting, implementation, taxes and optional modules are separate unless named. KeepActive (prev. Kickidler) DLP is separate from Time Tracking and Employee Monitoring.

Reviews are attributed customer opinions from G2. Ratings are a dated snapshot. Product screenshots come from official vendor materials and show their original interface.

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