Teramind vs. ActivTrak: A 2022 Employee Monitoring Software Comparison

Can’t decide between Teramind or ActivTrak as your employee activity monitoring tool? 

At Intelligent Technical Solutions (ITS), we have years of experience managing our clients’ tech tools and providing expert guidance on choosing which ones fit unique business needs. 

In this article, we listed the pros and cons between Teramind and ActivTrak, including their unique features, so that you can make an informed decision. 

Pros and Cons of Teramind 

Source: Teramind

Teramind is an employee monitoring tool known for its security threat protection. It works best for businesses that want to ensure employee compliance and government regulations compliance when it comes to data security. Available on cloud, on-premise, AWS, and Azure, this tool displays employees’ screens in real time. It also shows online and offline searches and blocks access to harmful content. 

Pros 

• Customizable monitoring and reporting 
• User-friendly dashboard  
• Added security settings 

1. Customizable monitoring and reporting

Teramind provides employers with different monitoring options, including: 

• Website and application access 
• Email and instant messaging visibility 
• File transfer monitoring, including printing and hardware transfer 
• Keystroke recording, including special characters 

It also offers business owners an option to have the application visible or not to employees. 

2. User-friendly dashboard

Teramind’s user-friendly interface and organized layout allow employers and managers to become familiar with the features quickly. The central dashboard and widgets provide a customizable overview of the captured data; managers can choose to view only the information they need. 

3. Added security settings

Using real-time access to user activities, alerts, and user lock-outs, Teramind reduces security incidents.  If an employee engages in suspicious activity, such as leaking company secrets or copying unauthorized files, you’ll know about it. Also, you can manually override their account and ensure you contain the activity with Teramind’s remote desktop control. 

Cons 

• Lack of OS compatibility 
• Relatively high cost 

1. Lack of OS compatibility

Even though Teramind has extensive features, it’s only compatible with Windows and Mac. It also offers Android and iOS support but with limited features. Businesses with Linux and Chrome OS as their operating system will need to use another employee monitoring application. 

2. Relatively high cost

Compared to other employee monitoring applications that offer free services, Teramind only provides a 7-day and a 14-day trial for its cloud and on-premise plans, respectively. However, Teramind gives different offerings that can fit your budget and needs, starting at $10 per user per month.   

Pros and Cons of ActivTrak  

While Teramind focuses on data security, ActivTrak primarily focuses on increasing employee productivity. This tool offers data insights to improve employee performance, increase operational efficiency, and track sensitive internal information. It has all the necessary monitoring features for small to medium businesses (SMBs). 

Pros 

• Free with flexible paid plans 
• Employee-friendly monitoring 
• Better OS compatibility 

1. Free with flexible paid plans

Unlike Teramind and other employee activity monitoring tools, ActivTrak has a free plan with limited features for up to three users. This free plan is well-suited for businesses or teams with a small workforce. 

If you plan to expand its coverage, you can subscribe to ActivTrak’s Advanced, Premium, and Enterprise plans for more user access, add-ons, and other features, starting at $10 per user per month. 

2. Employee-friendly monitoring

ActivTrak provides only the necessary tools for employee activity monitoring, including application and productivity monitoring, web content filtering, workforce insight, alerts, and reporting. Compared to other products, ActivTrak is more straightforward. It excludes the following: 

• Keystroke logging 
• Email monitoring 
• Camera access 
• Personal device monitoring 
• Video recording 

3. Better OS compatibility

Similar to Teramind, ActivTrak supports Windows and Mac. But unlike Teramind, ActivTrak is also compatible with Linux and Chrome OS with Google Chrome and Firefox extension offerings.  

Cons 

• No keylogging and email monitoring features 
• Limited smartphone and tablet compatibility 

1. No keylogging and email monitoring features

If implemented correctly, keylogging and email monitoring features allow full transparency, reducing corruption and data theft. Unfortunately, ActivTrak does not have these features. 

2. Limited smartphone and tablet compatibility

More businesses nowadays adopt mobile device use for their daily tasks. Despite having an ActivTrak application for smartphones and tablets, the Android and iOS app only has limited features in viewing and monitoring teams.  

Comparing Teramind and ActivTrak 

Both tools offer the essential features needed to help you monitor your employees. Each has its pluses and minuses, and it’s up to you to weigh and see which best fits your business needs. As a summary, here are their respective pros and cons: 

Teramind Pros & Cons

ActivTrak Pros & Cons

Which One Should You Choose Between ActivTrak and Teramind? 

We recommend using ActivTrak if you: 

• Want to have employee monitoring software without spending a subscription fee 
• Have a small-sized team, or 
• Only need the essential monitoring tools 

If you want to go beyond monitoring while improving your cybersecurity, we recommend using Teramind. 

Continue your search for the right employee monitoring tool for your business, or learn more about improving your cybersecurity by reading these resources: 

• How to Navigate the Challenges of Employee Monitoring Software  
• Addressing Cybersecurity Risks of Working from Home  
• Top Tips to Make Remote Work Effective for Your Business