DeskTime
Paymo
| Feature | DeskTime | Paymo |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $7/mo | Free / from $5.9/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best For | managers, remote-teams, freelancers, agencies | freelancers, small-businesses, agencies, consultants |
| Founded | 2011 | 2008 |
| Automatic Tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Productivity Calculation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Screenshots | ✓ | ✗ |
| Url Tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Project Tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Absence Calendar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Time Tracking | ✗ | ✓ |
| Project Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| Invoicing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Resource Scheduling | ✗ | ✓ |
| Kanban Boards | ✗ | ✓ |
| Gantt Charts | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ DeskTime Pros
- Automatic productivity tracking
- Good free plan for individuals
- Screenshot monitoring option
- Detailed reports
✗ DeskTime Cons
- Can feel invasive to employees
- Limited project management features
- Desktop app required
✓ Paymo Pros
- All-in-one project and time tool
- Built-in invoicing
- Resource scheduling
- Good free plan
✗ Paymo Cons
- Limited advanced features
- Reporting could be deeper
- Mobile app less polished
The Verdict
DeskTime is built for managers and remote teams, with a focus on automatic-tracking and productivity-calculation. Paymo targets freelancers and small businesses and leads with time-tracking and project-management.
Pricing is close: Paymo starts at $5.9/mo versus $7/mo for DeskTime — not a deciding factor on its own.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Both tools are a solid fit for freelancers, agencies — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.