ActivTrak is built for workforce analytics. But the moment you need to watch communications, stop a data leak, or monitor a company phone, you hit a wall. KnowIT delivers real employee monitoring, true DLP, and full Android support — at SMB pricing, with no license minimums.
Productivity dashboards tell you how time is spent. They don't tell you when a file leaves the building, when credentials are misused, or when a USB drive walks out the door. For SMBs, that gap is where the real cost sits.
Every business has insider risk — the only question is whether you can see it. A productivity-only tool leaves you blind to most of the list above.
ActivTrak does productivity analytics well. But its design choice — focus on time and app usage — means a long list of essential oversight capabilities simply isn't there. These are the blind spots SMBs inherit.
No visibility into instant messaging, webmail, or VoIP calls. If sensitive information leaves over Teams, Gmail, or a Zoom call, you won't know.
Not available in ActivTrakNo keystroke logging and no record of search terms or videos watched — context that turns "an app was open" into "here's what happened."
Not available in ActivTrakNo tracking of file transfers, modifications, or uploads — and no ability to block them. The single most common form of insider data loss goes unwatched.
Not available in ActivTrakNo USB file tracking, no USB blocking, no peripheral management. A removable drive is still one of the easiest ways data walks out.
Not available in ActivTrakNo suspicious port tracking and no network packet analysis. Unusual outbound activity stays invisible until it's already a problem.
Not available in ActivTrakNo support for mobile devices of any kind. Company phones — and the data on them — sit entirely outside ActivTrak's reach.
Not available in ActivTrakBoth platforms compared at their most complete: KnowIT Complete against ActivTrak Professional with its Screen Details and AI Insights add-ons, including where ActivTrak comes out ahead.
| Capability | KnowITComplete | ActivTrakProfessional |
|---|---|---|
| Employee Monitoring | ||
| Screen recording & screenshots | ✓ | Add-on |
| Keystroke logging | ✓ | — |
| Application & web activity tracking | ✓ | ✓ |
| Email monitoring (webmail & client) | ✓ | — |
| Instant messaging monitoring | ✓ | — |
| VoIP call recording & logs (Zoom, WhatsApp) | ✓ | — |
| Search terms & videos watched | ✓ | — |
| Print tracking | ✓ | — |
| Data Loss Prevention (DLP) | ||
| File transfer tracking & alerts | ✓ | — |
| Block file transfers | ✓ | — |
| USB file tracking & blocking | ✓ | — |
| Web upload / download tracking | ✓ | — |
| Application access restrictions | ✓ | — |
| Security & Threat Detection | ||
| Network threat detection | ✓ | — |
| Suspicious port & packet analysis | ✓ | — |
| Insider threat detection | ✓ | Limited |
| Compliance alerts & alarms | ✓ | ✓ |
| AI tool usage monitoring | ✓ | ✓ |
| Device & Endpoint Control | ||
| Block applications & websites | ✓ | Limited |
| Peripheral (USB) management | ✓ | — |
| Device geolocation & geofencing | ✓ | — |
| Remote device lock / wipe | ✓ | — |
| Mobile / Android Monitoring | ||
| Android monitoring | ✓ | — |
| Android call recording, SMS & MMS | ✓ | — |
| Android IM & email monitoring | ✓ | — |
| Mobile device management (MDM) | ✓ | — |
| Productivity & Attendance | ||
| Time & attendance tracking | ✓ | ✓ |
| Productivity scoring & reports | ✓ | ✓ |
| AI productivity coaching | ✓ | ✓ |
| Burnout detection | — | ✓ |
| Workforce capacity & headcount planning | — | ✓ |
| Analytics & Integrations | ||
| Pre-built reports & executive dashboards | ✓ | ✓ |
| Custom dashboards | ✓ | ✓ |
| BI tools (Power BI, Tableau, Looker) | — | ✓ |
| HRIS integrations | Limited | ✓ |
Highlighted rows mark capabilities where ActivTrak leads. Comparison reflects each vendor's most complete configuration; ActivTrak feature availability and pricing should be verified against current published plans.
Work doesn't stay at the desk anymore. Calls, messages, files, and approvals all move through mobile devices. ActivTrak monitors none of it. KnowIT is the only employee monitoring platform on the market with full Android support — bringing company phones into the same picture as your computers.
KnowIT gives small and mid-sized teams the depth larger platforms reserve for enterprise — and removes the cost, complexity, and commitment that usually come with it.
Buy one license or one hundred. There's no 5-seat floor and no enforced minimum — you scale exactly to your team.
Built for non-technical owners and managers. Set up, configure, and run it without a dedicated IT team.
Don't want to handle setup yourself? Our team installs it for you — setup friction removed entirely.
Ready-to-use attendance, productivity, and activity reports. No dashboard building, no configuration needed.
Monitoring, DLP, network security, and mobile in a single tool — no add-on stacking, no second vendor.
ActivTrak is a capable workforce-analytics platform, and in a few areas it leads:
Yes. KnowIT covers the productivity and attendance tracking ActivTrak is known for, and adds what ActivTrak doesn't offer: full employee monitoring, true data loss prevention, network threat detection, and Android support. If your needs go beyond workforce analytics, KnowIT is the more complete replacement.
No. ActivTrak does not monitor mobile devices of any kind. KnowIT is the only employee monitoring platform on the market with full Android support — including call recording, messaging, app usage, location, and mobile device management.
Not on day one. KnowIT's Employee Monitoring tier handles productivity and attendance tracking directly. The advantage is future-proofing: when you do need DLP or security, you scale up within the same platform instead of switching vendors.
No. KnowIT is designed for non-technical users, with a guided setup wizard for configuring key features. If you'd prefer not to handle installation yourself, a free installation service is available.
No license minimums — buy a single license or a hundred. You can start with a trial of Complete with no credit card. If you don't continue, the account automatically downgrades to the free tier.
Start free and scale up when you're ready — monitoring, DLP, and Android coverage in one platform, with no minimums and no commitment.
KnowIT continually revolutionizes security & productivity software. Keep yourself educated with the latest breakthroughs, and receive exclusive discounts and offers by signing up now!
See all the features of KnowIT that make our software the best computer monitoring software for your business.
KnowIT was really well named. I was up and running without our IT department.