SCREENish vs Monitask: an honest comparison for 2026
SCREENish and Monitask both track work time with screenshots and activity levels, but they price it very differently. SCREENish charges a flat $5.00 per employee per month with every feature included and EU VAT already in the price, while Monitask spreads its features across four tiers running from $7.99 to $19.99 per user per month, with GPS location tracking reserved for its $15.99 Business Premium plan. Monitask answers back with deeper app-and-URL analytics, an iOS app and a much larger integration catalog, so the right choice depends on which of those you actually need.
All competitor details below were verified against Monitask's own published materials as of mid-2026. If something has changed since, their site is the authority.
| Feature | SCREENish | Monitask |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $5.00 per employee/month, flat — everything included, EU VAT included | From $7.99 per user/month (Pro), $6.49 billed annually |
| Billing model | One plan, all features | Four tiers: Pro, Business, Business Premium, Enterprise |
| Free trial | Yes — no credit card required | Yes, 10 days — no credit card required |
| Permanent free plan | No | No |
| Platforms | Windows, Mac, Linux, Chrome extension, Android | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Chromebook |
| Screenshots | Included for every account | Included on all plans, random or set intervals |
| Screenshot retention | 45 days | 1 month (Pro), 2 months (Business tiers), custom (Enterprise) |
| Activity levels | Yes — keyboard and mouse based | Yes — on all plans |
| Mouse-jiggler / auto-clicker detection | Yes — Activity Review with human review, never automatic accusations | Not listed among advertised features as of mid-2026 |
| GPS tracking | Included (Android app), no extra cost | Business Premium and Enterprise plans only |
| Face recognition clock-in | Yes — consent-first, in beta | Not advertised as of mid-2026 |
| Team chat and calls | Team Huddle: P2P calls, chat and file sharing, never recorded | Not advertised as of mid-2026 |
| Client access | Read-only project sharing on the single plan | Client login from the Business plan up |
| Payroll and accounting | Payroll and accounting reports, hourly rates, premium hours | Timesheets and accounting summary reports; no direct payment processing |
| Integrations | Few third-party integrations | 1 on Pro, unlimited from Business up; public API on every plan |
When Monitask is the better choice
Monitask is a mature, GDPR-compliant product with a representative in the EU, and there are genuine situations where it is the stronger pick:
- You need an iOS app. Monitask covers Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS and Chromebook. SCREENish does not offer an iOS app yet, so a team of iPhone-first field workers is better served by Monitask today.
- You want deep usage analytics. Monitask's Business and Business Premium tiers add apps-and-URL tracking, full URL reports, search-query reports and employee scorecards — a level of browsing and application analytics SCREENish does not attempt to match.
- Integrations and API access matter. Monitask includes one integration on Pro and unlimited integrations from Business up, with public API access on every plan. SCREENish is upfront about having fewer third-party integrations.
- You want longer screenshot storage. Monitask's Business tiers keep screenshots for two months and Enterprise offers custom retention, compared with SCREENish's fixed 45 days.
When SCREENish is the better choice
- Predictable, lower cost. One flat price of $5.00 per employee per month covers screenshots, activity levels, GPS, reports and team communication. There is no tier ladder to climb and no surprise upgrade when you need one more feature. See SCREENish pricing.
- GPS without a premium tier. Android GPS tracking with location, time, notes and photos is included at no extra cost. On Monitask, location tracking starts at the $15.99/month Business Premium plan.
- Fair fake-activity detection. Activity Review flags stretches of time that look like a mouse jiggler or auto-clicker, then puts them in front of a human reviewer. SCREENish never auto-penalizes anyone based on an algorithm alone.
- Consent-first face recognition. Face-recognition clock-in (currently in beta) requires explicit employee consent and manager validation before it does anything.
- Built-in team communication. Team Huddle provides peer-to-peer calls, chat and file sharing that are never recorded, which can replace a separate chat subscription for small teams.
- Simple client sharing. Read-only project access for clients is included in the single plan rather than gated to a mid tier.
To be fair about the trade-offs: SCREENish is a smaller vendor, keeps screenshots for 45 days, has fewer integrations and does not yet ship an iOS app. If none of those are blockers for your team, the price difference is hard to ignore.
Pricing compared
As of mid-2026, Monitask lists four plans on its pricing page: Pro at $7.99, Business at $10.99, Business Premium at $15.99 and Enterprise at $19.99 per user per month, dropping to $6.49, $8.99, $12.99 and $15.99 respectively with annual billing. The 10-day free trial requires no credit card, and there is no permanent free tier. Features scale with the tiers: apps-and-URL tracking and email reports arrive at Business, while GPS location tracking, VIP support and employee scorecards require Business Premium.
SCREENish has exactly one plan: $5.00 per employee per month with everything included, and the price already includes EU VAT. A concrete example: a 20-person team that needs GPS tracking pays $100 per month on SCREENish, versus $319.80 per month on Monitask Business Premium billed monthly (about $259.80 with annual billing). Even against Monitask's cheapest Pro plan — which does not include GPS or app-and-URL tracking — SCREENish is still the lower price. Full details are on the SCREENish pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
Is SCREENish cheaper than Monitask?
Yes, as of mid-2026. SCREENish costs a flat $5.00 per employee per month with all features included and EU VAT in the price. Monitask starts at $7.99 per user per month ($6.49 billed annually), and features like GPS tracking require the $15.99 Business Premium tier.
Do SCREENish and Monitask offer free trials?
Both do, and neither asks for a credit card up front. Monitask's trial runs 10 days with full access. Neither product offers a permanent free plan as of mid-2026, so after the trial you choose a paid plan or stop using the service.
Which tool detects mouse jigglers and auto-clickers?
SCREENish includes Activity Review, which flags tracked time that looks like it was produced by a mouse jiggler or auto-clicker and sends it to a human for review — it never accuses anyone automatically. Monitask offers keyboard-and-mouse activity monitoring but does not list dedicated fake-input detection among its advertised features as of mid-2026.
Does either app work on iPhone?
Monitask advertises iOS support alongside Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and Chromebook. SCREENish runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, a Chrome extension and Android, but does not have an iOS app yet — if iPhone tracking is essential, Monitask is currently the better fit.