ZDNet review picks BambooHR as top employee monitoring software for 2026

ZDNet’s expert testing of employee monitoring software names BambooHR as its top pick for 2026, highlighting tools that aim to balance oversight with employee privacy for hybrid and remote teams. The review says BambooHR is strong on performance-focused features rather than micromanagement, with goal tracking, peer reviews, performance evaluations, time management, onboarding and detailed reporting, and a user-friendly mobile interface with custom templates and automated reminders.

The reviewer notes drawbacks: payroll and benefits functions can require extra payments or upgrades, and the platform is primarily designed for US-based companies, making public-holiday and PTO setup for overseas teams more tedious. Other recommended tools include Hubstaff, praised as the simplest for remote teams with one-click time tracking, idle-time detection and customizable monitoring but with limits for nondevelopment roles and occasional postupdate bugs; Teramind, described as the most advanced with real-time and historical monitoring, OCR and behavior analytics but requiring substantial setup and higher costs as more employees are monitored; ActivTrak, which focuses on productivity analytics over screen capture and offers meeting- and location-insights plus site blocking and risk scores; and Insightful, noted for real-time visibility, two deployment modes and easy setup but without video recording for compliance reasons and with some reported syncing delays.

Key Topics

Tech, Bamboohr, Employee Monitoring, Hubstaff, Teramind, Activtrak