DeskTime Alternative: Why Teams Are Switching to Backlsh

If you’re searching for a DeskTime alternative, you’re likely facing one of these problems:

• You’re tracking time, but don’t understand project-level effort
• Reports feel generic and don’t help calculate ROI
• Your team finds the tool intrusive or hard to use
• Pricing feels high compared to the value you’re getting

DeskTime is a popular employee time tracking and productivity monitoring tool, but as teams grow, many realize that tracking time alone is not enough.

Many teams searching for a DeskTime alternative are looking for automatic project time tracking and better ROI, not just activity monitoring

This is why an increasing number of startups, agencies, and remote teams are switching to Backlsh — a modern, automatic project time tracking and timesheets platform built for clarity, not micromanagement.

In this guide, we’ll break down:

• Where DeskTime works well
• Where it falls short
• Why teams evaluating DeskTime alternatives increasingly choose Backlsh

What Is DeskTime? (Quick Overview)

DeskTime is primarily an employee time tracking and productivity monitoring software that focuses on:

• App and website usage tracking
• Automatic time tracking
• Productivity scores
• Screenshot monitoring (optional)

It’s often used by managers who want visibility into how time is spent on computers.

However, DeskTime is largely activity-centric, not project-centric — and that distinction matters.

Why Teams Start Looking for a DeskTime Alternative

Most teams don’t leave DeskTime because it’s broken.
They leave because their needs evolve.

Common reasons teams switch:

1. Lack of deep project time tracking
2. Difficulty mapping time to real business outcomes
3. Productivity scores that don’t translate to ROI
4. Pricing that feels high for what’s delivered
5. Employee discomfort with surveillance-style tracking

Modern teams want automatic timesheets, not just activity logs.

Backlsh: A Project-First DeskTime Alternative

Backlsh approaches time tracking differently.

Instead of asking:

“Was the employee active?”

Backlsh asks:

“Where did project time actually go?”

Backlsh is designed around:

• Automatic project time tracking
• Automatic timesheets
• Website and app activity mapped directly to projects
• Clear visibility for both employees and managers

👉 Learn more about the platform on the
Backlsh Features Overview

DeskTime vs Backlsh: Feature Comparison

Key Difference: Activity Tracking vs Project Intelligence

DeskTime’s Approach

• Tracks apps and websites
• Assigns productivity labels
• Focuses on activity volume

This answers:

“Was someone active?”

But not:

“Was the project profitable?”

Backlsh’s Approach

Backlsh connects time → project → outcome.

• Time is automatically tracked
• Work is mapped to projects
• Managers see true project cost and ROI
• Employees don’t need to manually fill timesheets

This makes Backlsh especially powerful for:

• Startups
• Agencies
• Product teams
• Remote-first companies

👉 See how this works in
Automatic Project Time Tracking

Why Automatic Timesheets Matter More Than Productivity Scores

One of the biggest issues with DeskTime-style tools is under-tracking and misinterpretation.

Productivity scores:

• Don’t account for meetings
• Penalize research or planning
• Miss context switching
• Create unnecessary pressure

Backlsh shifts the focus to:

• Automatic timesheets
• Project-based effort
• Team-level visibility

👉 Read more in
Automatic Time Tracking

Real-World Impact: Why Teams Switch

A data analytics company using Backlsh reported:

• ~30% time savings
• Better understanding of project effort
• Clearer resource allocation
• Reduced manual reporting

The improvement didn’t come from “working harder” —
it came from seeing the truth about time usage.

Pricing: DeskTime vs Backlsh

DeskTime pricing increases quickly as teams scale, especially when advanced features are required.

Backlsh is positioned as:

• Affordable
• Transparent
• Startup-friendly

👉 View current plans here:
Backlsh Pricing

For teams that want maximum clarity per dollar, Backlsh often delivers a higher ROI.

Privacy, Transparency & Team Trust

One major reason teams leave DeskTime is employee pushback.

Backlsh is built to be:

• Transparent
• Less intrusive
• Focused on work, not surveillance

Features like screenshots and activity monitoring are optional and contextual.

👉 Learn more:
User Activity Monitoring
Screenshot Monitoring

When DeskTime Might Still Be a Fit

To be fair, DeskTime may work well if:

• You only need activity monitoring
• You want productivity scores
• You don’t need deep project analytics

But if you want to:

• Measure project ROI
• Eliminate manual timesheets
• Improve planning accuracy

Backlsh is the stronger DeskTime alternative.

How Backlsh Fits Into Modern Project Management

Backlsh integrates naturally with:

• Project-based workflows
• Remote teams
• Outcome-driven management

If you’re already exploring better time tracking practices, you may also find these helpful:

• Time Tracking in Project Management
• Time Doctor vs Toggl vs Backlsh
• Compare Monthly Pricing of Timesheet Tools

Final Verdict: Why Teams Are Switching to Backlsh

Teams don’t switch from DeskTime because they want more tracking.
They switch because they want better answers.

Backlsh helps teams answer:

• Where is project time really going?
• Which projects are profitable?
• How can we plan better without micromanaging?

If you’re evaluating a DeskTime alternative that is:

• Automatic
• Project-focused
• Cost-efficient
• Team-friendly

Backlsh is built for exactly that.