Softwr

Productivity · head to head

DeskTime vs Milanote

DeskTime logo

DeskTime

Productivity

Automatic computer activity tracking and productivity analytics

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Milanote logo

Milanote

Productivity

Board-based visual workspace for creative planning, free up to 100 items for the whole account

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: DeskTime screenshots are excluded from the Pro plan and start at Premium; Milanote the free plan caps the entire account at 100 notes, images or links and 10 file uploads rather than capping per board, so one properly worked project exhausts it and the tool stops working rather than degrading gracefully.
  • They diverge on capability: DeskTime covers Automatic activity tracking, Milanote covers Infinite board canvas.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DeskTime and Milanote actually diverge.

Attributes where DeskTime and Milanote differ
AttributeDeskTimeMilanote
PlatformsWeb, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows, LinuxWeb
Founded2013Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Productivity).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in DeskTime

  • Automatic activity tracking
  • Application and website tracking
  • Daily reports
  • Weekly summaries
  • Privacy-first design
  • Detailed analytics
  • Goal setting

Only in Milanote

  • Infinite board canvas
  • Mixed content
  • Nested boards
  • Templates
  • Web clipper
  • Shared boards with comments
  • Free plan

Both cover

  • Mobile apps

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

DeskTime

  • Automatic time tracking of desktop app and website usagenot Milanote
  • Measuring team productivity and idle timenot Milanote
  • Scheduling shifts and tracking absencesnot Milanote

Milanote

  • Moodboards and visual references for a branding or design project, gathered from the web and arranged for a client review.not DeskTime
  • Storyboarding a video or planning a shoot, where the whole sequence needs to be visible at once.not DeskTime
  • Structuring a book, script or long article by physically moving sections around until the order works.not DeskTime
  • A shared board where a small creative team reacts to work in progress without the overhead of a project tool.not DeskTime

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

DeskTime

  • Screenshots are excluded from the Pro plan and start at Premium
  • Integrations and API access require the Premium plan
  • Shift scheduling requires the Premium plan
  • Enterprise is aimed at 200+ users and is priced by quote with no published rate
  • The advertised $6.42 and $9.17 per user rates require annual billing; monthly billing costs more
  • The trial lasts 14 days

Milanote

  • The free plan caps the entire account at 100 notes, images or links and 10 file uploads rather than capping per board, so one properly worked project exhausts it and the tool stops working rather than degrading gracefully.
  • The value of a board is its arrangement, and arrangement is the one thing export does not carry, so a PDF gives you a picture and a text export gives you the words while nothing reconstitutes the board in another tool.
  • Pricing is per person and the tool spreads naturally to reviewers and clients who only look and comment, so a team plan ends up covering people who never create anything.
  • There is no database layer, no properties, no filtering and no dependency tracking, so a project that starts on a Milanote board has to be re-entered somewhere else the moment it acquires owners and dates.
  • Offline support is minimal, so a board full of references is effectively unavailable without a connection, which is a real problem for a tool aimed at people who work on location and in meetings away from a desk.

Pricing, plan by plan

DeskTime

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Activity tracking
    • Basic reports
    • Weekly emails
  • Pro$9/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Advanced reports
    • Detailed analytics

Milanote

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 100 notes, images or links
    • 10 file uploads
    • Unlimited shared boards
  • Individual$9.99/month
    • Unlimited notes, images or links
    • Unlimited file uploads
    • Unlimited shared boards
  • Team$49/month
    • Unlimited notes, images or links
    • Unlimited file uploads
    • Unlimited shared boards

Which should you pick?

Choose DeskTime if

  • You need automatic activity tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows, Linux.
  • You also want application and website tracking.
DeskTime review

Choose Milanote if

  • You need infinite board canvas.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want mixed content.
Milanote review

Questions people ask

Is DeskTime or Milanote better?
Neither clearly leads. DeskTime starts at Free and Milanote at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DeskTime or Milanote?
DeskTime starts at Free and Milanote at Free.
Does DeskTime or Milanote run on more platforms?
DeskTime runs on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows, Linux. Milanote runs on Web.
Can I use DeskTime for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is DeskTime best used for?
DeskTime is most often used for automatic time tracking of desktop app and website usage, measuring team productivity and idle time, scheduling shifts and tracking absences. Of those, automatic time tracking of desktop app and website usage and measuring team productivity and idle time are not what Milanote is typically brought in for.
What can DeskTime do that Milanote cannot?
DeskTime covers Automatic activity tracking, Application and website tracking, Daily reports, Weekly summaries. Milanote covers Infinite board canvas, Mixed content, Nested boards, Templates. Both handle Mobile apps.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

DeskTime: What are DeskTime's subscription tiers?

DeskTime offers Pro at $6.42/user/month (annual billing) for small teams and startups, Premium at $9.17/user/month (marked Most Popular) for hybrid and growing teams, and Enterprise with custom pricing for 200+ users.

Source
Milanote: How long does the free plan last?

Indefinitely. It is limited by quantity rather than by time: 100 notes, images or links and 10 file uploads for the account as a whole, so it ends when you hit the cap rather than on a date.

DeskTime: What features differentiate the Premium tier from Pro?

Premium adds screenshots, integrations & API, and shift scheduling compared to Pro's document title tracking and calendar integrations.

Source
Milanote: Can I export a board?

You can produce PDFs and images of a board and extract the text, but the spatial arrangement is not portable, so nothing you export reconstructs the board in another tool.

DeskTime: How long is the DeskTime free trial?

DeskTime offers a 14-day free trial. No credit card is required to start.

Source
Milanote: Is it a project management tool?

No. There are no dates, dependencies or workload views. It suits the thinking phase, and the work has to be handed to a tracker once it becomes a plan.

DeskTime: What billing options does DeskTime offer?

DeskTime offers monthly or annual billing. Annual subscriptions include one complimentary month compared to monthly plan pricing. You can pay by credit card or PayPal.

Source
Milanote: Do collaborators need paid accounts?

Shared boards are unlimited even on the free plan, and the paid question is about who creates rather than who looks. Confirm the current plan terms before rolling it out to a client's team.

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