Is DeskTime or PDF Expert better?

Neither clearly leads. DeskTime starts at Free and PDF Expert at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, DeskTime or PDF Expert?

DeskTime has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for DeskTime and On request for PDF Expert.

Does DeskTime or PDF Expert run on more platforms?

DeskTime runs on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows, Linux. PDF Expert runs on Web.

Can I use DeskTime for free?

Yes. DeskTime has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. PDF Expert starts at On request.

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 PDF Expert is typically brought in for.

What can DeskTime do that PDF Expert cannot?

DeskTime covers Automatic activity tracking, Application and website tracking, Daily reports, Weekly summaries.

Productivity · head to head

DeskTime vs PDF Expert

DeskTime

Productivity

Automatic computer activity tracking and productivity analytics

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

PDF Expert

Productivity

PDF Expert puts Adobe Acrobat to shame

From: On request
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only DeskTime has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: DeskTime screenshots are excluded from the Pro plan and start at Premium; PDF Expert pricing displayed in AED (United Arab Emirates Dirham), not widely recognized currency
Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DeskTime and PDF Expert actually diverge.

Attributes where DeskTime and PDF Expert differ
Attribute	DeskTime	PDF Expert
Starting price	Free	On request
Pricing model	freemium	subscription
Free tier	Yes	No
Platforms	Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows, Linux	Web
Founded	2013	Unknown

Identical on both: 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
Mobile apps

Only in PDF Expert

Nothing recorded that DeskTime does not also cover.

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 PDF Expert
Measuring team productivity and idle timenot PDF Expert
Scheduling shifts and tracking absencesnot PDF Expert

PDF Expert

PDF editing and annotationnot DeskTime
Document conversion to PDFnot DeskTime
PDF text recognition (OCR)not DeskTime
Digital document signaturesnot DeskTime
Cross-device PDF managementnot 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

PDF Expert

Pricing displayed in AED (United Arab Emirates Dirham), not widely recognized currency
Essential and Pro plans offer identical features despite different pricing
Lifetime plan limited to Mac only
New features beyond initial purchase may cost extra

Pricing, plan by plan

DeskTime

Free

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

PDF Expert

On request

Essential$199.99/year
- iPhone, iPad, and Mac access
- AI assistant
- PDF conversion
Pro$309.99/year
- All Essential features
- iPhone, iPad, and Mac access
- AI assistant
Lifetime$499.99/one-time
- Mac only
- Perpetual license
- All core features

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 PDF Expert if

Nothing in the data separates PDF Expert from DeskTime on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

PDF Expert review

Questions people ask

Is DeskTime or PDF Expert better?: Neither clearly leads. DeskTime starts at Free and PDF Expert at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DeskTime or PDF Expert?: DeskTime has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for DeskTime and On request for PDF Expert.
Does DeskTime or PDF Expert run on more platforms?: DeskTime runs on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows, Linux. PDF Expert runs on Web.
Can I use DeskTime for free?: Yes. DeskTime has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. PDF Expert starts at On request.
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 PDF Expert is typically brought in for.
What can DeskTime do that PDF Expert cannot?: DeskTime covers Automatic activity tracking, Application and website tracking, Daily reports, Weekly summaries.

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

PDF Expert: How much does PDF Expert cost annually?

PDF Expert's Essential plan costs AED199.99/year and the Pro plan costs AED309.99/year. Both plans include iPhone, iPad, and Mac access, AI assistant, PDF conversion, OCR, digital signatures, and priority support.

Source

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

PDF Expert: Does PDF Expert offer a lifetime purchase option?

Yes. PDF Expert offers a Lifetime plan for AED499.99 as a one-time payment, but this license is restricted to Mac only.

Source

DeskTime: How long is the DeskTime free trial?

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

Source

PDF Expert: Is there a money-back guarantee for PDF Expert?

Yes. All plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied.

Source

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

PDF Expert: Can students get a discount on PDF Expert?

Yes. Students and educators can receive up to 50% off annual subscriptions through educational email verification.

Source

DeskTime vs PDF Expert

DeskTime

PDF Expert

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in DeskTime

Only in PDF Expert

What people use each for

DeskTime

PDF Expert

Where each one falls short

DeskTime

PDF Expert

Pricing, plan by plan

DeskTime

PDF Expert

Which should you pick?

Choose DeskTime if

Choose PDF Expert if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on DeskTime

More on PDF Expert

Keep looking

Other head to heads