Softwr

Productivity · head to head

DeskTime vs RemNote

DeskTime logo

DeskTime

Productivity

Automatic computer activity tracking and productivity analytics

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
RemNote logo

RemNote

Productivity

Note-taking where lines become spaced repetition flashcards as you write them

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; RemNote the free plan is unlimited on notes and flashcards but meters exactly what a student needs, at three annotated PDFs, five image-occlusion images and one handwritten document, so the trigger to pay arrives in the first week of a term rather than after a year.
  • They diverge on capability: DeskTime covers Automatic activity tracking, RemNote covers Notes and cards in one document.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DeskTime and RemNote actually diverge.

Attributes where DeskTime and RemNote differ
AttributeDeskTimeRemNote
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
  • Mobile apps

Only in RemNote

  • Notes and cards in one document
  • Spaced repetition scheduler
  • PDF annotation
  • Image occlusion
  • Handwriting documents
  • Exam scheduler
  • Unlimited notes and devices
  • Metered AI credits

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 RemNote
  • Measuring team productivity and idle timenot RemNote
  • Scheduling shifts and tracking absencesnot RemNote

RemNote

  • Medical or law study where the sheer volume of material makes maintaining a separate flashcard deck impractical.not DeskTime
  • Annotating lecture slides and textbook PDFs so that highlights become review material directly.not DeskTime
  • Learning anatomy or any diagram-heavy subject where image occlusion is the effective card type.not DeskTime
  • Language learning where vocabulary emerges from reading notes rather than from a prepared deck.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

RemNote

  • The free plan is unlimited on notes and flashcards but meters exactly what a student needs, at three annotated PDFs, five image-occlusion images and one handwritten document, so the trigger to pay arrives in the first week of a term rather than after a year.
  • Notes can be exported as text, but the review history and scheduling state cannot be carried into another spaced repetition system, and after a year of study that scheduling state is the real asset rather than the notes.
  • Knowledge bases built over several years slow the application down, and because the method depends on daily reviews, the performance problems arrive exactly when you have the most invested and the least appetite to move.
  • AI features are metered in credits at a hundred a month on the free plan, and the tier that makes them usable costs more than double the standard paid plan, so the AI is effectively a second purchase rather than a feature of the product.
  • It is a small independent vendor serving individual students, with no organisational sales underwriting it, so anyone committing several years of study material is betting on the company's continuity without an institutional customer base as a safety net.

Pricing, plan by plan

DeskTime

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

RemNote

Free
  • Free PlanFree
    • Unlimited notes and flashcards
    • 3 annotated PDFs
    • 5 image occlusion cards
  • Pro$8/month
    • All Free features
    • Unlimited PDF annotation and image occlusion
    • Tables and templates
  • Pro with AI$18/month
    • All Pro features
    • 20000 AI credits monthly
    • Unlimited flashcard explanations

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 RemNote if

  • You need notes and cards in one document.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want spaced repetition scheduler.
RemNote review

Questions people ask

Is DeskTime or RemNote better?
Neither clearly leads. DeskTime starts at Free and RemNote at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DeskTime or RemNote?
DeskTime starts at Free and RemNote at Free.
Does DeskTime or RemNote run on more platforms?
DeskTime runs on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows, Linux. RemNote 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 RemNote is typically brought in for.
What can DeskTime do that RemNote cannot?
DeskTime covers Automatic activity tracking, Application and website tracking, Daily reports, Weekly summaries. RemNote covers Notes and cards in one document, Spaced repetition scheduler, PDF annotation, Image occlusion.

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
RemNote: How is it different from Anki?

Anki is a flashcard system you feed, free and open with an enormous library of shared decks and a long record of stability. RemNote generates the cards from notes you are already writing, which saves the copying step but ties the cards to one vendor.

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
RemNote: Does it work offline?

An offline mode is offered. Sync conflicts across devices are the usual caveat, so test it with your own workflow before depending on it during an exam period.

DeskTime: How long is the DeskTime free trial?

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

Source
RemNote: What does the free plan actually restrict?

Not notes or flashcards, which are unlimited, and not the number of devices. It restricts annotated PDFs, image occlusion images, handwritten documents, daily uploads and AI credits.

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
RemNote: Can I get my material out?

Notes export in text form. The scheduling state and review history do not transfer, so leaving means keeping your notes and restarting the review cycle from nothing.

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