A time tracker your team won't hate.
Colabio tracks time, screenshots, and activity levels like other trackers, with published rules: no keylogging, capture only while a timer runs, and per-member controls. Then it adds the context those numbers lack.
Free for individuals. Team plans billed per seat, with a free trial.
Tracked today
6h 15m
Time by task
Screenshot status
Visible to you · delete any capture
Why traditional monitoring fails remote teams
Traditional monitoring platforms are built on a simple premise: if employees are not clicking their mouse or typing constantly, they are not working. For creative and technical roles, that assumption breeds anxiety and micromanagement.
The Surveillance Trap
- Activity percentages on their own treat reading documentation, planning, or a code review as "0% productive".
- Distraction alerts and productivity ratings interrupt people mid-task and label the docs page a distraction.
- Manager-only screenshots that the person captured cannot see or delete breed distrust and defensive behaviour.
The Trust-First Approach
- Context beside the counts: the task, the apps used, an AI task suggestion, and the member's written daily update sit next to the activity level.
- Published capture rules: screenshots only while a timer runs, no keylogging, recording and AI analysis off by default and set per member.
- Members see their own data: tracked time, screenshots, and activity level, and can delete their own captures.
Feature Comparison Table
See how Colabio differs from traditional monitoring apps across the dimensions that matter most to technical teams.
| Feature | Colabio | Traditional Trackers |
|---|---|---|
| Activity Scoring | Activity level from input counts, always shown with the task, apps, and daily update behind it. | Activity percentage shown on its own, often as a ranking. |
| Screenshot Integrity | Periodic while tracking. Members see and can delete their own. Unlimited on paid plans. | Frequency and storage limits by plan; member access varies. |
| Dashboard Transparency | Members see their own time, screenshots, and activity. Manager views are role-gated and documented. | Often manager-only dashboards. |
| Project Alignment | Time tracked against tasks in Colabio projects; AI suggests the task when activity drifts. | Broad project buckets and typed notes. |
| OS Support | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux desktop companion client. | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, and mobile clients. |
| Interruptions | No distraction alerts. Only an idle check on return and an AI suggestion you can dismiss. | Real-time distraction alerts on some products. |
Activity Scoring
Colabio
Activity level shown with task, apps, and daily update.
Traditional
Activity percentage on its own.
Screenshot Integrity
Colabio
Periodic while tracking; members see and delete their own.
Traditional
Limits by plan; member access varies.
Dashboard Transparency
Colabio
Members see their own data; manager views are role-gated.
Traditional
Often manager-only dashboards.
Project Alignment
Colabio
Time tracked against tasks; AI suggests on drift.
Traditional
Broad buckets and typed notes.
Interruptions
Colabio
No distraction alerts; idle check and dismissible AI suggestions only.
Traditional
Real-time distraction alerts on some products.
Better clarity. Zero micro-management.
Time Tracked Against Tasks
Start a timer on a task in the desktop app. Hours, screenshots, activity level, and observed apps accumulate on that task, so the timesheet explains itself.
Published Capture Rules
Screenshots only while a timer runs. Input events counted, never logged as text. Screen recording and AI screenshot analysis off by default and enabled per member by a manager.
Daily Updates and an Assistant
Each member writes a short daily update, by voice if they like, shown beside their tracked day. Ask Claude or ChatGPT about the team through the MCP connector.
Fits right into your stack.
What Colabio connects to today. No integration is listed here that you cannot switch on in the product.
Claude & ChatGPT
MCP connector. Ask about your team's time, updates, and projects in plain language.
GitHub
Connect your GitHub account to your Colabio profile. Commit-level time linking is not available yet.
Desktop app
Timer, screenshots, activity level, and voice typing on macOS, Windows, and Linux.
Google sign-in
Sign in with Google or email. No passwords stored for Google accounts.
PDF & CSV export
Export timesheets to PDF and reports to CSV for payroll or accounting tools.
Voice typing
Dictate updates or anything else on desktop, on-device on macOS or via cloud transcription.
Frequently Asked Questions
Clear answers about Colabio's features and transition options from traditional monitoring apps.
The Developer Bill of Rights
We believe great engineering teams run on trust, clarity, and autonomy. Here are our four core commitments to developer respect.
1. Telemetry Transparency
Every member sees their own tracked time, screenshots, and activity level. Manager-only views, such as unusual-activity review and member settings, are role-gated and documented, not hidden.
2. No Keylogging, Ever
Input events are counted for an activity level and never recorded as text. Screenshots are captured only while a timer runs, and members can delete their own.
3. Impact-Focused Evaluation
Activity levels are shown with the task, the apps used, and the daily update that explain them. We do not rate apps or sites as productive or unproductive.
4. Advisory AI Only
The AI can suggest a task when your activity drifts. You accept or dismiss it. Nothing is created, switched, or flagged without a person deciding.
Build a culture of trust and shipping.
Colabio is live. Create your workspace, invite your team, and give your developers a tracker they will genuinely tolerate.