Astrolinks
If you're searching for a Time Doctor alternative, you probably fall into one of two groups. You're a worker who was asked to install monitoring software and wants something that feels less watched. Or you're a manager wondering whether you need that much visibility at all. This page compares the two approaches honestly. They are built for different jobs, and for some teams Time Doctor is the better fit.
What Time Doctor is, in its own words
Time Doctor describes itself as a workforce visibility platform for distributed teams. Its site says it helps leaders see what their team is working on, check the hours they pay for, and balance workloads.
From its public site and help center, as of October 2026:
- Time and activity tracking across people, projects and locations, in a live view for managers
- Time linked to tasks and tools, so hours can go to payroll and client billing
- Workload views, to see who is overloaded and plan capacity
- Screenshots, which its help center describes as optional and set by a manager per user, with video recording on a higher plan
- An AI assistant that answers questions about time and activity
- Integrations with payroll, HR and other tools
- A free trial with no credit card
Its buyers are operations, HR and IT leaders, in fields like outsourcing, healthcare, finance and technology.
What Astrolinks is
Astrolinks is a desktop app for Mac for remote workers, virtual assistants and freelancers with several clients. It notes which app and window are in front every 5 seconds while it runs, plus the web address in supported browsers. That log stays on the worker's own computer.
At the end of a shift it drafts each client's end-of-day report. The worker reads it, edits it and sends it by Slack, email draft, copy, or to a company's Team inbox. With the Team plan, the company sees only the reports a worker chooses to send. Never the log, apps, websites or screenshots.
The real difference: who the tool works for
Time Doctor is built for the manager. The data flows up to a dashboard, and the company decides what's tracked.
Astrolinks is built for the worker. The data stays with them, and they decide what's shared. What reaches a manager is a written report, not a feed of activity.
Neither is wrong. They answer different questions. Time Doctor answers "what is my team doing right now?" Astrolinks answers "what did I get done today, and how do I tell each client?"
Side by side
| Time Doctor | Astrolinks | |
|---|---|---|
| Built mainly for | Managers and operations leaders | The worker, VA or freelancer |
| Where activity data goes | To the company's dashboard | Stays on the worker's computer |
| Screenshots | Optional, set by a manager | Never |
| Keyboard and mouse | Its help center mentions activity counts shown with screenshots | Only how long since the last input, to take back time away (and, in the optional breakdown, hands-on vs reading time, only for the worker) |
| Tasks | Time linked to tasks and tools | Tasks from a manager; the manager sees only that it's done and the worker's note |
| Free plan and trial | Free trial | A Free plan, and a 7-day Pro trial with no card |
| What a manager sees | Time, activity and, if enabled, screenshots | Only reports the worker sends |
| End-of-day report | Not the main focus | The main job: one draft per client |
| Payroll | Built-in payroll and integrations | Not included |
| Invoices | Hours can go to client billing | One-click PDF or CSV invoices per client |
| Platforms today | See Time Doctor's site | macOS |
Who should pick Time Doctor
Pick Time Doctor if:
- your company needs a live view of hours and activity across many people
- you run payroll from tracked hours and want it connected to HR tools
- you need workload and capacity planning across teams
- your clients or contracts require activity records that a manager controls
That's a real need for some companies, especially large outsourcing operations. Time Doctor is designed for it, and Astrolinks is not.
Who should pick Astrolinks
Pick Astrolinks if:
- you're a VA or freelancer who wants your log to stay on your own computer
- your main pain is writing a good end-of-day report for each client
- you work for several clients with different time zones, languages and report styles
- you want to bill hourly clients and make invoices without another account
- you manage a team that wants written updates and trusts people to send them
How privacy differs
Astrolinks keeps the log as plain files on the worker's computer. We never receive it. It never records keystrokes, screenshots or the clipboard. Nothing leaves without a click.
If a worker uses Write with AI, Claude gets a summary of that client's day, never the log. Emails and phone numbers are hidden first, and a client marked Private never goes to AI at all. The privacy-first page lists exactly what is and isn't recorded.
That design is a choice with a trade-off. A manager using Astrolinks can't check anyone's activity. If you need that, you need a different tool.
Moving from Time Doctor to Astrolinks
There's nothing to import. Astrolinks starts fresh on each person's computer.
- Install Astrolinks and go through the three short welcome steps.
- Add each client with a rule: a word in their window titles, a website or an app.
- Work as usual. At the end of the shift, press Summarize my day.
- Send each report the way that client likes.
If your company used Time Doctor for team visibility, talk with your team about what you'll expect in written reports instead. The guide to remote team updates without micromanaging is a good starting point. VAs moving over can read about Astrolinks for virtual assistants.
A note on this comparison
Time Doctor is a trademark of its owner. This comparison reflects each product's public information as of October 2026. Features and plans change, so check Time Doctor's own site for current details before you decide.