How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- Dedicated leave trackers are cheap: Timetastic, LeaveBoard, Calamari, Vacation Tracker and absence.io all start under $3 per user per month, with real free plans at LeaveBoard and Vacation Tracker.
- Full HR platforms with absence built in (Sage HR, BambooHR, Factorial) cost more but bundle employee records, onboarding and performance alongside leave.
- Free plans exist. LeaveBoard is free up to 9 employees and Vacation Tracker has a free plan for any team size.
- Watch the billing unit. Most price per employee per month, BambooHR charges a flat $250/month for teams of 25 or fewer, and Vacation Tracker enforces monthly minimums.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Timetastic | Simple shared leave calendars for UK and US teams | $1.50 per user/month (Business) | Free trial (30 days) |
 LeaveBoard | Free leave tracking for tiny teams | $1.35 per employee/month (Pro) | Yes (free up to 9 employees) |
 Calamari | Multi-country leave policies | $2 per employee/month (Leave Management) | Free trial (14 days) |
 Vacation Tracker | Leave requests inside Slack or Teams | $2 per user/month (Core, $50 minimum) | Yes (free plan) |
 absence.io | German-hosted absence tracking for EU businesses | €2.00 per user/month | Free trial |
 Sage HR | Absence inside a full small-business HR suite | From £4 per employee/month | Free trial (30 days) |
 BambooHR | Time off inside a complete HRIS | $10 per employee/month (Core) | Free trial (7 days) |
 Factorial | All-in-one HR with time off for growing firms | See website | No |
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We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
The best absence management software
Starting price$1.50 per user/month (Business)
Free planFree trial (30 days)
Timetastic is the simplest absence tool on this list, and it knows it. Employees request leave, managers approve, and everyone sees a color-coded wall chart of who is off when. The Business plan at $1.50 per user per month covers absence and holiday management, shared calendars, allowance records, approvals and a mobile app, with a 30-day free trial that needs no credit card.
The product's strength is adoption. There is almost no training curve, the wall chart view is genuinely clearer than most calendars, and integrations with Slack, Teams, Google Workspace and Outlook put leave data where people already work. Pro at $2.50 adds absence trends, burnout alerts, calendar sync and an API.
The trade-offs are straightforward. There is no free plan, and handy features like TOIL, reporting and SSO wait for Pro. It is also a leave specialist, not an HR system, so employee records and payroll live elsewhere. For teams whose whole problem is holiday chaos in a spreadsheet, Timetastic solves exactly that for very little money.
What we like- Extremely easy to use
- Wall chart view everyone understands
- 30-day free trial, no credit card
Watch out for- Advanced features locked to the $2.50 Pro plan
- No free plan
- UK-rooted product with some regional bias
Starting price$1.35 per employee/month (Pro)
Free planYes (free up to 9 employees)
LeaveBoard offers the most generous free deal here: full leave management for up to 9 employees at no cost, including the HR dashboard, employee directory, absence calendar, leave policies and HR reports. Beyond that, Pro costs $1.35 per employee per month (or $13.50 per employee per year) with unlimited users, advanced leave policies and priority support, plus a 14-day free trial and no long-term contracts.
The free tier is genuinely usable, not a demo. It covers time off tracking, approvals and calendars, with integrations for Slack, Google Calendar, Microsoft 365 and Apple iCal. Pricing stays transparent with no hidden fees, which small teams appreciate.
The honest limits: it is a small vendor, so the integration catalog is thin compared to Calamari or BambooHR, and advanced policies are paywalled on Pro. Enterprise custom pricing kicks in above 81 employees. For startups and small businesses that just need leave tracking without a bill, it is the obvious first stop.
What we like- Free for up to 9 employees
- Honest transparent pricing
- HR dashboard and reports included free
Watch out for- Smaller vendor with a thinner integration set
- Advanced leave policies need Pro
- Mobile experience is web-based
Starting price$2 per employee/month (Leave Management)
Free planFree trial (14 days)
Calamari is the pick for teams spread across countries. Its leave management module starts at $2 per employee per month on annual billing (with a $15 monthly minimum), and it supports different leave setups for different countries in a single account, with labor law awareness across 100+ countries, automatic entitlement computation and multi-layer approvals. A 14-day free trial needs no credit card.
The modular pricing is the differentiator. Buy leave management alone at $2, add clock in/out at $2.50 or core HR at $1.50 per employee per month, rather than paying for a full HRIS. It integrates with Google Workspace, Office 365, Slack and Asana, and the mobile app covers absences on the go.
Two honest caveats. There is no free plan, so you pay from day one after the trial. And some reviewers find complex PTO policy setup unintuitive, particularly accrual caps. If your team sits in several countries with different rules, Calamari's country-aware design is worth those caveats.
What we like- Leave rules for 100+ countries in one account
- Modular pricing buys only what you need
- Strong integrations
Watch out for- No permanent free plan
- $15 monthly minimum
- Complex policy setup can feel unintuitive
Starting price$2 per user/month (Core, $50 minimum)
Free planYes (free plan)
Vacation Tracker lives where your team already talks. It plugs into Slack, Microsoft Teams and Google Workspace, so employees type a command to request leave and managers approve without opening another app. The free plan covers unlimited users with basic functionality, Core costs $2 per user per month ($50 minimum) and Complete is $4 ($100 minimum), both with a 7-day free trial.
The feature set goes beyond requests: up to 25 customizable leave types, departments and locations, automatic PTO accruals and rollovers, hourly leave increments, location-based policies with imported public holidays, and daily or weekly notifications. It is a leave specialist done well.
The honest catch is the minimums. A 5-person team on Core still pays the $50 floor, which works out to $10 per head. That undercuts the per-user headline for small teams, where LeaveBoard's free plan or Timetastic may cost less. But if your workflow is Slack-first, the in-chat experience is hard to beat.
What we like- Requests and approvals happen inside Slack or Teams
- Free plan for any team size
- Location-based leave policies
Watch out for- $50/$100 monthly minimums make it pricey for tiny teams
- Focused only on leave
- Paid plans start after a 7-day trial
#5
absence.io
Best for: German-hosted absence tracking for EU businesses
Visit absence.io
Starting price€2.00 per user/month
Free planFree trial
absence.io is a German absence and vacation planning tool popular with EU small and mid-sized businesses. Pricing is a simple €2.00 per user per month, with a free trial available. Four modules cover absence management, vacation tracking, digital personnel files and time tracking, with data stored on central servers in Germany, which matters for GDPR-conscious EU companies.
The product covers the essentials well: one-click absence requests from an integrated calendar, email notifications to managers, visibility of who else is off during the requested period, automatic public holiday display and remaining-day calculations. Android and iOS apps handle requests on the go, and integrations include Google Calendar, Microsoft 365, Slack and Xero.
The honest limits are geography and scale. Euro pricing and a German vendor suit EU businesses most naturally, the international presence is smaller than Calamari's, and the integration catalog is practical rather than deep. For EU teams wanting simple, compliant absence tracking at a flat €2, it is a strong fit.
What we like- Very affordable flat per-user pricing
- Data hosted in Germany
- Modules for files and time tracking
Watch out for- Euro pricing suits EU businesses best
- Smaller international footprint
- Fewer integrations than Calamari
#6
Sage HR
Best for: Absence inside a full small-business HR suite
Visit sage.com
Starting priceFrom £4 per employee/month
Free planFree trial (30 days)
Sage HR (formerly CakeHR) bundles absence management into a complete HR suite for small and medium businesses. Prices start from £4 per employee per month, with a 30-day free trial. Beyond leave tracking, it covers performance management, recruitment, goal setting, shift planning, expenses and employee self-service, with a mobile app for iOS and Android and integration with Sage Payroll.
The appeal is consolidation. Leave requests, approvals, payslips, feedback and expenses live in one system with one shared calendar, which suits SMEs that want a single HR home rather than several niche tools. The mobile app works well on low-speed connections, and the 30-day trial is generous.
The honest catch is scope creep. If all you need is absence tracking, Sage HR is more product and more cost than Timetastic or LeaveBoard. Pricing also climbs as you add modules, so confirm the all-in figure. It is the right call when you are buying your first proper HR system and want absence inside it, not when you only need a leave calendar.
What we like- Absence plus performance, recruitment and expenses in one suite
- 30-day free trial
- Sage payroll integration
Watch out for- More than you need for leave alone
- Pricing climbs with modules
- Setup takes longer than dedicated tools
Starting price$10 per employee/month (Core)
Free planFree trial (7 days)
BambooHR is the best-known HRIS in this roundup, and its time off module sits inside a complete platform covering employee records, onboarding, performance, benefits and applicant tracking. Pricing is published on its own pricing page: Core starts at $10 per employee per month, Pro at $17 and Elite at $25, with teams of 25 or fewer paying a flat $250 per month. A 7-day free trial needs no credit card.
For US-based SMBs, the platform's reputation is earned: clean interface, solid mobile apps, reporting on every plan, and integrations across payroll, benefits and time tracking. Paid time off includes accruals, balances and approval workflows that connect to the rest of the employee record.
The honest caveats are cost and floor. The $250 monthly floor makes BambooHR expensive for teams under 25, where dedicated tools cost a fraction. Payroll, benefits and time tracking are paid add-ons, so the Core price is not the whole bill. And seven days is a short trial for an HRIS decision. Buy BambooHR when you need a real HR system; buy a leave tracker when you need leave tracking.
What we like- Full HRIS with PTO, onboarding and performance
- Published pricing
- Strong US SMB reputation
Watch out for- Flat $250/month floor for small teams
- Add-ons cost extra
- 7-day trial is short
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Factorial is a Barcelona-based all-in-one HR platform with a strong following in Europe and Latin America. Time off management comes alongside time tracking, document management, applicant tracking, onboarding, performance, expenses and shift management. Pricing is not published and requires a sales quote, and there is no free trial, though demos are available.
The platform's strength is breadth at mid-market scale. It handles the HR lifecycle from hiring to offboarding in one system, with a solid mobile app and integrations including Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams and Zapier. Growing companies that want one HR home rather than point tools tend to land here.
Two honest caveats. The lack of a free trial means you evaluate through a guided demo, which is slower than self-serve. And pricing transparency is poor, with conflicting third-party figures floating around, so budget by quote. If you want to try before you talk to sales, the dedicated tools above are the faster route.
What we like- Broad all-in-one HR feature set
- Strong in Europe and Latin America
- Scalable for growing companies
Watch out for- No free trial
- Pricing is quote-based and opaque
- Payroll is handled separately
What to compare before you buy
Start with scope. Dedicated leave trackers (Timetastic, LeaveBoard, Calamari, Vacation Tracker, absence.io) solve holiday and sick leave brilliantly at $1.50 to $2 per head. HR suites (Sage HR, BambooHR, Factorial) cost more but replace spreadsheets for onboarding, performance and records too. Buying a suite just for leave is paying for seats you will never fill.
The billing math that matters
Per-employee pricing looks simple until the fine print. Vacation Tracker's $50 monthly floor means small teams pay far above the $2 headline. BambooHR's $250 floor makes it a non-starter for teams under 25. Calamari has a $15 minimum. Model your actual team size and monthly minimums, not the per-user rate, and compare annual totals.
Approvals, accruals and country rules
Check that the tool handles your leave types: sick leave, half days, hourly increments, carryover rules and automatic accruals. Multi-country teams need different policies per country, which is Calamari's home turf and a gap in simpler tools. Slack-first teams should weigh Vacation Tracker's in-chat flow, which removes the adoption problem entirely.
How we chose
We built this list from each vendor's pricing page and product documentation, cross-checked against recent third-party pricing guides and reviews from September to October 2026. Every tool had to handle real absence workflows (requests, approvals, balances, calendars), be live for US and UK businesses today, and either specialize in leave or include it in a broader HR suite. Prices are stated exactly as documented on vendor pages; where pricing is unpublished or third-party figures conflict, we wrote "See website". We did not run hands-on trials; this guide reflects documented plans and features as each vendor presents them.
Frequently asked questions
How much does absence management software cost?
Dedicated leave trackers cost $1.35 to $2.50 per user per month: LeaveBoard at $1.35, Timetastic at $1.50, Calamari and Vacation Tracker at $2. HR suites cost more: Sage HR from £4 per employee per month, BambooHR from $10. Free plans exist at LeaveBoard (up to 9 employees) and Vacation Tracker.
What is the difference between absence management and time tracking?
Absence management handles time off: vacations, sick leave, approvals, balances and who is out when. Time tracking measures hours worked for payroll and billing. Some tools do both (Calamari, Sage HR, BambooHR with its add-on), but dedicated absence tools like Timetastic and LeaveBoard focus only on leave and do it better for less.
Do I need absence management software for a small team?
If leave requests live in spreadsheets or chat messages, a dedicated tool pays for itself in saved confusion. LeaveBoard is free up to 9 employees, Vacation Tracker has a free plan, and Timetastic costs $1.50 per head. The shared calendar alone prevents the overlapping-holiday problem that hits small teams hardest.
Can employees request leave from their phones?
Yes. Timetastic, Calamari, Sage HR, BambooHR and Factorial all have iOS and Android apps. Vacation Tracker works through Slack, Teams and mobile apps. LeaveBoard is web-based and works on any device browser. absence.io has native Android and iOS apps.
Which absence software works best with Slack?
Vacation Tracker is built for it: requests, approvals and notifications happen inside Slack (or Microsoft Teams) without opening another app. Calamari, LeaveBoard and Timetastic also integrate with Slack, but Vacation Tracker's in-chat flow is the deepest.
How do multi-country leave policies work?
Tools like Calamari let you configure different leave types, public holidays and rules per country in one account. Vacation Tracker supports location-based policies with imported holidays. Simpler tools like Timetastic and LeaveBoard handle this less gracefully, so multi-country teams should shortlist Calamari, Sage HR or BambooHR.
Sources we checked (10)
- https://timetastic.co.uk/pricing/
- https://leaveboard.com/pricing/
- https://www.calamari.io/pricing/
- https://vacationtracker.io/pricing/
- https://www.absence.io/en/pricing/
- https://www.sage.com/en-gb/sage-business-cloud/hr/pricing/
- https://www.bamboohr.com/pricing/
- https://factorial.com/pricing/
- https://vacationtracker.io/blog/best-paid-time-off-tracker-3-options
- https://desklog.io/blog/best-leave-management-software
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.