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
- Standalone leave trackers are cheap: Timetastic ($1.50/user/month), LeaveBoard ($1.35/user/month, free up to 9 users) and actiPLANS ($1.50/user/month, free for 3 users) all publish prices.
- If leave is part of a bigger HR job, BambooHR (from $10/user/month) and Factorial (from $8/user/month) bundle time off with onboarding, records and payroll.
- Slack-first teams should look at Vacation Tracker ($2/user/month) and Calamari ($2.50/user/month for the time-off module), which run approvals where people already work.
- Connecteam is free for teams under 10 employees, which makes it the cheapest way to digitize leave requests for very small teams.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 BambooHR | Small to mid-size teams that want leave inside a real HR system | $10/user/month (Core plan) | Free trial (7 days) |
 Factorial | SMBs that want leave plus full HR automation in one platform | $8/user/month | Free trial (14 days) |
 Timetastic | Small teams that want the simplest possible holiday tracker | $1.50/user/month (Business plan) | Free trial (30 days) |
 Calamari | Teams that need leave management plus time and attendance | $2.50/user/month (time-off module) | Free trial (14 days) |
 Vacation Tracker | Teams that live in Slack or Microsoft Teams | $2/user/month (Core plan) | Free trial (7 days) |
 LeaveBoard | Small teams that want a genuinely free leave app | $1.35/user/month | Yes (up to 9 users) |
 Connecteam | Deskless, shift-based and frontline teams | $29/month for the first 30 users (billed annually) | Yes (free for fewer than 10 employees) |
 Zoho People | Budget-conscious teams already in the Zoho ecosystem | $1/user/month | Free trial (30 days) |
 actiPLANS | Teams that want a visual timeline of who is off | $1.50/user/month | Yes (up to 3 users) |
Is your product missing or out of date?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.
The best leave management software
Leave management is one of the first HR processes companies digitize: requests, approvals, balances and a shared calendar of who is out. The market splits into standalone leave trackers (cheap, focused, fast to set up) and HR platforms where leave is one module among many. The nine tools below cover both, from $1.35/user/month to full HR suites.
#1
BambooHR
Best for: Small to mid-size teams that want leave inside a real HR system
Visit bamboohr.com
Starting price$10/user/month (Core plan)
Free planFree trial (7 days)
BambooHR is the HR platform most small and mid-size US companies pick first, and time-off management is one of its strongest modules. Employees see their PTO balances, request time off and get automatic notifications on approval; managers see who is out on a shared calendar and get reports on upcoming leave and absence trends. It sits inside a full HRIS, so leave data connects to records, onboarding and payroll.
Pricing starts at $10 per user/month for Core, with higher tiers quoted. Contracts auto-renew annually, typically requiring 30 days' notice before renewal. If leave is the only thing you need, the standalone tools below are cheaper; if you are buying an HR system anyway, BambooHR's leave module is one of the best reasons to choose it.
What we like- The "Who's Out" calendar gives instant visibility into absences
- Leave sits alongside employee records, onboarding and payroll
- Reviewers rate the interface highly for ease of use
Watch out for- No published price for the Pro and Elite tiers
- Some reviewers report payroll integration issues
- Annual contracts are standard with auto-renewal
Starting price$8/user/month
Free planFree trial (14 days)
Factorial takes the all-in-one route at a lower price point: from $8 per user/month, you get leave management with configurable policies, allowance tracking, carryover rules and blocked periods, plus time tracking, document management and payroll in the same platform. For SMBs that want one vendor for HR operations, the value is strong.
Reviewers praise the simplicity for small teams and the clear pricing. The weaknesses are the mobile app experience and limited third-party integrations. It is particularly strong for companies with straightforward HR needs that want to stop juggling spreadsheets and paperwork.
What we like- Clear policy and allowance setup with carryover rules, blocked periods and team calendars
- All-in-one HR covers time tracking, documents and payroll
- Transparent published pricing
Watch out for- Mobile app lags reported by some users
- Approved leave requests are hard to edit
- Fewer third-party integrations than BambooHR
Starting price$1.50/user/month (Business plan)
Free planFree trial (30 days)
Timetastic does one thing: track who is off and when. Each employee gets a personal time-off calendar with real-time balances, managers get daily and weekly email summaries of absences without logging in, and calendar integrations keep everything in sync. At $1.50 per user/month, it is among the cheapest credible options.
The $2.50 Pro plan adds automated accruals, SSO, Microsoft Teams integration and a Burnout Board that surfaces employees who have not taken leave, a genuinely useful wellbeing feature. The limits are single-approver workflows and basic reporting. For teams that just need holiday tracking without an HR suite, it is the simplest pick.
What we like- Dead-simple setup with a personal time-off calendar per employee
- Integrates with Google Calendar, Outlook and Slack
- Pro plan adds burnout alerts that flag employees overdue for leave
Watch out for- No permanent free plan
- Approval workflows are basic (single approver)
- Reporting is thin on the Business plan
#4
Calamari
Best for: Teams that need leave management plus time and attendance
Visit calamari.io
Starting price$2.50/user/month (time-off module)
Free planFree trial (14 days)
Calamari sells HR in modules: the time-off module at $2.50 per user/month, time and attendance at $3, and core HR at $2.50, bought individually or bundled. Leave requests, approvals and balances run inside Slack, Teams or Google Workspace, so employees never open a separate app. Customizable policies, automated accruals and real-time balances cover the core workflow.
Setup takes a few days when you configure multiple modules with data migration and policy setup. For teams that want leave today and might add time tracking later, the modular structure means you never pay for what you do not use yet.
What we like- Modular pricing lets you buy leave tracking alone or add time tracking and core HR
- Works inside Slack, Teams and Google Workspace
- Open API for custom integrations
Watch out for- Full setup with multiple modules takes 3 to 5 days
- Each module adds to the per-user cost
- Smaller vendor than the HRIS platforms
Starting price$2/user/month (Core plan)
Free planFree trial (7 days)
Vacation Tracker removes the app entirely: employees request leave in Slack or Teams, managers approve with a click, and balances update automatically. Setup is famously fast, typically under 30 minutes, and the 7-day trial needs no credit card. The Core plan at $2 per user/month covers the essentials; Complete at $4 adds the full feature set.
It is a leave tool, not an HR platform, so companies that also need records, onboarding or payroll should pair it with an HRIS. For distributed teams already living in chat, the zero-context-switching workflow drives adoption better than any feature list.
What we like- Leave requests and approvals happen entirely inside Slack or Teams
- Setup takes under 30 minutes
- No credit card needed for the trial
Watch out for- No permanent free plan for paid features
- The Complete plan at $4/user/month doubles the cost for advanced features
- HR depth is limited to leave
Starting price$1.35/user/month
Free planYes (up to 9 users)
LeaveBoard's free plan is real: up to 9 users, no trial expiration, covering the core leave workflow with calendar sync. When you outgrow it, paid plans start at $1.35 per user/month, the lowest paid price here. For a startup or small team that just needs to stop tracking holidays in a spreadsheet, it costs nothing to start.
The free tier skips PTO accrual and has no mobile app, so growing teams with complex policies will need to upgrade or switch. But as a first leave system, the price is unbeatable and the core workflow works.
What we like- Free for up to 9 users with no expiration
- The cheapest paid tier in this list at $1.35/user/month
- Calendar sync included
Watch out for- No PTO accrual automation or mobile app on the free tier
- Limited advanced features
- Small vendor with a narrower integration list
Starting price$29/month for the first 30 users (billed annually)
Free planYes (free for fewer than 10 employees)
Connecteam is built for teams that do not sit at desks: retail, hospitality, construction, healthcare. Leave requests and approvals run on a mobile-first app alongside scheduling, time clocks and team chat. The Small Business plan is free for under 10 employees, and paid starts at $29/month for the first 30 users.
The block pricing means a 31-person team pays for the next tier up, so model the jumps. And leave is one feature among many, which is a strength if you need the whole operations platform and a weakness if you want deep leave policy automation. For frontline teams, the mobile experience matters more than either.
What we like- Free for teams under 10 employees
- Mobile-first design suits deskless workers
- Bundles scheduling, time tracking and communication with leave
Watch out for- Pricing is per block of users rather than per user
- Leave features are part of a broader platform, not a deep standalone
- Paid plans scale in jumps
#8
Zoho People
Best for: Budget-conscious teams already in the Zoho ecosystem
Visit zoho.com
Starting price$1/user/month
Free planFree trial (30 days)
Zoho People brings leave management inside a full HR suite starting at $1 per user/month, which undercuts every HR platform here. Leave requests, approvals, accruals and balances connect to attendance tracking, timesheets and performance reviews, and the integration with the rest of Zoho (CRM, Books, Desk) is deep for teams already on the platform.
The trade is polish: the interface and mobile apps feel older than BambooHR or Factorial, and the best features sit on higher tiers. For cost-sensitive teams, especially those already paying for Zoho apps, the bundled value is hard to argue with.
What we like- The cheapest HR suite entry at $1/user/month
- Leave integrates with attendance, timesheets and performance
- Deep integration with other Zoho apps
Watch out for- Interface feels dated next to modern HRIS tools
- Advanced features need higher tiers
- Support quality varies by plan
Starting price$1.50/user/month
Free planYes (up to 3 users)
actiPLANS leads with a visual timeline: the whole team's leave laid out on a calendar so managers can see coverage gaps before approving. Paid plans at $1.50 per user/month add automated accruals, custom approval workflows and absence reports with CSV and PDF export. The free plan covers 3 users.
It suits teams that plan leave visually and want more than a list of requests. The approval workflows are simpler than what BambooHR or Factorial offer, but for small teams the timeline view plus accruals covers the real need.
What we like- Visual team timeline makes coverage gaps obvious
- Unlimited custom leave types
- Automated PTO accrual with configurable rules on paid plans
Watch out for- Free plan limited to 3 users
- Smaller brand with less review volume
- Approval workflows are simpler than enterprise tools
How we chose
We looked for leave management tools that exist today, from standalone trackers to HR platforms with time-off modules. We verified prices on vendor pricing pages and recent third-party pricing roundups (Factorial's August 2026 comparison and actiPLANS' September 2026 pricing tables), and we read public reviews on G2 and Capterra for patterns around approval workflows, mobile experience and setup effort.
What to set up before you roll it out
Define your leave types first: vacation, sick, personal, parental, unpaid, and any carryover or accrual rules. Every tool here handles custom policies, but migrating mid-year with undefined rules creates a mess. Decide whether balances accrue monthly or grant annually, and whether unused days carry over.
Then map the approval chain. Single-approver tools (Timetastic, Vacation Tracker) suit small teams; multi-level approvals (BambooHR, Factorial, Calamari) suit larger ones. Test the chain with real requests before inviting the whole company, because a broken approval flow on day one kills adoption.
Finally, connect the calendar. Leave data that does not reach Google Calendar or Outlook gets ignored. Every tool here offers calendar sync; turn it on during setup, not after.
Standalone tracker or HR suite: how to decide
Buy a standalone tracker when leave is your only HR software need: Timetastic, Vacation Tracker, LeaveBoard or actiPLANS cost $1.35 to $2.50 per user/month and set up in hours. Buy an HR suite when you also need employee records, onboarding or payroll: BambooHR at $10 and Factorial at $8 per user/month replace several tools at once.
The wrong choice is buying the suite for leave alone, because you pay five times more for features nobody uses, or buying the tracker when HR needs are growing, because you will migrate within a year. Match the purchase to the next two years of HR plans, not just today's leave spreadsheet.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best leave management app for small teams?
Timetastic ($1.50/user/month), LeaveBoard (free up to 9 users) and actiPLANS (free for 3 users) are the simplest and cheapest. Vacation Tracker ($2/user/month) is best if the team lives in Slack or Teams. Connecteam is free under 10 employees for deskless teams.
How much does leave management software cost?
Standalone trackers cost $1.35 to $2.50 per user/month. HR platforms with leave modules cost $8 to $10 per user/month (Factorial, BambooHR). Several tools offer genuinely free plans for very small teams.
Does leave management software handle sick leave and PTO accrual?
Yes. All nine tools support multiple leave types including sick leave, and most support automated PTO accrual with configurable rules. Accrual automation usually sits on paid tiers; free plans often track balances manually.
Can employees request leave from their phones?
Yes. BambooHR, Factorial, Calamari, Connecteam and Zoho People have mobile apps. Vacation Tracker and Calamari also run inside Slack and Teams mobile apps. Timetastic and LeaveBoard offer mobile access with varying depth.
How long does it take to set up?
Standalone trackers take under an hour (Vacation Tracker claims 30 minutes). HR suites take days to weeks depending on data migration and policy configuration. Define leave types and approval chains before you start to avoid rework.
Do we need HR software just for leave tracking?
No. If leave is your only need, a standalone tracker at $1.35 to $2.50 per user/month is cheaper and faster than an HR suite. Buy the suite when you also need employee records, onboarding, payroll or performance management.
Sources we checked (13)
- https://www.bamboohr.com/pricing/
- https://www.factorialhr.com/pricing/
- https://www.timetastic.co.uk/pricing/
- https://www.calamari.io/pricing/
- https://www.vacationtracker.io/pricing/
- https://www.leaveboard.com/pricing/
- https://www.connecteam.com/pricing/
- https://www.zoho.com/people/pricing/
- https://www.actiplans.com/pricing/
- https://factorial.com/blog/best-leave-management-software/
- https://www.actiplans.com/blog/free-leave-management-software
- https://www.actiplans.com/blog/vacation-tracking-software
- https://vacationtracker.io/alternative/calamari/
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.