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Absenca

Comparison · Updated October 2026

Best leave management software for small teams

Leave management software replaces the spreadsheets and email threads teams use to track time off, handling requests, approvals, balances, accruals, carry-over and public holidays in one place. The right tool depends on your size, your budget and whether you live in Slack, Microsoft Teams or Google Chat.

Below are ten of the best options for small and growing teams in 2026: dedicated leave trackers first, then HR suites that include leave. We make one of them (Absenca); the rest are independent, established products, and every fact about them links to its source and the date we checked it.

Leave management software at a glance

Best leave management software for small teams, compared
Tool Free planPriceChat appsAccrual & carry-over
Absenca Up to 10 people, no time limit$37.50 a month for up to 50 peopleSlack bot, on ProAccruals and carry-over, on every plan
Vacation Tracker None; a 14-day trial1$2 or $4 a user a month, with a $50 or $100 minimum2Slack or Teams, one per workspace; no Google Chat bot3Accruals on Complete; carry-over on both plans4
Timetastic None; a 30-day trial5$1.50 or $2.50 a user a month5Slack; Teams on Pro; no Google Chat5Monthly accrual on Pro; no seniority rules listed5
Calamari None; a 14-day trial6$2.50 a user a month for Time Off; 10-seat minimum6Slack and Teams; no Google Chat6Carry-over and seniority rules7
LeaveBoard Up to 9 employees8$1.35 an employee a month from the 10th9No bot; Slack sign-in only10Yearly accrual, pro rata and carry-over11
absence.io None; a 14-day trial12€2.99 to €7.99 a user a month12Slack and Teams approvals; no Google Chat13Monthly accrual and carry-over; no seniority rules documented14
Leave Dates None; a 30-day trial15$1.40 to $3.40 a user a month15Slack who's-off reports; no Teams or Google Chat16A yearly allowance; no accrual policy17
absentify Unlimited users; 2 departments, 1 admin, 1 allowance18$1 to $3.50 a user a month19Teams only20Accrual rules; no seniority increases documented21
BambooHR None22$10 to $25 an employee a month; from $250 flat up to 25 people22Its own Slack app23Yes, with expiry up to a year24
Sage HR None25$6.50 an employee a month25A daily who's-off notice26Yes27
  1. 1

    Absenca

    That's us

    Free for up to 10 people, then one flat price

    Absenca is a leave and absence tracker built for small and growing teams. It covers the calendar, approvals, accruals, carry-over and public holidays for 190+ countries on every plan. TOIL, Bradford Factor analytics and the Slack bot are on Pro. Absenca is free for up to 10 people. Pro is $37.50 a month for up to 50 people, or $33.75 a month billed annually ($405 a year).

    Best for
    Teams that want full leave tracking without per-module pricing or a big bill.
    Pricing
    Free for up to 10 people; Pro is $37.50 a month for up to 50

    Pros

    • A free plan for up to 10 people, with no time limit
    • One flat price for up to 50 people, with no modules
    • Accruals and per-office policies on every plan

    Cons

    • Newer product
    • No built-in time clock or timesheets (leave-focused)
    See features →
  2. 2

    Vacation Tracker

    Chat-first, widely adopted

    A mature leave tracker with a big install base. Vacation Tracker says more than 3,500 companies use it.4 A Vacation Tracker workspace connects to one platform at a time, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace or email, and there's no Google Chat bot.3 Strong if you live in chat tools and want a proven product, at a higher price point.

    Best for
    Chat-first teams wanting a proven, well-supported tracker.
    Pricing
    Vacation Tracker's Core plan costs $2 and Complete $4 per user per month, with monthly minimums of $50 and $100.2

    Pros

    • Vacation Tracker has iOS and Android apps.4
    • Vacation Tracker offers a read and write REST API with webhooks on its paid plans.28

    Cons

    • Vacation Tracker has no free plan: new workspaces get a 14-day trial of its paid plans.1
    • Vacation Tracker's Core plan costs $2 and Complete $4 per user per month, with monthly minimums of $50 and $100.2
    Vacation Tracker alternative →
  3. 3

    Timetastic

    The simplest staff holiday planner

    A friendly, focused annual-leave planner that's easy to roll out. Best when you want simplicity over depth.

    Best for
    Small teams that value simplicity above all.
    Pricing
    Outside the UK and Ireland, Timetastic charges $1.50 (Business) or $2.50 (Pro) per user per month, billed monthly.5

    Pros

    • Effortless to use
    • Timetastic has iPhone and Android apps.29
    • Timetastic has a Slack integration on both plans and a Microsoft Teams integration on Pro, and lists no Google Chat integration.5

    Cons

    • Timetastic has no free plan, only a 30-day free trial.5
    • Timetastic records TOIL by adding it to a person's annual allowance rather than keeping a separate balance.30
    Timetastic alternative →
  4. 4

    Calamari

    Leave and attendance from one vendor

    Combines leave management with clock-in and attendance as separate modules: a good fit when you need both. Calamari prices Time Off, Time & Attendance, Core HR and Scheduling as separate per-user modules, with Performance marked as coming soon.31

    Best for
    Teams needing leave plus time and attendance.
    Pricing
    Calamari's Time Off module costs $2.50 per user per month, or $2.00 billed yearly, and Calamari charges at least 10 seats.6

    Pros

    • Calamari's Time & Attendance module clocks people in by kiosk, mobile app with GPS, Slack, Teams or fingerprint scanner.6
    • Calamari supports half-day, quarter-day and hourly leave.7
    • Calamari's public API can read and write absences and timesheet entries.32

    Cons

    • Calamari has no free plan, only a 14-day free trial.6
    • Calamari's Time Off module costs $2.50 per user per month, or $2.00 billed yearly, and Calamari charges at least 10 seats.6
    Calamari alternative →
  5. 5

    LeaveBoard

    A tidy, basic leave tracker

    A clean leave tracker with an HR dashboard and a shared absence calendar. LeaveBoard is free for up to 9 employees.8 It covers the basics well and leaves chat out.

    Best for
    Very small teams wanting a quick, low-cost tracker.
    Pricing
    From the 10th employee, LeaveBoard's PRO plan costs $1.35 per active employee per month, or $13.50 a year.9

    Pros

    • LeaveBoard is free for up to 9 employees.8
    • From the 10th employee, LeaveBoard's PRO plan costs $1.35 per active employee per month, or $13.50 a year.9
    • LeaveBoard syncs with Office 365 directly; Google Calendar and Apple Calendar subscribe to .ics feeds.10

    Cons

    • LeaveBoard uses Slack only for single sign-on; it describes no Slack bot or Slack notifications.10
    • LeaveBoard lists no TOIL feature; managers adjust time-off balances by hand.33
    LeaveBoard alternative →
  6. 6

    absence.io

    European absence management with time tracking

    An established European platform with absence management, time tracking and personnel files. Best for German and European teams wanting a broader HR product. absence.io's time tracking and digital employee files come with its Pro and Complete plans.12

    Best for
    European teams wanting more than just leave.
    Pricing
    absence.io charges €2.99 (Starter), €4.99 (Pro) or €7.99 (Complete) per user per month, 10% less billed annually, with no minimum.12

    Pros

    • absence.io hosts all customer data in Germany.12
    • absence.io's time tracking and digital employee files come with its Pro and Complete plans.12
    • absence.io has iOS and Android apps.12

    Cons

    • absence.io has no free plan, only a 14-day free trial.12
    • absence.io handles time off in lieu through its time-tracking overtime balance, from the Pro plan.34
    absence.io alternative →
  7. 7

    Leave Dates

    A straightforward annual-leave planner

    A shared leave calendar for small teams, built around a yearly allowance rather than accrual policies. Leave Dates was built by its founders and launched in 2019.35

    Best for
    Small teams that want a simple holiday calendar with document uploads.
    Pricing
    Leave Dates charges every employee $1.40 (Starter), $2.70 (Essential) or $3.40 (Plus) a month in US dollars, or less billed yearly.15

    Pros

    • Leave Dates lets people attach files to leave requests on every plan.36
    • Leave Dates bulk-imports employees, leave and allowances from Excel templates, and offers free assisted migration.37
    • Leave Dates imports public holidays for more than 150 countries, by its help centre; its pricing page says 230+.38

    Cons

    • Leave Dates has no free plan, only a 30-day free trial.15
    • Leave Dates allowances are a set yearly amount plus carry-over, with no accrual policy.17
    Leave Dates alternative →
  8. 8

    absentify

    Leave tracking inside Microsoft 365

    A Microsoft-native leave tracker that lives in Teams and Outlook. absentify's free plan covers any number of users, with 2 departments, 1 administrator and 1 leave allowance.18 Best when the whole company runs on Microsoft 365.

    Best for
    All-Microsoft organisations with simple leave rules.
    Pricing
    absentify's paid plans cost $1.00 (Mini), $2.00 (Essentials) and $3.50 (Plus) per user per month, 15% less billed yearly.19

    Pros

    • absentify's free plan covers any number of users, with 2 departments, 1 administrator and 1 leave allowance.18
    • absentify can be installed from the Microsoft Teams Store or deployed centrally by an admin.39
    • absentify accrues leave by yearly, monthly or bi-weekly rules on every plan, and documents no seniority-based increases.21

    Cons

    • absentify integrates with Microsoft Teams and has no Slack or Google Chat integration; its webhooks can post to Slack.20
    • absentify has no Google Calendar sync; people who sign in by email get iCal invitations instead.39
    absentify alternative →
  9. 9

    BambooHR

    A full HRIS with time off built in

    An established HR platform where time off is one part of a wider system. BambooHR includes applicant tracking in every plan and performance management from Pro; payroll, benefits and time and attendance are paid add-ons.22 Worth it when you want an HRIS, not just leave tracking.

    Best for
    Companies that want one HR system of record, with leave inside it.
    Pricing
    BambooHR lists Core at $10, Pro at $17 and Elite at $25 per employee per month; companies of 25 employees or fewer pay a flat $250, $425 or $650 a month.22

    Pros

    • BambooHR's own Slack app lets employees check balances, request time off and see who's out.23
    • BambooHR time-off policies can include tenure milestones.40
    • BambooHR imports holidays by country for more than 180 countries.41

    Cons

    • BambooHR plans are bought through a quote request; its pricing page has no self-serve checkout.22
    • BambooHR says full implementation generally takes four to six weeks; companies under 25 employees use a self-guided QuickStart.42
    BambooHR alternative →
  10. 10

    Sage HR

    An HR suite with leave and paid modules

    An HR suite whose base plan covers core HR and leave management, with other modules priced on top. Sage HR's Performance, Shift Scheduling and Timesheets modules cost $3.25 per employee per month each, Expenses $1.75, and Recruitment a flat $210 a month.25

    Best for
    Teams that want core HR records with leave, and may add scheduling or timesheets later.
    Pricing
    In the US, Sage HR's Core HR + Leave Management costs $6.50 per employee per month, billed monthly.25

    Pros

    • Sage HR time-off policies support accrual, carry-over with expiry, and length-of-service and pro-rata allowances.27
    • Sage HR includes a Bradford Factor report.43
    • Sage HR supports blackout dates that block time-off requests.44

    Cons

    • Sage HR lists no free plan.25
    • Sage HR imports public holidays by country, but they have to be added again each calendar year.45
    Sage HR alternative →

What 10, 20, 30 and 50 people pay each month

Monthly price by team size
Tool 10 people20 people30 people50 people
Absenca Free$37.50$37.50$37.50
Vacation Tracker Core $502 $502 $602 $1002
Timetastic Business $155 $305 $455 $755
Calamari Time Off $256 $506 $756 $1256
LeaveBoard PRO $13.509 $279 $40.509 $67.509
Leave Dates Starter $1415 $2815 $4215 $7015
absentify Mini $1019 $2019 $3019 $5019
BambooHR Core $25022 $25022 $30022 $50022
Sage HR Core HR + Leave Management $6525 $13025 $19525 $32525

Monthly prices in US dollars, before tax, on each tool's priced plan with any minimum applied. Absenca bills Pro for all 50 seats, so every team from 11 to 50 people pays $37.50. Tools that publish no US-dollar price aren't shown.

How we compared them

We compared each tool on what a team of 10 to 50 people weighs first: whether there's a free plan or only a trial, the published price and what it bills each month with any minimum applied, which chat apps it works in, and how far its leave policies go (accruals, carry-over, seniority).

Dedicated leave trackers rank above HR suites because this list is for teams that need leave management, not a whole HR platform; a suite's price buys payroll, recruiting or performance as well. Every fact about another tool comes from that vendor's own pages, the sources below give the date we checked each one, and we re-check them every quarter.

Try Absenca free

Leave tracking that's free for up to 10 people, then Pro at $37.50 a month for up to 50. No credit card to start.

Get started free See pricing
The best Vacation Tracker alternatives in 2026What leave management software costsHow to choose leave management softwareLeave management software

Frequently asked questions

What is the best free leave management software?
For most small teams, Absenca: it's free for up to 10 people, with accruals, public holidays and approvals, and no time limit. LeaveBoard is free for up to 9 employees.8 absentify's free plan covers any number of users, with 2 departments, 1 administrator and 1 leave allowance.18
How much does leave management software cost?
Dedicated leave tools usually charge per user per month, sometimes with minimums, while HR suites that include leave cost more. Absenca is free for up to 10 people. Pro is $37.50 a month for up to 50 people, or $33.75 a month billed annually ($405 a year). Vacation Tracker's Core plan costs $2 and Complete $4 per user per month, with monthly minimums of $50 and $100.2 Outside the UK and Ireland, Timetastic charges $1.50 (Business) or $2.50 (Pro) per user per month, billed monthly.5
Do I need leave management software for a small team?
Once a team grows past a handful of people, spreadsheets struggle with accruals, carry-over, part-timers and public holidays. Dedicated software keeps balances accurate, speeds up approvals and gives managers visibility, and a free plan means small teams can start at no cost.

Every fact about another product links to its source and the date we checked it. Features and prices change, so check each vendor's own pages before you decide.

Sources

  1. vacationtracker.io/knowledge-base/guide-what-are-the-differences-between-our-core-complete-plans, checked
  2. vacationtracker.io/knowledge-base/how-can-i-change-my-subscription-corecomplete-and-annualmonthly, checked
  3. vacationtracker.io/knowledge-base/guide-which-vacation-tracker-integration-is-right-for-me-google-microsoft-teams-slack-or-email-only, checked
  4. vacationtracker.io/pricing, checked
  5. timetastic.co.uk/pricing, checked
  6. calamari.io/pricing, checked
  7. help.calamari.io/en/articles/96292-how-to-configure-an-absence-type, checked
  8. leaveboard.com/support/billing-and-subscription, checked
  9. leaveboard.com/pricing, checked
  10. leaveboard.com/support/management-calendar-integration, checked
  11. leaveboard.com/leave-tracking, checked
  12. absence.io/en/packages-pricing, checked
  13. absence.io/en/features/integrations, checked
  14. info.absence.io/en/help-center/set-up-monthly-allowance-with-a-fixed-expiry-date, checked
  15. leavedates.com/pricing-plans, checked
  16. leavedates.com/integrate-with-us, checked
  17. help.leavedates.com/article/137-leave-allowances, checked
  18. absentify.com/docs/en/roles/hr_admins/settings/plan-feature-matrix, checked
  19. absentify.com/pricing, checked
  20. absentify.com/docs/en/roles/hr_admins/settings/integrations/integrations, checked
  21. absentify.com/docs/en/roles/hr_admins/settings/allowances, checked
  22. bamboohr.com/pricing, checked
  23. bamboohr.com/integrations/listings/slack, checked
  24. bamboohr.com/product-updates/set-expiration-dates-for-carryover-time-off-balances, checked
  25. sage.com/en-us/sage-business-cloud/hr, checked
  26. support.sage.hr/en/articles/722380-integrate-slack-with-sage-hr, checked
  27. support.sage.hr/en/articles/10184424-time-off-policy-settings, checked
  28. vacationtracker.io/developers, checked
  29. help.timetastic.co.uk/en/articles/13193379-android-and-iphone-apps, checked
  30. help.timetastic.co.uk/en/articles/13193364-time-in-lieu-toil, checked
  31. calamari.io/pricing, checked
  32. developers-assets.calamari.io, checked
  33. leaveboard.com/features, checked
  34. info.absence.io/en/help-center/flexitime-overtime-balances-taking-time-off-time-off-in-lieu, checked
  35. leavedates.com/why-us, checked
  36. help.leavedates.com/article/113-requesting-time-off, checked
  37. help.leavedates.com/article/141-bulk-import-employees-leave-or-allowances, checked
  38. help.leavedates.com/article/145-importing-and-using-public-holidays, checked
  39. absentify.com/docs/en/roles/employee/sign_in, checked
  40. bamboohr.com/resources/guides/customize-bamboohr-nonprofit, checked
  41. bamboohr.com/product-updates/add-holidays-in-bulk-by-country, checked
  42. bamboohr.com/faq, checked
  43. support.sage.hr/en/articles/6579191-bradford-factor-report, checked
  44. support.sage.hr/en/articles/5627288-create-blackout-dates, checked
  45. support.sage.hr/en/articles/5627326-import-public-holidays-to-the-calendar, checked