absence.io vs Calamari (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, absence.io and Calamari share a 2.4 GPA, neither has a free plan, and Calamari starts cheaper, at $2 a month for each person against about $3.01 a month for each person.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
absence.io
Time off, time tracking and employee files for small teams
Calamari
Modular HR system for time off, attendance, core HR and reviews
Which one is for you
Pick absence.io if
- Fits if you run a small team that mainly needs leave tracking and a shared absence calendar
- Works for teams that want time tracking from the same login on the Pro plan
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need payroll, as there is none
- Tight if you want time tracking or employee files, since both need Pro at €4.49 a user
- Pricey if you need expenses or the API, which only come on Complete at €7.19
- Watch out: prices are in euros and net of tax, with no dollar price shown
Pick Calamari if
- Fits if you only need one or two HR modules and want to pay for just those
- Works for small teams comfortable with a $20 monthly minimum
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want one bundled price, as each module is priced separately
- Tight if you add up modules: all five come to $11.50 a person a month
- Watch out: there is a $20 a month minimum in the pricing calculator
- Watch out: SAML login is a paid add-on, and the page doesn't state its unit
- Not for you if you need payroll, as there is none
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAabsence.ioFair | 2.4GPACalamariFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BStarter is €2.69 per user a month billed annually, about $2.90, inside the cheapest quarter of the category. Time tracking and the employee file sit on Pro at €4.49. | BTime Off and Core HR are $2 per employee a month billed yearly, inside the cheapest quarter. All five modules add up to $11.50, above the category middle. |
| Free plan and trial | C14-day free trial with no card needed, and no free plan. | C14-day free trial with no card needed, and no free plan. |
| Features | CLeave, time tracking, overtime, an employee file and expenses. Time tracking and files need Pro, expenses and the API need Complete, and there is no payroll. | CTime off, attendance, core HR, reviews and scheduling. SAML is a paid add-on, and the AI review help is marked coming soon. No payroll. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Absence policies, allowances and approval flows need setting up first. | CNo store rating on record. Policies, approval flows and schedules need setting up per module. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus iOS and Android apps, with Microsoft, Google and Slack integrations. The API only comes on Complete. | BWeb plus iOS and Android apps, with 7 integrations on record. No desktop app. |
| Best for | time off and time tracking for small teams | picking only the HR modules you need |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: absence.io and Calamari. How we grade
Price against what you get
absence.io starts at about $3.01 a month for each person and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Calamari starts at $2 a month for each person and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Calamari starts $1.01 a month lower. Of the other HR software on the chart, 1 scores higher than absence.io for less, and none scores higher than Calamari for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- absence.io also covers expense tracking and time clock.
- Calamari also covers goals and shift scheduling.
At a glance
| absence.io | Calamari | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | €2.69 per user / month, billed annually (€2.99 billed monthly) | $2 per employee / month per module, billed yearly |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial, no credit card required | 14-day free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | absence.io GmbH | Calamari |
| Price read from | absence.io | calamari.io |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
absence.io
- Prices are listed in euros and net per user; no US dollar price is shown.
- Time tracking, the employee file and SSO need Pro; expenses and the API need Complete.
- Billing is per user, per month; annual billing takes 10% off the monthly price.
Calamari
- Each module is priced separately per employee; combining all five costs the sum of their rates.
- The pricing calculator applies a minimum total of $20 per month for the selected modules.
- SAML integration is a paid add-on, shown at $1 billed yearly or $2 billed monthly; the page does not state the unit.
- The page labels its AI support for performance reviews as coming soon.
Key features
absence.io
- Absence and leave management
- Employees request time off and managers approve it, with leave handled in every tier.
- Time tracking
- Web and app tracking, a digital time-clock terminal, overtime automation, custom work schedules and project labels on Pro and above.
- Digital employee file
- Document management and an employee file on Pro and Complete.
- Expense management
- Travel and expense claims with automatic receipt capture and a DATEV integration for expenses, on Complete only.
- Integrations and API
- Connects with Microsoft, Google and Slack on every plan. API access and automated workflows are Complete features.
Calamari
- Time off management
- Policies with unlimited absence types, multi-country rules, automatic carry-over and entitlement calculated from accrual rules.
- Time and attendance
- Seven tracking methods, listed in the page data as mobile, web, Slack, QR, NFC, GPS and kiosk.
- Core HR
- A central employee database with documents, permission settings, approval flows and notifications for important dates.
- Performance reviews
- 90 to 360 degree review cycles with questionnaires, goals, reviewer assignment and manager summaries.
- Scheduling
- Schedules for shift-based or mixed workforces that sync with the leave and time-tracking modules.
Plans
absence.io
Starter€2.69
per user / month, billed annually (€2.99 billed monthly)
Absence and leave management, reports and downloads, integrations with Microsoft, Google and Slack, standard support.
Pro€4.49
per user / month, billed annually (€4.99 billed monthly)
Everything in Starter plus time tracking (web, app and time-clock terminal), automated overtime, digital employee file, document management, SSO and priority support.
Complete€7.19
per user / month, billed annually (€7.99 billed monthly)
Everything in Pro plus travel and expense management with receipt capture, API access and automated workflows, and a dedicated account manager.
Calamari
Time Off$2
per employee / month, billed yearly ($2.50 billed monthly)
Online time-off requests, absence calendar, unlimited absence types, automatic carry-over and balance calculations.
Core HR$2
per employee / month, billed yearly ($2.50 billed monthly)
Central HR database, documents, permissions, approval processes, custom fields and employee requests.
Time & Attendance$2.50
per employee / month, billed yearly ($3 billed monthly)
Timesheets and time tracking with seven tracking methods.
Performance Review$2.50
per employee / month, billed yearly ($3 billed monthly)
Review cycles (self, peer, top-down and external), questionnaires, goals and manager summaries.
Scheduling$2.50
per employee / month, billed yearly ($3 billed monthly)
Weekly or monthly schedules planned per employee or role, with drafts, published versions and sync to leave and time tracking.
Ways to pay less
absence.io
- Annual discount
10% off with annual billing
The pricing page toggle shows each plan about 10% cheaper per month when billed annually.
- Nonprofit
Special pricing for NGOs
The pricing page says NGOs and non-profits can get special pricing by getting in touch.
Calamari
- Annual discount
About 20% off with yearly billing
The pricing calculator shows each module cheaper per employee when billed yearly than when billed monthly (for example $2 against $2.50 for Time Off).
Common questions
Which is cheaper, absence.io or Calamari?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Calamari is cheaper to start with: $2 a month for each person, against about $3.01 a month for each person for absence.io. absence.io starts at €2.69 per user / month, billed annually (€2.99 billed monthly), and Calamari starts at $2 per employee / month per module, billed yearly.
Which has a free plan, absence.io or Calamari?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither absence.io nor Calamari has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.