absence.io vs Personio (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, absence.io grades higher than Personio: 2.4 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
absence.io grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
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
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 Personio if
- Fits if you're a European company that wants HR, payroll and hiring together
- Works for teams that already use a separate shift planner
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to see a price before talking to sales
- Not for you if you want to plan shifts inside your HR tool, as that needs a partner app
- Tight if managers mostly work from their phones, as setup and most workflows need the web
- Watch out: the pages we read don't list the countries where its payroll works
- Watch out: the listing shows no performance reviews or onboarding, so ask before you buy
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAabsence.ioFair | 1.8GPAPersonioWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CWe couldn't read a price: Personio's pages turned our reader away, so plans and prices aren't on record and we can't say what a ten-person company pays. With no figure to compare, it's a C. |
| Free plan and trial | C14-day free trial with no card needed, and no free plan. | FNo free plan or trial on record. Its pages turned our reader away, so a trial may exist that we couldn't confirm. |
| 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. | CRecords and documents, time off, working hours, an approvals inbox, recruiting and payroll, with an API and webhooks. The basics are there, but the listing shows no reviews or onboarding, and shifts need a partner app. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Absence policies, allowances and approval flows need setting up first. | CNo App Store rating on record. The app covers absences, hours, approvals and documents, and everything else, setup included, happens on the web. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus iOS and Android apps, with Microsoft, Google and Slack integrations. The API only comes on Complete. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with a public API, webhooks and more than 200 integrations. No desktop app. |
| Best for | time off and time tracking for small teams | European firms wanting HR and payroll together |
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 Personio. How we grade
Where they differ
- absence.io also covers expense tracking and time clock.
- Personio also covers applicant tracking.
At a glance
| absence.io | Personio | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | €2.69 per user / month, billed annually (€2.99 billed monthly) | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial, no credit card required | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | absence.io GmbH | Personio SE & Co. KG |
| Price read from | absence.io | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 18, 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.
Personio
- Prices could not be confirmed: personio.com and its help center answered with a bot check, so plans, prices and any trial are not recorded.
- It presents itself as built for Europe; the pages read do not list the countries where its payroll works.
- The mobile app covers absences, time, approvals and documents; other workflows and set-up need the web app.
- Shift planning comes through partner apps that sync with Personio, where shifts are created and changed.
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.
Personio
- Employee records and documents
- One place for employee data and HR documents, which staff can open, download or share from the mobile app.
- Absences and time off
- Employees request time off and see their balance, and can check upcoming absences and team availability where the company allows it.
- Working-time tracking
- Staff record and review their hours on the web or phone, and approved times from partner apps can be sent back into Personio.
- Inbox for approvals
- Managers see open requests and tasks in one inbox and approve or decline them, including from the mobile app.
- Recruiting
- Applicants can be passed into Personio's recruiting module through its Recruiting API, alongside core HR and payroll.
- API, webhooks and marketplace
- Custom integrations read employees, attendance, absences and documents through the API, and webhooks push changes in real time.
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.
Personio
Pricing could not be confirmed. See personio.com.
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.
Personio
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, absence.io or Personio?
As of Nov 12, 2026, absence.io starts at €2.69 per user / month, billed annually (€2.99 billed monthly), and Personio has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, absence.io or Personio?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither absence.io nor Personio has a free plan. absence.io has 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.