absence.io vs Vacation Tracker (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, absence.io grades higher than Vacation Tracker: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
absence.io grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, 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
Vacation Tracker
Leave and PTO tracking inside Slack, Teams or Google Workspace
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 Vacation Tracker if
- Fits if your team already lives in Slack or Microsoft Teams
- Works for small companies that want leave approvals without an HR system
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you are a team of one to five, since the minimum is $50 a month
- Skip it if you want to stay free, because there is no free plan
- Watch out: blackout periods, accruals, TOIL and hourly leave need Complete at $4
- Watch out: Core caps at 3 locations and 10 departments
- Too light for HR records or payroll
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAabsence.ioFair | 2.2GPAVacation TrackerFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | C$2 a user a month, but a $50 monthly minimum for up to 25 users means a team of five pays $10 each, above the category's middle of $5. |
| Free plan and trial | C14-day free trial with no card needed, and no free plan. | CA 14-day trial of every feature with no credit card, 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. | CRequests, policies, calendars, reports and an AI assistant. It does the leave job fully, which is smaller than HR software, and Core caps locations and departments. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Absence policies, allowances and approval flows need setting up first. | CNo store rating on record. Policies, locations and approvers have to be set up first. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus iOS and Android apps, with Microsoft, Google and Slack integrations. The API only comes on Complete. | BWeb, iOS and Android, working inside Slack, Teams and Google Workspace, with ADP, Zapier and Outlook. No desktop app. |
| Best for | time off and time tracking for small teams | leave tracking inside Slack or Teams |
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 Vacation Tracker. 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. Vacation Tracker starts at $2 a month for each person and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Vacation Tracker 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 Vacation Tracker 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 time tracking, expense tracking, time clock and employee records.
- Vacation Tracker also covers reports.
At a glance
| absence.io | Vacation Tracker | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | €2.69 per user / month, billed annually (€2.99 billed monthly) | $2 per user / month, billed monthly, with a $50 monthly minimum |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial, no credit card required | 14-day free trial of every feature, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | absence.io GmbH | Vacation Tracker |
| Price read from | absence.io | vacationtracker.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.
Vacation Tracker
- There is no free plan; the minimum is $50 a month on Core and $100 on Complete, covering up to 25 users each.
- Yearly plans are priced in user tiers; the page shows a yearly price only for a team size typed into its calculator, so only the monthly rate is recorded here.
- Core caps at 3 locations and 10 departments; blackout periods, accruals and hourly leave need Complete.
- You pay only for active users, and there is no cap on admins or approvers.
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.
Vacation Tracker
- Leave requests and approvals
- Requests are routed to approvers automatically with reminders. Complete adds multi-level approvals and substitute approvers.
- Leave policies
- Custom leave types and allowances, public holidays per location, carryover and negative balances. Accruals, blackout periods and TOIL need Complete.
- Where it runs
- Manage leave inside Slack or Microsoft Teams, in Google Workspace, or on iOS and Android, with daily or weekly who-is-off updates.
- Reports and calendars
- A wallchart, calendar view and reports. Core shares calendars through an iCal link, and Complete adds direct Google and Outlook sync.
- AI and developer access
- The Vee AI assistant, an MCP server, an open API and webhooks are listed, with the integrations included on both plans.
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.
Vacation Tracker
Core$2
per user / month, billed monthly; $50 minimum, up to 25 users
Up to 3 locations and 10 departments, custom leave types, approvals, wallchart and reports, all integrations and the Vee AI assistant.
Complete$4
per user / month, billed monthly; $100 minimum, up to 25 users
Everything in Core plus unlimited locations and departments, blackout periods, multi-level approvals, hourly leave, accruals, TOIL and calendar sync.
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.
Vacation Tracker
- Annual discount
About 10% off with yearly billing
The pricing page marks yearly billing as saving about 10%, with prices set by user tier.
- Nonprofit
Non-profit discounts on request
The pricing FAQ says non-profits can contact support to set up a discount.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, absence.io or Vacation Tracker?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Vacation Tracker 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 Vacation Tracker starts at $2 per user / month, billed monthly, with a $50 monthly minimum.
Which has a free plan, absence.io or Vacation Tracker?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither absence.io nor Vacation Tracker 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.