Calamari vs Timetastic (2026): which should you pick?

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

Pick Timetastic if

• Fits if you only need to know who is off and when
• Works for small teams that want leave approvals on a phone

Look elsewhere if

• Too light for HR records, hiring or reviews, as it covers leave and an optional rota
• Skip it if you want to stay free, since only a 30-day trial is offered
• Pricey if you need rotas and a time clock, a separate $5.50 plan
• Watch out: booking limits, absence reports and the burnout board need Pro
• Watch out: the page lists dollar prices, with GBP prices in its data for the UK

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.

Timetastic

• Prices are shown in US dollars on the page we read; the page's structured data also lists GBP prices for the UK, so the rate you see depends on where you are.
• Booking limits, absence reports and the burnout board need Pro or above; rotas and time clock are a separate $5.50 plan.
• Billing runs month to month through Stripe with no minimum term.
• Charities, Certified B Corporations, Fair Tax Mark holders, 1% for the Planet members and NHS Trusts get 50% off.

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.

Timetastic

Shared leave calendar

One calendar shows who is off and when, with holiday allowance records and manager approval of requests.

Absence insights

Pro adds absence trends, company-wide absence reports and a burnout board with risk alerts.

Rotas

Rota & Time Clock builds shift rotas with templates, conflict detection, multi-location management, open shifts and shift swaps.

Time clock and timesheets

Staff clock in and out from a phone, with break and overtime tracking and a payroll data export.

Basic HR records

Employee profiles, document storage and electronic signatures, onboarding forms and key date reminders are listed under the Rota & Time Clock plan.

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.

Timetastic

• Business$1.50

  per user / month, billed monthly

  Unlimited users and departments, shared calendar of who is off, holiday allowance records and approvals, mobile and desktop app.

• Pro$2.50

  per user / month, billed monthly

  Everything in Business plus booking limits by leave type, absence trends and insights, company-wide absence reports and enhanced user profiles.

• Rota & Time Clock$5.50

  per user / month, billed monthly

  Rotas, clock-in and clock-out, payroll-ready timesheets, leave and absence management, HR records and team chat.

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).

Timetastic

• Nonprofit

  50% off for good causes

  A 50% discount on standard pricing for charities, Certified B Corporations, Fair Tax Mark holders, 1% for the Planet members and NHS Trusts.