absence.io review (2026): is it worth €2.69 a month per user, billed yearly?
Time off, time tracking and employee files for small teams
Black Friday: is there a absence.io sale?
absence.io report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 12, 2026
Best for time off and time tracking for small teams
absence.io handles leave, time tracking and employee files for small teams, from €2.69 a user a month on annual billing. The cheapest plan is leave only, though. Time tracking and the employee file need Pro, and expenses and the API need Complete, so the real price is the dearer tier.
Who absence.io is for
- 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
Who absence.io is not for
- 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
Why absence.io gets a 2.4
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- BValue for moneyStarter 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.
- CFree plan and trial14-day free trial with no card needed, and no free plan.
- CFeaturesLeave, 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.
- CEase of useNo store rating on record. Absence policies, allowances and approval flows need setting up first.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb plus iOS and Android apps, with Microsoft, Google and Slack integrations. The API only comes on Complete.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from absence.io's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make absence.io? Put this grade on your site
Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges
<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/absence-io#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/absence-io.svg" alt="absence.io: 2.4 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where absence.io stands among HR software
absence.io's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 50 of the 63 other HR software we grade, and level with 9.
It stands best on value for money (B, above 56 of 63) and worst on features (C, above 1).
Its paid plans start at about $3.01 a month for each person, against a middle price of $5.36 for the category: 11 of the 36 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 64 HR software we grade, cut by the letter each got. absence.io’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 56 of 63, level with 5
- CFree plan and trialAbove 40 of 63, level with 18
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 63, level with 39
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 63, level with 61
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 22 of 63, level with 41
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 38 HR software. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep absence.io, or make your own?
Keep it
The plain part of absence.io you could make: time off, time tracking, employee records and expense tracking. What surrounds it you could not. The 3 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.4 is higher than 50 of the 63 other HR software we grade. It costs $36.06 a year.
What you could make
- Time off, time tracking, employee records and expense tracking: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Clocking in from a phone, checked against where and when.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
What this rests on. absence.io’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is absence.io?
absence.io is a German HR tool that began as absence management and now also covers time tracking, a digital employee file and expense management. It is sold in three tiers, priced per user in euros, with a 14-day trial. Its servers are hosted in Germany, according to its pricing page.
Worth knowing
- 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.
Key features
- 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.
absence.io pricing
As of Nov 12, 2026, absence.io is a paid product with a free trial, starting at €2.69 per user / month, billed annually (€2.99 billed monthly).
- Starts at
- €2.69 per user / month, billed annually (€2.99 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- None
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial, no credit card required
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | €2.69per user / month, billed annually (€2.99 billed monthly) | Absence and leave management, reports and downloads, integrations with Microsoft, Google and Slack, standard support. |
| Pro | €4.49per 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 | €7.19per 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. |
Read from absence.io on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with absence.io before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Annual discount10% off with annual billing
The pricing page toggle shows each plan about 10% cheaper per month when billed annually.
Stated on absence.io - NonprofitSpecial pricing for NGOs
The pricing page says NGOs and non-profits can get special pricing by getting in touch.
Stated on absence.io
Works with
absence.io alternatives
- absence.io vs Timetastic
Free trial · from $1.50/mo
- absence.io vs Calamari
Free trial · from $2/mo
- absence.io vs Vacation Tracker
Free trial · from $2/mo
- absence.io vs Kenjo
Free trial · from €5.40/mo
Common questions
Does absence.io have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. absence.io is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does absence.io have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. absence.io is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is absence.io open source?
absence.io is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026.