# 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

Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA.

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.

- **Category:** HR Software
- **Made by:** absence.io GmbH (since 2014)
- **Website:** https://www.absence.io
- **Runs on:** Web, iOS, Android
- **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you need payroll, as there is none.
- **Facts last checked:** Nov 12, 2026

## 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).

- **Pricing model:** Free trial
- **Free plan:** None.
- **Free trial:** 14-day free trial, no credit card required.

| Plan | Price | What you get |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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. |

Read from https://www.absence.io/en/packages-pricing/ on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with absence.io before buying.

## Ways to pay less

- **10% off with annual billing** (Annual discount): The pricing page toggle shows each plan about 10% cheaper per month when billed annually. Source: https://www.absence.io/en/packages-pricing/
- **Special pricing for NGOs** (Nonprofit): The pricing page says NGOs and non-profits can get special pricing by getting in touch. Source: https://www.absence.io/en/packages-pricing/

## 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.

## Good for

- Small and mid-sized teams in Germany and Europe that need leave and working-time records
- Companies that want to start with absence tracking and add time tracking later

## 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.

## ToolGPA grades

**GPA: 2.4 out of 4**, graded Nov 12, 2026. 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.

- **Value for money: B.** Starter 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.
- **Free plan and trial: C.** 14-day free trial with no card needed, and no free plan.
- **Features: C.** Leave, 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.
- **Ease of use: C.** No store rating on record. Absence policies, allowances and approval flows need setting up first.
- **Platforms and integrations: B.** Web plus iOS and Android apps, with Microsoft, Google and Slack integrations. The API only comes on Complete.

These are ToolGPA's own grades. 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.

## Where it 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.

The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/hr-software

## Keep it, 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.

- You could make: Time off, time tracking, employee records and expense tracking: an app builder makes these well.
- You could not: Clocking in from a phone, checked against where and when.
- You could not: A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- You could not: It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.

A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it.

## Works with

Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Slack, DATEV

**Tags:** Time off, Time tracking, Employee records, Expense tracking, Time clock

## Alternatives

- [Timetastic](https://toolgpa.com/tools/timetastic): Staff leave planner, with an added rota and time clock product. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/absence-io-vs-timetastic)
- [Calamari](https://toolgpa.com/tools/calamari): Modular HR system for time off, attendance, core HR and reviews. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/absence-io-vs-calamari)
- [Vacation Tracker](https://toolgpa.com/tools/vacation-tracker): Leave and PTO tracking inside Slack, Teams or Google Workspace. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/absence-io-vs-vacation-tracker)
- [Personio](https://toolgpa.com/tools/personio): European HR platform for records, absences, time and recruiting. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/absence-io-vs-personio)
- [Kenjo](https://toolgpa.com/tools/kenjo): HR and workforce management software for small and mid-sized firms. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/absence-io-vs-kenjo)

## Sources

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026:

- https://www.absence.io/en/packages-pricing/
- https://www.absence.io/

Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/absence-io
Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).