The 7 best leave tracking tools for 2026
A spreadsheet isn't a leave tracker. These are the tools teams actually use to book, approve and report time off — from Slack-native bots to full HR suites. Here's who each one is for and roughly what it costs.
truelo
That's usA Slack-native leave tracker that's also an AI end-of-day tracker: book and approve leave in Slack, with balances, accruals, TOIL, notice periods, half-days and per-country public holidays, plus a calendar synced to Google, Outlook and iCal.
- Best for
- Teams that live in Slack and want leave and dev summaries in one tool
- Pricing
- Free ≤3 · €1/person for time off only
Vacation Tracker
A dedicated PTO and leave tracker for Slack, Microsoft Teams and Google Workspace — slash-command requests, one-click approvals, daily/weekly digests and calendar sync.
- Best for
- Slack or Teams teams wanting a focused, no-frills leave tracker
- Pricing
- Free plan · Core ~$2/user/mo ($50/mo min) · Complete ~$4
Timetastic
A simple per-user holiday and absence tracker with a shared wall chart and mobile apps; the Pro tier adds absence insights and burnout alerts.
- Best for
- Small teams wanting a straightforward holiday planner
- Pricing
- ~£1.20/user/mo (Basic) · ~£2 (Pro) · free trial
Leave Dates
A visual staff-leave planner with a shared wall chart, custom allowances, TOIL and calendar integrations; Slack integration comes in on the higher tiers.
- Best for
- Budget-conscious teams wanting a visual planner and a free tier
- Pricing
- From ~£0.75/user/mo · free tier · 30-day trial
Calamari
Modular HR with separate Time-Off, Attendance and Core-HR modules, plus Slack and Microsoft Teams integrations and configurable leave policies.
- Best for
- Teams that want leave alongside clock-in/attendance
- Pricing
- Leave module ~$2/employee/mo · $15/mo minimum
Factorial
A broader HR platform — employee records, documents, e-signatures and payroll add-ons — that includes leave management as part of a wider suite.
- Best for
- Companies wanting full HR software, not just a leave tracker
- Pricing
- Suite from ~$8/user/mo · leave module ~$3/employee
WhosOff
A long-standing online leave planner focused on staff holiday booking and approvals, billed per user with no minimum term.
- Best for
- Teams wanting a simple, established web leave planner
- Pricing
- ~$2–3/user/mo · free trial
Pricing and features are approximate, based on each product's public information as of 2026, and change often — check each vendor's own site for current details. Product names are trademarks of their respective owners; this is an independent comparison.
FAQ
What's the best leave tracking software?
It depends on how you work. For Slack-first teams, truelo tracks leave (and writes dev end-of-day summaries) right in Slack. Vacation Tracker and Timetastic are strong dedicated trackers; Factorial suits teams wanting full HR.
What's the cheapest leave tracker?
Leave Dates starts around £0.75/user/mo, and several tools have free tiers — truelo is free for up to 3 people, and Vacation Tracker has a free plan. Always check current pricing on the vendor's site.
Which leave trackers work inside Slack?
truelo and Vacation Tracker run the full request-and-approval flow in Slack; Leave Dates and Calamari offer Slack integrations on some tiers.
Do I need a full HR system to track leave?
No. Dedicated leave trackers like truelo, Vacation Tracker and Timetastic handle time off without a full HR suite. Reach for something like Factorial only if you also want records, documents and payroll.