1Day Off
- Price
- Free up to 10 users; paid from $2/user/month
- Trial
- Free plan
- Choose it if
- You want leave balances and tracked hours in the same place.
- Skip it if
- You need a complete HR system.
The 9 best PTO tracking software, and which one fits your team.
What matters most to your team?
Pick one and the board lights up the tools that fit. Add up to three to compare.
All 9 tools
1. Day Off
Best for leave and hours in one app
You want leave balances and tracked hours in the same place.
2. Vacation Tracker
Best for Slack and Teams users
Your team already works all day in Slack or Microsoft Teams.
3. Timetastic
Best for simple holiday planning
You want a visual holiday planner running in an afternoon.
4. BambooHR
Best for an all-in-one HR system
You want one system for every HR task, not just leave.
5. Connecteam
Best for shift and frontline teams
Most of your people work shifts and use their phones, not desks.
6. Factorial
Best for growing European companies
You hire across several European countries.
7. Calamari
Best for leave plus clock-in
You need clock-in attendance alongside leave.
8. Leave Dates
Best for leave on a small budget
You want the basics done well for little money.
9. Zoho People
Best for teams already on Zoho
You already use other Zoho apps.
Side by side
Press “Compare” on up to three tools above to see them side by side here.
You can compare up to three tools. Remove one to add another.
2Vacation Tracker
- Price
- From $2/user/month ($50/month minimum)
- Trial
- 14-day free trial
- Choose it if
- Your team already works all day in Slack or Microsoft Teams.
- Skip it if
- You need payroll, documents or full HR records in the same tool.
3Timetastic
- Price
- From $1.50/user/month
- Trial
- 30-day free trial
- Choose it if
- You want a visual holiday planner running in an afternoon.
- Skip it if
- HR needs detailed absence reports across many teams.
4BambooHR
- Price
- From $250/month (up to 25 employees)
- Trial
- 7-day free trial
- Choose it if
- You want one system for every HR task, not just leave.
- Skip it if
- Leave tracking is all you need, or you want public pricing.
5Connecteam
- Price
- Free up to 10 users; paid from $29/month
- Trial
- Free plan; 14-day free trial
- Choose it if
- Most of your people work shifts and use their phones, not desks.
- Skip it if
- You run a desk-based team and want something minimal.
6Factorial
- Price
- From $8/user/month
- Trial
- [Trial info]
- Choose it if
- You hire across several European countries.
- Skip it if
- You want the quickest possible setup.
7Calamari
- Price
- From $2/employee/month, billed annually
- Trial
- 14-day free trial
- Choose it if
- You need clock-in attendance alongside leave.
- Skip it if
- You want one flat price that covers every module.
8Leave Dates
- Price
- From £0.75/user/month
- Trial
- 30-day free trial
- Choose it if
- You want the basics done well for little money.
- Skip it if
- You rely on many integrations with other tools.
9Zoho People
- Price
- Free plan; paid from $3/user/month
- Trial
- Free plan; 30-day free trial
- Choose it if
- You already use other Zoho apps.
- Skip it if
- You use none of Zoho's products and want something light.
The reviews
No feature dumps. For each tool: our verdict, who should pick it, and who should look elsewhere.
1. Day Off
Best for leave and hours in one app
- Price
- Free up to 10 users; paid from $2/user/month
- Trial
- Free plan
Disclosure: Day Off is made by [COMPANY], which also runs Top9Software. We test it with the same criteria as every other tool.
Day Off pairs leave management with a time tracker and timesheet approvals, so teams that bill hours or run shifts need one system, not two.
Choose it if
You want leave balances and tracked hours in the same place.
Skip it if
You need a complete HR system.
What stood out in testing
- Half-day and hourly leave
- Timesheet approvals
- Holidays per office location
2. Vacation Tracker
Best for Slack and Teams users
- Price
- From $2/user/month ($50/month minimum)
- Trial
- 14-day free trial
Employees request and approve leave inside Slack or Microsoft Teams, so adoption is almost automatic for chat-first teams.
Choose it if
Your team already works all day in Slack or Microsoft Teams.
Skip it if
You need payroll, documents or full HR records in the same tool.
What stood out in testing
- Requests and approvals in Slack and Teams
- Accrual and carry-over rules
- Google and Outlook calendar sync
3. Timetastic
Best for simple holiday planning
- Price
- From $1.50/user/month
- Trial
- 30-day free trial
A clean wall chart shows the whole team's time off at a glance, so clashes are obvious before you approve anything.
Choose it if
You want a visual holiday planner running in an afternoon.
Skip it if
HR needs detailed absence reports across many teams.
What stood out in testing
- Visual wall chart
- Lockout dates for busy periods
- Calendar feeds and mobile apps
4. BambooHR
Best for an all-in-one HR system
- Price
- From $250/month (up to 25 employees)
- Trial
- 7-day free trial
Time off lives next to employee records, onboarding and reporting, so HR runs everything from one system.
Choose it if
You want one system for every HR task, not just leave.
Skip it if
Leave tracking is all you need, or you want public pricing.
What stood out in testing
- Time-off policies and accruals
- Employee self-service
- HR reporting
5. Connecteam
Best for shift and frontline teams
- Price
- Free up to 10 users; paid from $29/month
- Trial
- Free plan; 14-day free trial
Built for phones first, with time off sitting alongside shift scheduling and a GPS time clock for frontline staff.
Choose it if
Most of your people work shifts and use their phones, not desks.
Skip it if
You run a desk-based team and want something minimal.
What stood out in testing
- Mobile time-off requests
- Shift scheduling
- GPS time clock
6. Factorial
Best for growing European companies
- Price
- From $8/user/month
- Trial
- [Trial info]
Time off, attendance and core HR come in one suite with good support for leave rules across European countries.
Choose it if
You hire across several European countries.
Skip it if
You want the quickest possible setup.
What stood out in testing
- Policies by team or country
- Attendance tracking
- Payroll prep
7. Calamari
Best for leave plus clock-in
- Price
- From $2/employee/month, billed annually
- Trial
- 14-day free trial
Combines leave management with clock-in attendance, so absences and working hours are tracked together.
Choose it if
You need clock-in attendance alongside leave.
Skip it if
You want one flat price that covers every module.
What stood out in testing
- Custom leave policies
- Web, mobile or kiosk clock-in
- Absence reports
8. Leave Dates
Best for leave on a small budget
- Price
- From £0.75/user/month
- Trial
- 30-day free trial
Covers the core leave workflow at a low price point, a sensible first step for small teams leaving spreadsheets.
Choose it if
You want the basics done well for little money.
Skip it if
You rely on many integrations with other tools.
What stood out in testing
- Shared leave calendar
- Request and approval flow
- Calendar sync
9. Zoho People
Best for teams already on Zoho
- Price
- Free plan; paid from $3/user/month
- Trial
- Free plan; 30-day free trial
If your company runs on Zoho apps, Zoho People adds leave, attendance and timesheets that connect to what you already use.
Choose it if
You already use other Zoho apps.
Skip it if
You use none of Zoho's products and want something light.
What stood out in testing
- Leave and attendance
- Timesheets
- Connects to Zoho apps
How we tested
We signed up for each tool and ran a month of leave requests with a test team of [NUMBER] people. Every pick was scored on six things.
Leave rules
Accruals, carry-over, half days, hourly leave
Approvals
Multi-level approvers and clear alerts
Visibility
Team calendar and holidays per location
Access
Mobile apps and chat-app requests
Reporting
Balances and absence reports for payroll
Pricing
Published prices, free plan or trial
Questions people ask
What is PTO tracking software?
A tool for requesting, approving and recording paid time off. It keeps every employee's balance up to date and shows who is out on a shared calendar.
How much does it cost?
Most tools charge per user per month, and several offer a free plan for small teams. Full HR suites usually cost more and often quote prices on request.
Can't I just use a spreadsheet?
For a team of three, maybe. Once you have accruals, several approvers or more than one office, spreadsheets drift out of date and nobody trusts the balances.