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10 Best Leave Management Software for Tracking PTO in 2023

Best Leave Management Software Shortlist

Here’s the shortlist of the best leave management software systems that I’ll cover in this article, with detailed summaries below:

  1. 1. Connecteam — Best leave management features from a mobile device
  2. 2. Factorial — Best for its robust mobile app
  3. 3. Calamari — Best for automating PTO calculations and leave management
  4. 4. LeaveBoard — Best for simplifying employee scheduling and leave management for SMEs
  5. 5. Vacation Tracker — Best for easy leave management and tracking
  6. 6. Absence.io — Best for simplifying absence management internationally for businesses of all sizes
  7. 7. Leave Dates — Best for tailoring to unique business needs
  8. 8. actiPLANS — Best for businesses looking for simple, stress-free leave management
  9. 9. ADP Total Absence Management — Best for managing employee leave for large businesses
  10. 10. PurelyHR Time Off — Best leave management for automated processes and custom policies

Leave management software is a lifesaver for organizations looking to digitize and streamline their employee leave processes. These tools offer customizable, user-friendly systems that help you say goodbye to endless spreadsheets and confusing paperwork. As a former HR professional once buried in a sea of leave requests, I can attest to the tremendous value a well-chosen leave management tool can bring.

In this article, I've compiled my top 10 picks for the best leave management software on the market today. Drawing from my experience and extensive research, I've carefully evaluated each software's features, pricing, and user experience to help you find the ideal fit for your organization. I'll also share the reasons behind my choices, giving you a clearer understanding of what each tool has to offer.

So, get ready to embark on a journey to find the perfect leave management software that will transform the way you manage employee leave and make your workplace more efficient and organized.

Overviews of the 10 Best Leave Management Software

Here’s a brief description of each leave management software that showcases each system’s best use case, standout features, and pros & cons. I’ve also included screenshots to give you a snapshot of their user interface too.

1

Connecteam

Best leave management features from a mobile device

Connecteam is a comprehensive employee management app for deskless teams that helps companies efficiently manage their employees' time off requests.

Why I picked Connecteam: While exploring their PTO features, I was surprised by the mobile version of the app. Mainly because it gives you a quick overview of the people that have requested time off or are currently off work. Additionally, you can make updates from the app which is very useful. Its algorithms allow for seamless PTO accrual and usage tracking, ensuring employees are always aware of their remaining balance and available leave days.

Connecteam allows employees to submit their PTO requests in just a few clicks and the software tracks employee hours worked and PTO balance updates automatically, reducing the risk of errors during payroll calculation.

Connecteam Standout Features & Integrations

Features include a simple drag-and-drop interface, which makes it easy for managers to update, approve, and modify schedules according to employee leave requests, eliminating the need for paper forms or emails. Additionally, it gives employees more autonomy over their vacation requests, allowing them to see their allotted time, PTO balance, and any previously approved PTO on their account.

Integrations include QuickBooks, Gusto, and Xero.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.3 34

Free plan available

From $29/month (30 users)

2

Factorial

Best for its robust mobile app

Factorial is a modern HR technology solution that provides businesses with a comprehensive leave and absence management system. It makes tracking employee leaves and paid time off simpler and more efficient. The cloud-based software offers customization options and easily integrates with other applications, such as payroll, time tracking, and attendance systems.

Why I picked Factorial: Factorial allows employees to request time off digitally, eliminating the need for paperwork and manual tracking. Whenever an employee requests leave, their manager gets real-time notifications, and they can approve or reject the bid without needing physical approval. The software ensures that all leave requests and approvals are accounted for and recorded. This feature avoids conflicts and misunderstandings about employee leave balances, ensuring compliance with labor laws and company policies. Factorial offers essential dashboard reports to monitor and track individual leave history, request and approval rates, and top leave requests. With these analytics, companies can catch trends and identify issues or patterns.

Factorial Standout Features and Integrations

Features include shift scheduling per week or longer durations, notifications for newly published or modified shifts, an employee scheduling mobile app, flexible filters (for employees, teams, or office locations), leave management tools, conflict detection tools, and shift management tools to delete, modify or update shift times, as needed.

Integrations are available with numerous third-party applications, including Apple Calendar, Cobee, DateV, Desky, Gmail, Google Suite, Microsoft Outlook, Okta, Payflow, Power BI, Sage, Slack, WhatsApp, and Zapier.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.5 72

14-day free trial

From $6.50/employee/month

Pros

  • Easy to use
  • Mobile app
  • Plenty of integrations

Cons

  • Can be difficult to customize templates
  • Reporting features are limited
3

Calamari

Best for automating PTO calculations and leave management

Calamari is an online leave management system that simplifies time off calculation and holiday management for businesses. 

Why I picked Calamari: One of the coolest things about Calamari is its flexible multilevel approval process. It offers a customizable leave request approval process that you can set-up to reflect your company's unique structure. 

Calamari is a leave management and notification automation tool suitable for companies with distributed teams across different locations. Calamari’s ability to set up separate time off policies and absence types for each location makes it easy to keep all employee and time off-related data in one system. Additionally, it is available in five languages and is compliant with EU-wide privacy and data protection laws.

Calamari Standout Features and Integrations

Features include the ability to attach medical records or other necessary documents to absence requests, the ability to view the entire history of leave requests, and roles and privileges, which gives access to employee time off data and can be restricted as needed.

Integrations include Asana, Basecamp, Google Workspace, Jira, Microsoft Teams, Office 365, and Slack.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.6 19

14-day free trial

From $2/employee/month

Pros

  • Helpful support team
  • Affordable
  • Easy to navigate

Cons

  • Can’t edit existing time off requests
  • Hard to track vacation days on mobile app
4

LeaveBoard

Best for simplifying employee scheduling and leave management for SMEs

LeaveBoard is a cloud-based HR and leave management system that simplifies employee scheduling, centralizes workforce data, and empowers teams with accurate reports. Designed for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), the platform efficiently manages time off, vacations, and absences.

Why I picked LeaveBoard: What makes LeaveBoard unique is its seamless integration with Slack, allowing users to request and manage time off directly from the tool. It also offers a user-friendly mobile app, making it easy for employees to send vacation requests from anywhere.

LeaveBoard’s employee attendance tracking, time off management, and HR analytics help companies make informed decisions and focus on strategic initiatives. LeaveBoard's affordability and easy-to-use interface make it the perfect HR solution for growing businesses.

LeaveBoard Standout Features and Integrations

Features include an intuitive leave management system with online request forms, HR dashboards, and flexible leave allocations. LeaveBoard also provides automatic overlap warnings, leave tracking, and a simple approval flow for a streamlined experience. 

Integrations include a calendar sync with Apple, Google, Gsuite, ics feeds, and Microsoft; as well as integrations with single sign-on applications and Slack.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.4 11

14-day free trial + free plan available

From $1.35/employee/month

Pros

  • Single sign-on (SSO) integrations make logging in easy
  • Easy to use
  • Cost efficient

Cons

  • Occasional glitches with Slack integration
  • No mobile app
5

Vacation Tracker

Best for easy leave management and tracking

Vacation Tracker is a leave management tool that simplifies the process of requesting, approving, and tracking time off for employees and managers.

Why I picked Vacation Tracker: Their real-time visibility and self-service features reduce administrative tasks for HR, while the calendar integration and custom notifications keep everyone informed about leave activities. The tool's support for remote teams, multiple locations, and departments ensures all team members can access tailored leave policies and holidays.

Vacation Tracker is perfect for businesses looking to simplify their leave management processes while keeping everyone informed and accountable. The platform also offers brought forward polices that allows employees to transfer unused time off to the following year, complete with customizable expiration dates for the rolled-over days. 

Vacation Tracker Standout Features and Integrations

Features include real-time visibility of team leave activity, employee self-service for PTO management, a streamlined leave approval process, custom notifications, custom leave types, management of multiple locations and departments, personalized leave types and policies, hourly PTO tracking, automated accruals, configurable user profiles, and built-in reporting.

Integrations include Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, Slack, and numerous email programs.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.2 8

7-day free trial

From $1/user/month

Pros

  • Helpful automation
  • Real-time visibility
  • User-friendly

Cons

  • Unclear status on remaining vacation days
  • No accrual tracking or custom messages
6

Absence.io

Best for simplifying absence management internationally for businesses of all sizes

Absence.io is a versatile tool designed to streamline absence management and time tracking for businesses of all sizes. 

Why I picked Absence.io: This tool stands out for its user-friendly structure and easy-to-use interface. It also caters to a global audience and is available in seven languages, making it an excellent choice for companies operating in multiple countries. 

Absence.io simplifies and centralizes absence management for businesses. Several unique features include a reliable vacation planner with custom leave types, digital time tracking for work hours and overtime, and a digital personnel file for storing employee information. With its comprehensive functions, Absence.io is perfect for companies looking to improve efficiency and organization in managing employee absences and time-tracking.

Absence.io Standout Features and Integrations

Features include a quick requests and approval process for holidays and absences, user-selected substitutions, and a comprehensive overview and analysis of vacation days and other absences. In addition, Absence.io also offers robust reporting, time tracking and management, and a dashboard overview for quick insights into absences, illnesses, inquiries, birthdays, and more.

Integrations with Google, Office 365, and Slack are available.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
3.8 5

14-day free trial

From $2.50/user/month

Pros

  • Responsive support team
  • Helpful filter function
  • User-friendly

Cons

  • No integrations with HR tools
  • Can’t modify requests
7

Leave Dates

Best for tailoring to unique business needs

Leave Dates is a user-friendly time off management software designed for business owners, managers, team leaders, and employees. Its simplicity and customization options enable users to easily manage leave requests and approvals while maintaining transparency throughout the team.

Why I picked Leave Dates: Leave Date’s simple, clear, and intuitive interface makes tracking and managing leave easy for everyone. The customization options and calendar connectivity further enhance its appeal, making it a standout choice for time off management. It simplifies the leave management process for businesses of all sizes.

Leave Dates Standout Features and Integrations

Features include a live wall chart, a check leave and balance function, a straightforward request and approval system, easy setup and sync, flexible management, daily reports, leave management on the go, and customization options tailored for any company's leave policy.

Integrations include Excel, Google Calendar, and Outlook, as well as integrations with single sign on and Slack. You can also connect Leave Dates to a paid Zapier account to unlock additional integrations.

Free trial + free plan available

From $1/employee/month

Pros

  • Calendar integration
  • Free tier
  • Intuitive interface

Cons

  • Inability to add back leave
  • Limited features
8

actiPLANS

Best for businesses looking for simple, stress-free leave management

actiPLANS offers a streamlined leave management solution designed to simplify the process of requesting and approving time off while handling PTO accrual calculations and providing insightful reports.

Why I picked actiPLANS: The tool stands out for its user-friendly interface and custom leave types, making it easy for employees and managers to navigate and understand various absences within the organization.

actiPLANS is perfect for businesses looking to automate and improve their leave management process. The tool offers one-click approvals, custom PTO accrual rules, and comprehensive reports, enabling more efficient resource planning and policy compliance.

actiPLANS Standout Features and Integrations

Features include, leave management, shift assignment, activity planning, location tracking, and event scheduling.

Integrations include actiTIME, a comprehensive solution for tracking employee work hours, project time, attendance, and generating insightful reports to boost productivity and streamline payroll processes.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
5 1

30-day free trial

From $1.90/user/month

Pros

  • User-friendly interface
  • Comprehensive reporting
  • Customizable PTO accrual rules

Cons

  • Can’t edit requests
  • Limited integrations
9

ADP Total Absence Management

Best for managing employee leave for large businesses

ADP's Total Absence Management is a comprehensive solution for large businesses seeking to streamline leave administration, reduce costs, and ensure compliance with federal and state regulations. The tool provides easy administration of common leave types.

Why I picked ADP Total Absence Management: What makes ADP's Total Absence Management stand out is its ability to provide insight into leave activity to help organizations get ahead of absences and reduce costs associated with absenteeism. By sharing data and identifying patterns of abuse, ADP goes beyond just reacting to leave requests and provides proactive solutions for reducing absenteeism. 

ADP Total Absence Management Standout Features and Integrations

Features include HCM compliance expertise to streamline FMLA management and compliance, expert dashboards with comprehensive data and insights, personalized support for employers and employees, administrative tools, data insights, real-time monitoring, and integrations. These features allow HR professionals to handle leave administration efficiently and in compliance with federal and state regulations. The tool also provides full visibility into leave activity, tracks concurrent and intermittent leaves, and offers reporting tools.

Integrations include Clock Shark, DailyPay, Decisely, Deputy, Dolce, Employee Navigator, Flock, LifeMart, and PlanSource.

Free demo available

Pricing upon request

Pros

  • Easily accessible
  • Integrates well with payroll services
  • Top tier tech

Cons

  • No free trial
  • No visible pricing information
10

PurelyHR Time Off

Best leave management for automated processes and custom policies

PurelyHR Time-Off focuses on simplifying leave management for businesses by connecting unique features like automated accruals, policy renewals, and effortless request/approval processes.

Why I picked PurelyHR Time-Off: Their software eliminates the time-consuming process of managing time off through emails, spreadsheets, and paper calendars. Its user-friendly features allow users to easily access their balance, and send and receive requests with a single click.

PurelyHR Time-Off is designed for businesses that require an efficient and transparent leave management solution. It is ideal for organizations seeking to automate manual processes, offer custom policies, and provide easy access to time off balances and requests.

PurelyHR Time-Off Standout Features and Integrations

Features include customizable time off policies, helpful reminders, automation of policy changes and approvals, and 25+ customizable reports for easy data sharing.

Integrations include Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, payroll systems, project management tools, time-tracking software, workforce management platforms, and integrations with single sign-on (SSO) providers.

30-day free trial

From $3/employee/month

Pros

  • User-friendly interface
  • Comprehensive reports
  • Calendar synchronization

Cons

  • No mobile app
  • Limited integrations

The 10 Best Leave Management Software Comparison Chart

Here’s a comparison chart that summarizes basic details about each of my top leave management software selections. You can view pricing details and the availability of free trials or demos side-by-side to help you find the best software that works for your business needs.

Tool Free Option Price
1
Connecteam

Best leave management features from a mobile device

Free plan available

From $29/month (30 users) Visit Website
2
Factorial

Best for its robust mobile app

14-day free trial

From $6.50/employee/month Visit Website
3
Calamari

Best for automating PTO calculations and leave management

14-day free trial

From $2/employee/month Visit Website
4
LeaveBoard

Best for simplifying employee scheduling and leave management for SMEs

14-day free trial + free plan available

From $1.35/employee/month Visit Website
5
Vacation Tracker

Best for easy leave management and tracking

7-day free trial

From $1/user/month Visit Website
6
Absence.io

Best for simplifying absence management internationally for businesses of all sizes

14-day free trial

From $2.50/user/month Visit Website
7
Leave Dates

Best for tailoring to unique business needs

Free trial + free plan available

From $1/employee/month Visit Website
8
actiPLANS

Best for businesses looking for simple, stress-free leave management

30-day free trial

From $1.90/user/month Visit Website
9
ADP Total Absence Management

Best for managing employee leave for large businesses

Free demo available

Pricing upon request Visit Website
10
PurelyHR Time Off

Best leave management for automated processes and custom policies

30-day free trial

From $3/employee/month Visit Website

Other Options

Here are a few more options that didn’t make the best leave management software list:

  1. Pause

    Best for handling leave requests and capacity planning for startups

  2. Planleave

    Best for streamlined PTO tracking and automation

  3. EasyTimeOff

    Best efficient leave management with customizable policies

  4. Buddy Punch

    Best time-tracking for small and medium-sized businesses

  5. Timetastic

    Best, simple, and user-friendly leave management for modern teams

  6. Workzoom

    Best for comprehensive leave management integration

  7. Kissflow

    Best customizable leave management for HR workflows

  8. Odoo

    Best for managing employee leave and vacation requests with simple reporting tools

  9. TimeClock Plus

    Best for integrating leave management with time-tracking

  10. PlanMyLeave

    Best for streamlining leave tracking and approvals

How I Selected the Best Leave Management Software

Perhaps you're wondering how I selected the best leave management software for this list? To build this top 10 list, I evaluated and compared a wide range of leave management systems with positive user ratings.

After determining my long list of top choices, I further honed my list by using the selection criteria below to see how each platform compared to the next one. I also drew on my years of human resources experience to pinpoint the administrative features that add a lot of value.

Selection Criteria

Here’s a short summary of the main selection and evaluation criteria I used to develop my list of the best leave management software for this article:

Usability

As an HR professional, I prioritize ease of use and a well-organized interface to create a positive user experience. The software must also offer time-saving features and eliminate any administrative hassles. Good customer service and tech support are also vital.

User Interface

When it comes to the user interface, I look for a straightforward design that enables HR teams to navigate the software with ease. User-friendly dashboards and reports are also critical to ensure a seamless experience.

Scalability and Flexibility

Leave management software must be flexible and scalable enough to meet the organization's current and future needs. Ideally, the software should offer different packages for any company size.

Reporting and Analytics Tools

It’s important for the tool to have a comprehensive reporting system that includes automated data collection, data dashboards, and data interpretation. 

Software Integrations 

Leave management software should integrate easily with other systems to streamline data management requirements. Ideally, the software should offer integrations with HR software and other niche tools, like payroll management systems, to create a complete HR management suite.

Pricing

Ideally, the software should be transparent about its pricing modules, and the pricing should be flexible enough to suit different budgets and business sizes. A free trial or demo is also essential to allow for evaluation before making a final decision.

People Also Ask

Here are some answers to commonly asked questions about leave management software and how it works:

Other Resources

Now that you've explored my top picks for leave management software, consider delving deeper into other aspects of the workforce and people management. Check out the following articles to expand your knowledge on workforce management software, people management tips, HR policies, and novel employee wellness program ideas. 

What's Next?

Finding the best leave management software can significantly impact your company's efficiency and employee satisfaction. We hope our top picks will help you find the perfect solution for your organization's unique needs.

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By Kim Behnke

Kim Behnke is an HR Tool Expert & Writer for People Managing People. She draws on her 9 years of human resources experience and her keen eye for systematic processes to support her analyses of the top HR tools on the market. She is passionate about maximizing efficiencies and streamlining workflows to ensure internal systems run smoothly. Kim's HR experience includes recruitment, onboarding, performance management, training and development, policy development and enforcement, and HR analytics. She also has degrees in psychology, writing, publishing, and technical communication. When away from her desk, she can usually be found outside tending to her ever-expanding garden.