The 10 Best Employee Absence Trackers: 2025 Explainer

June 27, 2025
10:11 pm

7 min read

Managing employee time off gets tricky fast—especially when your team starts growing. What once worked with paper forms or Excel sheets quickly becomes inefficient and error prone. That’s where dedicated absence tracking software comes in.

These tools are built to streamline vacation requests, sick leave, and other types of absences—all while keeping your business compliant with labour regulations. In this guide, we’ve rounded up the top employee absence tracker apps that make managing leave less stressful and more efficient for growing businesses.

Our Top Picks

Best All-in-One Solution for Tracking Employee Absences
A complete platform that handles everything from vacation requests to sick leave tracking—ideal for businesses that want it all in one place.
Explore features | Try it free
Ideal for Tailoring Time Off Policies
Perfect for teams that need flexibility. This tool lets you easily adjust leave types, accrual rules, and approval workflows to match your company’s policies.
Great Fit for Growing Small and Midsize Businesses
Designed with simplicity and scalability in mind, this option is perfect for smaller teams looking to automate their leave tracking without the complexity.

Why You Can Rely on Our Recommendations

We take software reviews seriously. Every product featured here has been thoroughly evaluated by our independent research team using a transparent and consistent review process. No hidden agendas—just honest insights to help you choose the right tool for your business.

Top Employee Absence Trackers — Handpicked for You

We’ve carefully selected the most reliable and feature-rich tools to help you manage employee time off with ease and confidence.

Key Features to Consider in an Absence Tracking Tool

Before you choose a tracker, make sure it covers the essentials—like automated leave requests, clear visibility into schedules, easy reporting, and compliance support. The right tool should adapt to your workflow, not the other way around.

Here’s what matters most when picking the right employee absence tracking software

What to Look for in an Employee Absence Tracker

Flexible Leave Settings: Choose a tool that lets you define custom leave types—like PTO, sick days, vacation, or personal time—to match your company’s policies.

Seamless System Integration: The tracker should sync easily with your existing HR software, timekeeping tools, or payroll systems for smooth, automated workflows.

Smart Leave Calculations: Go for a solution that automatically tracks accruals, balances, and rollover amounts—cutting down on manual work and costly mistakes.

Insightful Reports: Make better decisions with detailed reports that highlight absence trends, team availability, and time-off history.

Real-Time Alerts: Automated reminders for upcoming leaves, approvals, and unused time-off balances help everyone stay in the loop.

Regulation Ready: Look for a tracker that’s built to comply with local labor laws, so you can stay legally protected without the stress.

Data Protection: Since you’re dealing with sensitive employee info, strong security features and data privacy protocols are a must.

Mobile-Friendly Access: Employees should be able to request or check time off from anywhere using a mobile app or web dashboard.

Built to Scale: Whether you have 10 or 1,000 employees, the system should grow with your business—without losing performance or features.

The 10 Best Employee Absence Trackers of 2025

1. Time Off Manager 365 — The Best All-in-One Employee Absence Tracker

Available on:

Web
Time Off Manager 365 helps you track employee absences, PTO, and vacation days with ease. The platform allows you to submit, review, and manage time-off requests in one centralized system—whether you’re at your desk or working remotely. Time Off Manager 365 lets you manage employee attendance and leave directly in the platform. It removes the need for spreadsheets or paper-based systems by keeping everything digital and organized.
The app automatically tracks the number of days your employees miss work—whether it’s for unpaid leave, PTO, or unplanned absences. Time Off Manager 365 also offers a clean, easy-to-use admin dashboard where you can view employee PTO balances, time off requests, and upcoming vacations in one place.

Create and Share Your Time Off Policy with Ease

You can easily build a custom time off policy that fits your business needs and upload it directly into the app using Time Off Manager 365’s built-in document management. This keeps your absence policy visible and accessible to all employees at any time.

Employees Submit Time Off Requests Inside the App

With Time Off Manager 365, employees can request time off right from the web app—no more back-and-forth emails or text messages. They can also specify the type of leave they’re requesting, such as vacation, sick leave, or personal time.

Customize the App to Suit Your Time Off Policy

With Time Off Manager 365’s flexible time off feature, you can specify which employees are eligible for PTO. Along with automating the time off management process, this helps ensure every employee is paid correctly according to your policies.

Eliminates Scheduling Errors

Time off requests are integrated directly with Time Off Manager 365’s employee scheduler. The app automatically alerts you if you try to schedule an employee who already has approved time off. This prevents scheduling conflicts and lets you create schedules much faster.

Streamline Team Communication with In-App Chat

Time Off Manager 365 includes an in-app chat feature that lets you send direct messages to employees right from your computer or device. You can quickly clarify time off requests, address absences or no-call no-shows, and reinforce your time off policy whenever needed. Using in-app chat makes communication fast and easy.

Integrate Time Off with Payroll

Time Off Manager 365 automatically deducts vacation time and approved requests from employees’ paid time off balances. The app also tracks unpaid days off or missed shifts. Because it integrates with employee timesheets, you can be confident that workers are paid accurately based on your absence and payroll policies.

And Much, Much More

Time Off Manager 365 is more than just an employee absence tracker—it’s a comprehensive employee management solution designed to support your workforce wherever they are. Benefit from a full suite of features including employee scheduling, time clock, task management, a centralized knowledge base, HR management, and customizable training and onboarding programs.

Time Off Manager 365 also offers a free-for-life plan – Get Started Now!

Key Features

Categorizes types of leave

Automatic absence tracking

Drag-and-drop shift scheduling

Scheduling conflict notifications

GPS-enabled time clock and geofencing

Complete PTO management

Pros

Secure chat feature to communicate schedule changes

Manage your employees from anywhere with the mobile app

Intuitive and easy to use

Very responsive customer support

Cons

Requires internet or Wi-Fi access to function properly

2. Mirro

Mirro offers a comprehensive HR and performance management platform with a user-friendly employee absence tracking system. Managers can seamlessly embed their time off policies into the software, allowing employees to submit requests for paid or unpaid leave quickly and easily. Administrators can promptly approve or decline these requests. Additionally, Mirro’s built-in calendar helps prevent scheduling conflicts by ensuring employee absences don’t overlap, so you never have to worry about too many team members being off at the same time.

Key Features

Submit and manage leave requests

Configure custom time off policies

Handle remote work requests seamlessly

Oversee and schedule employee breaks

Advantages

Timely automatic notifications for upcoming time off

Dedicated and responsive customer support team

Drawbacks

Occasionally experiences technical glitches

Pricing

Plans begin at $9 per user each month

3. Sage HR

Ideal solution for growing small and mid-sized companies

Accessible via:

Web browsers

Apple devices

Android devices

This all-in-one HR management solution helps you keep attendance records neatly organized. Employees can easily log into the platform to monitor their workdays, view their earned leave balances, and submit time-off requests. Beyond absence tracking, Sage HR empowers managers to perform performance reviews, build detailed team schedules, onboard and train new hires, and handle payroll—all within a single system.

While this absence tracker offers a robust set of features for managing employee leave, its outdated user interface may feel less intuitive, particularly for larger organizations with complex needs.

Key Features

Workforce scheduling tools

Comprehensive leave administration

Employee time tracking capabilities

Flexible settings to match your company’s leave policies

Strengths

All-encompassing HR management platform

Outstanding and reliable customer service

Limitations

Interface can be challenging to navigate

Higher cost compared to similar options

Pricing

Plans start from $5.50 per user each month
Includes a 14-day free trial
No ongoing free version available

4. Capture Leave — Lightweight Vacation Tracker for Small Teams

CaptureLeave is a simple, cloud-based vacation tracking system that helps small businesses manage time-off requests, approvals, and leave balances with ease. Its clean interface is designed for quick adoption, even by non-HR users.

Key Features

Custom leave types

Simple time-off request system

Calendar integration

Email notifications for approvals

Pros

Easy to set up and use

Affordable for small teams

No complex onboarding

Cons

Limited reporting features

Lacks a mobile app

Pricing
Starts at $1/user/month
14-day free trial included
No free-forever plan

5. LeaveBoard — Smart Vacation Tracker for Teams on a Budget

LeaveBoard is designed for small to mid-sized teams looking for a free, no-frills solution. It automates leave approvals, tracks absences, and gives you visibility into who’s out—without the cost of a full HR suite.

Key Features

Leave request automation

Shared team calendar

Custom holiday calendars

Employee self-service dashboard

Pros

Completely free for teams under 9 users

User-friendly interface

Email notifications keep managers in the loop

Cons

Limited integrations

Not ideal for large enterprises

Pricing
Free for up to 9 users
Paid plans start at $1.35/user/month

6. Zoho People — Full HR Suite with Robust Vacation Tracking

Zoho People is part of the larger Zoho ecosystem and offers detailed leave management along with full HR tools. It’s ideal for growing companies that need more than just vacation tracking.

Key Features

Custom leave policies and accruals

Mobile app for time-off requests

Integration with Zoho ecosystem

Automated approval workflows

Pros

Feature-rich platform

Highly customizable

Strong reporting and analytics

Cons

May feel overwhelming for small teams

Paid tiers required for advanced features

Pricing
Starts at $1.25/user/month (Essential HR Plan)
15-day free trial
No free-forever plan

7. TimeOffCloud — Secure and Compliant Vacation Management

TimeOffCloud focuses on accuracy, compliance, and ease of use. Designed for SMBs and educational institutions, it helps automate time-off tracking while keeping you audit-ready.

Key Features

PTO tracking with accruals

Supervisor approval workflows

Calendar sync and reporting tools

Audit trail for compliance

Pros

Focuses on compliance and record-keeping

Clear user interface

Reliable support

Cons

Slight learning curve at setup

No mobile app as of now

Pricing
Starts at $1/user/month
Free trial available
No free plan

8.Cezanne HR — Scalable HR Platform with Advanced Leave Tracking

Cezanne HR is a full HR software suite built for mid-sized and large organizations. Its leave management module offers powerful vacation tracking with global capabilities, ideal for international teams.

Key Features

Global holiday calendars and region-based rules

Automated leave accruals and carryovers

Employee and manager self-service portals

Detailed absence reports and dashboards

Pros

Designed for international and multi-location teams

High configurability

Seamless integration with other HR functions

Cons

Pricing not transparent online

Requires setup assistance for advanced features

Pricing
Custom pricing based on team size and modules
Free demo available
No public free trial or plan

9. Vacation Tracker — Simple Time-Off Management for Distributed Teams

Vacation Tracker is a modern, Slack and Microsoft Teams-integrated leave tracking tool made for remote and hybrid teams. It focuses on making the time-off process quick, transparent, and fully automated—right where your team already works.

Key Features

Time-off requests via Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Google Workspace

Custom leave types and policies

Leave approvals and automated notifications

Team calendar with daily/weekly views

Multi-location and multi-team support

Pros

Seamlessly integrates with popular collaboration tools

Very intuitive for end users

Great for distributed and remote-first teams

Cons

Limited reporting tools

Not ideal for companies needing full HR features

Pricing
Starts at $1/user/month (billed annually)
7-day free trial
No permanent free plan

10. Day Off — Lightweight Leave Tracker for Simpler Teams

Day Off is a no-fuss vacation and leave management app designed for teams that want something simple, fast, and functional. It’s ideal for startups, small businesses, or organizations that just need to track PTO without a full HR system.

Key Features

Quick time-off request and approval process

Custom leave types and balance settings

Team-wide absence calendar

Mobile-friendly dashboard

Email notifications for approvals and reminders

Pros

Extremely easy to use

Great for startups and small teams

Offers a mobile-first experience

Cons

Limited integrations

Not suited for large or complex HR workflows

Pricing
Free for up to 5 users
Paid plans start at $1/user/month
Free trial available on paid plans

What Is an Employee Absence Tracker?

An employee absence tracker is a digital tool designed to help businesses and HR teams monitor employee attendance and manage all types of leave, including vacation days, sick leave, and personal time off.

Instead of relying on manual tracking or spreadsheets, these systems offer a centralized way to record and view time-off data, making it easier to know who’s available and when. More than just a scheduling aid, absence trackers support policy enforcement and legal compliance by documenting leave usage accurately.

They also provide valuable insights into attendance trends, which helps managers plan workloads, reduce disruptions, and maintain overall team productivity.

How Do Employee Absence Trackers Work?

Employee absence trackers simplify how businesses oversee attendance and time off. While some companies still rely on Excel templates, using specialized software makes the process faster, more accurate, and easier to manage.

These tools typically offer self-service portals where employees can submit leave requests digitally—eliminating back-and-forth emails or paperwork. Managers can then review, approve, or decline requests in just a few clicks.

The system gives a clear view of who’s off and why, and it automatically tracks remaining leave balances based on company policies. Many trackers also include reporting tools that reveal patterns in absences, helping teams plan better and avoid scheduling gaps.

Why Employee Absence Trackers Are a Smart Investment for Your Team

There are plenty of advantages to using employee absence trackers, such as:

Key Advantages of Using an Employee Absence Tracker

Simplifies Leave Management

Absence trackers make it easy to manage time-off requests, approvals, and leave records—saving HR teams time and reducing paperwork.

Ensures Accurate Attendance Data

With real-time tracking, these tools help maintain precise attendance logs, which are essential for payroll accuracy and legal compliance.

Supports Fair and Transparent Leave Policies

Automated tracking ensures consistency in how time-off requests are handled, promoting fairness across the organization.

Enhances Workforce Scheduling

By spotting trends in employee absences, HR can make smarter scheduling decisions and maintain balanced team coverage.

Boosts Workplace Efficiency

By reducing unplanned absences and making attendance patterns visible, companies can keep operations running more smoothly.

Improves Resource Planning

Knowing ahead of time who will be off allows managers to adjust workloads and assign tasks more effectively.

Helps Meet Legal Requirements

Digital records make it easier to stay compliant with employment laws and avoid potential disputes or penalties.

Accurate Payroll Integration

When connected to payroll systems, absence data flows directly into pay calculations—minimizing errors and ensuring correct payouts.

What Is the Cost of Employee Absence Trackers?

The price of employee absence tracking software varies depending on the number of users and the features included. For example, Vacation Tracker offers pricing that starts around $250 for a team of 10 and increases to about $1,250 for 50 users. Keep in mind, though, that some solutions like Vacation Tracker focus solely on absence management, so you might still need additional tools for broader team management.

When selecting a tracker, it’s best to look for one that combines a robust feature set with an affordable pricing structure to get the most value for your investment.

Time Off Manager 365 is competitively priced compared to other platforms and offers a rich set of features. Small businesses with fewer than 10 users can enjoy Time Off Manager 365 completely free—no hidden fees or obligations.

Conclusion

Choosing the right employee absence tracker is crucial for maintaining smooth operations, ensuring fair leave management, and boosting overall productivity. While many great options are available, Time Off Manager 365 stands out as the best all-in-one solution. It combines powerful features, user-friendly design, and flexible pricing to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes. Whether you’re a small startup or a growing enterprise, Time Off Manager 365 makes managing employee absences effortless and efficient.