Absenca vs Vacation Tracker
Absenca vs Vacation Tracker
Absenca and Vacation Tracker are both Slack- and Teams-first leave trackers built around a shared calendar, approvals and public holidays, so the day-to-day experience is similar. Where they differ is price and the free tier: Vacation Tracker's free plan is capped at one location, one department and one leave type, and paid plans run roughly $2–$4 per user. Absenca is free for up to 15 people with the full feature set, then a flat $0.75 per user. Here's the honest head-to-head.
In short
For most teams under ~50 people the deciding factors are price and the free tier, and Absenca wins both — the same core leave tracking, free for 15, then $0.75/user, with a built-in importer to migrate in minutes. Choose Vacation Tracker if its maturity matters to you more than cost.
Which is the better fit?
Choose Absenca
Small and growing teams that want the full feature set free for up to 15 people, then the lowest per-user price in the category.
Choose Vacation Tracker
Larger teams already standardised on Vacation Tracker, or those who value its longer track record and established support over cost.
Absenca vs Vacation Tracker at a glance
| Absenca | Vacation Tracker | |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Up to 15 users, full features | 1 location, 1 dept, 1 leave type |
| Paid price | $0.75 / user / mo | ~$2–$4 / user / mo |
| Chat bots (Slack / Teams / Google Chat) | Slack + Teams + Google Chat | Slack + Teams |
| Google & Outlook calendar sync | Yes | Yes |
| Leave attachments (doctor's notes) | Yes | No |
| In-app notification center | Yes | No (Slack/email only) |
| Bradford Factor analytics | Yes | No |
| TOIL (time off in lieu) | Yes | Yes |
| Accruals, carry-over & seniority | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-office roles | 4 roles incl. location-admin | 3 roles |
| Public holidays (190+ countries) | Yes | Yes |
| API & webhooks | Read + write API, native webhooks | Read-only API |
| Migrate from Vacation Tracker | Built-in import wizard | — |
| Hosting | EU data residency | AWS (US) |
Vacation Tracker (as of 2026): Free plan limited to 1 location / 1 department / 1 leave type; Core ~$2/user/mo; Complete ~$4/user/mo; some automations billed separately. Absenca: free for up to 15 users, then $0.75/user/mo (up to 50 on Pro, Custom Pack beyond).
Thinking of switching from Vacation Tracker?
Absenca's built-in import wizard brings your people and leave balances across, so moving is painless. Read the full breakdown on our Vacation Tracker alternative page, or just try it free for up to 15 people — no credit card.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between Absenca and Vacation Tracker?
Both do Slack/Teams leave tracking with a shared calendar, approvals and public holidays. The main differences are price (Absenca is $0.75/user vs Vacation Tracker's ~$2–4) and the free tier (Absenca is free for up to 15 people with full features; Vacation Tracker's free plan is limited to one location, department and leave type). Absenca also includes leave attachments and Bradford Factor analytics that Vacation Tracker doesn't.
Is Absenca cheaper than Vacation Tracker?
Yes. Absenca is free for up to 15 users, then a flat $0.75 per user per month. Vacation Tracker charges roughly $2–4 per user per month with a limited free plan, so Absenca is typically 60–80% cheaper for paying teams.
Is Absenca or Vacation Tracker better for Slack and Teams?
Both have a Slack bot for requesting and approving leave. Absenca also ships a Microsoft Teams bot on every plan, so if you have a mix of Slack and Teams users, Absenca covers both out of the box.
Can I move from Vacation Tracker to Absenca?
Yes — Absenca has a built-in import wizard that brings your people and leave balances across, so you can switch in minutes without losing history.
Other comparisons
Comparison based on publicly available information about Vacation Tracker as of 2026. Features and pricing change — please check Vacation Tracker's website for the latest details.