Flamingo alternative
A Flamingo alternative that's free for small teams, with a full web app
Flamingo is a Slack-first leave tracker. Flamingo takes leave requests and approvals in Slack, and sets people's Slack status while they're on leave.1 Flamingo has no free plan; it offers a 7-day trial.1 Absenca keeps leave in Slack too, with a Slack bot on Pro, and adds a free plan for up to 10 people with a TOIL balance. Bradford Factor analytics come with Pro, which is $37.50 a month for up to 50. Here's an honest side-by-side, with a source and a date for every Flamingo fact.
In short
Stay with Flamingo if a Slack bot is the heart of your leave process, or it costs less at your team size. Choose Absenca if you want a free plan with TOIL for a small team, and one flat price as you grow. Absenca's Slack bot and Bradford Factor analytics are on Pro, not Free. Absenca costs less than Flamingo's Business plan for teams of 10, 20, 30 and 50 people.1
Flamingo vs Absenca
| Flamingo | Absenca | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | None; a 7-day trial1 | Free for up to 10 people |
| Price | $3 a person a month, $30 minimum1 | Pro: $37.50 a month for up to 50 people |
| Slack bot | Slack1 | Yes, on Pro |
| Web app | Yes1 | Yes, with a calendar and wallchart |
| Calendar sync | A feed for Google, Outlook and Apple1 | Google and Outlook, on every plan |
| Accruals | Weekly to quarterly1 | Yes, on every plan |
| Public holidays | Any country, added by you1 | 190+ countries, built in |
| TOIL (time off in lieu) | Not listed1 | A TOIL balance, on every plan |
| Bradford Factor analytics | Not listed1 | Yes, on Pro |
| Reports | Scheduled reports and exports1 | CSV, XLSX and PDF; scheduled reports on Pro |
Absenca costs less for 1 to 10 people; Flamingo's Business plan costs less for 11 to 12 people; Absenca costs less for 13 to 50 people.1
What a team pays each month
| Team | Absenca | Flamingo Business |
|---|---|---|
| 10 people | Free | $301 |
| 20 people | $37.50 | $601 |
| 30 people | $37.50 | $901 |
| 50 people | $37.50 | $1501 |
Monthly prices in US dollars, before tax. Absenca bills Pro for all 50 seats, so every team from 11 to 50 people pays $37.50.
Why teams pick Absenca
A free plan for small teams
Absenca is free for up to 10 people, with accruals, carry-over and TOIL. The Slack bot comes with Pro. Flamingo has no free plan; it offers a 7-day trial.1
One flat price as you grow
Pro is $37.50 a month for any team from 11 to 50 people. Absenca costs less than Flamingo's Business plan for teams of 10, 20, 30 and 50 people.1
More than a Slack bot
A TOIL balance on every plan. Bradford Factor analytics, on Pro. Flamingo's pricing page, which lists its features, mentions no TOIL or Bradford Factor scoring.1
Moving from Flamingo to Absenca
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Pick a cut-over date
Choose the day Absenca takes over, and on that day note each person's remaining balance in Flamingo. Export your leave history from Flamingo on that day. Flamingo schedules daily and weekly reports, and exports leave history by month and calendar year.1
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Set up your office
Add your office with its work week, leave year start and public holidays for its country. Then add your leave types and policies: accrual schedules, carry-over caps and expiry, and seniority tiers.
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Import your people from a CSV
Fill in Absenca's template with each person's name, email, department, role, office and start date. Absenca checks every row before it imports anyone, then emails each person an invitation. CSV import is on every plan.
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Set opening balances
Adjust each person's balance to what Flamingo showed on the cut-over date. Absenca records each adjustment, with your reason, in the audit log.
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Connect Slack
On Pro, connect the Slack bot so people keep requesting and approving leave in Slack, as they did in Flamingo. On Free, they use the web app instead.
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Go live
Your team signs in with a Google, Microsoft or Slack account. Approved leave syncs to Google or Outlook calendars, on every plan. Turn on the Slack bot, on Pro, to request and approve leave in Slack.
The full walkthrough, with what to check before and after the cut-over: move your leave data.
Where Flamingo might be the better fit
- Built around Slack, with Slack statuses set for you. Flamingo takes leave requests and approvals in Slack, and sets people's Slack status while they're on leave.1
- You pay only for the people you add. Flamingo charges only for the people you add to it, not your whole Slack workspace, and prorates people added mid-period.1
- Scheduled reports on its Business plan. Flamingo schedules daily and weekly reports, and exports leave history by month and calendar year.1
We'd rather you pick the right tool than the loudest one. If the points above matter more to you than price, Flamingo is a perfectly good choice.
Frequently asked questions
Is Absenca a good Flamingo alternative?
Yes, if you want leave in Slack plus a full web app, TOIL and Bradford Factor analytics. Absenca's Slack bot is on Pro and the Custom Pack, not on the free Starter plan, and the web app is free for up to 10 people. Flamingo has no free plan; it offers a 7-day trial.1
Is Absenca's Slack bot free?
No. The Slack bot is on Pro and the Custom Pack, not on the free Starter plan. On the free plan, people request and approve leave in the web app, and get email notifications.
Is Absenca cheaper than Flamingo?
Absenca costs less than Flamingo's Business plan for teams of 10, 20, 30 and 50 people.1 Flamingo's Business plan costs $30 a month for up to 10 people and $3 a month for each person after that; Enterprise is priced on request.1 Absenca is free for up to 10 people. Pro is $37.50 a month for up to 50 people, or $33.75 a month billed annually ($405 a year).
Can I move my data over from Flamingo?
Yes. Absenca bulk-imports your people from a CSV during setup, on every plan, and you set each person's opening balance from Flamingo's export.
Other comparisons
Every Flamingo fact on this page links to its source and the date we checked it. Features and prices change, so check Flamingo's own pages before you decide.
Sources
- flamingoapp.com/pricing, checked