Effectively managing employee vacations, paid time off (PTO), and absences is vital for keeping operations running smoothly and maintaining team productivity. For small businesses, handling leave requests manually through spreadsheets or email threads often leads to confusion, scheduling conflicts, and errors.
Vacation tracking software simplifies this process by automating requests, approvals, and record-keeping, providing a more organized and transparent system for both managers and employees. These tools help ensure fair leave management, accurate PTO balances, and compliance with company policies—all while saving valuable administrative time.
In this article, we’ll highlight some of the best vacation tracking tools available today, with a closer look at Day Off, one of the most intuitive and feature-rich solutions tailored for small businesses.
Day Off, Best Overall for Small Businesses
Day Off Leave Tracker is a user-friendly and efficient vacation tracking software built specifically for small businesses. It streamlines the entire leave management process by automating time-off requests, approvals, and tracking. With an intuitive interface and smart automation, Day Off helps teams save time, reduce administrative work, and maintain accurate, transparent records of employee absences.
Day Off stands out because of its simple setup, mobile accessibility, and robust reporting capabilities. Unlike many competitors, it offers a straightforward and stress-free experience that doesn’t require extensive training.
Key Features of Day Off:
Easy-to-Use Vacation Tracker
Day Off provides a clear dashboard where HR managers can track all leave requests, including sick days, PTO, maternity leave, and other absences. Each employee has a personal leave balance, helping avoid confusion over remaining vacation days.
Customizable Approval Workflows
Businesses can configure the leave approval process according to their organizational structure. Whether it’s a single-step approval or a multi-level process involving department heads, Day Off allows for full customization.
Automatic Notifications and Alerts
The platform ensures smooth communication between employees and managers by sending instant notifications. Employees are notified when their leave requests are approved or denied, while managers receive alerts about new leave applications.
Sub-Teams and Departmental Customization
Small businesses often have different departments with varying leave policies. Day Off allows the creation of sub-teams with unique vacation policies, making it ideal for organizations with diverse requirements.
Comprehensive Reporting and Analytics
HR teams can generate detailed reports on leave usage, helping them make informed staffing decisions. These reports offer insights into employee attendance patterns, ensuring that businesses maintain optimal workforce levels.
Mobile-Friendly Access
Unlike some competitors that are limited to desktop use, Day Off provides a fully functional mobile app. Employees can request leave and managers can approve or track absences from anywhere.
Strong Security Measures
Day Off prioritizes data protection with end-to-end encryption, daily backups, and compliance with SOC 2 security standards. These measures ensure that employee leave data is safe and always available.
Affordable Pricing
Day Off is budget-friendly and offers free and paid plans, making it an excellent option for small businesses looking for an affordable but efficient solution.
Best for: Small businesses needing an easy-to-use, mobile-friendly, and highly customizable vacation tracking system.
Pricing: Free plan available, with affordable premium options, starting with 1$/employee/month.
Website: day-off.app
Manage Your Team Anytime, Anywhere
Download the app to effortlessly track and manage your team’s leaves, absences, and vacations with the most powerful and user-friendly leave tracker. Stay organized and keep your team’s vacation schedules under control with ease!
BambooHR, Best for HR Management with Leave Tracking
BambooHR is a comprehensive human resource management system (HRMS) that includes vacation tracking alongside payroll, performance management, and employee record tools. It’s an excellent choice for small businesses seeking a centralized platform to manage all HR operations efficiently.
Key Features
Employee Self-Service Leave Requests
Employees can easily request time off through the web or mobile app, no paperwork or emails required. They can also view their real-time leave balances, reducing repetitive HR inquiries and improving transparency.
Customizable Leave Policies
BambooHR allows organizations to create tailored PTO policies, including custom accrual rates, carryover limits, and blackout dates. This ensures fair, compliant, and flexible leave management aligned with company policies.
Integrated Company Calendar
Managers can view a company-wide leave calendar that displays all approved absences. This visibility helps teams plan workloads, prevent scheduling conflicts, and maintain balanced staffing.
Payroll and HR Integration
BambooHR seamlessly integrates with payroll systems to ensure accurate leave deductions and automatic updates to employee records. This synchronization minimizes errors and simplifies payroll management.
Best For
Small businesses that need a complete HR management solution with integrated leave tracking functionality.
Pricing
Custom pricing based on business size, requirements, and selected features.
Timetastic, Best for Small Teams and Startups
Timetastic is a straightforward and user-friendly vacation tracking tool designed for small businesses and startups. It replaces messy spreadsheets with a digital leave management system that keeps teams organized, informed, and up to date.
Key Features
Digital Time-Off Requests
Employees can quickly submit leave requests through the web or mobile app, while managers can review and approve them in just a few clicks. This streamlined process reduces administrative effort and speeds up approvals.
Shared Leave Calendar
Timetastic includes a team-wide calendar displaying all approved absences. This shared view helps managers plan projects effectively, avoid scheduling conflicts, and maintain adequate coverage.
Public Holiday Integration
The platform automatically syncs public holidays from more than 3,000 global locations. This ensures that time-off calculations are accurate and aligned with local labor laws and regional requirements.
Slack and Google Calendar Integration
Businesses that use Slack or Google Calendar can integrate Timetastic to receive automatic notifications about employee absences, ensuring everyone stays informed and coordinated.
Best For
Small businesses and startups are looking for a simple, modern, and efficient digital leave management solution.
Pricing
Starting at $1.30 per user per month.
Vacation Tracker, Best for Teams Using Slack & Microsoft Teams
Vacation Tracker is a powerful leave management tool designed for teams that use Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Google Workspace. It integrates directly with these platforms, making it an excellent choice for remote or distributed teams that depend on modern collaboration tools for daily communication.
Key Features
Seamless Slack and Teams Integration
Employees can submit time-off requests directly within Slack or Microsoft Teams, removing the need for a separate leave management portal. Managers can review, approve, or decline requests from the same interface, streamlining the entire process.
Custom Leave Types and Policies
Vacation Tracker supports up to 25 customizable leave types, including PTO, sick leave, unpaid leave, and remote work days. This flexibility allows businesses to align leave tracking with their internal policies and compliance requirements.
Multi-Location and Time Zone Support
Perfect for global teams, Vacation Tracker enables organizations to configure multiple locations with unique time zones, working hours, and regional leave policies. This ensures accurate tracking and coordination across different offices and countries.
Automated Leave Reminders
The system automatically sends notifications and reminders about upcoming leaves, helping teams plan workloads effectively and avoid scheduling conflicts.
Best For
Remote and distributed teams that rely on Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Google Workspace for daily collaboration.
Pricing
Starting at $3 per user per month.
LeaveBoard, Best Free Leave Management Software
LeaveBoard is a completely free leave management solution designed for startups and small businesses. Despite being free, it offers a robust set of features that simplify leave tracking and approval, making it an ideal choice for companies operating with limited budgets.
Key Features
Centralized Employee Dashboard
LeaveBoard provides HR teams and managers with a real-time dashboard displaying all leave requests and approvals. This centralized view makes it easy to monitor absences, approve requests quickly, and maintain clear visibility of team availability.
Automatic Time-Off Balances
The software automatically calculates and updates each employee’s leave balance. Both managers and employees can easily view remaining vacation days and other leave types, ensuring transparency and accuracy.
Reporting and Analytics
LeaveBoard includes built-in reporting tools that help managers analyze leave trends and absence patterns. These insights support better workforce planning and more informed HR decisions.
Best For
Small businesses, startups, and growing teams that need a dependable, easy-to-use, and completely free leave tracking tool.
Pricing
Free forever, with no hidden fees or upgrade requirements.
(FAQ) About Vacation Tracking Tools for Small Businesses
Why do small businesses need vacation tracking software?
Small businesses often operate with smaller teams, making efficient leave management essential. Vacation tracking software helps streamline operations by:
Preventing scheduling conflicts.
Ensuring fairness and transparency in leave policies.
Automating leave requests, approvals, and notifications.
Maintaining accurate PTO balances and records.
Improving productivity by ensuring adequate coverage at all times.
How do vacation tracking tools handle different types of leave?
Modern vacation tracking tools are highly customizable, allowing businesses to define various leave types such as:
Paid Time Off (PTO)
Sick Leave
Unpaid Leave
Maternity/Paternity Leave
Remote Work Days
Compensatory Off (Comp Off)
Bereavement Leave
Managers can also configure accrual rates, carryover rules, and approval workflows for each leave type to match company policy.
Can vacation tracking software integrate with payroll systems?
Yes, many vacation tracking platforms integrate seamlessly with payroll and HR systems. This ensures accurate salary calculations by automatically syncing leave data, whether paid or unpaid, directly into payroll records. Popular tools like BambooHR and Day Off offer built-in payroll integration features.
How do these tools prevent overlapping vacations in small teams?
Most vacation tracking solutions include a shared team calendar where managers can see who’s on leave before approving new requests. Some, such as Timetastic and Day Off, even send alerts when multiple team members request overlapping dates, helping maintain proper staffing levels.
Can employees track their remaining leave balances?
Yes. Most tools include a self-service dashboard where employees can view their remaining PTO, submit leave requests, and check past absences. This transparency reduces HR workload and empowers employees to manage their own time off.
How do vacation tracking apps handle remote teams in different time zones?
Tools like Vacation Tracker and LeaveBoard support multiple locations and time zones, ensuring global teams can follow location-specific working hours and leave policies. This makes them ideal for distributed or hybrid workplaces.
Are there free vacation tracking tools for small businesses?
Yes! LeaveBoard offers a completely free leave management plan. Other platforms like Day Off provide free tiers with essential features, while some offer free trials to test premium functionality before upgrading.
What kind of reporting features do these tools offer?
Vacation tracking tools typically provide detailed, exportable reports on:
Employee leave trends and patterns.
PTO accruals and usage.
Departmental leave summaries.
Individual and company-wide leave balances.
These insights help HR teams plan resources better and make informed staffing decisions.
How secure is employee leave data in these tools?
Leading vacation tracking platforms, such as Day Off and BambooHR, prioritize data security with:
End-to-end encryption for all data transmissions.
SOC 2–compliant infrastructure.
Regular data backups and access controls.
Before choosing a solution, businesses should review each vendor’s data protection and privacy policies.
Do vacation tracking tools integrate with communication apps like Slack or Microsoft Teams?
Absolutely. Tools like Vacation Tracker integrate directly with Slack and Microsoft Teams, allowing employees to request leave, check balances, and get approvals without leaving their communication platform.
How difficult is it to set up and use vacation tracking software?
Vacation tracking software is typically quick to implement and easy to use. Platforms such as Day Off and Timetastic feature intuitive dashboards, guided setup, and mobile-friendly interfaces, ideal for small businesses without dedicated HR staff.
Can I customize leave approval workflows?
Yes, most solutions offer flexible approval workflows. You can set single-step or multi-level approvals based on your organizational structure. For example, Day Off allows requests to be routed through direct managers, department heads, or HR admins for layered approvals.
Is there a mobile app available for tracking employee leave?
Yes. Many providers, including Day Off, BambooHR, and Timetastic, offer mobile apps that let employees manage leave requests, view balances, and receive real-time approval notifications from anywhere.
Can businesses enforce blackout dates for PTO?
Yes, some platforms, like BambooHR, allow administrators to set blackout dates during critical business periods. This prevents leave requests during peak seasons or important projects, ensuring business continuity.
Do these tools help with compliance and labor laws?
Yes, vacation tracking software helps maintain compliance by:
Accurately recording leave history.
Automating PTO accruals in line with labor laws.
Generating audit-ready reports for legal and regulatory reviews.
This minimizes risk and ensures fair, compliant leave management for all employees.
Conclusion
Choosing the right vacation tracking tool is crucial for small businesses to efficiently manage employee leave, maintain productivity, and ensure fair PTO policies. Manual tracking through spreadsheets can lead to errors, scheduling conflicts, and compliance issues, which is why automated solutions offer a more organized, transparent, and hassle-free approach.
Among the top options, Day Off stands out as the best all-around choice due to its easy-to-use interface, mobile accessibility, and customizable leave management features. For businesses needing a full HRMS solution, BambooHR is a great option, while Timetastic provides a simple and effective solution for startups. Vacation Tracker is ideal for Slack and Microsoft Teams users, and LeaveBoard is perfect for those looking for a free leave management tool.
By adopting the right vacation tracking tool, businesses can save time, improve efficiency, and create a more structured approach to employee leave management,ultimately leading to a more productive and satisfied workforce.