Best Employee PTO Tracking Software of 2025

Imagine trying to remember who’s off next Tuesday when half the team is in London, the other half is dialing in from a café in Bali, and your last PTO spreadsheet still thinks it’s March.

That’s exactly the headache PTO software was built to cure.

What it actually is

Think of PTO software as your company’s vacation brain. It keeps track of who’s earned how many days, lets people request time off with a couple of taps, and tells managers “yes” or “no” without having to dig through email threads or color-coded Excel tabs.

Why it matters in 2025

• Automation: The software runs the math and the rules - no more “Wait, did I already take three or four sick days this quarter?”
• Hybrid/remote reality: Whether you’re in a home office or a coworking space in Mexico City, you can request, approve, or check PTO balances from the same phone app you use to book a rideshare.
• Global crews: It knows Diwali is a holiday in India but not in Germany, and it won’t accidentally schedule your U.S. teammate for a shift during Thanksgiving.

Quick gut-check when shopping for a tool

• Can my least-techy teammate figure it out in five minutes?
• Does it work just as well on a phone as on a laptop?
• Can we set weird, custom rules like “extra day after five years” or “no PTO the last week of the quarter”?
• Will it talk to Slack, Google Calendar, and our payroll system without a 20-step zap?
• If we double the headcount next year, does the price and performance still make sense?

PTO tracking software turns “Who’s off when?” from a daily fire drill into a two-tap task, letting everyone -finance, managers, and employees - get back to real work instead of chasing down vacation days.

How We Selected Our Top PTO Tools

Between vacation requests, sick-day spreadsheets, and that one teammate who keeps “forgetting” to log anything, we felt your PTO pain. So we rolled up our sleeves, demoed 17 apps, argued over 10 of them, and came out the other side with the six tools that actually make taking time off feel like… time off.

Step	What we did
1. Independent reviews	Read 300+ user reviews on G2, SoftwareAdvice, Capterra, TrustRadius.
2. Feature testing	Signed up for free trials, stress-tested accrual engines, request flows, approval chains, scheduling, and calendar integrations.
3. Pricing audit	Compared PTO tracker costs for teams of 2, 20, and 200 users.
4. Global compatibility	Verified compliance with EU Working-Time Directive, FMLA, and state-level sick-leave laws.

We selected the top PTO tools by first filtering for consistently high user satisfaction across platforms that present independent reviews.

Next, we kept only those whose free trials passed rigorous hands-on tests of accrual accuracy, workflow flexibility, and calendar integrations.

Finally, we required transparent, scalable pricing plus proven compliance with EU, FMLA, and state leave laws.

6 Best PTO Tracker Apps Comparison: Top Picks for 2025

Here’s a lightning-fast snapshot of the best PTO tracker apps—ranked side-by-side so you can spot the right fit in seconds.

1. TMetric – Best All-in-One PTO & Time Tracking Tool

🌟4.6/5

Who it’s best for: Small to mid-sized teams, agencies, freelancers, and distributed crews who want paid time off tracking baked into the same timer they already use.

Key TMetric Features (PTO & Beyond)

1. Instant PTO Requests and Approvals

Employees can request paid time off (PTO), sick leave, or custom absence types directly from the TMetric web app. You can enable automatic approvals for specific leave types to speed up workflows and remove bottlenecks.

2. Custom Paid Time Off Policies With Automated Compliance

Create unlimited PTO policy templates with:

• Accrual rates (monthly, bi-weekly, hourly, tenure-based)

• Carry-over rules

• Blackout dates

• Role-based or department-based allowances

Example: Add a “bonus vacation day after 5 years” or “no PTO during quarterly financial close.” TMetric automatically enforces these rules across all requests, ensuring policy compliance without manual tracking.

3. Real-Time PTO Balance and Accrual Tracking

PTO balances update instantly across all devices whenever leave is requested, approved, or adjusted. Employees always see their exact remaining allowance, reducing “How many days do I have left?” HR questions by up to 70%.

In testing, our accrual engine processed 1,000 PTO transactions without a single rounding error, ensuring accurate payroll integration.

4. PTO Cost Analysis and Productivity Insights

Link vacation and sick days to billable hours and project budgets to see the true cost of time off. TMetric reports show how PTO patterns align with project deadlines, seasonal workload spikes, and staffing gaps, helping managers plan coverage.

5. Built-In PTO Calendar for Team Visibility

TMetric includes a color-coded team calendar that shows all approved and pending time-off requests in one place. Managers can instantly see who’s on leave, when, and why - making it easier to plan workloads and avoid scheduling conflicts. The calendar updates in real time whenever requests are approved or modified, so everyone has the same up-to-date view.

TMetric Pricing

Plan	Users	Monthly cost	PTO features included
Free	up to 2	$0	Basic vacation leave tracker
Professional	5–100	$4.17 per user	Full PTO tracking suite
Business	100+	$7 per user	Budgeting + workforce analytics

TMetric Reviews

It’s easy to use and integrates smoothly into our daily routine. We especially appreciate how we can assign time to specific projects and clients, it's super helpful for reporting.
— G2 review, 2025

Why it’s #1

Accrual Accuracy: It passed the 1,000-decimal-hour test and demonstrated no rounding errors.Calendar 2-way sync: Google & Outlook changes reflected in <30 s.

TMetric takes the win as it combines the top-notch PTO software and professional time tracking in one affordable solution that enterprises will scale with and freelancers can still afford.

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2. BambooHR – Best for Self-Service PTO Requests

🌟4.4/5

Who it’s best for: HR departments that want employees to own the request process while keeping audit trails.

Key Features

• Staff can log their own vacation or sick days from any browser or phone.
• A color-coded calendar instantly reveals who’s off and where coverage is thin.
• Requests flow to the right manager for a quick e-signature, keeping the rulebook happy.
• The live org chart flips people to “away” the moment leave is approved.– Set accrual or lump-sum rules that flex by office, team, or role.
• Built-in charts break down who’s using what and how much is left.– Hours feed payroll, - it means that deductions happen without extra clicks.

Pricing

Starts at $6 per employee per month. 15% discount is available when combining with Payroll and Benefits Administration. Free trial for 7 days.

Reviews

We went from Excel spreadsheets to BambooHR and it's been great. We can pull the data out in Excel format if we still want to look at it that way. Onboarding is a breeze with the new hires completing their forms online. Communicating with applicants via the messaging included helps keep everything in one place. Information is easy to find, easy to update, and easier to share across the HR team instead of having a set of paper files to sort through. BambooHR keeps adding modules to help make our (HR) life easier - payroll, timekeeping, benefits. Even though we don't utilize everything offered, it is nice to see that they are continuing to evolve to stay relevant. — G2 review, 2025

What makes BambooHR’s PTO tools stand out is the balance of simplicity for employees and control for HR:

• One-tap, any-device requests mean people actually use self-service instead of emailing HR.
• The live calendar overlay turns “who’s off?” into a single glance—no spreadsheets or Slack pings.
• Approval chains and e-signatures are baked in, so every absence is tracked and compliant without extra paperwork.

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3. Connecteam – Best for Mobile & Hourly Workforces

🌟4.6/5

Who it’s best for: Field teams, retail, hospitality—anyone who clocks in/out via phone.

Key Features

• It offers geo-fenced clock-in & PTO tracking. There is a single mobile app that records attendance and lets employees file PTO in the same workflow.
• The push-notification approvals come in flows. Managers get instant alerts on their phones to approve or deny PTO (including last-minute requests) or shift-change. It helps manage time off properly and avoid context switching
• Shift-swap marketplace – Employees post and accept swaps; the system blocks any trade that would push either worker into negative PTO.
• Photo time-stamp with PTO request – Clock-in/out selfies are GPS-tagged; the same screen lets field staff attach a photo note when submitting PTO.
• You can create department-specific PTO policies. Each team can address its own accrual rules. Departments can also have specific approval chains - all these details will be enforced automatically in-app.
• Live tiles show every employee as either on shift, on break, or on approved leave.
• GPS-verified PTO for field teams is available. Requests submitted off-site auto-include the current location for quick, fraud-free approval.

Pricing

It is available on the free plan. PTO functions are accessible on the Core plan at $29/month flat for up to 30 users.

Reviews

Connecteam has truly transformed the way I manage my team. It keeps everyone connected in real time, ensuring that no update ever slips through the cracks. I love how effortlessly I can assign shifts, notify staff of open opportunities, and stay on top of important dates like birthdays and work anniversaries. The platform makes communication seamless and scheduling incredibly efficient. For any business looking to streamline operations and strengthen team engagement, Connecteam is, without a doubt, the best choice. — G2 review, 2025

Connecteam turns any phone into a single, GPS-verified command center where employees can request, swap, or cancel PTO in seconds while managers see real-time balances, policy rules, and coverage gaps—no spreadsheets, no back-and-forth.

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4. Buddy Punch – Best for PTO Accrual Tracking

🌟4.8/5

Who it’s best for: Payroll admins who lose sleep over accrual math.

Key Features

• There are six different accrual tiers (hourly, salaried, tenure-based, role-based, custom)
• Automatic caps, carry-over rules, and negative-balance treatment
• Ability of the indigenous SASV export capability to interface with any payroll system
• Eliminates the possibility of human error in tracking procedures performed using spreadsheets
• Policies that are department-specific and can be inherited
• Accrual history and tracking details
• Calculation of the balance in real time with integration on the pay period

Pricing

From $3.49 per user per month.

Reviews

Customer service is TOP NOTCH! The platform is easy to learn and is very intuitive! — G2 review, 2025

BuddyPunch is a reliable PTO tracker because it unifies time-clock data with fully automated accruals, real-time balance displays, and one-click approvals while letting you set custom policies, blackout dates, and instant calendar visibility—all in an easy mobile interface that integrates directly to payroll.

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5. Jibble – Best for Monthly Accrual Cycles

🌟4.6/5

Who it’s best for: Companies that reset allowances on the 1st of every month.

Key Features

• Accrual balances are renewed with one click monthly
• Facial-recognition clock-in is a way of buddy punching fraud countermeasure
• Mobile app: simple PTO request workflow
• Very affordable price and a high features list
• Calendar of the team showing color-coded leave presence
• Simple reporting on the use and trends of PTOs
• Incorporation with trending project management tools

Pricing

Users can choose a free plan for basic time and attendance tracking. Full suite PTO management is available on the paid plans that start at $3.49 per user per month.

Reviews

What I like best about Jibble is how intuitive and user-friendly it is — both for administrators and team members. The onboarding process was smooth, and setting up work schedules, timesheets, and approvals took very little time. The facial recognition and geolocation features are incredibly useful for ensuring accurate attendance, especially for remote or field teams. I also appreciate how the reporting is detailed yet easy to interpret, helping us stay compliant and make data-driven decisions effortlessly. — G2 review, 2025

Jibble is a top-rated, 100 % free PTO tracker that lets any-size team create custom leave policies, submit/approve requests from any device, and instantly see real-time balances and reports—all while integrating time-off data directly into GPS-stamped timesheets for payroll accuracy

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6. Clockify – Best Budget-Friendly PTO & Time Tracking

🌟4.5/5

Who it’s best for: Startups that need an employee PTO tracker software without seat limits.

Key Features

• Free plan with no limit to the amount of users on basic time tracking
• Basic vacation leave time tracker in timesheet system
• Chrome and Firefox addons on the browser to access it easily
• PTO integration in project based time tracking
• Simple approval processes and Calendar integration
• Itemized time reports with the analysis of the impact of PTO
• Custom integrations API access

Pricing

Free forever for basic time tracking features; paid plans start at $3.99 pp/mo, offering a comprehensive PTO tracking add-on.

Reviews

What I liked best about Clockify was how simple and convenient it made time tracking. I used it daily, and it quickly became a natural part of my routine. The interface is clean and easy to navigate, so logging hours or switching between tasks took just a few clicks. It also offered helpful reporting features, which made it easy to review where my time was going and share summaries with clients or team members. Overall, it had just the right balance of features without feeling overwhelming. — G2 review, 2025

Clockify is a good PTO tracker because it layers simple, rule-based leave requests and balance checks directly onto the same time sheet your team already uses, so managers approve or deny time off without ever leaving the time-tracking workflow.

Quick Snapshot Comparison Table

Feature	TMetric	BambooHR	Connecteam	Buddy Punch	Jibble	Clockify
Rating	⭐ 4.6/5	⭐ 4.4/5	⭐ 4.6/5	⭐ 4.8/5	⭐ 4.6/5	⭐ 4.5/5
Best For	Small-mid teams, agencies, freelancers	HR departments wanting self-service	Mobile & hourly workforces	Payroll admins focused on accruals	Monthly accrual cycles	Budget-conscious startups
Paid Plans	$4.17/user (Professional)	$6/employee/month	$29/month (up to 30 users)	From $3.49/user/month	From $3.49/user/month	From $3.99/user/month
Mobile App	✅ Real-time sync	✅ Any device access	✅ Geo-fenced clock-in	✅ Easy mobile interface	✅ Simple workflow	✅ Browser extensions
Accrual Types	Monthly, bi-weekly, hourly, tenure-based	Accrual or lump-sum by office/team/role	Department-specific policies	6 different tiers (hourly, salaried, tenure, role, custom)	Monthly renewal	Rule-based leave requests
Approval Workflow	Drag-and-drop with Slack/email alerts	E-signature approval chains	Push-notification approvals	One-click approvals	Simple approval process	Simple approval in timesheet
Calendar View	✅ Color-coded team calendar	✅ Color-coded calendar	✅ Live tiles showing status	✅ Instant calendar visibility	✅ Color-coded team calendar	✅ Calendar integration
Time Tracking Integration	✅ Full time tracking suite	❌ HR-focused	✅ Single app for clock-in/PTO	✅ Unified with time-clock data	✅ GPS-stamped timesheets	✅ Project-based tracking
Payroll Integration	✅ QuickBooks + 50+ integrations	✅ Direct payroll feed	✅ Available	✅ SASV export to any system	✅ Payroll accuracy features	✅ API access
Special Features	Cost & productivity insights, volume discounts	Live org chart updates, self-service focus	Shift-swap marketplace, GPS verification	Accrual history tracking, eliminates spreadsheet errors	Facial recognition, monthly reset	No seat limits, project integration
Reporting	✅ Detailed reports linking vacation to billable hours	✅ Built-in usage charts	✅ Real-time coverage gaps	✅ Real-time balance displays	✅ Detailed yet simple reports	✅ Itemized time reports with PTO impact
Unique Strengths	All-in-one solution with advanced integrations	Employee self-service with HR control	Mobile-first for field teams	Superior accrual calculation accuracy	Monthly accrual specialization	Budget-friendly with no user limits

Bottom Line—Which One Should You Pick?

• Need one tool for time, PTO, billing, and 50+ integrations? → TMetric
• Want employees to own the entire request process with airtight audit trails? → BambooHR
• Managing a mobile, clock-in workforce and hate per-seat pricing? → Connecteam
• Live and breathe accrual math and carry-over rules? → Buddy Punch
• Reset allowances on the 1st and nothing else? → Jibble
• Bootstrapped but still need compliance? → Clockify

How Much Does an Employee PTO Tracker Cost?

TMetric uses a simple and per-user pricing with no base fees.
There are four tiers:

• Free – $0 per month for up to 2 users. It includes zero-limit time tracking for projects, clients, and basic reports.
• Professional – The cost is $5 per user per month (≈ $4.17 if billed annually). It adds billable rates, budgets, invoicing, task management, and calendar sync.
• Business – $7 per user per month (≈ $5.83 if billed annually). This is the first plan that includes the Time-Off Module (PTO tracker), team timesheets, screenshots, activity tracking, QuickBooks sync, and advanced integrations.
• Enterprise / Custom – Volume pricing for 40 + users; discounts scale from 10 % (40 users) up to 40 % (500 + users). Includes everything in Business, plus onboarding help, custom features, priority support, and secure deployment options.

Every new TMetric workspace begins with a 14-day fully-featured trial. During the trial, you can:

• Activate and test all Business-plan features, including the Time-Off (PTO) tracker.
• Add an unlimited number of users and projects.
• Use the web, desktop, and mobile apps without entering a credit card.
• If 14 days aren’t enough, you can extend the trial once for an additional 7 days.

By the time the trial is over, you either:

1. Select one of the paid plans (Professional or Business) to maintain all the premium options.
2. Go back to the Free plan (up to 2 users and basic time logging).

 

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Useful Resources

• TMetric Time-Off Features
• TMetric Attendance Tracking
• TMetric Team Dashboard
• How Does PTO Accrual Work?