Managing staff holidays is a core responsibility for UK organisations. Between annual leave, bank holidays, TOIL, sickness, and flexible working patterns, even small errors can cause rota clashes, payroll mistakes, or frustrated teammates. That’s why more companies are switching from spreadsheets to purpose-built leave tracking tools.
This guide highlights the best holiday tracker software for UK teams in 2027, what features matter, and how to choose the right one.
Offices in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland don't share the same bank holidays, so a tracker has to know which office each person works in.
Want a side-by-side comparison of 10 tools with monthly prices and free trials? See our guide to the best holiday management software.
Comparing full leave management systems? See our 7 best leave management systems for UK companies.
Holiday tracker software compared (2027)
Here's how the six holiday trackers compare on Microsoft Teams and Slack support, monthly price and free trial.
| Tool | Best for | Microsoft Teams | Slack | Monthly price | Free trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vacation Tracker | Multi-location teams that book holiday in Microsoft Teams or Slack | Request and approve leave in Microsoft Teams | Request and approve leave in Slack | Core $2, Complete $4 per user (minimum 25 users) | 14 days |
| Timetastic | Small teams wanting a simple leave planner, plus rotas | Yes (Pro plan) | Yes | Business £1.20, Pro £2.00, Rota & Time Clock £4.00 per user | 1 month |
| Leave Dates | A simple annual leave planner for SMEs | Not listed | Daily summary in Slack | Starter £1.00, Essential £2.00, Plus £2.50 per user | 30 days |
| WhosOff | TOIL, overtime and absence reports | Notifications via webhooks | Notifications via webhooks | One plan: £17.50 for up to 10 users, then £1.74 to £1.28 per user depending on headcount (£1.52 at 50 users) | At least 1 month |
| Absentia | Staff on different contracts and hourly leave | Not listed | Not listed | One plan: £2.00 per employee for the first 30, £1.00 for the next 30, £0.50 up to 100, £0.30 after that | 30 days |
| The Holiday Tracker | Small businesses wanting one simple plan | Not listed | Not listed | £1.75 per employee | 7 days |
Prices checked on each vendor's site in November 2026.
UK Leave Basics
Before exploring software, it helps to clarify UK leave terms:
- Holiday / Annual leave: Paid time off.
- Bank holidays: Vary across England & Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
- TOIL: Time off in lieu of extra hours worked.
- Other leave: Sick leave, parental leave, bereavement, unpaid leave, etc.
Most UK workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks’ holiday per year. Full-time employees get 28 days; part-timers receive a pro-rata share.
Employers decide whether bank holidays are included in this entitlement or added separately. The right holiday tracker automatically handles pro-rata calculations, carryover, mid-year starters/leavers, and provides audit trails.
What UK companies actually give and take
According to what we're seeing in Vacation Tracker, UK companies set a median of 25 days of annual leave a year, plus 8 bank holidays per location. Employees book a median of 12.4 days of holiday over 12 months, and they book it 22 days ahead on average, compared with 14 days across all countries. That's from our Leave Trends report, which also shows that 88% of companies with more than one location run two or more holiday calendars.
What Best Holiday Tracker Software Does
A holiday tracker centralises leave requests, approvals, balances, and team calendars. Employees submit leave via web, mobile, or tools like Microsoft Teams and Slack. Managers approve requests, and the system updates calendars automatically. Top trackers can also handle hourly leave, accruals, TOIL, multi-step approvals, blackout periods, and UK nation-specific bank holidays.
Top Choice: Vacation Tracker
Vacation Tracker is a standout for UK organisations, particularly those using Microsoft Teams or Slack. Its focus is on low-friction adoption, real-time leave management, and UK-specific compliance.
Key Features
Vacation Tracker lets teams manage leave directly where they work. Employees can submit requests, view balances, and check team calendars without leaving Microsoft Teams, Slack, or Google Workspace. Managers can approve requests with a click, reducing delays and HR emails.
It supports UK-specific requirements, including:
- Bank holidays per nation: import the right bank holidays for England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland to each location in one click, so they never come out of anyone's annual leave.
- Pro-rata and part-time entitlements: Handles employees on irregular schedules or part-time contracts accurately.
- TOIL and accruals: Track time off in lieu, monthly accruals, caps, and rollover rules.
- Multiple leave types: Annual leave, sick, parental, compassionate, jury duty, study leave, and custom types.
- Custom approval workflows: Single-step or multi-step approvals, departmental limits, and blackout periods.
- Real-time team calendars: Everyone can see who’s off and when, preventing overlaps.
- Reporting and payroll-friendly exports: Generate CSV or Excel files filtered by date, team, or location; maintain a clear audit trail.
- Fast onboarding: Staff adapt quickly because they work within familiar tools with no extra logins or complex training required.
- Scalable for all team sizes: Works equally well for 20-person offices and 150+ hybrid teams.
Practical Use Cases
- Remote or hybrid teams: Distributed teams can instantly see who’s available across locations.
- Multi-site organisations: Handles bank holidays and policies specific to each office.
- Teams working in Microsoft Teams or Slack daily: Reduces context-switching and ensures requests are submitted in real-time.
- TOIL-heavy environments: On-call rotations or extra hours can be tracked and approved automatically.
Why Vacation Tracker Stands Out
Vacation Tracker combines simplicity with UK-specific compliance. Many tools offer leave tracking, but few integrate directly with collaboration platforms while also managing part-time pro-rata, TOIL, and national bank holidays. It keeps leave management lightweight without replacing existing HR systems, making it perfect for teams who want clarity, speed, and accuracy. In our Leave Trends data, requests approved inside Microsoft Teams or Slack get a decision in a median of 32 minutes, compared with 153 minutes outside chat.
Other UK-focused holiday tracker software
Timetastic
A user-friendly, calendar-based holiday tracker built with simplicity in mind. It allows employees to book time off in just a few clicks and automatically updates shared team calendars, ensuring everyone stays informed. Managers can easily approve or decline requests from any device, while employees enjoy clear visibility into their remaining allowances.
Price: Business £1.20, Pro £2.00, Rota & Time Clock £4.00 per user per month. Free trial: 1 month.
Compare Vacation Tracker vs Timetastic for a closer look at the two tools.
Leave Dates
A lightweight leave management tool that focuses on visibility, simplicity, and affordability. It helps businesses manage vacation requests, track absences, and view upcoming time off across teams in one shared calendar. With customizable approval workflows, leave types, and carryover rules, it caters to businesses looking for a no-fuss solution.
Price: Starter £1.00, Essential £2.00, Plus £2.50 per user per month. Free trial: 30 days.
Read our Vacation Tracker vs Leave Dates comparison if both are on your shortlist.
WhosOff
WhosOff has been in business since 2005 and suits teams that need to track overtime alongside TOIL. It supports carryover limits and has iOS and Android apps, so staff can manage leave on their phones.
Price: One plan: £17.50 per month for up to 10 users, then £1.74 to £1.28 per user per month depending on headcount (£1.52 at 50 users). Free trial: at least 1 month.
See Vacation Tracker vs WhosOff for a side-by-side comparison.
Absentia
Designed for growing teams that need flexibility, Absentia supports both day-based and hourly leave tracking, making it ideal for industries with variable work hours. It provides departmental organization, absence trend reports, and policy customization, ensuring compliance with company rules and UK labor regulations. Managers can easily view who’s off and plan workloads accordingly.
Price: One plan: £2.00 per employee per month for the first 30, £1.00 for the next 30, £0.50 up to 100, £0.30 after that. Free trial: 30 days.
The Holiday Tracker
The Holiday Tracker keeps pricing simple with one all-inclusive plan. You can add custom absence types such as TOIL, sync approved holidays with Google Calendar or Outlook, and use its iPhone and Android apps to manage leave on the move.
Price: One plan: £1.75 per employee per month. Free trial: 7 days.
Which holiday tracker should you choose?
- If you have offices in multiple locations (say, London and Edinburgh, with different bank holidays) and book holiday in Microsoft Teams or Slack, choose Vacation Tracker.
- If you want a simple leave planner for a small team, choose Timetastic. Consider its Rota & Time Clock plan if rotas are also part of the brief.
- If you need a straightforward annual leave planner for an SME, choose Leave Dates. The Holiday Tracker is another option if you prefer one plan with everything included.
- If you need TOIL, overtime and absence reports, choose WhosOff.
- If your staff work under different contracts and need hourly leave tracking, choose Absentia.
Why Move Away from Spreadsheets
Spreadsheets are prone to errors, version conflicts, poor visibility, and zero audit trail. A holiday tracker solves these problems with automation, live data, permissions, and self-service features, making planning easier and reducing HR workload.
How to Choose the Best Holiday Tracker Software
- Map your policies: statutory vs contractual entitlements, TOIL rules, blackout periods, and part-time schedules.
- List integrations: collaboration tools (Microsoft Teams, Slack, Google Workspace), HRIS, payroll systems.
- Define success: fewer HR emails, faster approvals, accurate balances, and smooth payroll exports.
- Run a pilot: choose one department, test real leave requests for 2 to 4 weeks, track adoption and admin time saved.
- Rollout: finalise settings, bulk import balances, announce policies, and provide quick training.
Final Thoughts
The best holiday tracker software makes UK leave management predictable and simple. When employees and managers can see who’s off, and the system correctly calculates leave for part-timers, bank holidays, TOIL, and carryover, planning becomes easier and teams collaborate better.
Vacation Tracker is a standout for UK organisations that work in Microsoft Teams or Slack, while Timetastic or The Holiday Tracker are worth considering for a small single office. Pilot, compare results, and pick the solution your team actually uses.
Because the best holiday is one where everything runs smoothly while you’re away.
Manage leave across all your locations
Leave policies and public holidays for every office, state or country, in Microsoft Teams, Slack or Google Workspace.
