Calamari vs Leave Dates

Calamari9.3Visit Leave Dates8.9Visit

Higher score Calamari #1 in Leave Management Software 9.3/10 14-day trial Free trial✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Calamari

vs

Leave Dates #5 in Leave Management Software 8.9/10 From £0.75/user/mo · 30-day trial Free trial✓ 3 of 4 features Visit Leave Dates

• Calamari fits best

  Growing, distributed teams

• Leave Dates fits best

  International teams on a tight budget

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Side by side

Feature	Calamari 9.3/10 Visit ↗	Leave Dates 8.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	8.9
Ranking	#1 in Leave Management Software	#5 in Leave Management Software
Best for	Growing, distributed teams	International teams on a tight budget
Pricing model	Paid	Paid
Starting price	$2/user/mo	From £0.75/user/mo · 30-day trial
Free plan	—	—
Free trial	14 days	30 days
Free trial length	14 days · no card needed	30 days · no card needed
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile	Cloud, Mobile
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web, iOS, Android
Support	Live chat, Email, Docs	Email, Docs
Compliance	GDPR, ISO 27001, SOC 2	GDPR, SSO/SAML
Integrations	9 integrations	6 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market	Small business, Mid-market
Features Calamari 4/4 · Leave Dates 3/4
Approval workflows	✓	✓
Mobile apps	✓	✓
Payroll integrations	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Employee self-service	✓	✓
Specs
Accrual rules	Custom	Custom
Holiday calendars	110 calendars	Not checked yet
Approval levels	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Custom accrual, carry-over, expiry, and proration rules Multi-step approvals with employee self-service Web, mobile, API, Slack, and Microsoft Teams access	Starts at £0.75 per user monthly on annual billing Imports public holidays for 200+ regions Includes mobile apps, accruals, reports and integrations
Cons	No free plan Subscriptions have a 10-seat minimum equivalent Broader HR modules add scope beyond core leave management	No free plan is available Advanced integrations require the Plus plan Prices exclude VAT and annual billing is required for listed rates
Our verdict	Calamari is a cloud platform for managing employee leave, attendance, and HR information. It suits growing, distributed teams that need different policies by country, location, contract type, team, or employee group. Employees can submit… Read the review →	Leave Dates is web-based leave and absence management software for employers, particularly UK teams and small to medium businesses. Employees can submit leave requests, view allowances and team availability, while managers review and… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Calamari — where it wins

  • Custom accrual, carry-over, expiry, and proration rules
  • Multi-step approvals with employee self-service
  • Web, mobile, API, Slack, and Microsoft Teams access

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan
  • Subscriptions have a 10-seat minimum equivalent
  • Broader HR modules add scope beyond core leave management

• Leave Dates — where it wins

  • Starts at £0.75 per user monthly on annual billing
  • Imports public holidays for 200+ regions
  • Includes mobile apps, accruals, reports and integrations

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan is available
  • Advanced integrations require the Plus plan
  • Prices exclude VAT and annual billing is required for listed rates

• Calamari9.3/10 · 14-day trial

  A rules-rich leave platform for growing teams managing multiple locations and policies.

  Visit CalamariFull verdict →
• Leave Dates8.9/10 · From £0.75/user/mo · 30-day trial

  Affordable leave management with accrual rules, holiday imports and broad integrations.

  Visit Leave DatesFull verdict →