--- title: "Calamari Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra" description: "With the help of Capterra, learn about Calamari Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other Leave Management System products and more." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/141217/Calamari/" page_type: "product" language: "en" --- # Calamari Software Review 2026: Features, Integrations, Pros & Cons Last updated on September 16, 2026 Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Description](#description)[Use cases](#use-cases)[Alternatives](#alternatives)[FAQs](#faqs)[Users](#users)[Features](#features)[Pricing](#pricing)[Integrations](#integrations)[Support](#support)[Reviews](#reviews) Calamari ## What is Calamari? Calamari is a modular HR platform that automates the time-consuming parts of HR: time off, attendance, employee records, plus performance reviews. Employees handle their own leave requests, clock in from Slack, Teams, mobile or web, then pull up documents without emailing HR. Managers see approvals, coverage and review cycles in real time instead of chasing anyone for updates. It also connects with Slack, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and Jira. Security is bank-level encryption with GDPR compliance built in, support comes from a Customer Success team that actually responds, and you pay only for the modules you use. ## What is Calamari used for? [Leave Management System](https://www.capterra.com/leave-management-system-software/)[Absence Management](https://www.capterra.com/absence-management-software/)[Time Tracking](https://www.capterra.com/time-tracking-software/) Recognitions Shortlist Overall rating Based on 610 user reviews Reviews sentiment Positive 98% Neutral 2% Negative 0% Starting price $2 Per User, Per Month Free trial available Capterra Shortlist charts the highest-rated and most popular products... - Attendance Tracking / 2025 - Human Resources / 2025 Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Rating Breakdown 4.7 +− Features4.5 Value for Money4.7 Ease of Use4.6 Customer Service4.9 Rating Breakdown 4.7 Features4.5 Value for Money4.7 Ease of Use4.6 Customer Service4.9 ## Calamari Reviewers Verdict Updated September 2026 AI summary - Calamari is well suited to small and growing businesses that need to centralize leave and attendance tracking for HR and operations teams. - Positive feedback centers around its clear attendance management, easy-to-use mobile app, and strong integrations with Slack and Google Workspace. - Day-to-day, it simplifies time-off requests, improves workforce visibility, and reduces manual tracking errors. - Some key downsides are occasional bugs, limited flexibility in holiday and accrual rules, and calendar features that some find confusing or incomplete. - It fits teams prioritizing simple, integrated leave management, but may not meet needs for complex holiday policies or advanced customization. ## Calamari alternatives Highest Rated [4.9 (4,872)](https://www.capterra.com/p/172127/Rippling/reviews/) Starting price $8.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 98% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [4.6 (3,558)](https://www.capterra.com/p/110968/BambooHR/reviews/) Starting price $10.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 95% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [4.4 (366)](https://www.capterra.com/p/110931/Zoho-People/reviews/) Starting price Contact vendor for pricing Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 92% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [4.6 (5,311)](https://www.capterra.com/p/153140/Connecteam/reviews/) Starting price $29.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 96% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [View all alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/141217/Calamari/alternatives/) ## FAQs about Calamari Overview ### What problems does Calamari solve? Calamari solves messy leave tracking, slow email-based approvals, spreadsheet errors, and poor visibility into who is working, absent, or onsite. HR teams, managers, payroll staff, and remote or hybrid teams use it to centralize PTO, attendance, timesheets, and availability through Slack, calendar, and identity-provider integrations. Answer based on 426 reviews Overview ### Which roles and teams benefit most from Calamari? Calamari is most used by HR teams, office managers, and operations leaders who manage leave requests, attendance tracking, and employee records. Executives and business owners rely on it for workforce visibility and policy oversight, while administrative and IT staff support onboarding, scheduling, and smooth adoption across growing organizations. Answer based on 581 reviews Overview ### What company size and industries is Calamari built for? Calamari is built for growing small businesses, with 93% of reviewers from small companies, and it is used most in Information Technology and Services at 18%. It also serves midsize businesses at 5% and enterprises at 3%, with additional adoption in Computer Software at 9% and Marketing and Advertising at 7%. Answer based on 610 reviews Features and Usability ### What are the key features of Calamari? Calamari includes core leave management features like time off requests, leave tracking, vacation and holiday management, and approval workflows. Differentiating features include attendance tracking with clock in/out, shared team calendars, configurable leave policies and role-based permissions, plus integrations with Slack, Google Calendar, and Outlook for notifications and visibility. Answer based on 280 reviews Pricing ### How much does it cost and what fees or limitations are included? Calamari starts at $2/user/month for the Time Off or Core HR plans, with Time & Attendance and Performance at 2.5/user/month; all offer a free trial. Reviewers often call it good value for small teams, though some say modular pricing, annual increases, and feature gaps can make costs feel high. Answer based on 84 reviews Integrations ### Which third-party tools and platforms does Calamari integrate with? Calamari integrates with Slack, Google Calendar, Google Workspace, Jira, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams, Asana, and Gmail. It supports over 20 integrations overall, with reviewer-confirmed adoption centered on communication and calendar tools, plus project management connections and API-based links such as Float. Answer based on 153 reviews Getting Started and Support ### How easy is it to onboard and train a team on Calamari? Calamari is generally quick to onboard for employees and managers, who often learn the basics in hours or need little formal training. It offers live online sessions, webinars, videos, and documentation. Admins usually need more time for initial setup, especially with complex leave policies, but support and tutorials help. Answer based on 20 reviews Getting Started and Support ### What customer support options does Calamari offer, and how do users rate the experience? Calamari offers email/help desk, FAQ/forum, a knowledge base, and chat. Users often describe support as fast, helpful, and detailed, especially during setup and onboarding. Many report same-day replies and practical guidance, though some say configuration can be tricky and a few mention occasional delays or unhelpful responses. Answer based on 280 reviews Security ### How does Calamari handle data security and access control? Calamari uses configurable roles and user permissions, secure storage for employee documents and information, and single sign-in through Google. Reviewers describe it as a safe, practical option for everyday HR use, but note missing two-step verification, some SSO sign-in friction, and a need to review security settings for stricter compliance needs. Answer based on 11 reviews ## Who uses Calamari? Based on Capterra reviews from the past 3 years Talk to a software expert to get a free software list tailored to your business needs ## Features AI summary Based on 2,957 Leave Management System reviews Capterra data shows that buyers of leave management systems rank the following features as their top priorities: - **Leave Tracking** (**47%** of reviewers rated this feature as critical) - **Vacation/Leave Tracking** (**47%**) - **Time Off Management** (**47%**) Calamari supports all three features that reviewers rate most highly: **Leave Tracking**, **Vacation/Leave Tracking**, and **Time Off Management**. Together, these capabilities help businesses keep absence records accurate, manage employee time-off requests more efficiently, and maintain clear visibility into leave balances and schedules, allowing teams to plan coverage with more confidence. Leave Tracking 4.8 (62) 87.10% of 62 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Manage and track employee attendance Vacation/Leave Tracking 4.8 (86) 86.05% of 86 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Request, track, and manage time off requests and vacation time Time Off Management 4.8 (83) 83.13% of 83 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Track and manage employee time-off, vacation, and sick leave requests Employee Database 4.7 (73) 60.27% of 73 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Electronic storage of staff/employee contact information and job status in a centralized repository Time Off Requests 4.8 (55) 89.09% of 55 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Tools that allow employees to request/schedule time off Approval Process Control 4.6 (73) 84.93% of 73 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Manage the process of evaluating documents or requests submitted for approval Calamari 145 features ### All Features - 1-On-1 Meetings: Facilitates check-ins or 1-on-1 meetings between managers and employees, including managing agendas, action items, or notes. - 360 Degree Feedback: Tools for collecting comprehensive feedback on an employee from peers, subordinates, and manager - 360 Reviews: Facilitates 360-degree feedback between managers, employees, and peers. - Absence Management: Manage and track employee attendance - Access Controls/Permissions: Define levels of authorization for access to specific files or systems - Accounting: Built-in accounting to manage ledger, accounts payable/receivable, financial reports, etc. - Activity Dashboard: Dashboard to view the status of ongoing processes, identify current incidents and track past activities - Activity Tracking: Track and document all activities across devices, networks, and other systems - AI Copilot: A virtual assistant that uses AI to pursue goals and complete tasks on behalf of users - Alerts/Notifications: Alerts or notifications of various types such as pop-up messages, sounds, banners, or badges - API: Application programming interface that allows for integration with other systems/databases - Approval Process Control: Manage the process of evaluating documents or requests submitted for approval - Approval Workflow: Route documents and other data through one or more stakeholders for review and approval - Attendance Management: Manage attendance for classes, shifts, meetings, or events - Attendance Tracking: Track the attendance of specific individuals or groups - Audit Trail: A record of all activities within the system, including user access, changes made, etc. - Automatic Time Capture: Automate recording of time to reduce human error - Benefits Management: Record employee's benefit plans and selections throughout career progression - Billable & Non-Billable Hours: Track billable hours and/or non-billable expenses for work performed - Biometric Recognition: Facial or other physical recognition to confirm identity - Break Management: Manage and track employee breaks - Budget Tracking: Track actual spending to ensure it's in line with the planned budget - Calendar Management: Track and manage schedules and meetings via an integrated calendar - Clock In/Out: Track employees' arrival and departure timings for payroll purposes - Company Goals And OKRs: Manages high-level company priorities or Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) and aligns them with employee goals. - Compensation Management: Manages compensation such as salary, bonus, and benefits processes, aligning with policies - Compliance Management: Track and manage adherence to policies for any service, product, process, or supplier - Continuous Feedback: Provide ongoing performance feedback to employees on a regular basis, rather than giving feedback at designated times - Customizability: Allows administrators to accommodate their unique processes. Includes ability to create custom objects, fields, rules, calculations, and views. - Customizable Branding: Add customized logos and colors to align with company branding - Customizable Forms: Customize contracts and forms to collect specific information - Customizable Reports: Alter the layout and content of reports - Customizable Templates: Pre-designed layouts that can be customized to match preferences and requirements - Dashboard: Assembly of graphs and charts for visualizing and tracking statistics/metrics - Dashboards & Reporting: Produces reports and tracks patients based on identifiable segments including demographics, psychographics, high-risk health issues, etc. - Data Collection: Process of gathering, measuring, and analyzing accurate data - Data Import/Export: Import and export data to and from software applications - Document Management: Store, manage, and track all electronic documents in a centralized location - Document Storage: Store and organize documents in a centralized system - Drag & Drop: Assemble applications and processes by dragging over and arranging pre-built components - Employee Database: Electronic storage of staff/employee contact information and job status in a centralized repository - Employee Engagement: Tools to improve and measure employee satisfaction and involvement - Employee Information: Ability to manage employee information. - Employee Information Automation: Automate employee promotions and position changes and company policy changes. - Employee Management: Track employee schedules, availability, and performance across projects and tasks - Employee Onboarding: Process of familiarizing new employees with the company, their position, and responsibilities - Employee Portal: Online portal where employees can access and track their own information - Employee Profiles: Centralized storage for employee data, records, and performance metrics - Employee Scheduling: Assign working shifts or tasks to employees based on their availability - Employee Time Tracking: Track and measure time worked for employees - Feedback Management: Collecting, analyzing, and utilizing feedback from users or customers to improve a product or service - File Management: Create, save, and store files - FMLA Administration: Track employee time off under the family and medical leave act (FMLA) - For Cloud: Software that is accessible through the cloud with an active internet connection - Generative AI: Use AI to generate content in the form of text, images, videos, etc. - Geofencing: Virtual perimeter for a real-world geographic area - Goal Management: Allows employees to set and manage work or career related goals - Goal Setting/Tracking: Establish measurable goals and objectives and track their progress over a specific period of time - Historical Data: Retains historical performance review data or integrates with third-party applications where historical data can be maintained. - HR Management: Automates core HR functions such as talent management, employee evaluation and learning management - Internationalization: Extend compensation configurations around the globe using flexible location profiles, multiple language options, and automatic currency conversion tools within the system. - Interoperability: The ability of two or more systems to exchange information or data. - Lanuguage Options: Provide multiple language options for a global user base. - Learning & Development: Facilitate training materials that help employees grow and progress in their positions - Leave Policy Management: Create and manage leave policies including multiple policies per department, branch, shift, region, etc. - Leave Tracking: Manage and track employee attendance - Location Tracking: Identify the physical location of an individual, asset, device, etc. - Lockout Periods: Ensure employees can only clock in and out during certain times. - Mobile Access: Access software remotely via mobile devices - Mobile App: Access the system via a mobile application - Mobility: Provides accessibility from a mobile device for learning on the go - Multi-Language: Manage and support multiple languages - Multi-Location: Manage and support multiple locations - Multi-step Planning: Ability to break down and plan multi-step processes - Natural Language Interaction: Allows users to give natural-language instructions for browser-based tasks. - Offboarding: Closing out contracts by reviewing contract/project completion, finalizing payments, and ensuring terms and compliance as been achieved - Onboarding: Process of familiarizing new clients, stakeholders or employees with the company, a new location, or a service - Ongoing Performance Tracking: Provides real-time feedback and assessments on employee performance, skills, and accomplishments - Online Time Clock: Track/log the amount of time employees worked per job using a timer - Online Time Tracking: Track employee and task times using internet connection - Organization Management: Organizes employees in an org structure that can be used throughout the application for reporting, permissions, etc. - Overtime Calculation: Manage and record overtime hours for hourly employees - Payroll Integration: Facilitates integration with multiple third-party payroll systems - Payroll Reporting: View and track payroll metrics including tax liabilities, pay rates, working hours, deductions and more - Peer Appraisals: Peer/teammate feedback and review on individual's performance - Performance: Identify the most performant content and the types of content that can be improved or eliminated. - Performance and Reliability: Payment gateway is consistently available (up-time) and allows users to complete tasks quickly because they are not waiting for the gateway to respond to an action they took. System scales with load. - Performance Appraisal: Evaluation process that provides feedback on an employee's job performance - Performance Management: Organize and manage the accomplishments and development of employees or performance of applications or systems - Performance Metrics: A set of indicators that tracks the performance of networks, applications, systems, teams, etc. - Performance Review Management: Create, fill out, and send performance reviews to individual employees - Personalization and Recommendation: Generative AI models can create personalized recommendations for users based on their preferences and behavior. - Platform Search: Lets users search the platform for saved screen and video captures, as well as stock images. - Portal: Contains a portal to facilitate investor access to financial documents like K-1s, partner letters, and more. - Predictive Analytics: Predict future data based on historical data sets - Productivity Analysis: Statistical data that helps identify improvement areas, delays or interruptions, and output of an employee - Project Time Tracking: Measure time to completion or hours worked for projects - Project Tracking: Monitor the progress of projects from start to finish - Public Praise: Provides a forum for employees or managers to deliver public praise for exceptional employee performance. - Punch card: Clock in and out online or with a card - Real-Time Data: Receive data and information in real time - Real-Time Notifications: Notifications that are delivered to users as soon as an event occurs - Real-Time Reporting: Active reporting of data and metrics - Real-Time Updates: Receive system updates as soon as any changes are made - Reminders: Timed notification for any upcoming task, deadline, appointment, or activity - Reporting: Empower brands with an intelligent reporting tool and dashborads to provide visibility into number of viewers, likes, number of asked questions, and chat entries, total number of clicks, CTR, and entire stream health - Reporting & Statistics: Collection, analysis, and representation of numerical data and generation of reports to understand various patterns - Reporting/Analytics: View and track pertinent metrics to find patterns and gain insights from data - Requesting Feedback: Allows employees or managers to request feedback from other employees. - Review Cycle Tracking: Follow the progression of a task associated with performance reviews - Role-Based Permissions: Set & manage permission levels based on user roles and restrict access to only authorized individuals - Schedule Management: Tools that manage vacation, holidays, absences, breaks, and overtime. - Search/Filter: Search and filter data across systems to locate required information by entering keywords or certain criteria - Security: Ensures that the application itself is protected and assures data interacting with third-party plugins or integrations do not allow for unapproved access or privilege escalation. - Self Assessment: An individual's evaluation of his or her own strengths, weaknesses, and skills - Self Service Portal: Online portal through which end users can access the system, manage tasks, or obtain information - Shift Swapping: Managing and trading shift details between employees - Sick Leave Tracking: Track and manage sick leave time - Skills Assessment: Observe employees over a period of time to gain an understanding of their abilities to perform certain tasks - Skills Tracking: Track employee skills, competencies, training & qualifications - Status Tracking: Track the status over time for a request, process, asset, or transaction - Surveys & Feedback: Gauge satisfaction and receive information for improvement and success - Task Management: Create, manage and track all task activities and progression - Third-Party Integration: Addition of necessary external data, applications, tools, or features - Third-Party Integrations: Set up connections to third-party platforms to improve business processes - Time & Attendance: Track and manage employee's work hours to improve payroll accuracy - Time & Expense Tracking: Log and record hours worked and costs spent to assist in billing and invoicing - Time Off Management: Track and manage employee time-off, vacation, and sick leave requests - Time Off Requests: Tools that allow employees to request/schedule time off - Time Tracking: Measure and track time including hours worked and paid time off (PTO) - Time Tracking by Client: Track time worked per client - Time, Attendance, and PTO: Tracks time, attendance, paid time-off (PTO), sick time, schedules, and other workforce-related information. - Timesheet Management: Track the amount of time spent on a job or task - Tracking Time to Project/Task: Users can easily track time based on task or activity and assign to projects - Training Management: Track employee/learner's progression through training programs - Usage Tracking/Analytics: Track and interpret metrics on the usage of company resources - User Access: Grant access to select features and data based on the users' role, both internally and externally. - User Management: Manage user accounts, profiles, roles, permissions, and other details across applications, devices or networks - User Role Access: Provides employees self service access and managers a centralized view. - User, Role, and Access Management: Grant access to select data, features, objects, etc. based on the users, user role, groups, etc. to both internal and external users. - Vacation/Leave Tracking: Request, track, and manage time off requests and vacation time - Variable Workforce: Utilize third party services to cover unforeseen labor needs - Visualization: Graphical representation of data or processes - Workflow Automation: Streamlining repetitive tasks and activities through automated and predefined workflows - Workflow Management: Create, design and manage workflows for repetitive tasks --- Get Advice We can help you find the software with the features you need. Features 4.5 (585) 4.5 Based on 585 reviews ## Pricing Value for money 4.7 (552) Free Trial [View pricing plan details](https://www.capterra.com/p/141217/Calamari/pricing/) Time Off $2.00 Per User,Per Month It includes: - Absence Calendar - Approval Flow - Integrations - Leave Entitlement and Accrual Rules - Notifications - Time Off Time & Attendance $2.50 Per User,Per Month It includes: - Integrations - Several Methods to Clock in - Timesheet - Tracking Projects - Tracking Worktime and Breaks Core HR $2.00 Per User,Per Month It includes: - People Directory - Custom Fields Performance $2.50 Per User,Per Month It includes: - Self-Assessment and Peer Review - Manager Summaries - Reviewer Assignment - Review Session Monitoring - 360 Feedback Reporting Scheduling $2.50 Per User,Per Month Value for money 4.7 (552) 4.7 Based on 552 reviews ## Integrations [ Slack](https://www.capterra.com/p/135003/Slack/)[ Google Workspace](https://www.capterra.com/p/247901/Google-Workspace/)[ Jira](https://www.capterra.com/p/19319/JIRA/)[ Basecamp](https://www.capterra.com/p/56808/Basecamp/)[ Microsoft 365](https://www.capterra.com/p/227157/Microsoft-365/)[ Asana](https://www.capterra.com/p/184581/Asana-PM/)[ Gmail](https://www.capterra.com/p/202338/Gmail/)[ Google Sheets](https://www.capterra.com/p/169718/Google-Sheets/) Connect with a Capterra advisor for a free 15-minute consultation Get a personalized software list aligned to your business needs with guidance from our expert advisors. Our team has helped 1 million+ businesses like yours find options that fit their needs. ## Support, customer service and training options Customer Service 4.9 (562) Support - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - 24/7 (Live rep) - Chat Training - In Person - Live Online - Webinars - Documentation - Videos Deployment - Web - Android - iPhone/iPad Typical users - Freelancers - Small businesses - Mid size businesses - Enterprises Customer Service 4.9 (562) 4.9 Based on 562 reviews ## User reviews Overall rating 4.7 Based on 610 reviews Filter by rating 5(448) 4(149) 3(12) 2(0) 1(1) Mentioned topic Sorted by most recent AM Ananya M. HR Administrator Human Resources ### "Perfect for Employee Management" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 9/10 June 18, 2026 My experience with Calamari has been very positive, cause it successfully transformed our messy, spreadsheet-based PTO and attendance tracking into a automated process. Its modular pricing meant we could start small and scale without needing extensive team training, while the flawless integrations with tools like Slack completely eliminated the daily interruptions. But yes, the initial setup is pretty complex and global leave accrual policies required a bit of patience. Calamari is a massive time-saver and easily one of the best administrative investments we've made. Pros Calamari has been an absolute game-changer for our daily operations, primarily because it is pretty flexible. Right out of the gate, the clean interface meant my team didn't even need a training session to figure out how to request time off or clock in using the web browser or mobile app. What I appreciate most as a manager is its modular, pay-for-what-you-need structure. we started with just the leave management module to get our global PTO and regional holidays under control before scaling up to attendance. It handles complex accrual rules flawlessly, and its seamless integration with the tools. Cons The initial setup can be pretty tedious and took me a solid four days of tweaking and changing before it was ready to roll out to the team. Moreover, while the mobile app is perfectly functional for quick clock-ins, it can occasionally feel a bit sluggish when loading the full team calendar. It’s important to remember that this isn't a full-scale HR system, so if you're hoping for built-in payroll processing or performance review modules, we still need separate software to handle those tasks. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. SL Sergio L. Founder Outsourcing/Offshoring ### "Calamari, when good food is actually a good HR app" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 June 7, 2026 Overall my experience with Calamari is very good and I've been using it to manage a small team of nearshore employees for 7 years now. Pros Calamari is extremely customisable and feature rich. Yet, due to its modern interface it's manegeable. The support is responsive and modern, usually useful. I think the price point is also fair even for SMEs. Cons Calamari is missing "valid from/to" for contracts. There is a workaround and I agree this feature has a big impact in their modules/application. Still, I believe it deserves to be mentioned and implemented. Switched from [Factorial](https://www.capterra.com/p/168685/Factorial-HR-Software/) Application didn't deal well with part time workers/schedules and vacation entitlement calculation and it was expensive for the features I needed. Review source Vendor Referred - Incentive Offered: This reviewer was invited by the software vendor to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive as a thank you. NL Noora L. CFO Computer Games ### "Chief Finance Officer " 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 May 5, 2026 Calamari has been in use for over 8 years in our organization, and our experience with it has been very positive. The system is easy to use and intuitive, making everyday time tracking smooth for the entire team. We especially appreciate its flexibility—Calamari has adapted well to our changing needs over the years. In addition, its customer-oriented approach is evident both in its features and in the support provided. Overall, it is a reliable and effective solution that we can warmly recommend. Pros What we like most is how easy and reliable it is and it simply works without unnecessary complexity and it is value for money. Cons While we’ve been very satisfied overall, there is still some room for improvemen, for example, the reporting features could be more easier to use, and the user interface could be slightly more intuitive in certain areas. Review source Vendor Referred - Incentive Offered: This reviewer was invited by the software vendor to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive as a thank you. OD Oleg D. Sales Marketing and Advertising ### "Been using it for years" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 May 5, 2026 Overall, my experience with Calamari has been positive. The learning curve is fairly low for employees, and managers can usually understand the main features quickly. It is especially useful for leave management, employee absence tracking, and keeping HR processes more structured. From a security and reliability perspective, it feels suitable for everyday HR use, although companies with strict compliance requirements should still review the security settings and data handling policies carefully. In terms of value for money, it is a good option for small and medium-sized teams that want to move away from manual leave tracking. There can occasionally be minor issues or limitations around customization, but I have not found them to be serious enough to outweigh the benefits. Calamari works best as a practical, straightforward HR tool for managing leave, absences, employee records, and basic team visibility. Pros Calamari is easy to use and makes leave management much more organised. The interface is clean, employees can quickly request time off, and managers can approve or reject requests without needing long email chains or spreadsheets. I also like that it gives a clear overview of who is away, which helps with planning and avoiding scheduling conflicts. Cons Some areas can take a little time to configure properly at the beginning, especially if your company has different leave policies, approval flows, or employee groups. A few reporting and customization options could also be more flexible. It is not difficult to use, but the initial setup may require some attention Review source Vendor Referred - Incentive Offered: This reviewer was invited by the software vendor to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive as a thank you. BP Bernard P. IT PLM Director Mechanical or Industrial Engineering ### "An effective system for managing calendars and team work" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 May 5, 2026 Overall, I am very pleased with the implementation of this system, as it has made it easier to manage employees' work calendars and manage documents to which they should always have access. Pros What I like most is the ease of managing employee calendars and document security. The learning curve is very short, and after a few hours, employees can work comfortably in the system. Cons It is not possible to use automatic addition of absence information in Outlook automatic response for events that are billed (functionality available only for non-billed events, e.g. vacation) Switched from [Microsoft SharePoint](https://www.capterra.com/p/1167/SharePoint/) [Microsoft Teams](https://www.capterra.com/p/168668/Microsoft-Teams/) One solution with easy to use interface and reporting for our HR team Review source Vendor Referred - Incentive Offered: This reviewer was invited by the software vendor to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive as a thank you. EP Evija P. Head of HR Financial Services ### "We absolutely love Calamari and the Team :)" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 3.0 3.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 May 5, 2026 It has been amazing for years. Overall we are very satisfied, if we can get those few features in near future, we are happy to use it forever :)))) Pros Calamari has the best customer support team, and always open for suggestions. What I love the most is that they will make it happen for you, if you have an idea of what you would like to accomplish, they not just explain how to, they will even do it for you if you are not able to do it yourself. The system itself is super user friendly and easy to use. Cons Some features are still missing that would be really nice to have such as employee onboarding or applicant tracking system. Alternatives considered [BambooHR](https://www.capterra.com/p/110968/BambooHR/) Reasons for choosing Calamari Initially, the price. We are reviewing alternatives every year. Review source Vendor Referred - Incentive Offered: This reviewer was invited by the software vendor to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive as a thank you. GA Gabriela A. Administrative Assistant Information Technology and Services ### "Efficient and Effective app for the size of our team " 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 3.0 3.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 7/10 May 4, 2026 I really liked. It's effective and efficient for our team. We are a small team, so I think it does the job really well. Pros How convenient it is for PTO requests. I'm able to see all the employees request and that way I can choose days that don't overlap. Cons I can't switch from different accounts without signing out. As an admin but also an employer that has to put in her requests, this would make my work more convenient. Review source Vendor Referred - Incentive Offered: This reviewer was invited by the software vendor to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive as a thank you. RG Rachel G. EVP Non-Profit Organization Management ### "Easy to use PTO tracker with the right amount of customizations" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 May 4, 2026 Easy for staff to use and good value for the money. We looked at several options before deciding to go with Calamari because it best met our needs for the lowest cost. Pros The platform has lots of customizations available, easy to use once it's set up, and integrates well with Microsoft Teams--staff can request and approve PTO right in Teams. Our employees have been very happy with the switch. Cons Because of the customization options, it was a little complicated to set up--we definitely needed support for that. But, the team from Calamari was very responsive and helped us get it set up correctly. Alternatives considered [BambooHR](https://www.capterra.com/p/110968/BambooHR/) [Vacation Tracker](https://www.capterra.com/p/189276/Vacation-Tracker/) Reasons for choosing Calamari Calamari had the best price for the features we needed. Review source Vendor Referred - Incentive Offered: This reviewer was invited by the software vendor to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive as a thank you. JF Jordan F. Operations Education Management ### "Great product" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 May 4, 2026 The experience has been good overall. When we have needed technical assistance, the team has been helpful. Pros It is easy to use. Our employees say that it is not difficult to go in to clock in and out, or to add sick days. Cons It is not easy on the administrator side to add an employee's total vacation days for the entire year. Review source Vendor Referred - Incentive Offered: This reviewer was invited by the software vendor to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive as a thank you. PS Prince S. Technician Hospital & Health Care ### "Seamless Leave Management with Exceptional Support" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 May 4, 2026 Our experience with Calamari has been excellent truly night and day compared to the competitor we switched from. The user interface is clean and intuitive, making it easy to navigate even for team members who aren’t very computer literate. Setting up role assignments, rules, and workflows was fairly straightforward, and any challenges we encountered were minor. On those rare occasions, the onboarding team was incredibly responsive, helping us resolve issues by the next day and sometimes even the same day, despite the time zone difference. Overall, Calamari has proven to be a reliable, user‑friendly solution that has greatly improved how we manage leave. Pros My company switched to Calamari from a competitor about two years ago, and the difference has been night and day. Managing leave for our 250 employees went from being a daily headache to a seamless, well-organized process. Calamari’s intuitive interface and reliable automation have saved us significant time and reduced errors. It’s been a dependable solution that continues to scale with our team. Cons While it took a few days to fully understand how to configure rules for more complex leave scenarios, the Calamari onboarding team worked closely with us on a daily basis. They not only helped set everything up correctly but also ensured we understood the logic behind the configurations, giving us the confidence to modify existing rules or create new ones on our own in the future. Switched from [OfficeTimer](https://www.capterra.com/p/223845/OfficeTimer/) While Officetimer was very affordable, it wasn’t able to handle the complex leave‑management scenarios our organization required. This limitation made the system unpredictable and, at times, inaccurate—one of the key reasons we ultimately decided to switch to Calamari. Alternatives considered [WorkEasy Software](https://www.capterra.com/p/129605/WorkEasy-Software/) Reasons for choosing Calamari We also evaluated Workeasy for time‑off management, but it ultimately fell outside of our acceptable price range, making it an impractical option for our organization. Review source Vendor Referred - Incentive Offered: This reviewer was invited by the software vendor to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive as a thank you. 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