The Best Timetastic Alternative for UK Teams
Timetastic is one of the most used leave tools in the UK, and it does the basics well. But getting the full feature set costs £2.00 per user per month on Pro, and several things you'd expect as standard (accruals, absence reports, flexible booking) aren't included below that. This page compares the main alternatives.
Last updated: May 2026
Free for up to 5 employees · No credit card required
| Simple Leave | LeaveDates | Timetastic | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | £0.60/user | £1.00/user | £1.20/user |
| Price for full features | £0.60/user | £2.00/user | £2.00/user |
| Free tier | Permanent (≤5 users) + 30-day trial |
30-day trial | 30-day trial |
| Accruals | ✓ Included | ✓ Included | Pro only (£2.00) |
| Integrations with iCal, Teams & Slack | Coming soon | Essentials+ (£2.00) | Pro (£2.00) |
All prices shown are monthly flexible rates. Annual billing discounts may be available from some providers.
What Timetastic gets right
Timetastic has many great features that make leave management easier for teams. They have a large presence in the market, a polished product, and a strong reputation for simplicity and ease of use. Many businesses choose Timetastic because it is quick to set up, easy for employees to understand, and removes much of the admin involved in tracking annual leave.
Why teams look for a Timetastic alternative
Every business works differently. Some teams may need more flexibility around approvals, reporting, permissions, integrations, or the way leave is displayed and managed day to day. That is often where businesses begin comparing alternatives to find a system that better matches their processes, team structure, or budget. Here are 5 areas to consider:
Timetastic Basic is £1.20/user/month. Pro is £2.00. For 50 people, that's £1,200 a year just to unlock reports and accruals. For businesses looking for value, these shouldn't be premium features.
Accrued leave is how most UK businesses handle entitlement for new starters and people on irregular hours. In Timetastic, it's Pro-only. That means paying £2.00/user, not £1.20.
Company-wide absence reports are Pro-only. If you want to track absence patterns for HR or planning, you're paying £2.00/user to do it.
Timetastic's minimum booking unit is half a day. If someone needs to leave early or come in late, there's no clean way to log it. For teams on flexible schedules, this comes up more than you'd expect.
After the 30-day trial, everyone pays. There's no permanent free option, which rules Timetastic out entirely for very small teams on tight budgets.
What to look for in a Timetastic alternative
- Transparent per-user pricing with no hidden tier upgrades — the price you see should include everything you actually need to run leave management properly
- Accruals and carryover at the base price — essential for new starters, part-year workers, and anyone not on a standard full-year entitlement
- UK bank holiday configuration — England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland have different bank holidays; a UK tool should handle this correctly
- Flexible approval workflows — the ability to route approvals to the right manager and configure policies per team or department
- Privacy controls for sensitive leave — not every colleague needs to see the reason behind a colleague's absence, particularly for medical or personal leave
The best Timetastic alternatives for UK teams
Best value for UK businesses — full features in one plan, no tier gating
Simple Leave is built in the UK for teams of 5 to 100. There's one paid plan at £0.60/user, with everything included. No tiers, no gating. For a team of 20, that's £12 a month.
- Accruals and carryover
- Unlimited custom leave types and policies
- UK bank holidays pre-configured
- Manager approval workflows
- Absence reports and analytics
- Privacy controls for sensitive leave
- Mobile access, same-day setup
- Data migration support, no contracts
- No Slack or calendar integrations yet — these are on the roadmap
- Growing fast with excellent support - ability to influence product roadmap.
UK teams of 5–100 who want the complete feature set at the lowest per-user cost, without navigating multiple tiers.
A capable mid-range option with integrations, but watch the tier pricing carefully
LeaveDates covers the core bases of UK leave management across three pricing tiers. Worth knowing before you sign up: the features that make it a like-for-like Timetastic alternative (Slack, calendar sync, full reporting) are locked to the Essentials tier at £2.00/user. The £1.00 Starter doesn't include them.
- Slack and calendar sync on Essentials
- API and webhooks on Plus tier
- 30-day free trial, no card required
- Key features gated at Essentials (£2.00), not Starter (£1.00)
- At equivalent features, same price as Timetastic Pro
- No permanent free tier
Teams that need Slack or calendar integrations today and are comfortable paying £2.00/user for Essentials.
Don't switch just because it's the thing to do
The clearest reason to stay with Timetastic is the integrations. Slack, Outlook, Google Calendar, and Teams are all available on Pro. If your team uses those tools every day and wants absence data flowing into them automatically, that matters.
Worth noting: at Pro pricing (£2.00/user/month), Timetastic costs the same as LeaveDates Essentials. Both are in the same bracket for a comparable setup. Simple Leave is £0.60/user. Whether integrations are worth paying three times as much is the real question.
Full feature comparison
All prices are monthly flexible rates. No annual contract assumed.
| Feature | Simple Leave | LeaveDates | Timetastic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | £0.60/user | £1.00/user | £1.20/user |
| Price for full features | £0.60/user | £2.00/user | £2.00/user |
| Free tier | Permanent (≤5 users) | Trial only | Trial only |
| Accruals | ✓ Included | ✓ Included | Pro only (£2.00) |
| Custom leave types | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| UK bank holidays | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Absence reports | ✓ Included | ✓ Included | Pro only (£2.00) |
| Slack integration | Coming soon | Essentials (£2.00) | Pro (£2.00) |
| Calendar sync | Coming soon | Essentials (£2.00) | Pro (£2.00) |
| Minimum booking | Any fraction of a day | Quarter day | Half day |
| Contract required | No | No | No |
| Setup time | Same day | Fast | Fast |
Which tool should you choose?
You want the full UK feature set at the lowest price: accruals, custom leave types, approval workflows, absence reports, and privacy controls, all included at £0.60/user. If Slack and calendar integrations can wait, Simple Leave is cheaper by a significant margin.
You need Slack or calendar integrations working from day one and are happy paying £2.00/user for LeaveDates Essentials. It's a capable platform. Just be clear about the price you'll be on before you sign up.
Your leave is mostly annual leave with standard working patterns, and the wallchart view is what your team actually uses. Timetastic Basic handles that well, and at £1.20/user for a small team, it's hard to argue with. Don't switch just because there are cheaper options.
Frequently asked questions
Try Simple Leave free
If you're switching from Timetastic, Simple Leave is up and running the same day. Accruals, approvals, and reporting are all included at £0.60/user. No tiers to navigate, no contracts. Your existing data can be migrated across. Teams of 5 or under start on the free plan.
- Accruals included at base price
- One plan, no feature gating
- UK bank holidays pre-configured
- £0.60/user — 50% less than Timetastic Basic
- No contracts, cancel any time
- Permanently free for teams of up to 5
Free for up to 5 employees · No credit card required · Set up same day