Contents
The four cases everything turns on
A leave request is trivial. The entitlement behind it is not, and that is exactly where the systems differ.
- Part-time work: the conversion runs via working days per week, not via hours. Anyone working three days instead of five gets three fifths of the days.
- Joining and leaving during the year: under section 5 BUrlG there is one twelfth per full month of employment, but leave is only reduced on departure for those leaving in the first half of the year. Anyone who has completed the qualifying period and leaves on 31 August has the full annual entitlement.
- A change of weekdays mid-year: the entitlement already acquired is not converted retroactively. The ECJ has made that clear several times; anyone converting across the board reduces it impermissibly.
- Carry-over into the following year: only for operational or personal reasons, and then until 31 March (section 7(3) BUrlG). Expiry also requires the business to have given notice about the leave.
What the providers in this market bring
Absences are available at almost all providers; the differences lie in the depth of the calculation and in whether the federal state's public holidays are stored. The table shows what is evidenced for the providers whose focus is HR or time recording.
| Provider | Entry price | Absences | Personnel file | Hosted in Germany |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| absence.io | from 2.99 euros/user, time tracking from 4.99 euros | yes | yes | yes |
| askDANTE | a free plan, otherwise from 4.50 euros/user | yes | partly | partly |
| clockin | from 3.59 euros/user on a 24-month term | yes | yes | partly |
| Clockodo | from 4 euros/user, without a personnel file | yes | no | yes |
| Crewmeister | from 1.50 euros/user, modules extra | yes | no | yes |
| Factorial | from 8 euros/user, quoted individually | yes | yes | no |
| HRworks | from 12.90 euros/user | yes | yes | no |
| Kenjo | from 6 euros/user plus setup from 400 euros | yes | yes | partly |
| Personio | Price on request | yes | yes | no |
| Sage HR Suite | from 21 euros a month per module | yes | yes | partly |
| Timebutler | from 29.95 euros a month | yes | yes | yes |
| TimeTac | from a 19.50 euro monthly base fee | yes | no | yes |
| timr | from 8 euros/user, from 20 people on request | yes | no | yes |
| MetronHR | from 5 €/user | yes | yes | yes |
As of 15/09/2026, source as above. "no information" means no verified statement is available on the point.
absence.io
- Entry price
- from 2.99 euros/user, time tracking from 4.99 euros
- Absences
- yes
- Personnel file
- yes
- Hosted in Germany
- yes
askDANTE
- Entry price
- a free plan, otherwise from 4.50 euros/user
- Absences
- yes
- Personnel file
- partly
- Hosted in Germany
- partly
clockin
- Entry price
- from 3.59 euros/user on a 24-month term
- Absences
- yes
- Personnel file
- yes
- Hosted in Germany
- partly
Clockodo
- Entry price
- from 4 euros/user, without a personnel file
- Absences
- yes
- Personnel file
- no
- Hosted in Germany
- yes
Crewmeister
- Entry price
- from 1.50 euros/user, modules extra
- Absences
- yes
- Personnel file
- no
- Hosted in Germany
- yes
Factorial
- Entry price
- from 8 euros/user, quoted individually
- Absences
- yes
- Personnel file
- yes
- Hosted in Germany
- no
HRworks
- Entry price
- from 12.90 euros/user
- Absences
- yes
- Personnel file
- yes
- Hosted in Germany
- no
Kenjo
- Entry price
- from 6 euros/user plus setup from 400 euros
- Absences
- yes
- Personnel file
- yes
- Hosted in Germany
- partly
Personio
- Entry price
- Price on request
- Absences
- yes
- Personnel file
- yes
- Hosted in Germany
- no
Sage HR Suite
- Entry price
- from 21 euros a month per module
- Absences
- yes
- Personnel file
- yes
- Hosted in Germany
- partly
Timebutler
- Entry price
- from 29.95 euros a month
- Absences
- yes
- Personnel file
- yes
- Hosted in Germany
- yes
TimeTac
- Entry price
- from a 19.50 euro monthly base fee
- Absences
- yes
- Personnel file
- no
- Hosted in Germany
- yes
timr
- Entry price
- from 8 euros/user, from 20 people on request
- Absences
- yes
- Personnel file
- no
- Hosted in Germany
- yes
MetronHR
- Entry price
- from 5 €/user
- Absences
- yes
- Personnel file
- yes
- Hosted in Germany
- yes
As of 15/09/2026, source as above. "no information" means no verified statement is available on the point.
What often gets forgotten
Three points only stand out in daily use. First, the public holidays: they differ by federal state, and a day of leave falling on a public holiday must not count against the entitlement. Second, the deputy rule: who approves when the manager is on leave themselves. Third, the remaining leave on departure, which has to be paid in lieu where it can no longer be taken (section 7(4) BUrlG).
Information about competitors comes from their publicly available pages and can change. This is not legal advice; for a specific case in your business it is better to ask someone with a licence to practise.