Employment Hero is a powerful HR platform, but power comes with complexity — and cost. If your business signed up for a full HR suite but mainly uses the leave module, you are not alone. Many Australian SMBs find themselves paying AUD $600 to $1,800 per month for a platform where the most-used feature is requesting annual leave.
The most common reasons teams look for an Employment Hero leave alternative come down to four things: the platform is too complex for teams that only need leave tracking, per-employee pricing gets expensive as headcount grows, bundled features like payroll and performance management go unused, and support response times can lag behind what smaller teams expect.
This guide evaluates six alternatives to Employment Hero’s leave management module. We compare each on pricing, Australian compliance, integrations, and ease of use — so you can find the tool that matches what your team actually needs.
What to Look for in an Employment Hero Alternative
Before evaluating specific tools, it helps to define what matters most. Not every alternative needs to replicate Employment Hero’s full feature set — in fact, most teams switching away are doing so precisely because they do not need all of it.
Key criteria for Australian businesses:
- Pricing model — flat-rate vs per-employee, and what that means at 20, 50, or 100 employees
- Australian compliance — support for NES entitlements, leave loading, long service leave, and Fair Work Act requirements
- Integrations — does it work with Slack, Microsoft Teams, Xero, or MYOB?
- Setup time — can you be operational in hours, or does it take weeks?
- Scope — do you need a full HR platform, or is dedicated leave management enough?
With that framework in mind, here are the six best alternatives to Employment Hero for leave management in 2026.
1. Leave Balance — Best Overall Alternative for Leave-Only Teams
Leave Balance is a dedicated leave management tool built for teams that need leave tracking without the complexity of a full HR platform. It is the only flat-rate leave management tool on the Australian market.
Pricing
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Monthly | AUD $29/month (flat rate) |
| Annual | AUD $290/year (AUD $24.17/mo) |
That price covers unlimited employees and unlimited leave policies. No per-seat fees, no minimum spend, no hidden charges. A 50-person team pays AUD $29/month — the same as a 200-person team.
For comparison, the same 50-person team on Employment Hero would pay approximately AUD $1,000 to $3,000 per month depending on the tier.
Key Features
- Slack and Microsoft Teams integration — employees request leave, managers approve, and balances update without leaving the chat app
- Unlimited custom leave policies — configure annual leave, personal leave, long service leave, leave loading, and any custom entitlements
- Team calendar — real-time visibility into who is off today, this week, or any date range
- Analytics and reporting — leave trends, utilisation rates, and exportable data for payroll
- Multi-country support — manage leave across Australia, New Zealand, and other regions from one account
- 15-minute setup — connect Slack or Teams, add employees, configure policies, and go
Australian Compliance
Leave Balance supports configurable leave policies that align with National Employment Standards (NES) entitlements, including annual leave accruals, personal/carer’s leave, leave loading (17.5%), and pro-rata calculations for part-time employees. It works alongside your existing payroll provider — Xero, MYOB, or KeyPay — rather than replacing it.
Limitations
Leave Balance is not a full HR platform. It does not include payroll processing, award interpretation, onboarding workflows, or performance management. If you need those capabilities, a broader tool is more appropriate.
Why It Is the Top Pick
For Australian SMBs that already have payroll sorted and primarily need leave tracking, Leave Balance covers the core requirement at a fraction of Employment Hero’s cost. The Slack and Teams integration means employees actually use it without friction, and flat-rate pricing means your software bill does not grow with every new hire.
Best for: Office-based teams of 10 to 200 employees that use Slack or Microsoft Teams and want dedicated leave management without paying for an HR suite.
leave emails? Track your employee's leave with Leave Balance
2. Tanda — Best for Shift-Based Teams Needing Award Interpretation
Tanda is an Australian workforce management platform known for its rostering, time and attendance, and Modern Award interpretation capabilities. Leave management is one module within a broader suite.
Pricing
Tanda uses per-user modular pricing. For a 30-person team, expect to pay approximately AUD $384 to $480 per month depending on the modules selected. Pricing is not publicly listed and typically requires a sales conversation.
| Team Size | Estimated Cost (Leave + Time) |
|---|---|
| 10 employees | AUD $128–160/mo |
| 30 employees | AUD $384–480/mo |
| 50 employees | AUD $640–800/mo |
| 100 employees | AUD $1,280–1,600/mo |
Key Features
- Award interpretation engine that automates pay rate calculations across 122 Modern Awards
- Rostering and shift scheduling
- Time and attendance tracking with clock-in/clock-out
- Leave management as part of the workforce management suite
- Payroll integration with Xero, MYOB, and KeyPay
Australian Compliance
Tanda’s strongest compliance feature is its award interpretation engine, which automates penalty rates, overtime calculations, and shift allowances under Modern Awards. This is genuinely useful for businesses with complex award structures — particularly in retail, hospitality, and healthcare.
Limitations
Tanda is built around shift-based workforces. If your team is office-based and does not need rostering or time tracking, much of Tanda’s value goes unused. Pricing is opaque and sales-led, and the platform can feel like overkill for teams that only need leave management.
Best for: Shift-based businesses (retail, hospitality, healthcare) that need Modern Award interpretation alongside leave tracking.
3. Deputy — Best for Scheduling-First Teams
Deputy is a shift scheduling and workforce management tool with leave management built in. It has a large install base in Australia, particularly among businesses with hourly or shift workers.
Pricing
Deputy charges per user per month:
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Scheduling | AUD $5/user/mo |
| Time & Attendance | AUD $5/user/mo |
| Premium | AUD $9/user/mo |
For a 30-person team on the Premium plan, that is approximately AUD $270 per month.
| Team Size | Premium Cost |
|---|---|
| 10 employees | AUD $90/mo |
| 30 employees | AUD $270/mo |
| 50 employees | AUD $450/mo |
| 100 employees | AUD $900/mo |
Key Features
- Shift scheduling with demand forecasting
- Time and attendance with geofenced clock-in
- Leave management integrated with scheduling
- Mobile app for on-the-go shift management
- Payroll integration with Xero, MYOB, and other providers
Australian Compliance
Deputy handles Fair Work compliance for scheduling and time tracking, including break requirements and maximum hour rules. Leave management is functional but secondary to the scheduling focus — it covers the basics of requesting and approving leave without the depth of a dedicated leave tool.
Limitations
Leave management is not Deputy’s primary focus. The platform is built around scheduling, and the leave module reflects that — it handles standard requests but lacks the configurability and reporting depth of a purpose-built leave tool. Per-user pricing also means costs scale linearly with headcount.
Best for: Businesses that need shift scheduling as a primary function and want leave management integrated with rosters.
4. Xero Leave — Best for Teams Already Deep in the Xero Ecosystem
Xero is the dominant accounting platform in Australia and New Zealand. Its payroll module includes basic leave management functionality — which means many teams are already using it without realising there are better options.
Pricing
Xero’s payroll (and leave) features are included in its accounting plans:
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Standard | AUD $55/mo |
| Premium | AUD $78/mo |
Leave management is bundled with payroll — there is no standalone leave product.
Key Features
- Basic leave request and approval workflows
- Leave balances tracked alongside payroll
- Statutory leave entitlements for Australian and New Zealand employees
- Integration with 1,000+ third-party apps through the Xero ecosystem
- Automatic leave balance updates when payroll runs
Australian Compliance
Xero handles NES leave entitlements, superannuation, STP Phase 2 reporting, and basic leave accruals. Leave calculations are tied directly to payroll, which ensures leave balances stay in sync with pay runs.
Limitations
Xero’s leave management is deliberately basic. There is no team calendar for absence visibility, no Slack or Teams integration, limited reporting on leave trends, and the approval workflow is functional rather than elegant. It is designed as a payroll companion, not a standalone leave management experience.
If your team already uses Xero for accounting and payroll and your leave management needs are minimal — a few requests per week, no complex policies — Xero’s built-in leave features may be enough. But once you need team visibility, custom policies, or integrations beyond the Xero portal, you will outgrow it.
Best for: Very small teams (under 15 employees) already using Xero for payroll that have basic leave management needs.
5. Vacation Tracker — Best for Global Teams That Use Slack
Vacation Tracker is a Slack and Teams-native leave tracker popular with distributed, remote-first teams. It competes directly with Leave Balance on the integration-first approach.
Pricing
Vacation Tracker uses per-user pricing with a minimum spend:
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Core | USD $2/user/mo ($50 min) |
| Complete | USD $4/user/mo ($100 min) |
For Australian teams, the minimum spend means you pay at least USD $50/month (approximately AUD $75) regardless of team size. At 30 employees on the Complete plan, that is approximately AUD $180 per month.
| Team Size | Complete Plan (AUD est.) |
|---|---|
| 10 employees | AUD $150/mo (minimum) |
| 30 employees | AUD $180/mo |
| 50 employees | AUD $300/mo |
| 100 employees | AUD $600/mo |
Key Features
- Native Slack and Microsoft Teams integration for requests and approvals
- Team calendar and absence visibility
- Custom leave policies and accrual rules
- PTO tracking and balance reporting
- Multi-location support for distributed teams
Australian Compliance
This is where Vacation Tracker falls short for Australian businesses. It was built for the US market and lacks Australian-specific compliance features — no leave loading support, no NES-aware entitlement configuration, and no awareness of Australian statutory requirements. You can configure generic leave policies, but the platform does not understand the nuances of Fair Work Act obligations.
Limitations
Beyond the compliance gap, Vacation Tracker’s per-user pricing with minimums makes it more expensive than Leave Balance at every team size. Pricing is in USD, which adds currency conversion uncertainty. And while the Slack and Teams integration is solid, it does not offer the same Australian compliance configurability as locally focused tools.
Best for: Globally distributed, remote-first teams with employees in multiple countries that do not need Australian compliance features.
6. Timetastic — Best Budget Option for Simple Leave Tracking
Timetastic is a UK-based leave tracker known for simplicity and low per-user pricing. It is popular with small teams that want straightforward leave management without complexity.
Pricing
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Standard | GBP $1.30/user/mo (approx AUD $2.50/user/mo) |
For a 30-person team, that is approximately AUD $75 per month.
| Team Size | Estimated Cost (AUD) |
|---|---|
| 10 employees | AUD $25/mo |
| 30 employees | AUD $75/mo |
| 50 employees | AUD $125/mo |
| 100 employees | AUD $250/mo |
Key Features
- Simple leave request and approval workflow
- Wall chart calendar for team absence visibility
- Allowance management and basic reporting
- Email notifications for requests and approvals
- Mobile-friendly interface
Australian Compliance
Timetastic has no Australian-specific compliance features. It was built for the UK market and handles leave as a generic concept. You can set up custom leave types and allowances, but there is no NES awareness, no leave loading support, and no long service leave configuration. For Australian businesses, this means manual configuration and ongoing management of statutory entitlements.
Limitations
Timetastic lacks Slack and Teams integration — leave management happens through its own web portal and email notifications. There is no Australian compliance built in, reporting is basic, and the platform does not support complex accrual rules or multi-country setups. While the price is low, it becomes more expensive than Leave Balance once you pass 12 employees.
Best for: Very small UK or Australia-based teams (under 12 employees) that need basic leave tracking and prefer the lowest possible per-user cost.
Pricing Comparison at a Glance
Here is what each tool costs for a 30-person Australian team:
| Tool | 30-Person Monthly Cost | Pricing Model |
|---|---|---|
| Leave Balance | AUD $29/mo | Flat rate, unlimited users |
| Timetastic | AUD $75/mo | Per user |
| Vacation Tracker | AUD $180/mo | Per user + minimum |
| Deputy | AUD $270/mo | Per user |
| Tanda | AUD $384–480/mo | Per user, modular |
| Employment Hero | AUD $600–1,800/mo | Per user + minimum |
| Xero Leave | AUD $55–78/mo | Bundled with accounting |
At 50 employees, the gap widens further. Leave Balance remains AUD $29/month while Employment Hero reaches AUD $1,000 to $3,000/month and Tanda hits AUD $640 to $800/month.
Feature Comparison Summary
| Feature | Leave Balance | Tanda | Deputy | Xero Leave | Vacation Tracker | Timetastic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dedicated leave management | Yes | Module | Module | Basic | Yes | Yes |
| Flat-rate pricing | Yes | No | No | Yes* | No | No |
| Slack integration | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Teams integration | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| NES-aware leave configuration | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | No | No |
| Leave loading support | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
| Award interpretation | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Rostering/scheduling | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Payroll built-in | No | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Team calendar | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-country support | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Limited |
| Setup time | 15 minutes | Days | Hours | Part of Xero | Hours | Hours |
*Xero’s pricing is flat-rate for accounting, but leave is bundled — not standalone.
How to Choose the Right Employment Hero Alternative
The right alternative depends on what drove you away from Employment Hero in the first place.
You mainly used Employment Hero for leave tracking
Choose Leave Balance. You will save AUD $570 to $1,770 per month and get a better leave management experience with Slack and Teams integration. Set up takes 15 minutes.
You need rostering and award interpretation
Choose Tanda. If your team works shifts and you need automated Modern Award compliance for pay calculations, Tanda’s award interpretation engine is the strongest in the market.
You need shift scheduling with leave built in
Choose Deputy. If scheduling is the primary need and leave management is secondary, Deputy covers both in one platform.
You only need basic leave tracking and already use Xero
Stick with Xero Leave. If your team is small and leave requests are infrequent, Xero’s built-in leave features may be enough without adding another tool.
You are a distributed, global team
Evaluate Leave Balance or Vacation Tracker. Both offer Slack and Teams integration for distributed teams. Leave Balance is more affordable and has better Australian compliance support. Vacation Tracker may suit teams with no Australian employees.
You want the cheapest per-user option for a very small team
Consider Timetastic for teams under 12 employees. Above that, Leave Balance’s flat-rate pricing becomes cheaper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I migrate my leave data from Employment Hero?
Most teams export their current leave balances from Employment Hero and set starting balances in the new tool. Leave Balance supports bulk employee onboarding via CSV upload, which makes migration straightforward.
Do I still need payroll software if I switch to a leave-only tool?
Yes. Dedicated leave management tools like Leave Balance handle leave tracking, not payroll processing. You would continue using Xero, MYOB, or your existing payroll provider for pay runs, STP reporting, and superannuation. Leave Balance exports leave data for payroll integration.
Is Leave Balance compliant with the Fair Work Act?
Leave Balance supports configurable leave policies that align with NES entitlements, including annual leave (4 weeks), personal/carer’s leave (10 days), and leave loading (17.5%). It does not perform award interpretation — for that, you would use your payroll provider. For a deeper look at Fair Work compliance, see our Fair Work leave compliance guide.
How does flat-rate pricing work as my team grows?
Leave Balance costs AUD $29/month regardless of whether you have 10 or 200 employees. There are no tier thresholds, no per-seat charges, and no minimum spend requirements. Your cost stays the same as you hire.
The Bottom Line
Employment Hero is a comprehensive HR platform, and for businesses that genuinely use its full suite — payroll, onboarding, performance management, and compliance — it delivers real value. But if your team primarily uses Employment Hero for leave management, you are likely overpaying by hundreds or thousands of dollars per month for features you do not touch.
The Australian market now has strong alternatives that cover leave management at a fraction of the cost. For most office-based SMBs, Leave Balance offers the best combination of pricing, features, and daily usability — AUD $29/month flat, Slack and Teams integration, and a setup that takes 15 minutes instead of weeks.
Try Leave Balance free for 14 days — no credit card required — and see whether it covers what your team actually needs. Most teams know within the first week.
leave emails? Track your employee's leave with Leave Balance