Timetastic and VacationFlow solve the same problem: getting staff leave out of spreadsheets. Timetastic has been doing it longer and does it very affordably. This page lays out where each product wins, so you can pick without sitting through two demos.
Where Timetastic is strong
Timetastic’s wallchart — the whole team’s absences on one interactive timeline — is the feature people remember, and it works well. The product is cheap ($1.50 per user per month on the Business plan), has iOS and Android apps, Slack and Teams notifications, and over 200,000 users, mostly in the UK. Charities, B Corps, and NHS Trusts get 50% off. If you want a proven, low-cost tracker and are happy to pay per user from day one, Timetastic is a safe choice.
Where VacationFlow is different
Timetastic has no free tier — every user is billed from the first month after the trial. VacationFlow is free for teams up to 20 members, full product included. Beyond price, we go deeper on workflow: approval chains with admin and manager steps rather than a single approver, work modes so remote and deep-work days show on the calendar, shift management with rotations and auto-scheduling, and custom leave policies included free rather than reserved for a Pro plan.
Pricing, side by side
Timetastic’s published prices as of August 2026, from their own pricing page.
| Timetastic | VacationFlow | |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | None | Full product, up to 20 members |
| Entry plan | $1.50/user/month (Business) | $0 up to 20 members |
| Higher plans | $2.50/user/month (Pro); rota & time clock $5.50/user/month | Corporate for 20+: custom pricing |
| Trial | 1 month, no card | Corporate: 3 months free, no card |
For a 15-person team, Timetastic Business costs about $270 a year. That is not a lot — but the same team runs on VacationFlow for $0, with shift management and multi-step approvals included.
- You want leave notifications in Slack or Microsoft Teams. We do not integrate with either.
- Your team is Android-first and needs a native Android app today — ours is still on its way (iOS is live).
- You are a UK charity, B Corp, or NHS Trust — Timetastic’s 50% discount makes it very cheap for you.
- You have more than 20 people and a tiny budget: Timetastic’s transparent $1.50/user may beat a custom Corporate quote for your size.