Calamari

calamari.io
HR & Payroll
1-2 Weeks

HR Tools For High‑Performing Teams

How to Replace Calamari

Overview

Calamari is an easy-to-use HR software designed for modern teams that want to automate leave management and time & attendance tracking. It replaces spreadsheets and saves time with tools for leave management, time & attendance tracking, employee document storage, approval processes, and reporting. Perfect for startups, remote-first companies, and small to medium-sized businesses.

Features

135 features across 18 categories

Authentication(10)

Centralized User ManagementPremium

Centralize user management through SAML integration

Enhanced Security with SSOPremium

Enhance security with Single Sign-On through SAML

Faster Login ProcessPremium

Faster login process with SAML integration

Google SSO

Log in with Google account

Microsoft 365 SSO

Log in with Microsoft 365 account

SAML IntegrationPremium

Enterprise-grade SAML authentication with support for Okta, Azure, Google, OneLogin, Auth0

Slack SSO

Log in with Slack account

SSO - Google

Single Sign-On with Google

SSO - Microsoft

Single Sign-On with Microsoft

SSO - Slack

Single Sign-On with Slack

Also in: LastPass, Dashlane, 1Password

Automation(1)

Abnormality Detection

Detect abnormalities like late arrivals, working too short, leaving too early

Also in: monday.com, Notion, Airtable

Core HR(8)

Coworker Information Access

Allow employees to access basic information about their coworkers

Custom Fields

Add specific custom fields in various formats such as dates, text, checkboxes to organize HR information

Employee Data Editing

Edit entitlements, team assignments, employment forms, personal details, and documents from admin view

Employee Profile Management

Easy access to employee profiles with personal information, organizational structure, and contact details

People Data Management

Central HR database with employee profiles, people directory, and organized document storage

Predefined Answers

Predefined answers that employees can use when filling out profile questions

Profile Questions

Pre-defined questions to help employees complete their profiles

Work With Me Profile

Dedicated space for employees to share how they work and personal information

Data Management(1)

CSV Import

Import employee and leave data from CSV files

Also in: monday.com, Notion, Airtable

Document Management(6)

Directory Access Restrictions

Create directories with access restrictions for administrators, managers, and employees

Document Action History

Full history of all actions and changes to documents

Document Storage

Safe and well-organized HR document repository with version history, approval workflows, and access restrictions

Document Upload with Statuses

Upload documents with different statuses including complete, for completion, request, and acquaint

Employee Document Access

Access to all documents related to a specific employee

HR Documents Repository

Secure storage of HR documents with different statuses and version control

Infrastructure(2)

AWS Infrastructure

Built on AWS cloud infrastructure with high performance and availability

High Availability

High availability infrastructure for reliable service

Integration(21)

API Integration

Public web API to manage absences and timesheet entries

Google Calendar Synchronization

Import holidays from Google Calendar and synchronize time off requests to Google Calendar

Google Workspace Employee Import

Automatically import employees from Google account

HR Bot

Easy-to-use Slack HR bot to manage time off, vacation, and sick leave in one place

Microsoft 365 Dashboard

Access Calamari features through Microsoft 365 dashboard

Microsoft 365 Employee Import

Import employees from Microsoft account

MS Teams Absences Checking

Check your own and company-wide scheduled absences in MS Teams

MS Teams Breaks Management

Mark breaks and projects from MS Teams

MS Teams Clock In/Out

Clock in/out directly from MS Teams

MS Teams Entitlement Balances

Check entitlement balances directly in MS Teams

MS Teams Integration

Use Calamari app in MS Teams for checking absences and entitlements

MS Teams Work Time Visibility

Check information about work time directly in MS Teams

Outlook Calendar Synchronization

Synchronize Calamari absences with MS Outlook Calendar

Outlook Web Integration

Check absences and planned requests through Outlook web

Slack Clock In/Out Commands

Clock in/out using Slack commands

Slack Commands

Use Slack commands to request and review absences directly

Slack Employee Import

Automatically import employees from Slack account

Slack Leave Management

Request, approve, and review available leave balances directly in Slack

Slack Status Breaks Synchronization

Synchronization of breaks to Slack statuses

Slack Status Synchronization

Synchronize time-off and remote work statuses to Slack profile status

Slack Time Recording Buttons

Record working time and breaks via buttons on Slack

Also in: monday.com, Notion, Airtable

Internationalization(3)

International Time Zone Support

Support for different time zones in timesheets

Multi-Country Policies

Support for different labor laws and policies across multiple countries

Multilingual Support

Support for 5 languages: English, Polish, French, Spanish, and German

Leave Management(10)

Absences Overview Calendar

Shared time off calendar showing all employee absences in one place

Automatic Balance Calculations

Automatically calculate entitlements based on accrual rules and contract types

Automatic Carry-Over

Automatically carry over unused leave entitlement to the next year with configurable rules

Leave Duration Units

Set leave duration as hours or days based on organizational needs

Leave Entitlement Control

Monitor and control leave entitlements with ability to adjust for individual employees

Multi-Country Absence Policies

Support for international companies with different absence policies per country

Public Holiday Calendars

Configure different public holiday calendars for multiple branches or countries in one account

Requesting Restrictions

Configure leave request restrictions including minimum/maximum duration, advance notice requirements, and hire date constraints

Time-off Request Management

Plan time off and automate entitlement calculation with unlimited absence types and multi-country absence policies

Unlimited Absence Types

Create unlimited absence types or time-off categories for different leave scenarios

Mobile(1)

Mobile Applications

Native mobile apps for Android and iOS with on-the-go access

Multi-tenancy(1)

Multiple Google Domains

Access Calamari with more than one Google domain

Notifications(19)

Birthday Notifications

Recurring notifications about employee birthdays to Slack, MS Teams, and email

Clock In/Out Reminders

Reminders to employees about clocking in/out

Custom Date Field Reminders

Automatic reminders for custom date fields created by administrators

Cyclic Absence Notifications

Recurring daily or weekly notifications about other employees' absences

Email Notifications

Notifications about requests for approval, approvals, rejections, and other HR events

Late Arrival Notifications

Notifications to managers when employees are late

Mobile Notifications

Push notifications to mobile app for leave requests and updates

MS Teams Real-Time Notifications

Real-time notifications about clocking in/out and breaks on MS Teams channels

MS Teams Recurring Notifications

Receive recurring notifications about absences, remote work and holidays in MS Teams channels

Outlook Notifications

Receive notifications in Outlook inbox (personal and group)

Pending Request Reminders

Reminders about pending approval requests for managers

Remote Work Notifications

Notifications about remote work of other employees

Slack Channel Notifications

Recurring notifications about absences, remote work and holidays to Slack channels

Slack Notifications

Send notifications to Slack channels about absences, approvals, and HR events

Slack Real-Time Shift Notifications

Real-time notifications of shift start/end and breaks on Slack channels

Substitute Notifications

Notifications about being a substitute for an employee

Uncompleted Work Day Notifications

Notifications to managers about team members with uncompleted work days

Unfinished Work Day Reminders

Reminders about unfinished work days

Work Anniversary Notifications

Recurring notifications about work anniversaries to Slack, MS Teams, and email

Performance Management(7)

Administrator PanelPremium

Administrative interface for managing performance review process

AI Support in Performance ReviewsAIPremium

AI-powered support for performance review process

Flexible Survey ConfigurationPremium

Easily configure surveys for employee feedback collection

Manager SummariesPremium

Generate summaries of employee reviews for managers

Performance ReviewsAIPremium

Run stress-free performance reviews with surveys, self-assessment, peer review, and AI support

Reviewer AssignmentPremium

Assign reviewers for performance evaluations

Self-Assessment and Peer ReviewPremium

Collect self-assessments and peer feedback in performance reviews

Reporting(14)

Absence Request Report

Generate comprehensive reports on all absence requests

Attendance Report

View attendance reports across the organization

Employee Data Report

Report on employees' data

Employee Profiles Report

List of all employee profiles with basic information

Entitlement Report

Reports on employee leave entitlements and balances

Excel Export

Export reports to Excel files for further analysis

Historical Timesheet Data

Access to historical timesheet data for analysis and compliance

Payroll Report

Reports on days requested for payroll processing

PDF Export

Export leave requests to PDF files for printing

Presence List Report

Report showing who is present or absent

Project Time Report

Report on time spent on particular projects or activities

Reports for Payroll

Generate payroll reports including absences, timesheets, entitlements, attendance, and employee data

Timesheet Details Report

Detailed reports on individual timesheet entries

Timesheet Report

Comprehensive timesheet reports

Security(6)

Auth LogsPremium

Detailed authentication logs for security auditing

Continuous Security Monitoring

Continuous monitoring of security to detect and prevent threats

Data Encryption at Rest

Encryption of data at rest for security

Data Encryption in Transit

Encryption of data in transit for security

Data Separation

Data separation between organizations for multi-tenancy security

Regular Backups

Regular data backups for disaster recovery

Support(7)

Chat Support

Customer service via chat

Data Import Assistance

Assistance with importing employee and HR data

Email Support

Customer service via email

Interactive Tutorials

Interactive tutorials to help users learn the platform quickly

Onboarding Support

Dedicated onboarding support from customer success team (3-5 days typically)

Online Documentation

Comprehensive online documentation and help center

Shared Screen Demo

Shared screen demonstrations during sales and support calls

Time Tracking(9)

Attendance Management

Adjust, edit, or remove shifts and attendance records

Auto-Close Unfinished Shifts

Automatically close unfinished shifts with notification

Project Time Tracking

Track time against particular projects or activities

Remote Work Marking

Mark and track remote work or work from home in timesheets

Seven Time Tracking Methods

Multiple clock in/out options: web browser, QR codes, mobile app with GPS, API, and iBeacon

Shift Management

Add, edit shifts, and mark breaks (paid or unpaid) in timesheets

Time Clock

Clock in and clock out using multiple methods including web browser, QR codes, mobile app, API, and iBeacon technology

Timesheet Management

Digital timesheets with ability to add, edit shifts, mark breaks (paid or unpaid), and track time against projects

Work History Access

Check history of workdays and attendance records

Workflow Automation(9)

Approval History

Full history of all approvals and rejections for audit purposes

Approval Processes

Multi-step comprehensive approval flows with backup approvers, auto-approval options, and different flows for different absence types

Auto-Approval Option

Set up automatic approval of leave requests based on configured rules

Backup Approver

Designate backup approvers in case of manager's absence

Cancellation Approval Flows

Configure approval flows for request cancellations

Document Approval Process

Approval and rejection process for documents

Manager Selection in Approval

Choose between direct manager or team manager in the approval process

Multi-Step Approval Flows

Create comprehensive approval workflows with multiple approval steps

Timesheet Approval Flows

Set up approval processes for timesheet changes

Pricing

Free Trial

Popular
Free
  • 14 days free trial
  • No credit card required
  • Access to all features and modules
  • Onboarding support
  • Data import assistance
  • Chat and email support

Time Off

$2.50/month per employee (billed annually at $2.00/employee/month)
  • Unlimited absence types
  • Shared time off calendar
  • Flexible policies and flows
  • Automatic carry-over
  • Multi-country absence policies
  • Automatic balance calculations
  • Multi-step approval flows
  • Email/Mobile/Slack notifications
  • PDF and Excel export
  • CSV import
  • Various reports (absence, attendance, timesheet, payroll, entitlement, employee)
  • Google Workspace integration
  • Microsoft 365 integration
  • MS Teams integration
  • Slack integration
  • Other integrations (Asana, Basecamp, Jira, API)
  • Onboarding support
  • Data import assistance
  • Chat and email support
  • Online documentation
  • SSO with Google, Slack, JIRA, Office
  • Standard API

Time & Attendance

$3.00/month per employee (billed annually at $2.50/employee/month)
  • 7 time tracking methods
  • Digital timesheets
  • Clock in/out via web, QR, mobile, API, iBeacon
  • Break marking (paid/unpaid)
  • Project time tracking
  • Remote work marking
  • Auto-close unfinished shifts
  • Timesheet approval flows
  • Abnormality detection
  • Notifications for lateness and uncompleted days
  • Multiple reports (presence, timesheet, abnormalities, project time, employee data)
  • Google Workspace integration
  • Microsoft 365 integration
  • MS Teams integration
  • Slack integration
  • Other integrations (Asana, Basecamp, Jira, API)
  • Onboarding support
  • Data import assistance
  • Chat and email support
  • Online documentation
  • SSO with Google, Slack, JIRA, Office
  • Standard API

Core HR

$2.50/month per employee (billed annually at $2.00/employee/month)
  • HR documents repository
  • People directory
  • Custom fields and categories
  • Document management with approvals
  • Employee profile management
  • Work with me profiles
  • Birthday and work anniversary notifications
  • Custom date field reminders
  • Onboarding support
  • Data import assistance
  • Chat and email support
  • Online documentation
  • SSO with Google, Slack, JIRA, Office
  • Standard API

Performance

$3.00/month per employee (billed annually at $2.50/employee/month)
  • Flexible survey configuration
  • Self-assessment and peer review
  • Administrator panel
  • Reviewer assignment
  • Manager summaries
  • AI support

SAML Integration Add-on

$2.00/month (billed annually at $1.00/month)
  • SAML authentication
  • Support for Okta, Azure, Google, OneLogin, Auth0
  • Centralized user management
  • Enhanced security with SSO
  • Faster login process
  • Auth logs

Custom Plan

Custom
  • Optimized for your business
  • Custom contracts
  • Data Processing Agreement
  • Dedicated customer support
  • Adjusted payment methods (monthly invoice)
  • Additional training sessions

Cost Calculator

Keep Paying Calamari

Monthly$2/mo
Yearly$24/yr
5-Year Total$120

Build It Yourself

Est. Build Time~20 hrs
Hosting$20/mo
DifficultyModerate

Total Cost Comparison

1 Year
SaaS
$24
DIY
$240
3 Years
SaaS
$72
DIY
$720
5 Years
SaaS
$120
DIY
$1.2k

DIY hosting estimate based on Vercel + Supabase free/pro tiers (~$20/mo). Build time estimated from 135 features at moderate complexity.

Build vs Buy

Should you build a Calamari alternative or buy the subscription? Estimate based on 135 features.

Buy Calamari

Better Value
Monthly cost$20/mo
3-year total$720
Time to deployDays

Build Your Own

Development cost$168,000
Maintenance$2,520/mo
3-year total$258,720
Dev time~14 months

Buying Calamari saves ~$258,000 over 3 years vs building.

Estimates based on 135 features and a BuildScore of 3/5. Actual costs vary.

Integrations

15 known integrations

APIAsanaAuth0AzureBasecampGoogle AuthGoogle CalendarGoogle WorkspaceJiraMicrosoft 365Microsoft OutlookMS TeamsOktaOneLoginSlack