Compare/Head to head

Cala HQ vs Calamari

Same facts, side by side: starting price, free tier, MCP, API and what each one is actually built for.

Starting price

Cala HQ

$15/mo Free tier

Cala HQ is a lightweight time-off tracker that handles leave policies, approvals, balances and country-specific public holidays without an HR suite behind it. It is free for up to 5 users, and Team plans start at $15 a month billed yearly for up to 10 users, with every feature on every plan. It tracks time off only, so payroll, HR records and time tracking sit elsewhere.

Where Cala HQ fits

  • Small teams replacing a leave spreadsheet
  • Remote teams spread across countries with different public holidays
  • Owner-led businesses with no HR department
  • Teams that already live in Slack and email

Calamari

Sales-quoted Free trial

Modular HR for time off, attendance, and core HR. Pricing is a per-employee module quote. Standard API is included.

Where Calamari fits

  • EU and multi-country teams with complex leave rules
  • Companies that clock in from Slack, Teams, or a kiosk
  • HR teams that want documents beside time off
  • Builders who will use the included API quota

At a glance

DetailCala HQCalamari
Starting price$15/moSales-quoted
Free tier✓Yes–No
Free trialNot on recordYes
MCP server–No–No
Public API–No✓Yes
Listed underLeave management, Time & attendanceHRIS, Time & attendance

Where they pull apart

Cala HQ

Stands out: It does one job and keeps it simple: setup in a few minutes, a shared calendar, and accrual and carry-over maths done for you. Every plan carries every feature, so the only thing that changes with price is team size, and the per-country holiday handling suits distributed teams.

Watch out: This is a time-off tool and not an HR system, so there is no payroll, employee record keeping or FMLA and ADA casework. The prices shown on the vendor page are billed yearly, and I did not find a published monthly price. The 200+ teams figure is the vendor's own, and no API, SSO or integrations list is documented beyond Slack and email notifications.

Not the right fit for

  • Companies that need a full HRIS with payroll and employee records
  • Teams that need FMLA or ADA leave casework
  • Larger organisations that want a published API or SSO

Calamari

Stands out: Pick Time Off, Time and Attendance, and Core HR as modules, with Slack, Teams, and Google already in the box.

Watch out: The pricing calculator has no currency-labeled entry price. Modules stack, and there is a minimum bill.

Not the right fit for

  • US buyers who need a published USD grid
  • Enterprises that want a full payroll HCM

Pros and cons

Cala HQ

  • Free for up to 5 users with every feature included
  • Local public holidays per employee under one company policy
  • Managers can approve from the email or Slack notification, no login needed
  • Time off only, with no payroll, HR records or time tracking
  • Pricing is by user-count tier, so a team just over a limit moves up a whole plan
  • No API or integrations list is documented on the marketing site

Calamari

  • Modules for leave, clock-in, and HR files
  • Slack, Teams, Google, and Microsoft included
  • API quota included with the product
  • No single-SKU public dollar
  • Not a payroll or tax-filing tool
  • Module stacking can raise the bill

What each one costs

Cala HQ

$15/mo

Cala HQ is free for up to 5 users with no card, and every plan includes every feature. Team 10 is $15 a month for up to 10 users (billed $180 a year), Team 25 is $30 a month for up to 25 users (billed $360 a year) and Team 50 is $55 a month for up to 50 users (billed $660 a year), with 20% off for annual billing. Larger teams contact sales for custom user limits and onboarding. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 3 Nov 2026

Calamari

Sales-quoted

Sales-quoted via a module calculator (Time Off, Time & Attendance, Core HR). No currency-labeled single entry SKU. Standard API quota included. Vendor is EU-based with no USD grid. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 19 Sep 2026

Common questions

Can you try Cala HQ or Calamari for free?
Cala HQ carries a free tier on our listing. Calamari offers a free trial.

Not the pair you wanted?

All Cala HQ alternatives All Calamari alternatives Every Leave management tool

Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 3 Nov 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?