PTODesk vs Connecteam for time off
Connecteam is built for deskless and shift-based teams — scheduling, time clock, comms, training. Time off is one feature inside a hub, and the pricing model means you rarely buy just the hub you wanted.
| Connecteam | PTODesk | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | $29 to $99 per hub per month for the first 30 users, and most teams need more than one hub | Flat per company — $29, $59 or $99 a month |
| Free plan | Free under 10 employees | Up to 5 employees, full engine |
| Accruals | Basic policy support | Every plan, including free |
| Mid-year hire proration | Varies | Automatic, with the arithmetic shown |
| US state sick leave | Not encoded | Encoded, dated and statute-linked |
| Integrations | Payroll providers | Slack, plus an ICS feed any calendar reads |
Connecteam list pricing checked 18 August 2026. Competitors change prices — confirm on their site before deciding.
What Connecteam is good at
If these are the things you need, they are the better buy and we would rather say so.
Genuinely strong for deskless workforces — shift scheduling, GPS clock-in, and team communication in one app.
A free tier for teams under ten that includes a great deal of functionality.
If you need scheduling as well as leave, one bundle beats two subscriptions.
Where teams outgrow Connecteam
The headline price is per hub
Time off sits inside a hub, and teams typically end up on two or three, so the real monthly cost commonly lands at two to three times the advertised figure. PTODesk is one price for the whole company.
Leave is a feature, not the product
Carryover caps with expiry dates, tenure-based accrual tiers and state statutory accrual are the depth you get from a tool that only does leave.
Built around shifts rather than salaried staff
If nobody clocks in, most of what you are paying for goes unused.
What it costs as you grow
Connecteam at list price, against the cheapest PTODesk plan that covers the same team. Per-seat pricing rises with every hire; a flat price does not move until you cross a plan boundary.
| Employees | Connecteam | PTODesk | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | $0.00/mo | $0.00/mo Free | Level |
| 10 | $290.00/mo | $29.00/mo Starter | Save $3,132 |
| 25 | $725.00/mo | $29.00/mo Starter | Save $8,352 |
| 50 | $1,450.00/mo | $59.00/mo Team | Save $16,692 |
| 75 | $2,175.00/mo | $59.00/mo Team | Save $25,392 |
List prices with no discounts applied, including Connecteam's free tier and monthly minimum where they have one. Rows where they come out cheaper are left in.
Common questions
Is Connecteam good for PTO tracking?
It is adequate if you already use it for scheduling. As a standalone leave tracker the bundled pricing is hard to justify.
We have both office and field staff. What then?
A common split is Connecteam for scheduling the field team and PTODesk as the single leave record for everyone, with the calendar feed and CSV export tying them together.
Does PTODesk do shift scheduling?
No. It tracks who is off and what they have earned. Scheduling is a different product and we would rather say so than pretend otherwise.
Try it against your own numbers
Free for teams up to five, with the whole accrual engine. Import your roster from a CSV, set opening balances, and run it alongside what you have now for a month.
No credit card. Flat monthly price, never per seat.