# Vacation Tracker vs Day Off: which do AI models recommend for leave, September 2026

HR AI Recommendation Index, September 2026 Edition, Leave and absence management. Zero of twelve models named Vacation Tracker first on the direct prompt; zero named Day Off. Page: https://hr-ai-index.com/core/leave-and-absence-management/vacation-tracker-vs-day-off/

| | First-choice share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels | Models naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vacation Tracker | 13% | #2 of 13 | 11% | 35 | 12 of 12 |
| Day Off | 2% | #7 of 13 | 0% | 12 | 6 of 12 |

## The direct prompt, model by model

- Gemini 3.5 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: Rippling) (alternatives: AttendanceBot, Cocoon, HiBob, Tilt, Vacation Tracker)
- DeepSeek V4 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: BambooHR) (alternatives: HiBob, LeaveBoard, Paycor, Rippling, UKG Pro, Vacation Tracker)
- Claude Haiku 4.5: neither named (first choices: HROne, Rippling) (alternatives: BambooHR, Namely, Sparrow)
- GPT-5.4 mini: neither named (first choices: BambooHR) (alternatives: AbsenceSoft, Calamari, Sparrow)
- Perplexity Sonar: neither named (first choices: Rippling) (alternatives: AbsenceSoft, HiBob, Keka)
- Grok 4.1 Fast: neither named (first choices: Rippling) (alternatives: BambooHR, Paycor)
- Mistral Small: neither named (first choices: Keka) (alternatives: Bizneo Time Management, HROne, LeaveSource, Sparrow)
- Llama 4 Maverick: neither named
- Qwen 3.7 Flash: neither named (first choices: BambooHR) (alternatives: ADP Workforce Now, Deel, Paylocity, Rippling)
- Kimi K2: neither named (first choices: BambooHR) (alternatives: Deputy, HiBob, Namely, Zoho People)
- GLM 4.7 FlashX: neither named (first choices: Rippling) (alternatives: Calamari, Connecteam)
- MiniMax M2.5: neither named (first choices: Namely) (alternatives: Absence.io, BambooHR, HiBob, Leapsome, Rippling)

## What the models said about Vacation Tracker

- "Recurring complaints about limited leave types and period customization... Inaccurate tracking" (DeepSeek V4 Flash, negative prompt, soft negative)
- "Minimums make it pricier for <25 users; free plan now trial-like." (Grok 4.1 Fast, budget prompt, soft negative)
- "free plan was discontinued June 2026, so verify current status" (DeepSeek V4 Flash, budget prompt, soft negative)
- "If you just want simple leave tracking without paying for a bloated HR suite, get Vacation Tracker (best for Slack/Teams)" (Gemini 3.5 Flash, comparative prompt, first choice)
- "Vacation Tracker is best for small teams that want leave approvals and calendar visibility without heavy admin work" (Llama 4 Maverick, comparative prompt, first choice)
- "For growing teams: Vacation Tracker offers the best value at $2-4/user/month with robust features." (Kimi K2, budget prompt, first choice)

## What the models said about Day Off

- "Absolute lowest cost | Vacation Tracker ($2/user) or Day Off (free up to 10)" (GLM 4.7 FlashX, budget prompt, first choice)
- "Also mentioned as solid, budget-friendly options for smaller businesses" (Mistral Small, budget prompt, alternative)
- "Day Off (Great Free Alternative for Tiny Teams)" (Grok 4.1 Fast, budget prompt, alternative)

Share is the count of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts over all twelve models, for a mid-market B2B company; rank is within the category. Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category. Published under CC BY 4.0; the output is the models' output, and nothing here is a recommendation by the index.