Free PTO Tracker (Excel & Google Sheets)
What's in the free PTO tracker
The template is a compact workbook, not a single sheet: an Employees tab for up to 5 people, a Requests tab where you log each time-off request, and a Balances tab that pulls it together. You enter each employee's accrued PTO yourself; the days taken column totals automatically from the requests you've logged, and Left subtracts one from the other.
It's built to be dropped into use immediately - no macros, no add-ins, no setup wizard. The sheets are protected so the formula cells can't be overwritten by accident; you type only in the input cells.
Formulas tested before you ever open the file
Every formula in this tracker — and every other file we publish — runs through a testing pass that checks the math against known scenarios in both the Excel and Google Sheets versions before it ships. That's the difference between a spreadsheet that just looks right and one where the numbers are actually correct.
You still enter the accrued figure yourself, but everything downstream - the taken total from the request log, the carryover cap, the remaining balance - is calculated, in both formats, every time.
What this free version doesn't do
This is the free tier of a bigger tool. It doesn't calculate monthly accrual for you (you enter accrued days per employee), it doesn't apply different rates by tenure, it covers one PTO policy rather than separate PTO, sick and personal banks, and it's sized for 5 employees.
If you need the accrual itself calculated (monthly rate, tenure-based increases, caps) across multiple leave policies and a bigger roster, that's what the paid version below is built for.
Who this PTO tracker is for
Small teams that already know their PTO numbers - from payroll, an HR system, or a notebook - and want a clean place to log requests and see balances without opening a subscription. If you're doing the accrual math yourself once a month, this workbook is where the running totals live.
It's not built for teams that want the accrual calculated automatically or for tracking sick and personal leave separately — for that, see the related trackers below.
How to use it
- List your employees (up to 5) in the Employees sheet.
- Enter each employee's carryover in the Employees sheet and their PTO accrued so far in the Balances sheet.
- Log each time-off request in the Requests sheet - taken days total automatically.
- Read the remaining balance in the Balances sheet; it updates as you log requests.
Download the free Free PTO Tracker (Excel & Google Sheets)
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PTO & Leave Tracker — with Automatic Accrual
For accrual calculated automatically — monthly rates, tenure tiers, carryover caps, across three separate policies for up to 30 employees — the paid PTO & Leave Tracker ($19) does the math for you, with zero macros.
See the full versionTracking PTO for a whole team?
This sheet works for one person updating balances by hand. For a whole team requesting and approving time off online, LeaveSheet does it as a web app at $1.50 per employee per month.
See LeaveSheet — $1.50/employee/moFrequently asked questions
Can I use this PTO tracker in Google Sheets?
Yes. Upload the file to Google Drive and open it with File > Save as Google Sheets. The formulas carry over and keep working.
Is this template really free?
Yes. You give an email address to download it, and then it's yours to use with no further cost.
Does it calculate PTO accrual automatically?
No. You enter the accrued figure yourself for each employee — this free version doesn't compute monthly accrual rates or tenure-based increases. The paid PTO & Leave Tracker does that automatically.
Does it track sick or personal leave separately?
No, this sheet tracks one PTO balance per employee. If you need separate banks for vacation, sick and personal days, see the vacation and sick time tracking spreadsheet linked below.
How many employees does it support?
The free workbook is sized for 5 employees with one PTO policy. The paid PTO & Leave Tracker extends this to 30 employees across three policies, and LeaveSheet is priced per active employee rather than sized to a fixed sheet.