Side-by-side comparison
Cabana vs. Rippling
All-in-one HR, IT, and payroll platform. See why Slack-first teams choose Cabana instead.
vsCommon pain points
Why teams look for a Rippling alternative
- Priced as a full HR + IT + payroll suite — PTO is just one module
- Modular pricing compounds quickly: every capability adds another per-user fee
- Significant setup and configuration required; not self-serve in 5 minutes
- PTO workflow is web-portal-based; Slack integration is limited
Feature comparison
Cabana vs. Rippling — side by side
| Feature | | Rippling |
|---|---|---|
| Slack slash commands | ||
| Approve from Slack DM | ||
| Microsoft Teams support | Limited | |
| Google Calendar sync | ||
| Outlook / Microsoft 365 sync | ||
| Accrual policies (tiers, tenure, carryover) | ||
| Unlimited PTO support | ||
| Multi-location / holiday calendars | ||
| Custom leave types | ||
| Admin web app | ||
| Org chart | ||
| Reporting | Core reporting | Advanced |
| Setup time | ~5 minutes | Days to weeks |
| Price per user/mo | ~$2–4 | $8–14+ (per module) |
| Free trial / no credit card | Demo only | |
| No minimum seat count |
Rippling pricing: Modular pricing: each add-on adds per-user fees on top of the base
Why Cabana
What makes Cabana different
Set up in 5 minutes, not 5 days
Import your team from Slack or CSV, pick a policy template, and you're live. No implementation project. No onboarding call. A founder can do it between meetings.
Your team never leaves Slack
Request with /cabana request. Approve with one tap in a Slack DM. Check balances with /cabana balance. The whole workflow lives where your team already works.
One source of truth, always accurate
Balances update automatically — accruals, carryover, holiday deductions. Approved leave syncs to Google Calendar and Outlook. No more spreadsheet reconciliation.
Built for Slack
Your team never has to leave Slack
Employees request time off with /cabana request. Managers approve with one button tap in a Slack DM. The daily digest posts who's out every morning — automatically.
#general
Cabana App
Cabana App
Is Cabana right for you?
Switch from Rippling if…
Rippling is a powerful platform — but it's overkill if all you need is clean time-off tracking. You're paying for payroll automation, IT management, and device enrollment on top of PTO. Cabana is purpose-built for leave management and costs a fraction of the price, with a Slack-native experience Rippling's PTO module can't match.
- You're using Rippling but your team still asks how to request PTO in Slack
- You're paying $8–14/user just to track time off and wish there were a simpler option
- You don't need payroll, IT management, or device management bundled with your PTO tool
Teams that made the switch
Join hundreds of small teams who ditched the spreadsheet.
“We were paying way too much for software nobody used. Cabana was running in Slack within minutes. The whole team adopted it instantly.”
Sarah L.
Head of Ops, 32-person startup
“The Slack integration is the real difference. Approving a PTO request used to mean logging into a portal. Now I just tap Approve in a DM.”
Marcus R.
Founder, 18-person agency
“Balance tracking used to be a monthly reconciliation nightmare. Cabana just… handles it. I haven't touched the spreadsheet in months.”
Priya T.
HR Lead, 55-person SaaS
Honest limitations
What Cabana doesn't do (yet)
We'd rather you pick the right tool than churn in month two. If any of these are dealbreakers, Rippling might still be the right fit.
If you need payroll, IT management, or device MDM — stay on Rippling
Rippling does things Cabana was never designed to do. If your ops stack relies on Rippling's payroll, provisioning, or IT workflows, don't replace it with Cabana. Run Cabana alongside it as the Slack layer for PTO.
No global contractor compliance
Rippling's global workforce features — contractor compliance, multi-currency payroll, local labor law enforcement — are outside Cabana's scope. Cabana is for teams of full-time employees who need clean leave tracking.
Frequently asked questions
Can Cabana replace Rippling for PTO tracking?
For the PTO workflow specifically, yes. Most teams that use Rippling for payroll can run Cabana alongside it: employees request PTO in Slack, approvals happen in Slack, and you export a CSV to reconcile with Rippling at payroll time.
Rippling costs $8–14/user/month — how much does Cabana cost?
Cabana is $2–4/user/month with no module fees. For a 30-person team, that's $60–120/month vs. $240–420/month just for Rippling's HR module — before payroll or IT add-ons.
Does Cabana have Slack integration that Rippling lacks?
Yes. Cabana is Slack-native: /cabana request opens a request modal, /cabana balance shows an employee's balance, and managers approve with one button tap in a Slack DM. Rippling's PTO workflow runs through a web portal.
Give your team the time off experience they deserve
Set up in under 5 minutes. No credit card required.