Comparison

Calamari vs MLA

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Calamari

This app helps businesses manage employee time off, track work hours, and centralize team information. It allows for easy leave requests, real-time work hour tracking with geofencing options, and access to employee data and key HR information.

Highlights
  • Manage absences and remote work
  • Request and approve leave
  • Track work hours in real-time
  • Geofencing for time logging
  • Store and access employee documents
  • Monitor team events and work styles
Features
Read full description

Join 130,000+ employees who streamline their work with Calamari! Our app is a comprehensive solution for managing absences, tracking work hours, and keeping employee data in one place. To use the app, you need a Calamari account. Sign up at calamari.io and try it for free! Time Off – manage absences and remote work • Request and approve leave and remote work in seconds, with a comment or attachment. • Check your leave history and balance in real time. • Check the team calendar before you plan a meeting. • As a manager, approve multiple requests at once. Time & Attendance – precise time tracking • Track hours with the start/stop/break clock – now also from Apple Watch. • Manually add and edit hours if your company allows flexible tracking. • As a manager, set up work-time logging zones (geofencing) in the app. • Track time by project and task. • Clock in automatically with iBeacon, or scan a QR code or NFC card at a KIOSK. • Get notified about late clock-ins or an unfinished workday. • Use home-screen widgets for quick access. • Check and end your shift right from the lock screen and Dynamic Island. Core HR – everything about your team • Scan and store documents – no more paper forms. • Stay on top of birthdays, work anniversaries, and other key dates. • Check colleagues' contact details and other info. • Discover your team's work style and interests with the Work with me feature. Built for everyday convenience and security • Sign in with one account via SSO (Microsoft 365 / Google). • Set push notifications for dozens of events – requests, timesheet changes, documents, or performance review updates. • Your dashboard shows what matters: requests, absences, birthdays, and your work time. • Available in 17 languages, with dark and light mode. • Data is encrypted, and Calamari is GDPR-compliant. The mobile app covers your everyday needs – leave, time tracking, and employee data. Full policy configuration, reporting, and the Performance Reviews module are available in the Calamari web app, under the same account. Scheduling is coming soon, too. Manage your team smarter and save time with Calamari!

About

MLA

Features
Read full description

Stop texting each other about what's on the calendar — or what's for dinner. Mental Load Assistant is a smart shared planner built around the way people actually share their lives. Instead of handing someone your entire calendar, you organize events with color-coded tags — then share exactly the tags that matter, with exactly the people who need them. ■■■ CREATE EVENTS THAT FIT YOUR LIFE ■■■ Add events with full recurrence support — daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly. Attach a location, notes, and one or more tags to any event. Set it once and the app takes care of the rest. ■■■ TAG-BASED SHARING ■■■ Create color-coded tags like "Family," "Work," or "Date Night." Share a tag with anyone — give them read-only access to stay informed, or write access to collaborate. Revoke access instantly. No messy calendar subscriptions, no over-sharing. ■■■ PLAN MEALS & BUILD SMART SHOPPING LISTS ■■■ Save your favorite recipes — ingredients, steps, cook time, servings, and a photo. Drag recipes onto a weekly meal plan, then turn any plan into a shopping list that automatically combines duplicate ingredients and converts units for you. Check items off as you shop, organize them by store or aisle, and see planned meals right alongside your events on the calendar. Share recipes, meal plans, and shopping lists with the same tags you already use — so the whole household can cook and shop from the same page. ■■■ BUILT FOR TWO (OR MORE) ■■■ Whether you're coordinating with a partner, co-parenting, managing a household, or keeping a small team in sync — Mental Load Assistant keeps everyone on the same page without putting one person in charge of remembering everything. ■■■ SMART, SECURE & NATIVE ■■■ • Face ID / Touch ID login for fast, secure access • Push notifications to stay on top of what's coming up • Quick Action: create a new event directly from your home screen • Dark mode and light mode, matched automatically to your device • Optimized for iPhone and iPad with a fully responsive layout ■■■ BUILT TO LAST ■■■ Mental Load Assistant runs on a reliable, purpose-built backend. Your data is yours. Tier upgrades and additional features are coming soon. ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ Mental Load Assistant is free to download. An account is required to use the app.

Screenshots

Calamari4 screens
MLA4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Calamari at none against MLA's 2. MLA's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. MLA sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Calamari asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Calamari ships an update every 8 days, MLA every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Calamari versus MLA: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCalamariMLA
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (174 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews20.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings174 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 8 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size136 MB35 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHubert LisekJeffrey Kiyomura

In-app purchases

None

Calamari

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

MLA

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly$5.991 Month
  • Pro Yearly$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Calamari free?
Calamari is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is MLA free?
MLA is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Calamari or MLA have ads?
Neither Calamari nor MLA shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Calamari or MLA?
Calamari ships an update every 8 days, and MLA every 2 weeks. Most recently, Calamari was updated on October 15, 2026 and MLA on October 7, 2026.

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