16 tools to consider instead of Calendly, with who each one suits, where it falls short and a source for every price. No scores or star ratings.
Updated 27 Sep 2026 · Next review 26 Dec 202616 tools · 22 min read
Disclosure: We make startbuddi, so we've put it first and been upfront about where it falls short. There are no scores or star ratings here. Every price and feature below comes from the tool's own website or our own test account, and each one links to its source.
TL;DRThe short answer
Service businesses that want bookings, customers and payments together?startbuddi.
Individuals and teams who want open-source scheduling they can self-host?Cal.com.
Service businesses that take bookings, intake forms and payments online?Acuity Scheduling.
Freelancers and small teams sharing a customisable booking page?YouCanBookMe.
Solo consultants who want a low-cost booking page with paid sessions?TidyCal.
Small service businesses taking appointments with a small team?Setmore.
Find your fit · 2 questions
Which alternative suits you?
1. Do you need a free plan?
2. Which sounds most like you?
Answer both to see a suggestion. It only uses the facts on this page.
Service businesses that want booking, payments and client management together
Not published
Not stated
Prices are list prices as each company publishes them, never converted. startbuddi's price is shown in your currency where we can.
The alternatives
01
startbuddi
Our productBest for service businesses that want bookings, customers and payments together
Best for
Service businesses that want bookings, customers and payments together
Starting price
Free plan. Paid from $29 a month Starter plan, our pricing
Free plan
Yes
Platforms
Web
Bookings gives each service a booking page with availability, staff and buffers, and every booking lands on the customer record. Confirmed bookings are pushed to Google or Outlook calendars.
Strengths
Booking pages per service and staff member
Bookings land on the customer record
Take a deposit with the booking
Limitations
Calendar sync is one-way: it doesn't read busy times from your calendar
No Zoom integration for meeting links
Reminders are by email; WhatsApp and SMS booking reminders aren't available
Cal.com is scheduling software with booking pages, calendar sync and team routing, and its code is available on GitHub for self-hosting. The free plan covers one user with unlimited event types; team features start on the Teams plan.
Strengths
Free forever plan for one user with unlimited event types and calendars
Self-hosted option via GitHub
Round-robin, collective events and routing forms on Teams
Stripe and PayPal payments on the free plan
Limitations
Removing Cal.com branding needs the Teams plan or higher
Free plan is limited to 1 user
SAML SSO, SCIM and compliance features start on Organizations at $28 per user per month
Best for service businesses that take bookings, intake forms and payments online
Best for
Service businesses that take bookings, intake forms and payments online
Starting price
$16 USD, per month, billed yearly ($20 per month billed monthly)
Free plan
No
Platforms
Web, iOS, Android
Acuity Scheduling is online booking software from Squarespace. Clients book appointments, fill in intake forms and pay at the time of booking, and the calendar syncs with Google, Apple and iCloud calendars. Plans are priced by the number of calendars.
Strengths
Custom intake forms collected at booking
Takes payments through Stripe, Square and PayPal
Packages, subscriptions, gift certificates and coupons
Syncs with Google Calendar, Apple Calendar and iCloud to prevent double bookings
Limitations
No free plan, only a 7-day trial
Starter plan covers 1 calendar; text reminders, waitlists and packages start on Standard
Removing Acuity branding and the AI booking assistant are Premium-only
Best for freelancers and small teams sharing a customisable booking page
Best for
Freelancers and small teams sharing a customisable booking page
Starting price
$9 USD, per month, billed monthly (Individual)
Free plan
Yes
Platforms
Web; Chrome extension
YouCanBookMe is a scheduling tool that checks your calendars for availability and gives clients a booking page with forms, reminders and payments through Stripe. The free plan covers 1 calendar and 1 booking page.
Strengths
Free plan with 1 calendar connection and 1 booking page
Stripe payments, Zoom, Teams and Google Meet on the free plan
Professional adds workflows, analytics, HubSpot and Zapier
2-week free trial of paid plans
Limitations
Removing YouCanBookMe branding starts on Professional ($13 a month billed monthly)
Individual is limited to 2 calendar connections and 2 booking pages
Round robin and team roles need the Team plan ($18 per member a month billed monthly)
Best for solo consultants who want a low-cost booking page with paid sessions
Best for
Solo consultants who want a low-cost booking page with paid sessions
Starting price
$29 USD, one-time payment (Individual Lifetime)
Free plan
Yes
Platforms
Web
TidyCal is a booking page tool from Sumo Group for taking appointments, selling sessions and packages and syncing calendars. It offers a free plan, one-time lifetime plans and a Pro subscription.
Strengths
Free plan with unlimited bookings, paid bookings and recurring and package bookings
One-time lifetime plans from $29
Connects Google, Microsoft and Apple calendars and takes payments through Stripe and PayPal
Agency lifetime plan adds round robin and collective meetings
Limitations
A 1% platform fee applies to Stripe payments on the Free and lifetime plans
Custom domain and removing branding need the Pro subscription
SMS reminders are limited to 10 a month on the Agency plan and cover the US and Canada
Best for small service businesses taking appointments with a small team
Best for
Small service businesses taking appointments with a small team
Starting price
$5 USD, per user per month, billed annually (Pro)
Free plan
Yes
Platforms
Web, iOS, Android, Windows, Mac
Setmore is appointment scheduling software with a booking page, reminders and online payments. The free plan covers up to 4 users with unlimited appointments, and Pro adds SMS reminders, two-way calendar sync and video appointments.
Strengths
Free plan for up to 4 users with unlimited appointments
Booking page where customers self-book around the clock
Take payments ahead of appointments through Square or Stripe
Apps for iOS, Android, Windows and Mac
Limitations
SMS reminders, two-way calendar sync and deposits need Pro
Best for service businesses that want online booking with add-on features they switch on
Best for
Service businesses that want online booking with add-on features they switch on
Starting price
€11.90 per month, billed annually (Basic; €13.90 billed monthly)
Free plan
Yes
Platforms
Web
SimplyBook.me is an online booking system for appointments and services, with a free plan and paid plans that scale by monthly bookings and providers. Extra capabilities such as payments, a client app or HIPAA are added as 'premium features', with more allowed on higher plans. It does not charge transaction fees on bookings or payments.
Strengths
Free plan with 50 bookings a month and 1 provider
No transaction fees on bookings or customer payments
Payments, deposits, tips and POS from the Basic plan
14-day free trial of premium features
Limitations
Basic is limited to 100 bookings a month and 5 providers
HIPAA and SAML SSO start on Standard (€24.90 per month billed annually)
Accounting integrations (QuickBooks, FreshBooks, Xero) need Premium
Best for service businesses that take bookings and card payments in one system
Best for
Service businesses that take bookings and card payments in one system
Starting price
$49 USD, per location per month (Plus)
Free plan
Yes
Platforms
Web
Square Appointments is booking software from Square with an online booking site, reminders and staff calendars, tied to Square's card payments. The Free plan has no monthly fee, and Plus adds cancellation policies, no-show fees, multi-staff booking and a waitlist.
Strengths
Free plan with an online booking site, appointment reminders and unlimited staff calendars
Plus adds cancellation policies, no-show fees and a waitlist
Premium adds resource management and service cost tracking
30-day free trial of Plus and Premium
Limitations
Paid plans are charged per location
Processing fees apply to every payment: 2.6% + 15¢ in person and 3.3% + 30¢ online on the Free plan
Text message marketing is not available on Square Free
Best for businesses already on Microsoft 365 that want booking pages linked to Outlook and Teams
Best for
Businesses already on Microsoft 365 that want booking pages linked to Outlook and Teams
Starting price
Not sold on its own: included in Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Business Standard, Business
Free plan
No
Platforms
Web, Outlook, Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Bookings is the scheduling app included in many Microsoft 365 subscriptions. It offers personal booking pages and shared booking pages for teams, with services, staff, business hours and email notifications, and it syncs with Outlook calendars. Appointments can be run as Teams online meetings that customers join from a browser.
Strengths
Included in Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Standard and Premium, so no extra subscription if you already have one
Personal and shared booking pages with staff and service management
Appointments can be Teams online meetings with a unique link per booking
Group bookings, custom booking form fields and a Microsoft Graph API
Limitations
Not available as a standalone app; you need an eligible Microsoft 365 or Office 365 subscription
SMS notifications need an additional Teams Premium licence and are only available in North America and the UK
Outlook on the web must be enabled for Bookings to work
Best for teams that want booking pages connected to Zoho CRM and other Zoho apps
Best for
Teams that want booking pages connected to Zoho CRM and other Zoho apps
Starting price
₦4,620 per user per month, billed annually (Basic)
Free plan
Yes
Platforms
Web, mobile app, browser extension
Zoho Bookings is appointment scheduling software with one-on-one, group, collective and recurring bookings, workflows and a customer portal. It connects to Zoho CRM, Bigin and other Zoho apps, and has a free plan for one user.
Strengths
Forever free plan for one user with two-way calendar sync
One-on-one, collective, recurring and group bookings
Integrates with Zoho CRM, Bigin, Zapier and meeting tools
Mobile app and browser extension for all user roles
Limitations
Free plan is for one user only
Basic is limited to 1 workspace; Premium includes 3
Best for finding a meeting time with a group through a poll
Best for
Finding a meeting time with a group through a poll
Starting price
$11 USD, per seat per month, billed annually (Pro)
Free plan
Yes
Platforms
Web
Doodle is known for group polls that let people vote on meeting times, and also offers booking pages, 1:1 scheduling and sign-up sheets. The free plan covers one of each; Pro removes the limits and ads.
Strengths
Group polls for finding a time with several people
Booking pages, 1:1 meetings and sign-up sheets
Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Webex on Pro
Team plan adds admin console, custom branding and Stripe payments
Limitations
Free plan allows one group poll, one booking page and one 1:1, and shows ads
Collecting payments with Stripe and custom branding need the Team plan (from $16 per seat per month billed annually, minimum 2 users)
Best for small service businesses taking online bookings on a tight budget
Best for
Small service businesses taking online bookings on a tight budget
Starting price
$3.00 USD, per user per month, billed annually (Starter)
Free plan
Yes
Platforms
Web, iOS, Android
Picktime is an appointment and class booking tool with a free plan for up to 3 users and unlimited appointments. Paid plans add SMS reminders, two-way calendar sync, recurring bookings and more payment options. It lists industries from salons and clinics to tutoring and meeting rooms.
Strengths
Free plan includes unlimited appointments, a booking page and PayPal payments
iOS and Android apps on all plans
Starter adds Stripe and Square payments, two-way calendar sync and SMS reminders
Pro adds round robin, waitlists, booking approval and coupons
Limitations
Free plan has one-way calendar sync and only PayPal payments
Pro covers up to 10 team members and 10 resources; more requires contacting support
Some listed features, such as classpacks and the Zapier integrations, are marked as coming soon
Best for salons, spas and fitness businesses that want booking plus a marketplace listing
Best for
Salons, spas and fitness businesses that want booking plus a marketplace listing
Starting price
$23.99 USD, per month, one location (US pricing)
Free plan
Trial only
Platforms
Web, iOS, Android
Vagaro is booking and business software for salons, spas and fitness businesses. Plans are priced per location plus a fee for each bookable calendar, and businesses get a free listing on the Vagaro Marketplace.
Strengths
Free listing on the Vagaro Marketplace
After 7 calendar licences, extra employees cost nothing more
Business and customer apps on iOS and Android
30-day free trial and no cancellation fees
Limitations
No free plan, only a 30-day trial
Each bookable calendar costs an extra $10 a month, up to 7
Branded app, payroll and other add-ons are not priced on the pricing page
Best for salons, spas and wellness businesses that take bookings through a marketplace
Best for
Salons, spas and wellness businesses that take bookings through a marketplace
Starting price
₦6,800 per month (Independent plan, single calendar column)
Free plan
Trial only
Platforms
Web, iOS, Android
Fresha is booking and business software for salons, spas and wellness businesses, with a public marketplace where clients find and book them. Plans are a flat monthly fee for a single calendar or a per-team-member fee, and both have a 7-day trial.
Strengths
Clients can find and book the business on the Fresha marketplace
No booking fee on returning clients or clients from your own channels
Includes 20 messages and 50 marketing emails a month per plan or team member
Business app and client app on iOS and Android
Limitations
No free plan, only a 7-day trial
A one-time fee applies to brand new clients who find you through the Fresha marketplace
Messages and marketing emails over the monthly allowance are charged per send, and features such as loyalty and insights are paid add-ons
Best for barbers, salons and beauty professionals taking bookings from a client app
Best for
Barbers, salons and beauty professionals taking bookings from a client app
Starting price
$29.99 USD, per month plus tax (Booksy Professional)
Free plan
Trial only
Platforms
iOS, Android, Web
Booksy Biz is a booking and business management app for beauty and barber professionals, covering online booking, calendar, payments, marketing and client management. There is one subscription with all features, and clients can find and book businesses through Booksy's consumer app.
Strengths
One plan with all features and unlimited bookings, no long-term commitment
Deposits, cancellation fees and automated reminders to cut no-shows
Text and email marketing, gift cards and memberships
Integrated payments with Tap to Pay and card readers
Limitations
No free plan, only a 14-day trial
Extra team members cost $20 per month each
Built for beauty and wellness businesses; card payments cost from 2.49% + $0.10 per transaction and Boost takes a one-time 30% commission on first visits from Boost clients
Best for service businesses that want booking, payments and client management together
Best for
Service businesses that want booking, payments and client management together
Starting price
Not published
Free plan
Not stated
Platforms
Web, mobile app
vcita is business management software for service providers covering client management, online booking, payments and invoices, marketing campaigns and lead capture. Plans are named Kickstart, Business and Platinum.
Strengths
Online booking and calendar
Online payments through Stripe, Square and PayPal, plus invoices and reminders
Email campaigns and review requests
AI chat and voice receptionist for lead capture
Limitations
The entry Kickstart plan 'has some limitations'; more features need Business or Platinum
Built for or usable by small businesses and small teams
A published product page and pricing page we could check
Actively maintained, with a working sign-up or trial
Covers the core job this list is about, not just a feature of it
A mix of free, low-cost and established options
About this list
Where the facts come from
Every price, plan and feature comes from the tool's own website, pricing page or docs, or from our own test account. Each tool links to its sources and shows the date we checked them.
What we leave out
No scores, star ratings or review counts. If we can't confirm a fact from an official source, we leave it out and mark it "not published".
When it's reviewed
Last updated 27 Sep 2026. Next review due 26 Dec 2026. We review every list at least every 90 days.
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