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startbuddi vs Acuity Scheduling: an honest comparison

Acuity Scheduling is dedicated booking software from Squarespace, with intake forms, payments, packages, text reminders and calendar sync, priced by the number of calendars. startbuddi puts bookings inside a wider business workspace with contacts, invoices, forms and marketing, so pick Acuity for deep appointment features and startbuddi if you want bookings tied to the rest of your business.

We make startbuddi, so we're biased. We've tried to be fair: we list where Acuity Scheduling is stronger, every fact about Acuity Scheduling links to its source, and anything we couldn't confirm on their own site is marked "not published". Checked in September 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it.
startbuddi

startbuddi is best for

Service businesses that want bookings, deposits, contacts and invoices in one workspace

Acuity Scheduling logoAcuity Scheduling

Acuity Scheduling is best for

Appointment-based businesses that need packages, text reminders and intake forms

At a glance

Best for
startbuddiService businesses that want bookings, deposits, contacts and invoices in one workspace
Acuity SchedulingAppointment-based businesses that need packages, text reminders and intake forms
Free plan
startbuddiYes, the Free plan
Acuity SchedulingNone on the published plans
First paid plan
startbuddiStarter, $29 a month
Acuity SchedulingStarter, $16 USD per month, billed yearly ($20 billed monthly); 1 calendar
Checked
startbuddiPrice book, October 2026
Acuity SchedulingSeptember 2026

Where each one is stronger

The short version. Acuity Scheduling first, because it does some things better than we do.

Acuity Scheduling logoAcuity Scheduling is stronger at

Text remindersAcuity sends SMS appointment reminders from the Standard plan up.
Packages and gift certificatesAcuity sells appointment packages, subscriptions and gift certificates from the Standard plan up.
Calendar sync against double-bookingAcuity syncs personal and business calendars to avoid double-booking.
More payment optionsAcuity takes payments through Stripe, Square or PayPal.
HIPAA and mobile appAcuity offers HIPAA compliance on Premium and a mobile scheduling app.

startbuddi is stronger at

Free planstartbuddi has a Free plan with one live bookable service and unlimited bookings; Acuity starts with a paid plan after a 7-day trial.
Bookings land on the customer recordevery booking creates or updates a contact in Customers, next to their conversations and invoices.
Paystack for African paymentsdeposits and full payments at booking can go through Paystack or Stripe, in NGN, USD, GBP, EUR, KES, ZAR or GHS.
Invoice from a bookingGenerate Invoice hands the service and amount straight to Money Manager.
One workspaceforms, invoices, a shared inbox, marketing and projects sit alongside Bookings, with Chip helping across them.

Feature by feature

Each Acuity Scheduling value links to where we found it. Anything their site doesn't state is marked "not published".

startbuddi and Acuity Scheduling, feature by feature
FeaturestartbuddiAcuity Scheduling
Free planOne live service on Free Yes NoSource (opens in a new tab)
Intake questions at bookingAnswers can be saved to the contact Yes YesSource (opens in a new tab)
Take payment when bookingFull amount or a deposit, through Paystack or Stripe Yes Stripe, Square, PayPalSource (opens in a new tab)
Text (SMS) remindersReminders are by email No Standard plan and upSource (opens in a new tab)
Checks your calendar for busy timesPushes bookings to Google or Outlook; doesn't read busy times No YesSource (opens in a new tab)
Zoom meeting linksGoogle Meet via Google Calendar, or paste your own link No YesSource (opens in a new tab)
Remove 'Powered by' branding Footer toggle on booking pages Premium plan onlySource (opens in a new tab)
AI help setting upChip creates services in chat and asks before saving Chip sets up services Premium plan onlySource (opens in a new tab)
Built-in contact list and invoicesBookings land in Customers; Generate Invoice from a booking Yes Not statedSource (opens in a new tab)
Mobile app Web only YesSource (opens in a new tab)

What each one looks like

Real screens, captured by us or taken from the official press kit, each dated.

startbuddi: Booking links
startbuddi · Booking links. Captured from our own account, personal details blurred.
startbuddi: The bookings calendar
startbuddi · The bookings calendar. Captured from our own account, personal details blurred.
startbuddi: Services with prices and durations
startbuddi · Services with prices and durations. Captured from our own account, personal details blurred.

Acuity Scheduling's own screens are on Acuity Scheduling's website. We don't show another company's product without a dated capture from a trial or its press kit.

Pricing side by side

List prices as each company publishes them. We never convert currencies.

See startbuddi pricing

startbuddi

  • FreeFree
  • Starter$29 a month
  • Growth$79 a month
  • Scale$199 a month

Prices in US dollars, billed monthly. From our pricing page, updated 7 Oct 2026.

Acuity Scheduling logoAcuity Scheduling

Checked in September 2026. Check Acuity Scheduling's site for current plans.

Switching from Acuity Scheduling

What moving across involves.

  1. Get your client list out of AcuityAcuity's help centre has a guide to exporting appointments and clients. Download your client list as a spreadsheet.
  2. Import your clients as contactsIn startbuddi, go to Customers → Contacts → Import, upload the CSV, map the columns and review before importing.
  3. Recreate your appointment types as servicesIn Bookings → Services, create each service with its duration, price, staff and booking questions. There's no automatic importer, so intake questions and reminders are set up by hand.
  4. Set your hours and share the new linkSet working hours, buffers and reminder emails in Availability, connect Google Calendar, then share your booking link by copy, WhatsApp, email, embed code or QR code.

Sources

Checked in September 2026. startbuddi prices come from our own price book. Acuity Scheduling's website.

Questions people ask

Does startbuddi send text reminders like Acuity?

Yes, once set up. Each booking gets one automatic reminder at the time you choose, by email, WhatsApp or SMS. WhatsApp needs a connected WhatsApp number, and SMS needs an SMS connection and a plan that includes SMS.

Can I move my clients from Acuity?

Acuity's help centre explains how to export appointments and clients. You can import a client CSV into startbuddi Contacts, then set up your services by hand.

Does startbuddi have a free plan?

Yes. The Free plan includes one live bookable service with unlimited bookings, and every paid plan has a 30-day trial.

Can I sell appointment packages in startbuddi?

Not in Bookings. Each booking can take the full price or a deposit, and recurring billing is handled separately in Money Manager.

Other comparisons

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Try startbuddi alongside Acuity Scheduling.

Start on the free plan with a copy of your contacts and see how it fits before you decide.

Start freeBook a demo

Start with the one thing you need. The rest is there when you're ready.

Free plan available. Every paid plan starts with a 30-day trial.