One of the easiest (yet often overlooked) places entrepreneurs and small business owners can enjoy the benefits of automation is appointment scheduling. Not only does automating your booking process make things easier for you, but it’s also a smart business strategy. Just take a look at all of these benefits it provides: a more streamlined client experience, increased revenue, fewer no-show appointments, increased client satisfaction and retention, and boosted productivity and efficiency — just to name a few.
If you've never dabbled in automated appointment scheduling, no worries. We researched the best appointment scheduling apps on the market, paying very close attention to functionality and ease of use. Below, find our top picks for paid and free appointment scheduling software, listed in alphabetical order.
What to consider when choosing an appointment scheduling app
Before you browse your options, it’s helpful to know which features you need. Ask yourself these questions:
- Do I need to offer multiple services and/or appointment add-ons? For example, if you run a hair salon that offers consultations, haircuts, coloring services, and more, choose an online booking tool that lets you create multiple event types. For some tools, it may be one of their premium features, so be sure to compare pricing plans.
- Do I want to combine payment functionality? Some online appointment scheduling apps let clients book and pay you on one platform. For example, Acuity Scheduling integrates with the following payment processors: Stripe, Paypal, and Square. Some tools even allow you to save credit card info for a streamlined checkout experience.
- Do I want to offer appointment reminders? Text and email reminders are a good way to prevent no-shows, double booking, and other scheduling conflicts.
- Do I have multiple staff members? For example, if you run a medical practice with multiple care providers, ensure patients can select their doctor when scheduling a new appointment. You might also consider a tool that includes a team calendar, keeping your entire team aligned via real-time scheduling updates.
- Are my services in-person or online? Tools like Clockwise thrive when it comes to virtual meetings, integrating with video conferencing tools and accounting for factors like time zone. Other tools work well for in-person appointments, allowing you to book a particular room or workspace.
The 4 best paid appointment scheduling apps
Paid versions of appointment scheduling apps will usually offer many more capabilities, so you never feel limited in your business and with your appointments. Here are the four best appointment scheduling apps you can pay for based on their affordability, customization, intuitiveness, integrations, and options.
1. Acuity Scheduling
Acuity is an appointment scheduling app run by Squarespace, and they offer three paid plans in total: Emerging, Growing, and Powerhouse. The plan you choose depends on several factors such as the size of your team, the location of your clients (national or international), and if you need to offer payment plans or subscriptions during the booking process.
For example, the Emerging plan comes with standard appointment confirmation and reminders, accepts payments and deposits through Square and similar platforms (a huge plus since it streamlines the inquiry-to-final payment process), and offers unlimited appointments. However, larger businesses would appreciate the Growing plan, which includes everything in the Emerging plan, plus worldwide text messaging so you can contact any international team members or clients; the ability to sell subscriptions, memberships, and gift certificates on the platform; and payment plan options for your clients for a mere $23/month if you sign up annually.
While their plans are quite extensive, we wanted to include Acuity Scheduling because of their powerful calendar management. All plans allow Acuity to integrate with Google Calendar, iCloud, Outlook, Exchange, and Office 365 syncing, so you don't have to worry about no-shows. All plans also come with CRM integration.
The biggest downside is Acuity only offers a 7-day free trial to test out its software. However, that doesn’t take away from the fact that it remains to be one of the best appointment scheduling apps for its user-friendly interface and integrations for payment and calendar functionalities.
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Acuity Scheduling is a web-based app that works optimally with Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. You can also download the Acuity Scheduling mobile app, which is helpful for managing your business’s bookings. Clients can book appointments with you using any type of device.
2. Calendly
Like Acuity Scheduling, Calendly has a free version, but we included it under our list of the best paid appointment scheduling apps since the free version is much more limited than we would prefer. It can still be useful if you’re a solopreneur and just starting out in your business, but to us, the budget-friendly plans Calendly offers for their user-friendly software make the small investment worth it. Plus, despite Calendly's paid plans being easy on the wallet, it works with more than 700 integrations compatible with iOS, Android, and other web-based applications such as Google Calendar and Outlook.
Here’s what you can expect with all the plans, including the free version: unlimited scheduled meetings, personalized booking links, meeting confirmations and notifications to avoid having no-shows, embed options, and popular calendar and video conference platform integrations. Not bad for a free version.
How is the paid version of this particular appointment booking app more valuable? With the Premium plan ($8/month per user if you subscribe annually), you have a few more customization options to ensure a cohesive client experience, the ability to book meetings with multiple people (often a necessity), and access to 700 integrations so you never feel limited. When you sign up for the Pro plan ($12/month per user if you subscribe annually), you receive more customization and integration options, including compatibility with Paypal and Mailchimp.
Calendly’s most redeeming quality (and why we included it on this list of best paid appointment scheduling apps) comes down to price flexibility. Whether you’re an enterprise with a large team or you’re a small business with a few employees, Calendly has set up its pricing so it remains affordable as you grow. You can start out with a 14-day trial to test out their features and see if it’s right for you and your business.
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Calendly is available on the web and as an iOS mobile app, Android mobile app, Chrome extension, and Firefox extension.
3. HoneyBook
HoneyBook earns a spot on this list of best paid appointment scheduling apps because the platform focuses on bookings, project management, and sales. Not only that, but the interface is very intuitive and user-friendly — you don’t have to be a tech wizard to get familiar with their platform right away!
The only downside is that HoneyBook only offers two plans: the Starter Plan ($9/month) and their Unlimited Plan ($39/month or $32.50/month if you sign up monthly or annually). That makes HoneyBook the most limited for flexible pricing.
However, anyone looking for a complete Customer Management Relationship (CRM) platform that’s easy to use for both parties, allows unlimited bookings with an unlimited amount of team members, permits unlimited transactions, gives clients access to their own portal to check appointments, and includes integrations with online calendars — the Unlimited Plan is worth looking into. In our opinion, it’s worth the investment, since most online businesses will need these tools as they grow.
You can start out with a 7-day trial, no credit card needed, to check whether the Starter Plan or the Unlimited Plan is best for your business.
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You can use HoneyBook via their iOS and Android mobile apps. HoneyBook is cloud- and web-based.
4. Sign In Scheduling (formerly 10to8)
Next up, we have the online booking system, Sign In Scheduling. It provides the best ratio of price and features — plus it includes amazing integrations. In fact, there are an impressive 1,500+ app integrations available, more than any on this list.
There is a free version of Sign In Scheduling that’s quite comprehensive — it comes with unlimited client appointments, calendar syncing, custom online booking landing page, appointment confirmation and reminders via SMS, and customer management to name a few. But it's still limited, and the paid version has nearly everything you would need in a scheduling app as a small or large business at a very affordable price tag.
For example, the Basic Plan comes with everything on the Forever Free Plan plus complete freedom to brand your appointment booking page, secure online payments through Stripe and PayPal, custom domain set up, 2-way client chat via email, and email templates. It also comes with two staff logins and 100 appointments per month, all for $9.60/month.
As you upgrade, Sign In Scheduling offers more ways to book appointments, allows more staff logins, and increases the number of available appointments per month. Their highest-tier plan (the Bespoke Plan) is HIPAA compliant, making it suitable for medical appointment scheduling within the U.S.
All in all, Sign In Scheduling is the most sophisticated paid scheduling app in our eyes. If it was a hotel, it would be all-inclusive, and it comes at a price that won’t break the piggy bank. This all-in-one platform offers a 30-day free trial (more than the other paid apps on this list), so you can try it out for an ample amount of time.
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Sign In Scheduling is cloud- and web-based.
5. Appointy
Appointy provides all the tools you could need, making it particularly powerful for a free version (though they do offer a paid version if you have unique needs). For those looking for a scheduling app that offers the most popular payment processing platforms and calendar integrations without feeling overwhelmed with options and don’t need any frills (like marketing options), Appointy may be the best for your business.
Here's what you can expect with the free app: Google bookings, website integration, Square payments (and Point of Sale), 1000+ app integrations with Zapier, automatic reminders to prevent no-shows, a mobile app for ease of use, and an ample 100 appointments per month.
When you need greater customization and a more robust appointment scheduling app, the plans can get pricey — they clock in from $30 to $100/month. At that price, we might turn to one of the other apps listed above. However, if you're looking for a free online scheduling software that can cut hours of admin work, and you need a simple way to manage payments, no-shows, staff, clients, and appointments, Appointy is one of the best on the market.
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Appointy is cloud- and web-based. You can also use Appointy via their iOS mobile app and Android mobile app, designed for admin and staff (not customers).
6. Clockwise Scheduling Links
Between meeting with clients and taking care of your business’s back end, it can be nearly impossible to get any deep work done. If you find yourself wishing for more focus time, then Clockwise Scheduling Links is the perfect scheduling tool for you. With Clockwise Scheduling Links, you can create a booking page that intelligently suggests meeting times based on your preferences.
When you create your shareable meeting link, you have the option to maximize Focus Time, maximize availability, or balance both. Select maximize Focus Time, and your booking page will only display time slots outside of your protected Focus Time. Select maximize availability, and Clockwise will allow people to schedule meetings over your Focus Time. Select balance both, and Clockwise lets people book meeting slots only at the start or end of your Focus Time. Easy for you and easy for your clients.
While competing scheduling tools encourage people to book the next available time slot, Clockwise Scheduling Links uses AI to suggest meeting times that optimize your schedule. It’s a great way to automate your time management and protect your wellness by making your work day more sustainable for you.
Clockwise works on top of your Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook calendar, and it integrates with video conferencing tools Zoom and Google Meet. Click here to sign up for free — no credit card required! You can also upgrade to a paid plan for advanced features like group scheduling links.
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Clockwise is available via web app and browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox.
7. Setmore
Right when you land on their website, you’ll see that Setmore describes themselves as the “free scheduling software” — so we’re off to a great start! While they offer paid plans, their Free plan is equally generous.
What can you expect with this free version? Access to four users, unlimited appointments, email reminders, a custom booking page with a unique domain (rare for a free version), payments with Square, Teleport video meetings, and social media integrations. The social media integration makes Setmore unique from the rest since most other apps don’t include opportunities for online marketing.
While larger businesses would find the Pro and Premium plans more useful (they include Stripe and PayPal process, Zoom video meetings, two-way calendar sync, and SMS reminders), there’s no denying the free version is a very convenient booking app.
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Setmore is cloud- and web-based. You can also use Setmore via the desktop app for Mac and Windows, and mobile app for Android and iOS.
8. SimplyBook.Me
SimplyBook.Me offers paid versions, but we included this platform under the best free appointment scheduling apps since its free version gives users access to plenty of simple features without signing up for their subscriptions. Plus, SimplyBook.Me is a great option for those looking for a simple, no-fuss booking app.
The Free plan comes with an impressive 50 appointment bookings per month and permits 5 staff logins, so you can efficiently manage bookings with your team. Not only do you receive a generous amount of bookings per month, but you can also add on benefits such as SMS texting at no extra cost. One of the best features, though? SimplyBook.Me allows you to set up Facebook to accept bookings, so you’re not limited to only your website.
When you need to integrate payment processing, or you need more open bookings, you can upgrade to their Basic plan for $8.25/month if you sign up annually. However, the free version should be enough for a straightforward appointment booking experience and to keep your appointments organized in one place!
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SimplyBook.Me is cloud- and web-based. In addition to your booking page, you can offer your customers a personalized client app to book and manage appointments, receive notifications (i.e. appointment reminders), see company information, and more. SimplyBook.Me is also available as an admin app, which gives you and team members quick access to your business’s dashboard.
9. Square Appointments
It's no secret that Square is one of the most popular payment apps on the market. But did you know they also have an appointment scheduling platform? Like their payment software, Square's free appointment scheduling app has a user-friendly and elegant interface, which simplifies the scheduling and payment process for both parties.
Their free version is best for small shops since it only allows one staff member to log in. Despite that, Square still offers a robust platform since it includes everything a small business could need: online appointment apps, custom availability, website and calendar integration, recurring appointments, social media booking, multi-location management, and no-show protection.
Square also put a lot of focus on its Point of Sale feature, making it unique from the other platforms. You can also manage your team, manage your clients, and check on your business operations with the help of various reporting features such as low-stock alerts. Check out Square’s FAQs page for more info about this.
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You can access Square Appointments via desktop, tablet, or smartphone web browser. It’s also available in the App Store for iOS, as well as Google Play for mobile, tablet, and Chromebook.
Final thoughts
That concludes our list of the best appointment scheduling apps! And whether you choose a paid or free appointment scheduler, we hope you realize that any software can provide numerous benefits to all business types — from single-person teams to small online businesses to brick-and-mortar shops and corporations alike.
When you can automate the booking aspect of your business, it not only helps you and your team remain efficient since you get rid of the time-consuming manual work but it also can help you increase your customer satisfaction levels. Overall, in the way our world operates today, appointment scheduling platforms are a must-have if you want your business to thrive.
Read next, Microsoft Bookings vs Calendly vs Clockwise for insight on how these tools compare for scheduling efficiency.
About the author
Judy Tsuei is a Simon & Schuster author, speaker, and podcast host. She has been writing for Clockwise for several years while also being featured in MindBodyGreen, BBC Travel, Fast Company, Hello Giggles, and more. As the founder of Wild Hearted Words, a creative marketing agency for global brands, Judy is also a mentor with the Founder Institute, the world's largest pre-seed accelerator. Judy advocates for mental and emotional health on her popular podcast, F*ck Saving Face. Follow along her journey at WildHeartedWords.com.
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