Cal.comBest overall
The most generous free plan (payments, SMS and HubSpot/Salesforce sync for one user) and round robin plus routing forms from $12 a user billed yearly.
Scheduling software
Scheduling software is a booking tool that lets clients pick a free slot in your calendar, then confirms and reminds them automatically. These scheduling software reviews compare nine tools on payments, text reminders, team routing, HIPAA options and the per-seat price you actually pay.
CalendlyBest for sales teams
The most polished booking page and widest app support, with routing forms, round robin and Salesforce sync on Teams at $16 a seat billed yearly; no BAA advertised.
Acuity SchedulingBest for coaches and wellness practices
Payments, deposits and intake forms on every plan, packages and text reminders from $27 a month, and a signed BAA on Premium at $49 billed yearly.
Zoho BookingsBest value for teams
From $6 a user billed yearly; Premium at $9 adds seven payment gateways and HIPAA support with a BAA, though texts need your own Twilio account.
SetmoreBest free plan for small teams
Free for up to four staff with online payments; Pro at $5 a user billed yearly adds deposits, 500 SMS credits per user and a HIPAA-ready Setmore Health option.
Square AppointmentsBest for salons and in-person businesses
Bookings, card payments and no-show fees in one Square account, free for solo pros; Plus costs $49 per location per month and Square is the only processor.
TidyCalBest one-time-payment option
Lifetime licenses from $29, with Stripe and PayPal on every plan; a 1% platform fee applies except on Pro, and there are no routing forms or security certifications.
Reclaim.aiBest AI calendar for focus time
Protects focus time and schedules tasks across Google and Outlook calendars, with one free scheduling link; no payments and no native mobile app.
MotionBest AI planner for tasks and projects
An AI calendar, task manager and notetaker that plans your day; booking links are basic and there is no free plan, from $19 a seat as listed.
Compare side by side
Every score and price in one table. Select a column to sort. Prices are US list prices; hover a price for the full terms.
| Cal.com | 8.9 | 9.2 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 8.7 | 8.2 | 8.5 | $12 per user/mo | Yes | – |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calendly | 8.5 | 9.3 | 8.3 | 7.2 | 9.5 | 9.4 | 7.5 | $10 per seat/mo | Yes | – |
| Acuity Scheduling | 8.3 | 8.8 | 9.2 | 6.8 | 8.0 | 8.3 | 8.5 | $16/mo | – | – |
| Zoho Bookings | 8.2 | 8.3 | 7.5 | 8.8 | 8.2 | 7.5 | 8.6 | $6 per user/mo | Yes | – |
| Setmore | 8.1 | 7.8 | 8.4 | 9.2 | 6.8 | 8.0 | 7.8 | $5 per user/mo | Yes | 30 days |
| Square Appointments | 7.8 | 7.9 | 8.4 | 7.8 | 6.5 | 8.5 | 7.5 | $49 per location/mo | Yes | – |
| TidyCal | 7.4 | 7.0 | 7.6 | 9.6 | 6.5 | 7.8 | 4.5 | $29 one-time | Yes | 7 days |
| Reclaim.ai | 6.9 | 6.5 | 3.5 | 8.2 | 8.5 | 8.2 | 8.0 | $10 per seat/mo | Yes | – |
| Motion | 5.8 | 5.8 | 3.0 | 5.5 | 8.0 | 6.8 | 7.5 | $19 per seat/mo | – | – |
What does scheduling software do?
It shows people only the times you are free, books the slot into your calendar, attaches a video link and sends reminders. No more email ping-pong.
The category splits three ways, and buying from the wrong group is the most common mistake: meeting schedulers such as Cal.com, Calendly and TidyCal are built for sales calls, interviews and consultations. Appointment systems such as Acuity Scheduling, Setmore, Square Appointments and Zoho Bookings run a service business with staff calendars, intake forms, deposits and packages. AI planners like Reclaim.ai and Motion organise your own week. Booking is a side feature there.
Which scheduling tool fits the way you earn money?
Match the tool to the money. Calls with prospects need routing and CRM sync, while paid sessions need deposits, packages and intake forms, so start from Cal.com Free and switch only when one of these conditions applies to you.
- If you book calls with prospects or candidates, stay on Cal.com. Its free plan includes unlimited event types, Stripe and PayPal payments, text reminders and two-way HubSpot and Salesforce sync for one user.
- If your sales team lives in Salesforce, move to Calendly Teams at $16 a seat billed yearly for routing forms, round robin and Salesforce meeting sync.
- If you sell sessions or packages, use Acuity Scheduling, whose Standard plan at $27 a month billed yearly adds packages, gift certificates, a waitlist and text reminders for up to six staff calendars.
- If you handle health information, get a signed business associate agreement (BAA) from Acuity Premium at $49, Zoho Bookings Premium at $9 a user, Setmore Health or Cal.com Organizations.
- If you take cards at a counter, Square Appointments keeps bookings, payments and no-show fees in one account.
- If you hate subscriptions, TidyCal sells a $29 lifetime license, so you skip the monthly bill. Expect a 1% platform fee on payments.
- If the problem is your own calendar, Reclaim.ai protects focus time. Neither it nor Motion collects payments.
Where payments unlock:
| Tool | Payments on | Plan price (billed yearly) |
|---|---|---|
| Cal.com | Free plan | $0 |
| TidyCal | Every plan (1% fee) | $0, or $29 lifetime |
| Zoho Bookings | Premium | $9 a user a month |
| Calendly | Standard | about $10 a month |
| Acuity Scheduling | Every plan | from $16 a month |
When do you not need to pay for a booking tool?
Often you don’t. A solo consultant can stay on Cal.com Free and still take payments, while Setmore Free covers four staff calendars with online booking, group classes and payments through Square, Stripe, PayPal or LawPay. Don’t bother paying per seat for features nobody has used yet.
If you’ve got Microsoft 365 Business Basic or above, Microsoft Bookings is already included and runs inside Outlook and Teams. It cannot take payments natively. Fine for internal meetings; wrong for paid sessions. Zoho One customers already have Bookings Premium.
Which costs do buyers miss?
Three, and they show up only after signup: text message limits, HIPAA conditions that switch features off, and platform fees taken from every payment you collect. None appears in the headline price. Check all three when you compare plans, not after clients have your link.
- Text messages. Calendly gives 250 SMS credits per seat each month and Cal.com 750 on Teams, and both text the US and Canada without using credits. Elsewhere it varies. One Calendly text can cost 1 to 9 credits, per its credit rules.
- HIPAA fine print. Don’t trust a SOC 2 badge; it is not HIPAA. Acuity switches off Outlook and iCloud sync for HIPAA accounts, and Setmore Health must be chosen when you create the account.
- Payment fees. TidyCal adds 1% on its free and lifetime plans. Square Appointments charges more per online card payment on its free plan. Paid plans charge less.
Most people forget one more risk: tools disappear. The AI calendar Clockwise shut down in March 2026. Export your booking data. Keep a fallback link.
How do we build our scheduling software reviews?
Every tool gets a research score out of 10 from a published rubric applied to official pricing pages, help-center documentation, security pages and dated independent guides. We name the source for every price. We don’t run paid trials.
Booking and team features carry 25%, payments and reminders 20%, price and free plan 20%, integrations 15%, and ease of use and compliance 10% each. In practice the low totals of Reclaim.ai and Motion reflect that they don’t collect payments, not that they plan badly. Next steps: video conferencing and time tracking.
How we score scheduling tools
Every product here is scored 0 to 10 on the same criteria, using published evidence. The overall score is the weighted average.
Booking & team featuresEvent type and booking page limits, round robin and collective scheduling, routing and intake forms, group classes, staff calendars and locations, buffers and booking caps.weight25%
Payments & remindersStripe, PayPal and Square support, deposits, packages and gift certificates, platform fees on payments, email and text reminders, SMS caps and per-text costs, and which plan unlocks each.weight20%
Price & free planFree plan limits (event types, calendars, users), per-seat, per-calendar or per-location prices on yearly and monthly billing, lifetime deals, trials and the real cost of the plan most buyers need.weight20%
IntegrationsGoogle, Microsoft and Apple calendars, Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams links, CRM sync (HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho), Zapier, API and webhooks.weight15%
Ease of use & brandingSetup effort, mobile apps and browser extensions, booking page design control, branding removal and custom domains.weight10%
Compliance & securityHIPAA support with a signed business associate agreement, SOC 2 and ISO 27001, single sign-on and SCIM, and how the vendor handles health data.weight10%
Questions people ask
What is the best free scheduling software?
Cal.com has the strongest free plan for one person: unlimited event types, Stripe and PayPal payments, text notifications and two-way HubSpot and Salesforce sync. For a small team, Setmore's free plan covers up to four staff calendars with online payments, while Calendly's free plan allows just one event type and one calendar.
Which scheduling software is HIPAA compliant?
When you handle patient data, pick Acuity Scheduling Premium, Zoho Bookings Premium, Setmore Health on Pro or Cal.com Organizations, which offer HIPAA support with a business associate agreement. Calendly does not advertise a BAA. TidyCal, Reclaim.ai and Motion do not offer HIPAA support.
How much does scheduling software cost?
Solo users can pay nothing at all. Paid plans run about $5 to $16 a seat per month billed yearly, Acuity starts at $16 a month and Square Appointments Plus costs $49 per location. TidyCal sells a $29 lifetime license.
Which scheduling app can take payments for free?
Cal.com, TidyCal and Setmore all accept online payments on their free plans, with Cal.com and TidyCal supporting Stripe and PayPal, though TidyCal adds a 1% platform fee. Setmore works with Square, Stripe, PayPal and LawPay. You still pay the processor's normal card fees.
Are AI calendar apps worth it?
They pay off when you need to plan your own week rather than take bookings. Reclaim.ai protects focus time and schedules tasks from $0, and Motion plans tasks and projects around meetings from $19 a seat. Neither collects payments, so service businesses still need a booking tool.