The 11 Best Scheduling Apps For Your Business

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The way we conduct business has transformed dramatically in the past 5 years.

Remember those days of online yoga classes or health consultations during lockdowns? They weren't just a temporary shift; they were a glimpse into a new way of operating.

Even after the world opened up post-lockdown, the shift towards digital solutions continued to gain momentum. At EmailTooltester, we've seen this evolution in action. We use online meetings for our paid consulting calls and other services (we use Brevo Meetings).

This digital transition isn't exclusive to us. From small startups to large corporations, businesses are rethinking their strategies. One significant change is in how appointments are managed. Take barbershops, for instance. Gone are the days of walk-ins being the norm; now, online scheduling is becoming essential.

The cornerstone of this digital evolution is effective scheduling apps. If your business hasn't adopted an online appointment system yet, now is the time.

In this article, I'll guide you through the pros and cons of the top scheduling apps available, including when and how to use them.

Try them out here: Setmore, Simplybook.me and Calendly

I’ve dissected each of the booking tools in detail below. Jump to the reviews by clicking here.

What Makes a Great Appointment Scheduling App?

The great thing about appointment scheduling software is that it takes care of tedious tasks like canceling and rescheduling appointments for clients. Not only will it mean more appointments scheduled, it’ll also mean more time for you and your staff to focus on more hands-on tasks.

But, of course, you’ll need to make sure the scheduling app you choose has all the necessary features.

Here are some things to look out for:

Customization: The app should be flexible in that it allows you to customize the booking experience depending on your needs. For example, a personal trainer’s scheduling app won’t look the same as that of a freelance photographer, sales agent, or restaurant booking system.

Aside from selecting the time and place, your customers might need to specify the reason for their appointment or answer a quick survey in the case of first-time customers. A good scheduling app should allow you to do all of this and more.

Payment Processing: Having the ability to take payments online ahead of time is crucial for many businesses – especially since many customers are trying to avoid cash in times of Coronavirus. It can also mean you don’t lose out on revenue from last-minute cancellations.

Calendar Syncing: This is key. No one wants to have to put in information twice. You should be able to sync the software up your Google, iCloud or Outlook calendar so that public holidays, days off, store closures and appointment clashes are visible on both ends.

Compatibility: You’ll also want to make sure that your clients can schedule appointments from a variety of points. For example, on your Facebook page, website or via a link. The app should therefore come with a multitude of options.

Device: Depending on how you work, you might be more comfortable or find it more convenient to use a particular device. Whether you prefer using a mobile app, desktop computer or iPad, make sure that the appointment scheduling software you choose supports the devices you need.

What's the Best Scheduling App?

1- Setmore – Free plan without limitations

2- SimplyBook.me – Modern design options

3- Calendly – Unlimited appointments

4- MeetFox / Brevo Meetings – Generous free plan and in-built video software

5- Zoho Bookings – Group bookings and recurring appointments

6- Appointy – Accept payments on free plan

7- Cogsworth – Affordable paid plan

8- Square Appointments – No limit to what you can do

9- Acuity Scheduling – Language features

10- Appointlet – Create more than 1 booking page

11- 10to8 – All major calendars but not that intuitive

12- SavvyCal – Simple but effective

Best Scheduling App: Feature Breakdown

	Available on	Calendar Syncing	Payment Processing	Access Points	Price
SETMORE	Web Mac/Windows iOS/Android	Google Office 365	Square (free) Stripe (paid plan)	Instagram Facebook Booking widget CRM CMS Email	Free Premium from $12/user/mo Sign up
SIMPLYBOOK.ME	Web iOS/Android	Google Outlook	Over 40 including PayPal Square Stripe	Facebook Instagram Website Google Email	Free Paid plans from$9.90/mo Sign up
CALENDLY	Web iOS/Android	Outlook Office 365 iCloud Google	Stripe (paid plan) PayPal (paid plan)	Website Google Email	Free Paid plans from$10/mo
MEETFOX / Brevo Meetings	Web	Outlook Office 365 Google	Stripe (5% transaction fee on free plan)	Website (WordPress plugin available) Social media	Free Paid plans from$15/mo Sign up
ZOHO BOOKINGS	Web iOS/Android	Zoho Outlook Office 365 Google	Stripe PayPal Authorize.Net and many more	Website Email	Free Paid plans from $8/mo Sign up
APPOINTY	Web iOS/Android	Outlook Office 365 Google iCloud (paid plans only)	Square (free plan) Stripe PayPal Authorize.net	Website Facebook	Free Paid plans from $29.99/mo Sign up
COGSWORTH	Web	Outlook iCloud Google	Stripe PayPal	Website Email Facebook	Paid plans from $9/mo Sign up
SQUARE	Web iOS/Android	Google	Square	Instagram Google Facebook Email	Free Paid plans from $50/ mo Sign up
Acuity Scheduling (by Squarespace)	Web iOS/Android	Outlook Office 365 iCloud Google	PayPal Square Stripe	Facebook Website Email	Paid plans from $15/mo Sign up
APPOINTLET	Web	Google Office 365	Stripe (paid plan)	Facebook Website Email	Free Paid plans from $10/mo Sign up
10TO8	Web iOS/Android	Google iCal Office 365 Outlook	PayPal Stripe Sage Pay	Facebook Slack Website Email	Free Paid plans from $12/mo
SavvyCal	Web	Google Outlook iCloud Calendar	Processing with Stripe coming soon	Website Email	Paid plans from $12/user/mo Sign up

Best Appointment Scheduling Software in Detail

1. Setmore

We awarded Setmore our Best Scheduling App badge for 2023!

The great thing about Setmore’s scheduling software is that you don’t need to have any technical experience whatsoever, you can get set up in no time. However, that’s not to mean it’s not powerful, just the opposite.

What's more, it's free for up to 4 staff logins and unlimited bookings! You can even take online payments.

Pros to using Setmore

Cons

When to use Setmore

If you’re looking for a free but generous provider then Setmore is an excellent choice. You’ll find you can do practically everything you need in this booking app, plus the fact that you can access it on your desktop offline might be appealing for some.

Setmore Pricing

• Free for 1-4 staff logins and calendars, automated emails, unlimited bookings and you can accept payments with Square, PayPal and Stripe.
• Paid plans start at $12/month for 2 user accounts, SMS reminders for your clients, and 2-way calendar syncing

Try Setmore for free

2. SimplyBook.me

Founded in 2008, SimplyBook.me has been around for some time. Its extensive list of features, like membership options and a website builder, secured it a place on this list of the best scheduling apps.

Pros to using SimplyBook.me

Its plans are generous and very affordable. Even the Free plan comes with a range of really nice-looking, fully responsive booking website templates. It’s super simple to set up, and there are plenty of design options!

SimplyBook.me’s membership feature allows you to offer both discounts and treats to your members, as well as lower recurring payments if they become members (recurring membership payments work with Stripe everywhere except within the EU).

Use the SMTP email custom feature to integrate with transactional services such as Mailjet or Sendgrid.

Cons

If you don't care about all the bells and whistles, you might find the interface slightly overwhelming. I imagine most of you will go for the free or Basic plan, in which case you'll need to bear in mind that you'll only be able to enable 1 or 3 custom features, respectively.

When to use SimplyBook.me

If you need a simple booking website you can customize then SimplyBook.me is a good choice. It’s also very affordable.

SimplyBook.me Pricing

• Free for 50 appointments per month, automated reminders and 1 custom feature (e.g. payment processing)
• Paid plans from $9.90/month for 100 appointments, 3 custom features and POS system.

Try SimplyBook.me

3. Calendly

Calendly, which is based in Atlanta, is a popular scheduling app, especially among startup companies. It allows for unlimited appointments and has a well-designed interface that’s really easy-to-use.

Pros to using Calendly

You can use it with Google, Outlook, Office 365 or iCloud and allow your customers to schedule directly from your website. Automated event notifications are included even on the free plan, making no-shows less likely.

The automated workflows are really helpful as you’ll no doubt save a ton of time having these set up! You can also create your own workflow if it doesn’t appear in the templates provided.

Cons

SMS notifications and direct integrations with email marketing and payment processing tools are only available on the more expensive Pro plan ($15). This means that you won’t be able to take payments through the free app – if you’re looking for a service that does allow this, check out Setmore. I'd also recommend checking out these Calendly alternatives if you have multiple users and want to avoid paying extra.

When to use Calendly

If you’re looking for a reasonably priced solution with unlimited appointments.

Calendly Pricing

• Basic: Free for 1 user. 1 calendar. Calendly branding
• Premium: $10/month per user/month. 2 calendars/user
• Pro: $15/month per user/month. 6 calendars/user

4. MeetFox / Brevo Meetings

MeetFox claims to have over 20,000 happy customers. It has recently joined forces with Brevo Meetings to bring you an all-in-one solution for managing your client interactions, which we actually use on our website for scheduling paid consulting calls.

The reason we picked Brevo Meetings, was convenience, really. As existing Brevo users, we decided to try their meeting product and have been relying on it ever since.

So let’s see what makes this a great scheduling app and whether it’s right for you.

Pros to using MeetFox / Brevo Meetings

MeetFox’s free plan comes with unlimited meetings and payment processing, which is more than most. You’ll only need to start paying if you want to send SMS reminders (as opposed to email), conduct video calls using its in-built software or add your own logo.

You can embed a nice-looking custom booking page into any part of your website, or you can go for a pop-up widget or button. Those who use WordPress will be pleased to hear that MeetFox offers a WordPress plugin to facilitate this.

Ease of use is a big plus with this tool; the interface is really well-designed, and you are guided through the steps in an intuitive way – there’s no chance of you feeling overwhelmed or confused. Also, the fact that the app generates invoices automatically (if you wish to do so) could be very helpful for freelancers.

If you sign up through Brevo, all your meeting contacts will be directly integrated into your email marketing database. This enables the scheduling of automatic messages and allows you to add them to your newsletter.

Cons

Be aware that the free plan will charge you a 5% transaction fee on payments processed through the app (paid plans won’t charge you anything extra). There is no charge if you use Brevo Meetings.

Unfortunately, MeetFox doesn’t have a mobile app or desktop software.

When to use MeetFox / Brevo Meetings

With such a generous free plan and an excellent user experience, I’d recommend this tool to anyone looking for a simple solution for booking appointments and taking payments. If you are already a Brevo user, or you are looking for an email marketing service, Brevo Meetings should be on your shortlist as it offers both online scheduling and email marketing.

MeetFox Pricing

• Free with unlimited meetings, email reminders and payment processing.
• $15/user/month for a Pro account with SMS reminders, integrated video calling and customization options.
• $42/user/month for a Premium account with domain customization, group calling & recording and multi-party bookings.

Try MeetFox or Brevo Meetings for free

5. Zoho Bookings

You may know Zoho due to its array of sales and marketing apps, after all, there are over 50 of them! Plus, the company has been around for such a long time – 25 years, in fact. But how good is the booking app, and is it right for you?

Pros to using Zoho Bookings

Setting up your services and booking page is really simple to do with Zoho Bookings. It’s possible to offer group bookings and recurring appointments.

There are a number of payment processing options you can add, though you’ll need to be on the Premium plan to take online payments ($12/user/month).

I like that there is also a freemium plan available, which comes with email notifications and a booking page.

Cons

Though you have four layouts to choose from, and a number of color combinations, you can’t add your own colors. There’s a knowledge base and ticketing system, but no live chat support. If you want to send SMS reminders, you’ll need to integrate with another provider, as this feature isn’t included.

When to use Zoho Bookings

If you already use Zoho CRM, it probably makes sense to use Zoho Bookings, as you can sync contacts automatically. If you don’t need the CRM, the free plan may be enough, as you get a booking page and email notifications. You can also use the free survey tool.

Zoho Bookings Pricing

• Free for 1 user, email notifications, 2-way calendar sync, mobile responsive booking page
• $8/user/month for a Basic plan. Includes customization options, reports, custom fields and round robin allocation
• $12/user/month for a Premium plan. Includes online payments, Zoho CRM sync, 3 workspaces, custom booking page on your domain, removes Zoho branding, and more.

Try Zoho Bookings for free

6. Appointy

Appointy, a scheduling app launched in 2014 in the US, is next up on our list.

This app caught my attention for its straightforward design and attractive free plan. The tool in itself is really easy to navigate, making setting up your services a breeze.

Pros to using Appointy

The free plan allows you to accept payments through Square and send automated email reminders. It also provides you with a free subdomain that you can use to create your own booking page – this is really handy for those who don’t have their own website.

I also liked how complete the contact view is; you can see all their appointments, gift cards, reviews, notes, etc. all in one place. Appointy, therefore, doubles up as a simple CRM.

Cons

When to use Appointy

Those looking for an easy-to-use scheduling app with helpful CRM features and a custom subdomain will be happy with Appointy’s offering. However, if you think you’re going to go over the 100 appointments/month limit you’ll need to set aside a fair bit of your budget as this is one of the more expensive tools on the list.

Appointy pricing

• Free for 1 staff login, 5 services and 100 appointments/month
• Paid plans start from $29.99/month.

Try Appointy's free plan

7. Cogsworth

Cogsworth is another scheduling app to consider for your business. Users seem to be very happy with this service due to the look and feel and the time it saves them. Though there’s no free plan, $9/month is pretty reasonable, so let’s take a look at all it has to offer!

Pros to using Cogsworth

Cons

When to use Cogsworth

Cogsworth is a good option for those who want to show their booking page in other languages. If you don’t need any of the paid add-ons, it is a pretty affordable solution for small businesses.

Cogsworth Pricing

• Plans start from $9/month and allow for unlimited bookings
• You can also offer as many services as you like
• You’ll need to pay extra if you want to send SMS notifications, add more users, use a custom URL or take online payments, all of which will push your monthly subscription up quite a bit

Try out Cogsworth for $2

8. Square Appointments

If you have an online store then you’ll no doubt have heard of Square, which allows you to accept payments securely on your site, as well as in your brick and mortar store. Square Appointments uses this same technology to facilitate paid bookings (and free ones too, of course).

Pros to using Square

Cons

When to use Square

Because Square has so many solutions – employee payment processing, apps for restaurants and retail, the ability to send and receive invoice payments – it’s a very attractive option for small to medium-sized businesses who want to thrive in the twenty-first century.

In terms of industry, it isn’t limited to just one. So whatever your business, you’ll find that Square can accommodate your needs.

Square Pricing

• Free for individuals
• $50 per month for 2-5 users or $90 / month for 6-10 users.

Find out about Square’s fees for all services here.

Try Square Appointments for free

9. Acuity Scheduling (formerly Squarespace Scheduling)

Acuity Scheduling supports over 50,000 businesses and major corporations worldwide. A unique feature is the “Make me look busy” option, which automatically hides some available times so you appear in high demand.

Pros to using Acuity Scheduling

Cons

When to use Acuity Scheduling

Acuity Scheduling is a very decent scheduling app with a multitude of features. It's especially useful if you already have a website with Squarespace (in fact, we named Squarespace one of the best website builders for a service business.) If you have customers in different countries, then you find its translation feature useful. The only time I wouldn’t recommend it is if you’re in need of a free plan.

Acuity Scheduling Pricing

• Plans from $15/month with calendar syncing and email marketing integrations.

Try Acuity Scheduling for free

10. Appointlet

Using Appointlet is a simple affair due to its clean interface. It has enough customization options to satisfy even the most complicated of workplaces, for example, it comes in several languages and comes with unlimited form fields.

Pros to using Appointlet

Cons

When to use Appointlet

If you have a lot of appointments coming in but can do without automated reminders and online payment processing then the Free plan is really worth checking out!

Appointlet Pricing

• Free with unlimited bookings
• $10/month per user for automated and customizable booking reminders, Zoom and Stripe integrations.

Try Appointlet for free

11. 10to8

10to8 is a UK company that has been around since 2014. It serves businesses of all kinds, including private surgeons, financial consultants, complementary health therapists, beauty therapists, tutors and music teachers.

Pros to using 10to8

10to8 makes it possible to two-way sync with Google, iCal, Office 365 and OutlookExchange – a wider variety than most of the other solutions on this list.

Color coding for different appointment types makes it easy to get an idea of your schedule at a glance.

The Free plan boasts a native Zoom integration. If you want to integrate with your email service provider you can do so via Zapier.

Cons

The Free and Basic plan ($12/month) both limit you to 100 appointments so if you’ll be generating more than that a month then you’ll be looking at paying $25/month for 300 appointments.

The interface isn’t quite as clean as Setmore or Square, for example.

When to use 10to8

10to8 is perfect for coaches, counselors, massage therapists, etc. who have fewer than 100 appointments a month as they won’t have to pay anything. 10to8’s Bigger Business plan ($50/month) complies with HIPAA Privacy regulations, making it a good solution for healthcare institutions.

10to8 Pricing

• Free for 2 staff logins and 100 appointments
• Paid plans start from $12/month.

12. SavvyCal

After finding out that SavvyCal was set up by the co-founder of the successful email marketing software, Drip, we were keen to test it out for this article. See how it did below!

Pros to using SavvyCal

Cons

When to use

Considering there’s no free plan, it’s a bit difficult to recommend SavvyCal over the competition. However, if you’re looking for a simple, well-designed scheduling app, and don’t require payment processing, then you might like to try it out for free for 7 days.

SavvyCal Pricing

• Basic plan costs $12/user/month and comes with unlimited scheduling links, unlimited calendars, unlimited events
• Premium will cost you $20/user/month, with the added benefit of removing SavvyCal branding from your links.
• If you pay annually, you’ll get 2 months free. Students or nonprofits get 25% off.

Get the first month of a paid plan completely free with the link below!

Try SavvyCal for free

Online Scheduling Apps: Digitalization & Business Growth

Though each industry is not equal in terms of the rate of digital transformation, generally speaking, any small to medium-sized business will need to have (minimum) a website and a listing on Google Maps (Google My Business).

It’s also likely that your competition has at least those two things as well. So, in order to stay ahead of your competitors, you’ll need to find new ways to reach potential clients whilst also streamlining your customer’s journey.

An app for scheduling appointments will help you to:

• Save costs and time (fewer phone calls, emails and text messages)
• Reach more customers (even globally)
• Encourage your customers to interact with you easily
• Lead to higher conversion rates
• Encourages on the spot payments
• Keep up with/stay ahead of your competitors

Best Appointment Scheduling Software: Scenarios

Best Free Scheduling Software

Scheduling app free software is available with almost all of the scheduling apps mentioned, but as you’ve seen, some freemium plans are more generous than others.

Setmore is by far the best one to go for if you don’t want to spend a penny or miss out on features. For absolutely nothing, you’ll get up to 4 staff logins, automated emails, unlimited bookings and you can accept payments with Square! MeetFox / Brevo Meetings also offers a very generous free plan, complete with unlimited meetings, email reminders and payment processing.

Best Scheduling Software For Small Businesses

As a small business, I’m sure you’re interested in keeping costs low, which is why you should take a look at Zoho Bookings ($8/user/month) or SimplyBook.me ($9.90/month). You can set up a simple but attractive website with the latter, accept payments from a wide range of payment processors, and book up to 100 appointments.

If you’re looking for a fully-featured scheduling app and don’t mind paying a little extra then either the Setmore Premium plan or Acuity Scheduling’s Growing plan are good options. Calendly's paid plan is also worth considering for the automation workflows and payment processing.

Best Salon Scheduling App

To be honest, any of the apps for scheduling appointments listed in this article would work well for salons. Though I imagine you wouldn’t want to limit yourself to under 100 appointments a month and you’d want to take online payments ahead of time to avoid losses. I’d recommend you take a look at Setmore, its Free plan is the best deal for sure.

Online Scheduling App

All of the services mentioned are cloud-based, meaning you won't need to download any software to your computer. Some also come with a mobile app.

Conclusion: The Best Scheduling App is…

So, there you have it, the best appointment scheduling software for your business. As you’ve probably already worked out, Setmore’s Free plan is my top choice! But that isn’t to say that the other apps on this list don’t deserve a look in. In fact, I found all of the tools really easy to use, which is a breath of fresh air, and great news for non-techy small business owners.

I hope that you’ve found this article helpful. Let me know how you get on using your chosen app!

The authors

Learn more about us

Roberta Phillips

Marketing Manager

Hey, I'm Roberta! Having worked as a digital marketer for a host of online businesses, I've tried, tested, fallen in love with and despaired with so many marketing tools. I'm excited to help you find the email marketing and CRM tools you need to thrive.

Charlotte Evans

Content Manager

Hey, I'm Charlotte! I've always been enthusiastic about helping others. After working for various tech startups and eCommerce businesses, I developed a strong passion for email marketing. Now, at EmailTooltester, I'm putting this knowledge to good use by recommending the very best digital tools for your business.

Learn more about us

We keep our content up to date

See latest updates

17 Jan 2024 - Squarespace Scheduling changed its name back to Acuity Scheduling
22 Dec 2023 - Further information on Brevo Meetings added
26 Oct 2023 - Updated Setmore pricing
13 Dec 2022 - Added award badge
10 May 2022 - Added Appointy
17 Jan 2022 - Added video review 
02 Dec 2021 - Updated SavvyCal
25 Nov 2021 - Updated SimplyBook.me's cons
23 Nov 2021 - Updated Setmore's prices
22 Nov 2021 - Added Zoho Bookings
18 Oct 2021 - Added MeetFox
31 May 2021 - Added Cogsworth
27 May 2021 - Acuity Scheduling changed to Squarespace Scheduling 
12 May 2021 - Added SavvyCal
04 May 2021 - Updated table design
07 Sept 2020 - Added Calendly