10 Best Free and Paid Appointment Scheduling Software in 2023
By Are you still going back and forth over email just to schedule one meeting? We’ve been there. It usually goes along the lines of “Next week is a no go, the week after too––how about 12pm my time and 6am yours after the next blue moon?” Without a doubt, it’s not the best way of using your valuable time.
To make life and scheduling easier, here are our top 10 appointment scheduling software options along with the key features you should look out for when making a decision.
What makes a great appointment scheduling software?
Integrations: Platforms with key integrations like Zoom, Google Calendar, iCloud, and Slack make life a lot easier. Look out for payment platform integrations too.
Buffer times: No one likes to wake up and see they have back-to-back meetings without a second to spare for deep work. The ability to build in buffer times will balance out your daily schedule.
Customization: A sleek booking page with your profile picture and company logo is professional and shows people they’ve come to the right place.
Mobile app: On the go scheduling is ideal for when you need to change meeting times at a moment’s notice.
User friendly: Platforms should be easy enough for beginners to use and customize without having to do anything complex.
10 appointment scheduling software platforms for 2023
Here’s our pick of the top 10 appointment scheduling software platforms available today.
1. Calendly [Best for ease of use]
“Here’s my Calendly, feel free to pick a slot that works for you.” Read these words before? If you’re used to booking meetings or calls with people, you’ve probably seen this more times than you care to remember.
Popular appointment scheduling software platform Calendly currently manages scheduling for over 9 million businesses and individuals. It’s got some top-tier features that make it super easy to use too. Forget about clashing calendars and double booking appointments––Calendly syncs with multiple calendars, whether they’re for work or personal.
You can easily plan your schedule and ensure you’re not over or under-booked too. There’s a buffer zone enabling you to take a break on those back-to-back meeting days. Calendly also identifies time zones, sharing the correct hours with users based on their location.
There are 700 app integrations including all the essential communication tools like Zoom, Slack, and Microsoft Teams.
Mobile app: There’s an app for iOS users.
Pricing: The Basic plan is free and provides enough features and integrations for an individual to get started. The Premium plan is $8/month and has more customizations, team pages, and integrations.
2. TidyCal [Best for customization]
Created by the AppSumo team, TidyCal is a great appointment scheduling software for those looking to put their scheduling system on autopilot and focus on more pressing tasks.
With up to 10 calendar connections per account, the scheduling app ensures that there’s never a booking conflict between your work or personal calendars.
It also automatically detects recipient time zones so that there’s no confusion over meeting times.
A useful Zapier integration means you can connect thousands of other tools to TidyCal and automate your workflow too.
Another cool feature is the ability to customize booking pages so that they’re tailored to the recipient. For example, you could have a paid booking page for clients and a free booking page for prospects.
You can also match the look and feel of your business with the booking page so that prospects know they’re in the right place. To make life even easier, you can embed a booking page widget on your website.
Mobile app: Not currently.
Pricing: The free plan offers some limited features but no paid meetings. The AppSumo lifetime deal is $19 (no more recurring monthly subscriptions.)
3. Doodle [Best for group meetings]
Doodle is an ultra-simple appointment scheduling software that doesn’t even require you to create an account. You can create meeting polls to send to prospects and clients letting them vote on the date and time that works best for them.
Individuals may find that this free version is enough for them to schedule their appointments but the paid version does come with more helpful features. An upgrade to the premium tier removes ads from your polls, sets poll deadlines, and collects contact details from meeting guests.
A handy dashboard lets you manage all your meetings from one place.
Mobile app: Yes, for both Android and iOS users.
Pricing: There is a free plan. The Pro plan is $6.95/month and the Team plan is $8.95/user/month.
4. Acuity [Best for selling appointments]
Part of customer relationship management (CRM) platform Squarespace, Acuity is an appointment scheduling software that dubs itself “your online assistant.”
Take complete control of your availability by only showing people the calendars you want them to see. Manage employees across multiple locations and make it easy for clients in other locations to book in a time zone that makes sense (say goodbye to 7 am meetings).
More than just appointment scheduling software, Acuity enables users to book group classes, memberships, and gift cards. The platform also accepts payment via Stripe, PayPal, and Square.
Mobile app: Yes, for both Android and iOS users.
Pricing: The Emerging plan is $15/month and includes all the basics to get started. The Growing plan is $25/month and enables features like text reminders and the ability to sell memberships.
5. HoneyBook [Best for managing sales cycles]
HoneyBook is a top appointment scheduling software for freelancers, sales reps, or business owners looking to streamline their client interaction throughout the whole sales cycle.
You can book initial meetings with prospects and then later send them proposals, contracts, and invoices.
Another cool feature is the automation sequences. Build automations so that you can send emails and files to clients or create tasks based on client behavior or approaching deadlines.
HoneyBook also enables you to automatically respond to inquiries, follow up with questionnaires, or request a review.
Mobile app: Yes, available for Android and iOS.
Pricing: The Starter plan is $9/month and includes all features with a limit of $10k in monthly transactions. The Unlimited plan is $39/month.
6. YouCanBook.me [Best for personalization]
If using your brand image throughout your appointment scheduling tool is important, YouCanBook.me is a great choice.
Choose your brand color and add your business logo or your profile picture so customers know they’re in the right place to book a meeting with you.
You can also create multiple booking pages for different booking scenarios. For example, you may want one page for client booking and another for your team members. You can also take bookings with your own personalized links like “[your name].youcanbook.me” or “[your company name].youcanbook.me”.
Powerful integrations to popular platforms like Zoom, Zapier, Gmail, and Slack streamline your scheduling.
Mobile app: No, but online booking pages are mobile responsive.
Pricing: Plans are $10/calendar/month.
7. Setmore [Best for freelancers]
Setmore is an appointment scheduling software with an ultra-competitive free plan, making it easy for new users and small teams to get started with the platform.
Add a free booking calendar widget to your site or personal page to make it easier for visitors to schedule their appointments online.
If you need to schedule multiple consultations or group brainstorming sessions over time, you can set it to repeat appointments daily, weekly, or monthly. You can also connect Setmore to your Instagram and Facebook pages so clients can book your services or consultations without having to leave social media.
One of Setmore’s standout features is the ability to automate customer review requests after appointments and publish them on your booking page. You can also moderate these reviews so only authentic positive reviews are displayed and spam remains hidden.
Mobile app: Yes, for Android and iOS users.
Pricing: It’s free for up to 4 users. The Premium plan is $12/user/month.
8. Chili Piper [Best for sales teams]
Geared up for sales pros, Chili Piper is a meeting lifecycle automation platform that makes it easier for sales teams to connect with buyers during the full customer lifecycle.
While back and forth emails are rarely the way to go, Chili Piper makes it easy for prospects to choose a slot with you within your email thread. You can embed your available times in emails or even book instantly with Salesforce, Outreach, and SalesLoft.
Chili Piper then automatically logs events into Salesforce. No-shows, reschedules, and any meeting details are recorded to streamline your pipeline.
Mobile app: There’s no mobile app.
Pricing: On top of user licenses that are $45/user/month, users must purchase a monthly platform fee. The $225 Spicy fee covers up to 100 monthly routed leads. The Hot fee is $600 and allows up to 1000 routed leads, while the Inferno fee is $1500 and enables unlimited leads.
9. Rallly [Best for collaborative scheduling]
Tired of trying to find a meeting or event date that suits all group members? Rallly, a collaborative scheduling platform could be the answer to your prayers.
Making it easier to find a date that suits the majority, Rallly allows people to vote on their preferred date.
To start, all you need to do is create a page for your upcoming event, share it with other participants, and let everyone know which dates work for you before getting them to each vote on a date.
The best part is the platform is totally free.
Mobile app: There’s no mobile app.
Pricing: Free.
10. SavvyCal [Best for recipients]
While convenient for the sender, scheduling links can sometimes be inconvenient for the recipient. Between looking at your availability and checking between their multiple work and personal calendars it can be tough for them to find a time that works.
Using appointment scheduling software SavvyCal, recipients can overlay their calendar on of yours to find mutual availability. You can also show your preferred meeting times to encourage recipients to pick the best time for you.
If meetings tend to drain your concentration, protect your deep work hours and set limits for how many meetings can be booked per day, week or month.
Integrations with multiple calendars like Google, iCloud, Outlook, and Fastmail mean that senders and recipients can easily overlay different calendars.
Mobile app: There’s no mobile app.
Pricing: The Basic plan is $12/user/month, while the Premium plan is $20/month and allows you to remove SavvyCal branding.
AppSumo’s verdict: Appointment scheduling software
Trying to schedule an appointment when everyone is free can be a real headache. But these appointment scheduling software options make life easier for both ends.
The right software choice for you depends on what you’re using it for. If you’re a freelancer who has to schedule the same group sessions or group consultations with people every week, Setmore is a great choice. But if you want more customization and would like to forget about monthly recurring subscriptions, why not get a lifetime deal with TidyCal?
While you’re choosing between appointment scheduling software, take a look at the AppSumo Store. We have deals with some of the best software available today.