Best Calendly Alternatives for Appointment Scheduling in 2025

Since its launch in 2013, Calendly has been a go-to scheduling tool for recruiters, marketers, and sales teams, earning a strong reputation for streamlining appointment booking. The platform packs a punch with features like custom booking links, automated reminders, payment collection, and integrations with a wide range of third-party apps—think Google Calendar, Zoom, and Salesforce.

Yet, Calendly isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Service-based businesses—like studios, consultants, or fitness pros—often find it lacking for bulk appointment sales, group events, or resource management. As Calendly increasingly caters to enterprise needs in 2025, small to medium-sized companies may feel their simpler, more niche demands get overlooked, prompting a search for alternatives. Before diving into those options, let’s unpack what Calendly brings to the table—and where it falls short.

What is Calendly?

Calendly is a comprehensive appointment scheduling platform. More than 10 million professionals use it, and over 5 million of them active monthly users.

Calendly allows professionals to automate appointment scheduling by creating booking pages, setting availability, syncing with external calendars, viewing analytics, and managing events across teams.

The software comes in five versions: Basic, Essentials, Professional, Teams and Enterprise.

The Basic version of Calendly is free to use on sign-up and allows users to:

Automated meeting scheduling
Customizable booking links
Payment collection via Stripe, PayPal, or Square
Unlimited one-off meetings and meeting polls
One active event type for one-on-one bookings
Automated email notifications

The paid version of Calendly provides a lot more advanced functionality, such as automated workflows, the ability to update cancellation policy, meeting notifications via SMS, and removing branding.

Pricing

Free: $0—basic scheduling for individuals.
Standard: $12/user/month ($10 if billed annually)—unlimited event types, group events, and integrations.
Teams: $20/user/month ($16 if billed annually)—team scheduling, round-robin, and Salesforce integration.
Enterprise: Starts at $15,000/year—custom pricing for large orgs with SSO, advanced security, and premium support.
Note: Annual billing saves ~20% on Standard and Teams.

Drawbacks

Despite its strengths, Calendly has its hiccups, based on recent user feedback:

Customer support gaps: Support is limited to email and live chat—no phone option. Users report slow or inconsistent responses, especially on lower tiers.
Navigation challenges: The interface, while feature-rich, can feel clunky or unintuitive, particularly for new users setting up complex schedules.
Missing features: It lacks native tools for resource booking (e.g., equipment or rooms), selling appointment packages, or managing recurring event series—pain points for service-driven businesses.

Alternatives For Service-Based Businesses

For service-based businesses, there is a number of good Calendly substitutes out there, which come with more versatile features for supporting an automated online appointment scheduling flow.

CozyCal

CozyCal is a sleek, intuitive alternative to Calendly, crafted for seamless website integration and tailored to small businesses. Run by a Vancouver-based husband-and-wife duo, CozyCal delivers a responsive platform that evolves through close user feedback, offering a personal touch that larger players like Calendly often lack.

What stands out?

Smart hybrid scheduling: CozyCal blends appointment, team, and resource booking, with pooled availability, round-robin booking and priority ranking to balance staff workloads (e.g., a therapy practice) and hybrid room/team options for studios or coworking spaces—versatility Calendly doesn’t match.‍
White-label branding: Create custom booking links (e.g., book.yourcompany.com), send email notifications from your firm’s domain (e.g., bookings@yourcompany.com), and remove all CozyCal branding, ensuring a polished, professional client experience that aligns with your brand.‍
Manual approvals: Unlike Calendly’s hands-off automation, CozyCal lets you approve or decline booking requests, giving you the final say over your calendar. ‍
Package booking: Sell bundled services or multi-session packages with discounts, collecting upfront payments via Stripe. It's ideal for coaches, studios, or therapists, and a gap Calendly doesn’t fill.‍
Top-Notch support: While Calendly offers email and chat with spotty response times, CozyCal guarantees email replies within 12 hours and offers scheduled Zoom support calls for hands-on help.‍
Open roadmap: CozyCal shares its changelog and public roadmap, letting users suggest and upvote features. Regular updates keep it evolving, unlike Calendly’s slower, less open development cycle.

What to bear in mind?

No Free Plan: CozyCal requires a paid subscription, but flat rates unlock all features, and a 10-day free trial (no credit card needed) lets you dive in fully.
Mobile Access: Lacking a dedicated app, it relies on a mobile-optimized web interface.
Reporting Limits: Basic booking and client tracking are solid, but advanced analytics (e.g., revenue trends) require external tools.

Who's it best for?

CozyCal is a perfect match for solo entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small to medium-sized service businesses needing flexible, hands-on scheduling. It’s built for those who wear multiple hats. Think independent coaches offering session packages, photographers renting studio time, or yoga instructors managing group classes and private bookings. Its resource booking makes it a standout for studios, coworking spaces, or anyone juggling equipment and space rentals alongside appointments. If you value control over your schedule, quick support, and a tool that grows with your feedback, CozyCal fits the bill, especially for service providers who find Calendly too rigid or enterprise-focused.

Pricing

Pro plan: $15/user or resource/month (billed annually, $180/year) or $20/month (billed monthly)—unlimited event types, integrations, and support.
Plaid plan: $25/user or resource/month (billed annually or monthly)—adds white-label booking links (e.g., book.yourcompany.com), custom-domain email notifications, and no CozyCal branding.
Team discount: For 10+ seats, email support@cozycal.com for custom rates.

SetMore

Setmore is a dynamic Calendly alternative that offers a robust scheduling hub for appointments, classes, and team coordination, all accessible via a website widget, desktop app, or mobile apps (iOS/Android). It automates client communication with email and SMS reminders, supports recurring bookings, and includes HIPAA compliance for secure operations, like in healthcare. With features like payment collection (Stripe, Square, PayPal and integrations with a variety of tools, Setmore empowers businesses to streamline bookings and build trust by showcasing client reviews directly on their booking page.

What stands out?

Team-friendly design: Setmore’s multi-user platform shines for collaboration. Each staff member gets a personal login and calendar, synced in real time
Affordable plans: The Free plan supports up to 4 users with unlimited appointments, while paid tiers start at $9/month, cheaper than many competitors. It’s a cost-effective pick for bootstrapped businesses.
Payment flexibility: Accept payments via Square, Stripe, or PayPal at booking, with options to set deposits or full prepayments.

What to bear in mind?

Feature gaps: Setmore doesn’t support selling appointment packages or subscriptions natively, a limitation for businesses like personal trainers offering multi-session deals.
Customization limits: The booking page allows basic branding (logo, colors), but you can’t overhaul its layout or use a custom domain. For businesses needing a fully branded experience, this might fall short compared to tools like CozyCal.
Recurring booking quirks: The recurring appointment feature works for fixed schedules (e.g., weekly therapy), but some users find it inflexible for custom patterns, requiring manual tweaks.

Who's it best for?

Setmore excels for small businesses, freelancers, and service providers who need a low-cost, reliable scheduler with team and video capabilities. It’s a natural fit for beauty salons booking stylist appointments, healthcare pros needing HIPAA compliance, or educators running virtual classes via Teleport. A pet grooming shop, for instance, could use it to manage groomer schedules and take deposits, while a nonprofit might leverage the Free plan to coordinate volunteer shifts. It’s less ideal for complex operations needing deep analytics, package sales, or premium branding.

Pricing

Setmore has three available price packages:

Free: $0 — unlimited appointments, one event type, email reminders, up to 4 users.
Pro: $12/user/month paid monthly or $5/user/month paid annually for 1-2 users, including unlimited event types, SMS reminders, 2-way Google/Office 365 sync, recurring bookings and payments.
Team: $5/user/month and $5/user/month paid annually for unlimited users, including all Pro features, unlimited users, HIPAA compliance, priority support.
Note: Annual billing required; 30-day money-back guarantee on paid plans.

Cal.com

Cal.com is a powerful, open-source scheduling platform that positions itself as a flexible alternative to Calendly, catering to individuals, teams, and developers alike. Originally launched as an open-source project, it’s now backed by Cal.com, Inc., with a mission to “connect a billion people by 2031 through calendar scheduling.” It offers a hosted version for ease of use and a self-hosted option for full control, blending simplicity with advanced customization.

What stands out?

Open-source flexibility: Unlike Calendly’s closed system, Cal.com’s core is free and open-source (AGPLv3), letting you self-host on your own server or tweak the code via GitHub. This appeals to tech-savvy users or businesses wanting a tailored setup.
Unlimited free tier: The Free plan offers unlimited event types, bookings, and integrations (e.g., Google Calendar, Zoom) for individuals—no caps like Calendly’s one-event-type limit. It’s a rare gem for solo users.
Team features: Paid plans include round-robin scheduling and routing forms to match clients with the right staff—ideal for sales or support teams.
Custom branding: Short, memorable booking links (e.g., cal.com/yourname) and white-label options (on Teams/Enterprise) let you ditch generic branding, a step beyond Calendly’s basic customization.
Built-in video: Cal Video, their in-house conferencing tool, is free and unlimited, reducing reliance on Zoom or Teams.

What to bear in mind?

Learning curve: The wealth of options—custom buffers, daily limits, or API integrations—can overwhelm beginners. Self-hosting also requires technical know-how (e.g., Docker setup, environment variables).
Support trade-off: Free users get community support via GitHub or Discord, which is robust but less immediate than paid plans’ priority email/chat. Calendly’s support, while limited, is more centralized.
Feature balance: It lacks native package selling (unlike CozyCal) and advanced analytics (e.g., revenue tracking), though Stripe integration handles payments. Some users note occasional sync delays with external calendars.
Self-hosting risks: Running your own instance means you’re on the hook for updates and security—great for control, but a hassle if you’re not IT-savvy.

Who's it best for?

Cal.com shines for freelancers, small teams, and developers who crave flexibility and cost savings over Calendly’s polished but rigid approach. A graphic designer could use the Free plan for unlimited client consults, while a tech startup might self-host to integrate scheduling into their app via the Cal.com Platform API. It’s also a fit for privacy-conscious users or organizations (e.g., schools, nonprofits) leveraging its open-source nature and HIPAA-ready Enterprise tier. Less ideal for those needing plug-and-play simplicity or deep service bundling.

Pricing

Cal.com has four pricing plans:

Free: $0 — unlimited event types, bookings, Cal Video, and integrations (Google, Outlook, Stripe); for individuals only.
Teams: Starts at $15/user/month for small teams, including round-robin, routing forms, team workflows, remove branding and scheduling meetings as a team.
Organizations: Starts at $37/user/month for larger teams, including team plan features and organization workflows, custom company domain, compliance check features
Enterprise: Custom pricing — organization plan features plus SSO, HIPAA compliance, API access, advanced routing forms and enterprise-level support
Note: 14-day free trial on paid plans

YouCanBook.Me

You Can Book Me (YCBM) is a straightforward yet powerful scheduling tool designed to simplify appointment booking for individuals and teams. It syncs seamlessly with your calendar to manage availability, automate bookings, and send personalized notifications, all accessible via a customizable booking page that can be embedded on websites or shared via links.

What stands out?

Ease of use: YCBM’s clean design and guided setup make it a breeze for newcomers to master. Users praise its intuitive flow, from creating booking pages to managing appointments.
Customization oower: Tailor booking pages with your brand’s colors, logos, and custom fields (e.g., client intake forms), and translate them into 44 languages for global reach, a step beyond Calendly’s more limited branding options.
Team flexibility: Supports pooled availability and round-robin scheduling, letting clients book with the first available team member. A consultancy could, for instance, distribute client calls evenly across advisors.
Automation suite: Unlimited workflows for reminders, follow-ups, and no-show tracking save time. Plus, Zapier integration connects YCBM to CRMs like HubSpot, automating tasks like lead updates.

What to bear in mind?

Feature gaps: YCBM doesn’t offer native collective meeting types (e.g., team-wide events) or built-in analytics dashboards, which Calendly provides for data-driven teams. You’ll need Google Analytics or CSV exports for insights.
Payment limits: While it integrates with Stripe for secure payments, there’s no PayPal or Square support, unlike Calendly or Setmore, which could inconvenience some clients.
No mobile app: The mobile-optimized web interface works well, but there’s no dedicated app

Who's it best for?

YCBM is a stellar pick for freelancers, small businesses, and customer-facing teams who prioritize simplicity and customization. A career coach could share branded links for 1:1 sessions, while a recruitment firm might use round-robin to schedule candidate interviews across recruiters. It’s ideal for roles like sales, customer success, or UX research needing streamlined client bookings.

Pricing

Here are the YCBM pricing plans on offer:

Free: 1 booking page, 1 calendar connection (Google, Microsoft), basic notifications, unlimited bookings, “Powered by YCBM” branding.
Individual: $9 per month with 2 calendar connections, 2 booking pages including group sessions, fixed-date scheduling (events), password protect your booking page
Professional: $13 per month with 6 calendar connections and 10 booking page, add notes to meetings, offer promotion codes, direct integration with Hubspot, analytics and more.
Teams: $18/user/month with multiple calendar connections and booking pages per team member, adds role-based access, team dashboards, and enterprise features like SSO.

Acuity Scheduling

Acuity Scheduling, acquired by Squarespace in 2019, is a versatile appointment scheduling platform tailored for service-based businesses. It powers over 250,000 users worldwide with tools for online booking, calendar syncing, and client management, integrating seamlessly with websites, mobile apps (iOS/Android), and major platforms like Google Calendar, Zoom, and QuickBooks. Beyond basic scheduling, it automates notifications and processes payments, making it a go-to for streamlining operations.

What stands out?

Service bundles: Acuity lets you sell subscriptions, packages (e.g., a 5-session massage deal), and gift certificates directly through the booking flow, features Calendly skips, giving service pros a revenue edge.
Recurring ease: Set up repeating appointments with flexible intervals (daily, weekly, custom), ideal for ongoing clients like therapy patients, outpacing many competitors’ simpler recurring options.
Developer power: An API and custom CSS (on higher plans) let tech-savvy users build bespoke scheduling solutions such as embedding a branded booking system into an app.

What to bear in mind?

Interface critique: Some users find Acuity’s dashboard less intuitive than Calendly’s sleek design, with a steeper learning curve and an embeddable scheduler that can feel dated next to modern alternatives.
Innovation pace: Post-Squarespace acquisition, new feature rollouts have slowed. Unlike CozyCal’s public roadmap, Acuity lacks a transparent channel for user input, leaving some needs unmet.
No free plan: Unlike Setmore or Cal.com, Acuity requires a paid commitment after the 7-day trial, which might deter budget-conscious startups.

Who's it best for?

Acuity thrives for solo practitioners and small to mid-sized service businesses needing robust booking options, like a yoga studio selling class packs, a salon managing multiple stylists, or a consultant offering recurring coaching. Its package and subscription tools suit wellness, beauty, and fitness niches, while API access appeals to those wanting custom integrations.

Pricing

Here is Acuity Scheduling’s pricing plans (paid annually) with a free 7-day trial.

Emerging: $16/month (billed annually, $192/year), 1 calendar/staff, unlimited bookings, email reminders, basic integrations.
Growing: $27/month (billed annually, $324/year), 6 calendars/staff, SMS reminders, packages, subscriptions.
Powerhouse: $49/month (billed annually, $588/year), 36 calendars/staff, custom API/CSS, multi-location support.
Enterprise: Custom pricing—unlimited calendars, SSO, advanced security.
Note: 7-day free trial on all plans; monthly billing adds ~20% (e.g., Emerging $20/month).

Calendar

Calendar is a smart scheduling tool designed to simplify coordination across teams and individuals by syncing multiple calendars and leveraging AI-driven features. It offers website integration, mobile apps (iOS/Android), and tools like data exports, password-protected bookings, and appointment padding to manage availability seamlessly. With a focus on finding the perfect meeting time, Calendar stands out as a solution for busy professionals and organizations.

What stands out?

AI-Powered ‘Find a Time’: Calendar’s AI analyzes up to 50+ attendee calendars to pinpoint overlapping availability, then suggests optimal meeting slots—ideal for complex group scheduling, outshining Calendly’s manual coordination.
Analytics dashboard: Tracks booking trends, meeting frequency, and time distribution across all event types, offering actionable insights—like spotting overbooked days—unavailable in many lighter tools like YCBM.
Smart links: Shareable links pull real-time availability from connected calendars (Google, Outlook, iCloud), letting invitees pick times that sync effortlessly, reducing back-and-forth emails.
Time blocking: Add padding or buffers between appointments to prevent burnout, a feature Calendly offers but Calendar refines with flexible customization.

What to bear in mind?

Limited Integrations: Calendar connects with only five key tools—Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, Zoom, Stripe, and Zapier—far fewer than Calendly’s 100+ options, potentially limiting workflow flexibility.
Feature Gaps: No native support for recurring session bookings or package sales, a drawback for service businesses (e.g., trainers or salons) where CozyCal or Acuity excel.
Support Access: Free users rely on email support with 24-48 hour response times, while paid plans get priority chat
Learning Curve: The AI and analytics tools, while powerful, may overwhelm users seeking a simpler setup compared to Setmore’s straightforward design.

Who's it best for?

Calendar is perfect for mid-sized teams and professionals juggling large group meetings—like a project manager syncing 20 stakeholders for a sprint review or an HR lead scheduling company-wide training. Its AI shines when coordinating across time zones or departments, and analytics appeal to those optimizing schedules. Solo users or service providers needing packages might prefer YouCanBook.me or Acuity instead.

Pricing

The cost of Calendar’s plans:

Free: Connect 1 calendar per user, personalized calendar link, Find a time to meet with up to 2 guests.
Standard: Connect 3 calendars per user, 16/month (billed monthly) or $8/month (billed annually), automated workflows, Find a time to meet with up to 15 guests. ‍
Pro: Connect 10 calendars per user, $24/month (billed monthly) or $12/month (billed annually), Find a time to meet up to 50 guests, white labeling on personal scheduling pages.‍
Enterprise: Connect 20 calendars per user, domain control, advanced security.
Note: 14-day trial of Pro features; annual billing saves 25%.

Finding the Calendly alternative that best suits you

Choosing the best Calendly alternative in 2025 comes down to your business’s unique needs. Whether it’s budget, customization, team size, or specific features like package sales or AI-driven coordination. The tools we’ve explored each bring something distinct to the table, ensuring there’s an option for everyone, from solo freelancers to enterprise retailers.

For those seeking simplicity and affordability, Setmore’s free plan and intuitive setup make it a solid pick for small teams, though it lacks advanced bundling. YouCanBook.me shines with its user-friendly design and global customization, perfect for straightforward 1:1 bookings but lighter on team features. If flexibility is key, Cal.com’s open-source free tier offers unmatched versatility for tech-savvy users, while Calendar’s AI excels at syncing large groups, albeit with fewer integrations.

Businesses needing robust automation and lead management will gravitate toward OnceHub, which blends scheduling with client engagement, though its complexity may overwhelm smaller setups. Acuity Scheduling stands out for service providers selling packages or subscriptions, ideal for wellness niches, but its interface feels dated to some.

CozyCal strikes a balance offering intuitive scheduling, white-label branding, and package booking for freelancers and studios, all backed by responsive support. Its focus on service businesses makes it a strong contender for those wanting a personal touch without enterprise heft.

Take stock of your priorities: Do you need a free plan or deep analytics? Are you managing a team or renting resources? Most tools offer trials—test them out, check integrations with your stack (like CRMs or Zoom), and pick what feels seamless. The right scheduler doesn’t just save time—it elevates your client experience and fuels growth.

Kat Lu

Co-founder of CozyCal. Wanderlust at heart. Love books and films.