Calendly vs Acuity Scheduling for a small business
Short answer: Calendly is built around meetings and teams, with routing and round-robin. Acuity Scheduling is built around client appointments, with intake forms, payments at booking, packages and gift certificates. If clients book and pay for a service, Acuity usually fits better. If people book meetings with you or your team, Calendly usually does.
Prices and features side by side
| Calendly | Acuity Scheduling | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Free: $0, always free. One event type, one calendar connection, one-on-one bookings | No free plan. 7-day trial, no card needed |
| Entry paid plan | Standard: $12 a seat a month, or $10 a seat a month, billed yearly ($120 a year) | Starter, 1 calendar: $20 a month, or $16 a month billed yearly |
| Next plans | Teams: $20 a seat a month, or $16 a seat a month billed yearly | Standard, up to 6 calendars: $34 a month, or $27 a month billed yearly. Premium, up to 36 calendars: $69 a month, or $55 a month billed yearly |
| Priced per | Seat (each person) | Plan, by number of calendars |
| Payments at booking | Card payments through Stripe or PayPal, on Standard and up | Payments through Stripe, Square, PayPal or Venmo, on every plan |
| Intake forms | See calendly.com | Custom client intake forms, on every plan |
| Packages and gift certificates | See calendly.com | Packages, memberships and gift certificates, on Standard and Premium |
| Text reminders | See calendly.com | Text reminders on Standard and Premium, not on Starter |
| Teams and routing | Teams: round-robin and team scheduling, routing forms for leads, Salesforce and other sales tools | Calendars for staff or locations: 1 on Starter, up to 6 on Standard, up to 36 on Premium |
Calendly's paid prices are per seat: each person who takes bookings needs one. Acuity Scheduling's prices are per plan, and the plan sets how many calendars you get. Both sites show a lower monthly price when you pay for a year up front.
What each is known for
Calendly
- Meetings: a booking link for calls, demos and interviews, with your calendar's free times.
- Teams: round-robin and team scheduling, so bookings spread across people.
- Routing: forms that send each lead to the right person, and links to sales tools such as Salesforce and HubSpot.
- A free plan for one event type and one calendar.
Acuity Scheduling
- Client appointments: services with their own lengths and prices.
- Intake forms: custom questions clients answer when they book.
- Payments at booking through Stripe, Square, PayPal or Venmo, on every plan.
- Packages, memberships and gift certificates, on Standard and Premium.
- Part of the Squarespace family, so it fits a Squarespace website.
Which fits which kind of work
- You sell appointments, and clients pay or fill in a form when they book (a salon, a studio, a therapist, a coach): Acuity Scheduling usually fits better.
- You sell packages, memberships or gift certificates: Acuity Scheduling, on Standard or Premium.
- People book calls or meetings with you (consultants, sales, recruiting): Calendly usually fits better.
- A team shares bookings, or leads go to the right person: Calendly, on Teams.
- You want to pay nothing: Calendly Free, if one event type is enough.
- You have a Squarespace website: Acuity Scheduling sits in the same family.
Both offer a way to try before you pay. Book a few test appointments in each with your own services before you choose.
Questions owners ask
Is Acuity cheaper than Calendly?
It depends on how many people book through it. As listed on Nov 4 2026, Calendly charges per seat: Standard is $12 a seat a month, or $10 a seat a month, billed yearly. Acuity Scheduling charges per plan by number of calendars: Starter, with 1 calendar, is $20 a month, or $16 a month billed yearly. Check both sites for today's price.
Does Acuity take payments?
Yes. Acuity Scheduling lists payments through Stripe, Square, PayPal or Venmo on every plan, as listed on acuityscheduling.com on Nov 4 2026. Calendly lists Stripe and PayPal payments on Standard and up.
Can I use Calendly for free?
Yes. Calendly Free costs $0 and covers one event type, one calendar connection and one-on-one bookings, as listed on calendly.com on Nov 4 2026. Acuity Scheduling has no free plan; it has a 7-day trial with no card needed.
Which is better for a salon, studio or other appointment business?
Acuity Scheduling usually fits a business where clients book and pay for a service: it has intake forms, payments at booking, and on Standard and Premium, packages, gift certificates and text reminders. Calendly usually fits meetings, sales calls and teams that share bookings.
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