border

Best Appointment Scheduling Software for 2024

best scheduling software

When it comes to appointment scheduling for your business, you need a dedicated and dynamic appointment scheduling app to automate administrative tasks and reduce the number of back-and-forth emails. This will help to save time, money, and effort – all of which would be better allocated to different areas of your business. Whether you need to book in-person meetings or schedule remote calls, an appointment scheduling software can streamline these tedious tasks.
Appointment scheduling apps can manage bookings, reschedule appointments, and short-notice cancellations. Plus, many of these tools sync directly with your calendar, online payments system, and other apps within your tech stack. Streamlining the scheduling process will reduce time spent on prospecting, optimize your sales funnel, and grow the business.
In this article, you’ll discover the best appointment scheduling apps to speed up the booking process and improve client management. For each appointment scheduling app, we focus on the main features, pricing, pros, and cons.

Best Appointment Scheduling Apps

  1. Calendly: Best appointment scheduling software overall
  2. Homebase: Best for employee scheduling
  3. Humanity: Best for recurring appointments
  4. Acuity Scheduling: Best for beginners
  5. QuickBooks Time: Best for project tracking
  6. SimplyBook: Best for service industry businesses
  7. HubSpot Meetings Tool: Best free appointment scheduling software
  8. TidyCal: Best for scheduling meetings

 


calendly.png

Calendly is an excellent appointment scheduling software used by managers and business owners that want to avoid double-booking appointments or conflicting schedules. The scheduling app allows you to create a calendar that’s accessible to anyone who wants to book an appointment with you. Clients can then view your availability and schedule appointments accordingly.
You can also create a custom Calendly link, invite people from any email address or phone number, and send out automatic appointment reminders to invitees who book with you. This is a curated calendar that only displays your available times, along with the length and type of meeting that applies.
This appointment software integrates directly with Google Calendar and Outlook, so you don’t have to worry about managing appointments across multiple platforms. This all-in-one solution makes it easy for users who want to manage their schedules efficiently, without having to download multiple apps or use multiple websites. Plus, Calendly is compatible with all browsers and operating systems.

Key Features

  • Automated scheduling for teams and multi-person meetings
  • Routing forms that efficiently screen and qualify people before they can schedule meetings with you.
  • Customizable availability preferences and communications before and after meetings.
  • Meeting polls for attendees to determine their availability.
  • Calendly integrates with PayPal and Stripe to streamline payment processing.

Pricing

Calendly is one of the best appointment scheduling software on the market. It’s easy to use, has many features, and offers multiple plans that are incredibly affordable.

  • Basic plan: Free: Includes 1 calendar sync per person
  • Essentials plan: $8 per seat per month: Includes 2 calendar connections and unlimited active event types
  • Professional plan: $12 per seat per month: Includes 6 calendar connections, several customizations and integration options, and basic team features
  • Team plan: $16 per seat per month: Includes 6 calendar connections and tools for teams to align scheduling processes seamlessly

How To Create An Account

Setting up an account with Calendly is fast and simple. To sign up, you’ll need to provide your name and email address and set a password. That’s it! Once you’ve signed up, you can start creating calendars and adding clients to your account.
You can also customize your settings, so only certain people can see your calendar (i.e., customers) while others don’t have access (i.e., employees). You can change these settings at any time as well.

Pros

  • Pros icon Easy to use software that doesn’t require any training
  • Pros icon Customized time slots for setting up complex appointments with multiple people
  • Pros icon Varied pricing plans

Cons

  • Cons icon Lacks customer support
  • Cons icon Limited customization options for email templates
  • Cons icon Interface can be unresponsive on some systems

Star Rating

/ 5.0


homebase.png

Homebase is an online appointment scheduling software that helps small business owners manage their employees, work schedules, time clocks, payroll, HR, and more. It can save you time by automatically calculating the number of hours each employee has worked, their hourly rate, and other details. The software even accounts for breaks and overtime.
Over 100K businesses across various industries -including food and beverage, retail, beauty and wellness, medical, and more- use Homebase for their employee scheduling needs. It’s a great resource if you’re looking to ditch the spreadsheets and file cabinets, and automate recurring processes throughout your business.

Key Features

  • Time clocks track hours, breaks, and overtime on any device.
  • Built-in calendar that allows you to add events directly from Outlook, Google, or Facebook.
  • Customizable reports that make it easy to track employee performance over time.
  • Payroll assistance that automatically calculates paychecks based on hours and wages, sends direct deposits to employees, and files your payroll taxes.
  • In-app messaging tools and real-time alerts, reminders, and more.
  • Various HR tools for hiring, onboarding, and scheduling new employees.

Pricing

Homebase is one of the best appointment scheduling software because of its several pricing tiers.

  • Basic plan (free): Includes timesheets, time clock, scheduling and availability, messaging, and hiring tools
  • Essentials plan ($14 per month): Includes everything in Basic, plus team communication, performance tracking, and field tools
  • Plus plan ($35 per month): Includes everything in Essentials, plus cost control and budgets, time-off limits, PTO tracking, permissions, and policies
  • All-in-one plan ($70 per month): Includes everything in Plus and new hire onboarding, employee documents, and HR tools

How To Create An Account

Setting up a Homebase account is super easy. Simply, visit the Homebase website and click the “Get Started” button. Click “Create Account” and provide an email address, password, and security question answer. Finally, select a payment plan and click “Pay Now” to continue with your purchase, or select “Try Free” if you’d like to try out the software before purchasing a plan.

Pros

  • Pros icon Secure and reliable employee scheduling and time tracking platform
  • Pros icon Compatible with all major operating systems, including Windows and macOS
  • Pros icon Robust scheduling and HR/hiring features

Cons

  • Cons icon The free plan only allows for one location and one administrator
  • Cons icon Glitchy mobile app
  • Cons icon Not ideal for large organizations and enterprise-level businesses

Star Rating

/ 5.0



humanity.png

Humanity is an online appointment scheduling software that offers various tools and features, such as time clock, shift rules, certification tracking, and integrations with popular human resources (HR) and payroll software. It’s ideal for any small to medium-sized business that needs assistance making schedules and communicating with employees.

Key Features

  • Robust scheduling tools for setting up recurring events, such as weekly or daily meetings.
  • Integrates with multiple applications and HCM platforms, like Oracle, Workday, and BambooHR + Humanity.
  • Automated scheduling software powered by predictive rule-based scheduling technology.
  • Budgeting tool and conflict engine that allows you to track labor costs and optimize your schedule.

Pricing

Humanity appointment scheduling software has three pricing plans:

  • Starter plan ($3 per user per month): Includes cloud-based employee scheduling, an administrative dashboard, shift trade, time-off management, mobile access, and more
  • Classic plan ($4 per user per month): Includes everything in the Starter plan, plus auto-fill scheduling software, real-time labor costs and budgeting, reporting and analytics, compliance tools, and more
  • Enterprise plan (pricing varies): Includes everything in the Classic plan, plus demand-based scheduling software, open API access, HCM integration, and more

How To Set Up An Account

To set up your Humanity account, go to the website and click “Create Account.” You will enter your email address, company name, and location. Next, you’ll have the option of getting a 30-day trial or signing up for a monthly subscription plan.

Pros

  • Pros icon User-friendly interface and top-rated mobile application
  • Pros icon Customized templates that help to streamline work
  • Pros icon Supportive customer care

Cons

  • Cons icon No free plan is available
  • Cons icon No team communication function
  • Cons icon Expensive paid plans


acuity.png

Acuity Scheduling is a powerful online appointment scheduling software that works well for small businesses and entrepreneurs that rely on client appointments. The scheduling software is easy to use and includes two main interfaces: a custom booking page for clients and a dashboard for you to manage bookings.
You can set up new appointments with clients, confirm appointments, and even cancel appointments, all from within the app. Acuity Scheduling also allows you to set up notifications for new customer bookings and automatic reminders for existing ones. This will help avoid the back and forth emails often required when maintaining client relationships.

Key Features

  • Acuity Scheduling has a ton of integrations with key business apps and online payment systems, like Stripe, Square, PayPal, and more.
  • Mobile app that lets you manage your schedule from multiple locations.
  • Built-in tools for tracking attendance and monitoring productivity.
  • Customized scheduling app where clients can easily view real-time availability and self-schedule their own appointments.

Pricing

Acuity Scheduling offers three main pricing tiers that cater to companies of all sizes:

  • Emerging ($14 per month): Includes 1 staff member, client self-scheduling software, unlimited appointments, payment processing, integrations, and automatic reminders
  • Growing ($23 per month): Includes everything in Emerging, plus: 6 staff members, text message reminders, appointment packages, and options to sell subscriptions, memberships, and gift certificates
  • Powerhouse ($45 per month): Includes everything in Growing, plus: 36 staff members and multiple time zones for different staff/locations

Acuity Scheduling also offers a 7-day free trial for all plans.

How To Set Up An Account

Acuity Scheduling is a great online appointment scheduling tool and setting up a new account is quick and easy. First, sign up for an account on the Acuity Scheduling website and select your pricing plan. Then, download the app onto your computer or mobile device. Open up the app and enter your username and password. Finally, you will need to enter some personal information to complete your profile.

Pros

  • Pros icon Affordable pricing plans, with a 7-day free trial offer for each plan.
  • Pros icon Intuitive, easy-to-use interface.
  • Pros icon Award-winning customer service and top-rate customer satisfaction.

Cons

  • Cons icon No option to create a no-show fee for sudden cancellations.
  • Cons icon Limited customizations for lower-tier plans.
  • Cons icon The app can malfunction occasionally.

Star Rating

/ 5.0



quickbooks.png

QuickBooks Time (formerly known as TSheets) is an excellent appointment scheduling and time tracking software. It includes options for scheduling tasks, geofencing, and project billing. While perfect for existing QuickBooks and QuickBooks Payroll users, the appointment scheduling app also integrates with various accounting, project management, and payroll systems like Asana and ADP.
Learn More: Best Project Management Software

Key Features

  • Time tracking tools for employees to clock in or clock out, take a break or add timesheet details immediately.
  • Time clock mobile app to track, submit, and approve employee time.
  • Scheduling software to build employee schedules according to jobs or shifts. All schedules are shareable among internal teams.
  • Robust project management and geofencing technology to see project statuses and set geofence boundaries and automatic reminders.
  • Real-time, interactive reports that give valuable business insight on job costs, payroll, and opportunities to improve profitability.
  • Integrations with major accounting or payroll software, which automatically syncs time tracking data for accurate invoicing.

Pricing

QuickBooks Time is a powerful employee tracking and appointment scheduling software that offers two main plans, including:

  • Premium Plan ($8 per user per month): Includes basic time tracking and attendance features
  • Elite Plan ($20 per user per month): Includes real-time project collaboration and time tracking tools like milage tracking, project estimates, timesheet signatures, etc.

Both plans offer a 30-day free trial to test the software.

How To Set Up An Account

QuickBooks Time is an excellent app for scheduling appointments. To set it up, simply download QuickBooks Time from the App Store or Google Play. Click “Create an Account” at the bottom of the login screen, fill out some basic information about yourself, and click “Create Account.” Once you’re logged in, click on “My Schedule” to get started.

Pros

  • Pros icon GPS tracking and geofencing features
  • Pros icon Integrates directly with other QuickBooks apps, as well as 3rd-party accounting and payroll software
  • Pros icon Accessible on all web-based and mobile devices

Cons

  • Cons icon Lacks calendar sync integrations and customizations
  • Cons icon Limited plan options
  • Cons icon Facial recognition is required when logging in

Star Rating

/ 5.0



simplybook.png

SimplyBook is one of the best appointment scheduling software to create, manage and grow your business. It offers a complete solution to automate scheduling and managing appointments.
With this top appointment scheduling software, you get custom features and intelligent tools to book appointments with ease. This includes intake forms, email reminders, social media integrations, invoices and online payments, and an intuitive online booking system.

Key Features

  • Dynamic booking and business management solutions, with custom features to attract new clients and nurture existing ones.
  • Options to accept appointments via your Facebook page and Instagram profile.
  • Tailored reminders before customer appointments, with an option to charge a deposit upfront and reduce last-minute cancellations.
  • Booking software that's compatible across multiple channels, including your booking page, website, Facebook, Instagram or Google Business Profile.
  • Appointment scheduling for employees, services, and opening times across multiple locations.
  • Tools to sell memberships, classes, events, tickets, and waiting lists.
  • Customizable client intake forms, with options to request texts, drop-down or date responses, as well as files or image uploads.

Pricing

SimplyBook offers four main plans, where the price is based on booking volume, staff logins, and the number of features you can select. All plans come with an online booking page and business website.

  • Free plan: 50 bookings, 5 staff logins, and 1 custom feature
  • Basic plan ($9.90 per month): 100 bookings, 15 staff logins, 3 custom features, coupons and gift cards, and a POS system
  • Standard plan ($29.90 per month): 500 bookings, 25 staff logins, 8 custom features, and HIPAA compliance tools
  • Premium plan ($59.90 per month): 2,000 bookings, 50 staff logins, unlimited custom features, and an appointment scheduler branding removal

How to Set Up An Account

Setting up a SimplyBook account is easy and fast. First, you’ll need to download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play. After that, you can sign up for an account. Once you’ve created your account, you can set up your first appointment. SimplyBook will walk you through the process to ensure your schedule is organized and running smoothly.

Pros

  • Pros icon Booking page and business website included in all plans
  • Pros icon Several social media integrations, including a Facebook page
  • Pros icon Free, basic plan available

Cons

  • Cons icon Limited appointment slots across all plans
  • Cons icon Lacks calendar sync integrations for iCloud and Exchange
  • Cons icon Basic features are purchased as an add-on

Star Rating

/ 5.0



hubspot.png

HubSpot Meetings is a meeting scheduler tool that’s ideal for sales and customer service teams that juggle a full calendar. This scheduling app was designed with small to mid-sized businesses in mind. It provides tools that help to reduce busy work and boost meeting efficiently and with flexibility.
With a variety of customization features, all appointment scheduling app solutions are tailored to your exact needs. HubSpot Meetings keeps the scheduling process simple and ensures no client falls through the cracks.

Key Features

  • Team collaboration tools to set up individual ou in group.
  • Integrations with many popular eCommerce platforms like Shopify, Magento, and WooCommerce, along with multiple calendars like Gmail, Outlook, and Office365.
  • International meeting scheduling tools that automatically sync with everyone's time zones.
  • Custom appointment booking links for prospects and automatic email sequences throughout your sales funnel.
  • Live chat tools to connect directly with clients when they’re actively engaging on your website.
  • Customizable reports and dashboards with shareable high-level and granular business metrics.
  • Sales automation workflows that rotate leads, create tasks, and queue up a list of sales calls.

Pricing

HubSpot Meetings is one of the best appointment scheduling software on the market, and it’s also one of the most affordable. The platform offers two pricing plans: a free plan and a starter plan.

  • Free plan: Includes one personalized meeting link, unlimited meetings, HubSpot’s free-forever CRM integration, and the ability to embed a calendar on your website.
  • Starter plan ($50/month): All of HubSpot Sales paid features are included, as well as 1,000 personal and team meeting connections.

How To Set Up An Account

Before getting started with HubSpot Meetings, you must first create a HubSpot account. You’ll enter some basic information and choose which plan is right for you. You will also be prompted to choose which project type(s) your team has (if any). This includes: Project Management, Marketing Strategy, Sales Training, etc. If unknown, you can leave this field blank.

Pros

  • Pros icon All-in-one software for email tracking, live chats, calling, sales automation, reporting, etc.
  • Pros icon Robust integrations that seamlessly connect with G-Suite, Gmail, Outlook, and Office 365
  • Pros icon Free plan available

Cons

  • Cons icon Limited appointment reminders and rescheduling options
  • Cons icon Difficult not to use as an all-in-one solution
  • Cons icon Templates are hard to modify

Star Rating

/ 5.0



tidycal.png

TidyCal is a software company that focuses on simplifying appointment scheduling for businesses. This online scheduling tool is convenient, easy to use, and affordable.
TidyCal is designed specifically for small businesses and entrepreneurs who want a simple, stress-free way to book and schedule meetings. The software makes appointment scheduling easy with calendar integrations, custom booking pages, and various customizations.

Key Features

  • Email reminders for staff and appointment reminders for clients.
  • Easy-to-use interface that lets clients schedule appointments quickly with just a few clicks.
  • You can see which clients have been waiting a long time for an appointment.
  • Integrates with most popular calendar apps, including Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook.
  • It comes with a mobile app that allows employees to book appointments on the go or when working remotely.

Pricing

TidyCal has reasonable pricing compared to other cloud-based appointment scheduling software options.

  • Free plan: Unlimited booking per month, unlimited booking types, 1 calendar connection, and integrations with Google Calendar, Office 365 Calendar, and Apple Calendar
  • Lifetime plan: $29 single payment: Includes everything in the Free plan, plus: 10 calendar connections, group and paid bookings, integrations with Zoom, Google Meet, and Zapier

How To Set Up An Account

You can set up a TidyCal account in just a few minutes. First, go to the website and click on the “Sign Up Free Now” button. Provide your name, email address, password, and security question details and click on the “Create Account” button.
After creating an account, you will be taken to your “Dashboard”. This is where you will find all the details related to your account, including your profile, billing, and invoicing information. You can edit these details at any time.

Pros

  • Pros icon Intuitive interface and user-friendly software with no learning curve.
  • Pros icon Built-in calendar to create appointments without having to switch between different applications
  • Pros icon Syncs with other programs such as Gmail, Outlook, and Google Calendar

Cons

  • Cons icon Limited features for a scheduling software
  • Cons icon Limited plans
  • Cons icon Confusing website that lacks information

Star Rating

/ 5.0

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Appointment Scheduling Software?

Appointment scheduling software is a program that helps to automatically and conveniently book client appointments. Using this type of software can improve the customer experience and company efficiency to book appointments.

Does Scheduling Software Integrate with Other Platforms?

Most scheduling software options are designed to seamlessly fit into your existing operations and platforms. This way it can provide maximum efficiency and minimal disruption. For example, it may integrate with various accounting, marketing, communication, and project management software.

Is Appointment Scheduling Software Hard To Learn?

Because most scheduling software apps are customer-facing, they’re generally simple, intuitive platforms that are easy to learn and use.

How Much Does Appointment Scheduling Software Cost?

Just like all software, there are both expensive and more affordable options out there. For the most part, scheduling tools are relatively affordable compared to other types of software. Companies generally offer tiered plans, so that you’re not paying for more features and functions than you need.

Bottom Line

When it comes to choosing software for scheduling appointments, it’s important to consider what’s best for your business and its needs. Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or oversee a large-scale business, the main factors to evaluate are price, appointment booking features, client management tools, customization capabilities, and ease of use.
You want a booking software that seamlessly fits into your day-to-day tasks and adds value across many areas of the business. A quality appointment scheduling software won’t just make your life easier, it will also provide a positive impact on your business. 

>