Calendly vs. Acuity Scheduling: Which Booking Tool Fits a Small Business?
Calendly has a free plan and paid plans from $10 a seat. Acuity has no free plan, but paid plans from $16 a month include payments and client forms.
Both tools let clients book time with you without email back and forth. The big difference is the pricing model: Calendly charges per seat and has a free plan, while Acuity charges per plan by number of calendars and has a 7-day trial instead.
| At a glance | Calendly | Acuity Scheduling |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes: 1 event type, 1 calendar connection | No: 7-day free trial, no card required |
| Starting paid price | $10 per seat a month (Standard) | $16 a month on annual billing, $20 monthly (Starter) |
| Pricing model | Per seat | Per plan, by number of calendars |
| Calendars | Up to 6 on Standard and Teams | 1 on Starter, up to 6 on Standard, up to 36 on Premium |
| Payments | Stripe and PayPal on Standard | Stripe, Square, PayPal or Venmo on Starter |
| Text reminders | Automations and reminders on Standard | Text reminders from Standard |
| Team scheduling | Round-robin and team scheduling on Teams | Not listed on the pricing page |
| Best for | Meetings and sales teams | Appointments with paying clients |
Calendly
- Free plan with a customizable booking page
- Standard adds unlimited event types and up to 6 connected calendars
- Standard connects to HubSpot and Mailchimp, with Stripe and PayPal payments
- Teams adds round-robin and team scheduling
- Free plan allows one event type and one calendar connection
- Notetaker and Callie are paid add-ons
- Pricing page does not state whether the listed prices are billed yearly or monthly
Acuity Scheduling
- Starter includes payments via Stripe, Square, PayPal or Venmo
- Client intake forms and email reminders from the cheapest plan
- Standard adds text reminders, waitlist, packages and memberships
- Flat price per plan, not per seat
- No free plan
- Starter covers only one calendar
- AI Booking Assistant and hidden Acuity logo require Premium
Pick Calendly if you mostly schedule meetings, want to start free, or have a team that needs round-robin routing. Pick Acuity if clients pay and fill out forms when they book, such as a coach, salon or consultant, and you would rather pay one flat price than per seat. Solo owners who only need a booking link can start with Calendly's free plan and move to Acuity if they need payments and intake forms.
Prices and features checked November 8, 2026 from each company's own site. They change often, so confirm before you buy. We are not paid by either company.
- Calendly pricing (Calendly)
- Acuity Scheduling pricing (Acuity Scheduling)
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