It’s no secret that most of us live hectic lives. Our daily schedules are overflowing with all kinds of activities, and keeping track of everything is becoming more and more challenging.
What if I told you that it doesn’t have to be that way?
The primary purpose of technology is to make our lives easier, and appointment scheduling software tools can do that. Whether you’re running a small business or an international enterprise, you can benefit from an appointment scheduling program.
By implementing a free or paid appointment scheduling tool, you can rest assured that you’ll receive notifications about all of your upcoming appointments on time.
EDITORS’ CHOICE
To help, we have listed the ten best appointment scheduling software and apps below.
Top 10 appointment scheduling apps
These ten solutions are undoubtedly the best options if you’d like to introduce an appointment scheduling app into your company. Browse their core features and quickly find the perfect software for you.
- Square Appointments Best option overall
- TimeTap Excellent customization options
- Zoho Bookings Synchronization with other tools
- SimplyBook Flexible pricing and features
- Setmore Unlimited bookings
- Acuity Scheduling Ideal for beginners
- Picktime Well-rounded free booking software
- Appointy Perfect for workflow automation
- Calendar Free AI-powered software
- Appointlet Unlimited bookings and customizability
Square Appointments — Best option overall
If you have heard about Square, you probably know that it is a popular payment processor. This company has also created its own scheduling app: Square Appointments. However, Square didn’t just launch a scheduling app that integrated with Square’s other services. They also launched the best app currently available on the market.
By using Square’s payment processor, Square Appointments users can charge customers for their appointments directly through the app. They can also charge no-show and late cancellation fees to ensure that all customers take their appointments seriously.
Additionally, users can easily manage their schedule on the go by using the iOS or Android Square app. Furthermore, customers can easily book their appointments by accessing your calendar. Setting up recurring meetings is also an option for those interested in regular services.
All of these features make Square Appointments the best option overall if you’re looking to invest in a scheduling app that can respond to all your business needs.
Key features
- Free plan – with both free and paid plans, Square Appointments is a winning solution for every budget.
- Square Payment integration – receive all of your appointment payments directly from the app.
- Google and Instagram integration – allows users to book appointments via Google Calendar and advertise their services at the same time.
- Recurring appointments – permit your clients to set up regular meetings for better convenience.
- No-show and late payment fees – don’t let your bottom line suffer if customers cancel their appointments too late or don’t show up at all.
- Location pricing – enjoy a more affordable pricing plan for businesses with four or more users.
Pricing
There are three available pricing plans from Square Appointments. They are unique because they’re not user-based but location-based.
Free plan
- Free of charge
The Free plan is available for businesses with one location. It comes with Square’s fundamental features, such as Android or iOS mobile app access, automated appointment reminders, recurring payments, and customizable availability.
Plus
- $29 per month
The Plus plan is for businesses with several locations, which is ideal for retailers, restaurants, and other appointment-based businesses. Along with all of the Free plan features, it includes Google Calendar sync, automated appointment confirmations, and daily appointment limits.
Premium
- Custom
The Premium plan is a custom approach to your unique business needs and comes with custom pricing. It includes several other features, such as resource management, customizable permissions, different wage rates, and staff commissions. It’s ideal for companies with larger teams and more complex booking requirements.
TimeTap — Excellent customization options
TimeTap is one of the most powerful online scheduling tools with some of the best customization options available. With its leading features, the app easily streamlines the appointment booking process and allows organizations to offer the ultimate client-focused approach.
Because of its numerous customization options, TimeTap caters primarily to medium and large companies that need advanced tools to navigate and manage their time. Most features are automated, meaning users don’t have to enter the required information manually each time.
Key features
- Multiple pricing plans – from Starter to Enterprise, you can choose from various pricing plans.
- Intuitive interface – easy-to-use, intuitive interface that is perfect for both beginner and advanced users.
- Mobile-friendly design – allow your customers to book appointments whenever, wherever, with mobile compatibility.
- HIPAA and GDPR compliance – rest assured that all of your data is safe and secure with HIPAA and GDPR protection.
- Responsive tech support – friendly and helpful customer support team is available to offer assistance.
Pricing
TimeTap offers three different subscription plans, both for individual users and companies.
Starter
- Free of charge
The Starter plan offers basic scheduling features, such as an unlimited number of clients and appointments, alongside standard email customer support. One person can use the Starter plan for one location.
Professional Solo
-
$24.95 per month
$22.45 per month if billed annually
The Professional Solo plan covers one staff member and one location
Professional Team
-
$39.95 per month
$35.95 per month if billed annually
The Professional Team plan covers five staff members in five locations.
The Professional plan provides more efficiency and organization in the scheduling process. It comes with some additional features such as a two-way calendar sync, customizable reports, custom pre-booking forms, and private service schedulers.
Business Solo
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$44.95 per month
$40.45 per month if billed annually
The Solo plan is designed for one person and one location.
Business Team
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$74.95 per month
$67.45 per month if billed annually
The Team plan accommodates up to five people and five locations.
If you’re looking for more features from TimeTap, the Business plan is a strong choice. It includes integrations with other platforms, custom reports and security levels, translations, and more.
Enterprise
- Custom
TimeTap offers the Enterprise plan for large companies that need customized scheduling tailored to their needs.
Zoho Bookings — Synchronization with other tools
Zoho Bookings is another outstanding choice for appointment scheduling software. It’s one of the many platforms from Zoho’s cloud-based solutions and comes with some fantastic features.
The most impressive feature is the synchronization available with other tools. Zoho Bookings users can synchronize their Zoho appointments with Google, Office 365, and Outlook. Users can even access online appointments using Zoho Meeting or Zoom.
Key features
- Competitive pricing plans – although you can use Zoho for free, its paid plans are offered at competitive price points.
- Customizable working hours – easily mark your time off or add additional hours to your regular schedule.
- Reasonable scheduling window – avoid receiving appointment requests too early or too late.
- Deposits and partial payments – reduce the number of canceled appointments by introducing deposits and partial payments.
- Seamless cross-platform integration – integrate all of your data with other popular platforms available for your business.
Pricing
There are three different pricing plans at Zoho Bookings.
Free plan
- Free of charge
For the most basic needs, users can choose the Free plan. It includes notification emails, calendar synchronization, and online meetings.
Basic
-
$8 per staff/month
$6 per staff/month if billed annually
The Basic plan offers everything available with the Free one. It also includes Zapier integration, customizable email notifications, reports on appointments and staff, mobile apps for staff and admin use, and much more.
Premium
-
$12 per staff/month
$9 per staff/month if billed annually
The Premium plan covers all of the features of the Basic one and many additional ones, including online payments, three workspaces, reports on revenue, booking of resources, and customizable templates.
SimplyBook — Flexible pricing and features
SimplyBook is one of the top scheduling apps currently on the market. Its HIPAA compliance and unique inclusion of admin and client apps make it a leading appointment scheduling solution for businesses operating in countless industries.
Flexible features and pricing plans make this platform unique, allowing SimplyBook users to enjoy this highly customizable solution.
Key features
- Free plan – SimplyBook is one of the few platforms that offers a free plan for up to five users.
- Simple scheduling – accept online bookings at all times and allow clients to book using other platforms.
- Highly customizable features – make the most of this versatile scheduling application by customizing all of its features.
- Facebook, Instagram, and Google integration – let your customers book appointments and make payments using some of the most popular online networks.
- Admin app – stay on top of your business using the unique Admin app.
Pricing
If you’re interested in using SimplyBook, there are four different pricing plans, including a free version.
Free plan
- Free of charge
Free plan users are limited to five users and 50 bookings per month. Users can manage their calendars and bookings via the app. They can also add calendar scheduling, social media platforms, and websites.
Basic
-
$9.90 per month
$8.25 per month if billed annually
The Basic plan offers some additional features for users. Companies have access for 15 users and 100 bookings per month. They can also offer special coupons and gift cards to their clients. Clients can also use the client app to manage their accounts.
Standard
-
$29.90 per month
$24.90 per month if billed annually
The Standard plan allows for 25 users and 500 bookings per month. It’s also HIPAA-compliant.
Premium
-
$59.90 per month
$49.90 per month if billed annually
The Premium plan allows for 50 users and 2,000 bookings per month. This plan also comes with a link removal feature, so that it’s easier to manage calendar listings.
Setmore — Unlimited bookings
Setmore is a feature-rich scheduling app that offers free and paid pricing plans. However, Setmore differs from other software solutions on this list because it allows its users unlimited bookings even while using the free version.
That’s right, you can enjoy unlimited bookings without paying a dime, which makes Setmore a winning solution if your business is on a budget but needs to manage a high volume of appointments.
Key features
- Unlimited appointments – regardless of your chosen plan, there are no limits to how many meetings users can schedule with Setmore.
- Cost-effective pricing plans – even if you opt for a paid plan, the prices are more competitive than those of similar apps.
- Custom booking page – create your booking page and accept bookings 24/7.
- Class booking – determine the host, duration, and price of your group appointment.
- Staff scheduling – allow your staff members to customize their schedules.
Pricing
Three pricing plans currently exist at Setmore, all available with monthly and annual billing.
Free plan
- Free of charge
The Free plan at Setmore comes with some basic features, such as payment reminders, payments with Square, and unlimited appointments. This plan caters to up to four users.
Premium
-
$12 per user/month
$5 user/month if billed annually
The Premium plan caters to up to two users. It includes everything from the Free plan as well as additional features such as two-way calendar sync, Stripe and Paypal payment processing, SMS reminders, and more.
Pro
-
$9 per user/month
$5 user/month if billed annually
If you like the Premium plan, but you’re working with a bigger team, then the Pro plan is for you. It offers everything from the Premium one but accommodates teams of three users or more.
Acuity Scheduling — Ideal for beginners
This solution is a great choice if you’re on the hunt for a simple appointment scheduling app that doesn’t come with too many options or complex features. Acuity Scheduling is a straightforward scheduling solution with all of the essential functionalities that you need.
This software solution is easy to set up and use, which is why it’s perfect for beginners. If you don’t want your employees or clients to become frustrated due to complicated software, go with Acuity Scheduling.
Key features
- Easy to set up and use – the most significant advantage of this app is its seamless setup process and navigation, both for businesses and their clients.
- Professional interface – just because it’s easy to use doesn’t mean that the app doesn’t feature a professional and clean interface.
- Integrated reminder system – the platform will remind you about all upcoming appointments on time.
- Automatic calendar syncing – this scheduling app will sync all of your calendars automatically so that you always stay in the know.
- Free trial version – regardless of your chosen plan, a seven-day free trial version is available.
Pricing
Are you interested in trying Acuity Scheduling? You can choose from these three pricing plans.
Emerging
-
$15 per month
$14 per month if billed annually
The Emerging plan is available to one person and includes essential features like unlimited appointments, client self-scheduling, online meetings, and Stripe, Square, and PayPal payments.
Growing
-
$25 per month
$23 per month if billed annually
Along with features from the Emerging plan, the Growing plan supports you with text message reminders, memberships and gift certificates, and special appointment packages. It caters to up to six users.
Powerhouse
-
$50 per month
$45 per month if billed annually
The Powerhouse plan allows users to access multiple time zones for different locations. It is also HIPAA-compliant and caters to up to 36 users.
Picktime — Well-rounded free booking software
Whether you’re an educational institution looking to organize online classes or a salon that offers online appointment scheduling, you’ll certainly benefit from the services available at Picktime. This solution is well-rounded free booking software that helps businesses maintain hassle-free bookings and increase efficiency.
Key features
- Streamlined appointment scheduling – customers can submit their online bookings 24/7, and users can manage them easily.
- Paying made simple – take both cash and card payments to make paying easier for your clients.
- Invoice generation – keep all of your bookings, invoices, and refunds in one place.
- Team management – gain insight into your team’s bookings, schedule, and days off.
- Recurring bookings – let your customers set up recurring appointment slots.
Pricing
Choose from one of the three pricing plans available from Picktime.
Free plan
- Free of charge
Go with the Free plan for essential features such as unlimited appointments, online booking, email notifications, and over eight powerful integrations. It’s available to three team members in two locations.
Starter
-
$ 9.99 per month
$ 99.90 per year
The Starter plan is also available to three team members in two locations. However, it includes additional features that allow you to merge contacts, set up recurring bookings, track attendance, and integrate with more than 15 third-party solutions.
Pro
-
$ 19.99 per month
$ 199.90 per year
The Pro plan is available to 20 team members in unlimited locations. It comes with special courses, packages, and deals. It also includes over 100 powerful integrations.
Appointy — Perfect for workflow automation
The Appointy online appointment scheduling software is an outstanding choice for workflow automation and optimization of business management. This program has everything that a company needs to manage its activities and grow. Not only is Appointy easy to use, but it’s also quite powerful. In addition, it comes with some excellent integrations.
Key features
- Available to all business sectors – from health and wellness to education and retail, all business sectors can benefit from Appointy.
- Simple appointment process – making an appointment via Appointy is easy and fast.
- Unlimited services – there are no appointment and service limitations for users of the paid plans.
- Personalized experiences – understand your customers better and offer them customized experiences.
- Excellent customer support – get in touch with customer support and resolve any issues in record time.
Pricing
Appointy provides its users with four different plans.
Free plan
- Free of charge
Free plan users are limited to 100 appointments each month, but they receive automatic reminders, website integration, and access to a mobile app.
Growth
-
$29.99 per month
$19.99 per month if billed annually
Growth plan users have access to live chat and email support. They can enjoy Google Calendar, Stripe, Paypal, and Authorize.NET integrations. Also, they can schedule up to 2,000 appointments per day.
Professional
-
$59.99 per month
$49.99 per month if billed annually
Professional plan users have even more freedom. They can give away gift certificates and allow for resource scheduling.
Enterprise
-
$99.99 per month
$79.99 per month if billed annually
If you’d like to remove Appointy branding and develop some custom features, select the Enterprise plan.
Calendar — Free AI-powered software
When discussing the best software tools and solutions, it’s easy to forget some of the most popular and reliable options. Google Calendar is free AI-powered software available to everyone and has basically everything you might look for in an appointment scheduling app.
Key features
- Free-to-use features – since Google offers most of its features for free, you don’t have to pay anything for a fully-functional scheduling tool.
- A well-known platform with many users – everyone knows how to use Google’s services, so customers won’t have trouble creating an appointment.
- Lightweight and responsive design – the calendar is minimalistic, so it doesn’t overwhelm its users and their devices.
- Easy organization of multiple calendars – easily maintain several calendars simultaneously and allow Google to access them.
- Integration with other services by Google – make the most of Google by integrating the calendar with other Google services.
Pricing
Google Calendar is entirely free to use. It doesn’t come with a paid version, so everyone can easily access its scheduling features.
Free plan
- Free of charge
Appointlet — Unlimited bookings and customizability
Last but not least, Appointlet is another app that aims to simplify your online scheduling. The primary goal of Appointlet is to make the scheduling process quick and easy because no one should waste a lot of time making an appointment. Appointlet aims to bring you more customers with an optimized booking process.
Key features
- Manual request approval – accept or decline every appointment request manually.
- Customize your schedule – insert days off and breaks to control your appointments.
- Avoid double bookings – allow Appointlet to check your calendar before confirming a new appointment.
- Numerous seamless integrations – enjoy Appointlet together with many apps you already love and use.
- Showcase your brand identity – add your brand’s name, logo, and colors.
Pricing
Free plan
- Free of charge
The Free plan doesn’t come with any user and meeting limitations. You can also customize your forms and integrate other apps with Appointlet.
Premium
-
$10 per member/month
$8 per member/month if billed annually
If you decide to choose the Premium plan, you can manually confirm bookings, collect payments, set automatic reminders, integrate with Zapier, and much more.
Enterprise
- Custom
With its priority customer support, regular account reviews, and sophisticated security measures, the Enterprise plan is ideal for larger businesses.
How to choose your scheduling software
Now that you’ve learned more about the top ten appointment scheduling apps, you’re probably wondering how to select the one that will work best for your company. By following these tips, you’ll make the right choice.
Compare costs and features
The first thing that you need to do is to compare the available features with the monthly or annual costs. As you can see, scheduling software tools come at different price points and also include various functionalities. You’ll want to choose a solution that offers more valuable features at a lower price.
Protections against no-shows
People who cancel their appointment too late or who don’t show up are harming your business because you could fill up their slot with a new booking. That’s why you should always choose scheduling apps that protect you from no-shows by requesting a deposit fee from your clients.
Excellent UI and UX
User interface and user experience are vital when choosing the best scheduling solution. With excellent UI and UX features, your customers can enjoy an easy, fast, and seamless booking process that will motivate them to return and become your regular clients.
Support quality
Sooner or later, technical issues with scheduling software will occur. Your customers probably won’t be able to book appointments during those periods.
When this happens, you’ll want easy access to a customer support team that will do everything to resolve your issue as quickly as possible. For that reason, you should always consider support quality when choosing the best scheduling solution.
Integrations
Nothing screams efficiency and ease of use louder than integrations. Integrations allow you and your clients to book appointments quickly and conveniently using other tools and networks. The more integrations that a scheduling program offers, the better.
Booking on social media
Booking appointments via social media platforms is another highly-recommended feature that every quality scheduling software should offer. Since people worldwide use social media networks, this feature is an excellent way to ensure they make an appointment at your company.
Brandable booking pages
As a company owner, you’re aware of the impact that good branding has on a business. Therefore, it’s a nice touch if scheduling software offers the possibility of branding booking pages. Then, you can insert your company name, logo, and colors and make the booking process reflect your brand’s image.
Ease of use
No one wants to work with a complex tool that makes online booking challenging instead of easy. Choose a solution that is simple to use – your clients and customers will thank you.
Scalability
A high-quality scheduling solution can grow with your business and its needs. Because of that, you should choose a scheduling app that can adapt to your company’s needs as they appear. Scalability is an important feature that every flexible and reliable tool should have, so check before committing to a plan.
Payment processing
How your software solution processes payments can affect how and when you receive your payments. Payment processing methods can also encourage customers to book an appointment at your company or discourage them from doing so. Choose a tool that offers as many payment processing options as possible.
Best options for different needs
Every company has different needs, so there’s no single best scheduling software app that will work perfectly for every business. Most companies are looking for a scheduling app that’s free, customizable, or designed for managing a large organization. Find our suggestions for all three scenarios below.
Best for managing a large business
As companies grow from smaller local businesses to larger enterprises, they must implement some changes. Managing a large business comes with a unique set of difficulties that you can overcome with an appropriate scheduling tool by your side.
The best free option
Now that more businesses understand that a scheduling tool can be both reliable and free, more and more companies are looking to cut costs and switch to free scheduling options.
Best customization option
Businesses want to use tools that they can customize according to their unique needs and personalize for a better user experience. Feature customization is vital to customer and employee satisfaction, and organizations are always looking for better customization options.
FAQs
A scheduling app is a unique tool aiming to help companies efficiently manage appointments and bookings by allowing customers to book, reschedule, and cancel their meetings online.
The primary benefits of using scheduling software include:
– Increasing efficiency in the organization;
– Delegating the available resources accordingly;
– Keeping the staff up to date with the latest appointment changes;
– Reducing the probability of misunderstandings and conflicts; and
– Keeping track of time and attendance.
Most scheduling tools come with several pricing plans and often include a free version for everyone who would like to use only the essential features. The best free scheduling app currently available is Square Appointments.
Conclusion
As everything digitizes, including booking appointments, companies and organizations worldwide are looking for the best appointment scheduling software apps that can cater to their unique desires and needs.
Although the market is brimming with all kinds of solutions to choose from, the top ten free and paid options on this list are the best currently available.
