Appointment scheduling software lets clients schedule meetings, classes, or appointments on a business’s booking page or website. Service-based businesses especially rely on appointment scheduling software, but it’s also important for sales and marketing teams in B2B companies. The best appointment scheduling software has user-friendly customer-facing booking tools and powerful calendar management functions at an affordable price point.
The best appointment scheduling software are:
- 10to8: Best overall appointment scheduling software for small businesses
- Bookeo: Best for seasonal businesses needing to freeze their accounts
- Squarespace Scheduling (Acuity): Best for booking and selling appointment subscriptions, packages, and memberships through your website
- Square Appointments: Best for solo entrepreneurs needing free appointment scheduling, as well as salons and spas needing an appointment-based POS system
- SimplyBook.me: Best for small businesses that want to choose features a la carte
- Appointlet: Best for busy sales teams including SaaS startups that need a robust affordable appointment scheduler
- Picktime: Best for at-home consultants and educators needing free appointment scheduling
- Setmore: Best easy-to-use scheduler for gyms and yoga studios with multiple classes
- Chili Piper: Best for routing meetings for B2B sales teams and adding scheduling to emails
- Booker: Best high-end solution for spas and salons needing an all-in-one scheduling and management software
How We Evaluated Appointment Scheduling Software
We considered all the most important features that small businesses need in the best appointment scheduling software. Pricing is also important, although it doesn’t outweigh a robust feature set if that’s what you really need. We also looked at ease of use, customization, and whether an appointment scheduling tool can grow with your business.
At the top of our list is 10to8, which we consider the best appointment scheduling software for any small business. The provider packs all the features you could need, whether it’s booking nail appointments or demo meetings. Many manual tasks can be automated with 10to8, plus it offers customization. The icing on the proverbial cake: It offers five affordable plans, including a free plan.
Click through the tabs in the box below to view our full scoring criteria.
20% of Overall Score
We gave more credit to appointment scheduling software that gives you unlimited appointments, offers multiple affordable plans, and doesn’t lock you into a long-term contract so that the tool can grow with your business. Companies that only offer demos are penalized compared to those that offer a free trial or free plan.
40% of Overall Score
Some of the most important features of a scheduler include a booking page for customers, calendar syncing for your staff members, and the option to offer class or group appointments. We also considered whether there’s no-show management and intake form features.
20% of Overall Score
By far, the most important back-office feature of an appointment scheduler is its automation—especially for communication with customers. We heavily rewarded software that offers automated reminders via email and text. Certain businesses need payment processing integrated with appointment software, so we considered that, along with other integrations. A customer database is a nice bonus, but we didn’t score that too highly as many businesses already use a customer relationship management (CRM) platform they like.
20% of Overall Score
The top considerations in our expert score are ease of use (for the customer especially) and the customization available for each scheduler. Although we considered price in the overall score, we also looked at what you get for what you pay, scoring each scheduler based on its overall value.
10to8: Best Overall for Small Businesses
10to8
What We Like
- Robust integrations, including video
- Appropriate for any business type; offers five plans and a free option
- Highly customizable
- Accept payment through software (or invoice)
What's Missing
- Limited appointments for most plans
- No mobile app
10to8 Software Pricing
There are five plans:
- Free: All features, 100 appointments per month, two staff logins, no custom branding or phone support
- Basic ($12/month): 100 appointments per month, two staff logins, and custom branding
- Grow ($25/month): 300 appointments per month, custom branding, three staff logins, custom texts
- Bigger Business ($50/month): 300 appointments per month, six staff logins, custom branding, and custom texts
- Enterprise (custom quote): Bigger Business plan + custom appointments, custom logins, HIPAA-compliant tools, onboarding, phone support
The best appointment scheduling software for small businesses is 10to8 because of its feature-packed plans—even the free plan. You get intake forms, and you can sync with the most popular calendars and accept payments online through the scheduler. It also integrates with video software, making this an incredibly flexible appointment booking system.
In our evaluation, 10to8 scored an impressive 4.73 out of 5 because it hits almost all the marks for an excellent appointment scheduling system. There’s no long-term commitment required—you can choose a month-to-month option, but you’ll save more with an annual contract.
10to8 Features
- No-show alerts
- Integrates with all the top calendars
- Accept payments with PayPal and Stripe
- HIPAA compliance can be enabled
- Works with multiple time zones
- Includes customer management
- Customizable booking page/widget
- Branding customization available at Basic level
- Automatic text reminders available
What 10to8 Is Missing
None of the 10to8 plans offer unlimited appointments, which most appointment schedulers do. It’s the main feature that’s holding 10to8 back from a nearly perfect score. If you need unlimited appointments, consider Squarespace.
Bookeo: Best for Seasonal Businesses
Bookeo
What We Like
- Automated email and text reminders for customers and staff
- Free 30-day trial
- 15 payment processors available
- Can freeze account when not servicing
What's Missing
- Limited monthly appointments
- No free plan
- SMS reminders cost extra
Bookeo Software Pricing
All four Bookeo plans include all features:
- Solo ($14.95/month): One staff login, 200 appointments per month
- Small ($29.95/month): Three staff logins, 1,000 appointments per month
- Standard ($39.95/month): 20 staff logins, 1,000 appointments per month
- Large ($79.95/month): 40 staff logins, 2,000 appointments per month
One of the standout features that makes Bookeo ideal for seasonal businesses is that you can freeze your account during the offseason—you can’t book appointments, but you only pay 30% of your monthly fee. Though most solutions on this list have a free plan, Bookeo is the only one that has a freeze option. This is ideal for larger businesses that need many appointments and/or logins during their busy seasons, and want to retain customer and appointment information year-round.
Bookeo includes all the basic features you’d need from a scheduler such as a booking page, intake forms, and no-show management, and you can accept payments online. It syncs with all the popular calendars, and you get a client database. It scored 4.53 out of 5 in our evaluation.
Bookeo offers three different types of appointment scheduling software: Appointments, Classes & Courses, and Tours & Activities. They are similar, with just a few minor differences; we’re reviewing Bookeo Appointments.
Bookeo Features
- Integrates with Google, iCloud, and Microsoft 365 calendars
- Color-code services in your Bookeo calendar
- Staff availability management
- Automated staff email and text notifications of appointments
- Automated email and text reminders for clients
What Bookeo Is Missing
Although Bookeo offers SMS messaging, it charges credits for each one (as low as $0.09 each). It also doesn’t offer a free plan, and appointments are limited based on the plan you choose.
Despite a high overall score, Bookeo earned one of the lowest scores in the pricing category due to its lack of free plan and caps on monthly appointments. Many of the other appointment scheduling software we evaluated offer a free base plan and unlimited appointments, including Square Appointments, Setmore, and Appointlet, which earned perfect marks for pricing.
Squarespace Scheduling (Formerly Acuity): Best for Appointment Packages and Memberships
Squarespace Scheduling (formerly Acuity)
What We Like
- Unlimited appointments
- Easy to use
- HIPAA-compliant
What's Missing
- Expensive plans and no free option
- Text reminders not available on low-priced plan
- Squarespace branding on all plans except high-tier
Squarespace Scheduling Pricing
All plans include unlimited appointments and services
- Emerging ($15/month): One staff login, automated email reminders
- Growing ($25/month): Six staff logins, automated text reminders, subscriptions and gift cards
- Powerhouse ($50/month): 36 staff logins, multiple time zones for multiple locations, remove scheduler branding, custom API, HIPAA compliance
The appointment scheduler formerly known as Acuity is now called Squarespace Scheduling (the site builder acquired Acuity in 2019). We like how easy it is to use Squarespace Scheduling. Setting up services and customizing your booking site is straightforward. You get unlimited appointments, HIPAA compliance options, and you can create appointment packages (along with payment plans).
Squarespace is our top choice for the best website builder for small businesses. The new Squarespace Scheduling product offers an ideal solution for businesses wanting to add a client-facing appointment and checkout solution to their Squarespace site.
Squarespace Scheduling scores 4.5 of 5 in our evaluation. It offers all the basic features you need from one of the best appointment scheduling software picks, plus some uncommon ones, like the client tipping option and checkout addons.
Squarespace Scheduling Features
- Support classes, group appointments
- Accept digital gift certificates
- Sell subscriptions and memberships
- Offer payment plans
- Save customer payment information for recurring payments
- Support multiple time zones
- Customization and branding on all plans
- Tipping option in scheduler
- Upsell add-ons to clients when they’re paying
- Video, CRM, and invoicing integrations
What Squarespace Scheduling Is Missing
As much as we like all the Squarespace Scheduling features, it’s lacking a free plan. The paid plans are a bit pricey, too. Similar to Bookeo, Squarespace Scheduling lost the most points in the pricing evaluation because it does not have a free plan.
Squarespace’s HIPAA-compliant plan also comes with 36 logins. If you need a HIPAA-compliant appointment scheduling software for just a few users, Setmore offers a plan that is $9 per user, though it lacks intake forms and some calendar sync features.
Square Appointments: Best for Solo Entrepreneurs, Spas, and Salons
Square Appointments
What We Like
- Free for one user
- Includes automated reminders (email and text)
- Built-in POS system
- Works for classes, group appointments
- Includes customer database
What's Missing
- Limited integration options
- No video integrations
- Pricey growth plans for small business
Square Appointments Pricing
All plans include every feature.
- Individual (Free)
- Two to five users ($50/month)
- Six to 10 users ($90/month)
- Custom
Square Appointments is made for the solopreneur. There’s zero commitment, and is the only software on this list that comes with a built-in point-of-sale system and credit card processing. You can accept payments online, in-person, require credit cards or pre-payment with online booking, and send invoices.
All you pay is a transaction fee of 2.6%, plus 10 cents each time someone pays for services using a debit or credit card. The only reason to upgrade to a paid plan is if you need more than one login (and you’ll get slightly lower payment processing fees).
All of Square’s products are popular—and for good reason. Square Appointments is no exception to that rule. Aside from the robust free plan for individuals, Square offers all the basic features you would expect of a scheduler for service-based businesses. It easily scored 4.5 out of 5 in our evaluation.
Square Appointments is also our top choice for the best salon and spa POS system.
Square Appointments Features
- Accept deposits for no-show protection
- Attachments allowed on verification and confirmation emails
- Automated email and text reminders
- Supports recurring appointments
- Add booking to Facebook, Instagram, and Google
- Flat-rate and tiered commission structures for team members
- Tip management
- Mobile booking app
What Square Appointments Is Missing
The only reason Square Appointments is farther down on this list is because it isn’t great with integrations. It connects all of its own products, but there’s no video software integration; if you need this, take a look at Picktime—it’s also free. Setmore and Appointlet also offer video chat integration.
You also have to use Square payment processing, whereas SimplyBook.me integrates with many payment processors, which is ideal if you already have a merchant account.
Another drawback of using Square Appointments is that it syncs only with Google Calendar. If you need a scheduler that syncs with Outlook or Apple, try 10to8.
SimplyBook.me: Best for A La Carte Features
SimplyBook.me
What We Like
- Free plan available
- Unlimited added features on top-tier plan
- Booking site and widget for all plans
- Basic plan supports up to five users
What's Missing
- Limited appointments on all plans
- No app for clients on free plan
- Many basic features only available as "custom features"
SimplyBook.me Pricing
All plans include a booking site and widget:
- Free: 50 bookings, five staff logins, a single custom feature
- Basic ($9.90/month): 100 bookings, 15 staff logins, three custom features, coupons and gift cards, and a POS system
- Standard ($29.90/month): 500 bookings, 25 staff logins, eight custom features, and HIPAA compliance feature
- Premium ($59.90/month): 2,000 bookings, 50 staff logins, unlimited custom features, and scheduler branding removal
SimplyBook.me is a basic appointment scheduling software with a unique pricing structure. While a basic booking site and widget are included with each plan, features like intake forms, custom settings for each service provider, and appointment reminders are considered custom add-ons.
SimplyBook.me offers many features to help you book appointments from multiple places (local Google results, your site, social media), send automated reminders through email and text, and collect client info through intake forms. The catch is, you’re limited to how many custom features you can add to your plan.
SimplyBook.me doesn’t require a long-term commitment, but you’ll get a better price if you opt for an annual contract. It has almost every feature you could want from an appointment scheduling tool (including multiple integrations, calendar syncing, client reviews on your booking site), and you can accept payments through the scheduler. It earned 4.38 out of 5 in our evaluation.
SimplyBook.me Features
- Customize your booking site, including custom CSS options
- Add custom services
- Display client reviews on booking site
- Dozens of payment processors allowed
- Facebook and Instagram booking
- Issue tickets
- Intake forms and SOAP notes
- Accept payments and deposits online
- Google My Business integration
What SimplyBook.me Is Missing
SimplyBook.me doesn’t offer unlimited appointments, even at its highest-priced plan. Some features that other appointment scheduling software treat as basic are labeled “custom” and you have to choose carefully which features you want because you’re limited—unless you opt for the top-tier plan. For a similarly feature-rich scheduler that doesn’t gate the majority of its features, try 10to8.
Appointlet: Best for Sales Teams
Appointlet
What We Like
- Affordable plans for sales teams
- Unlimited appointments (all plans)
- Pooled availability (paid plans)
- Add booking link to your site, emails
What's Missing
- No text appointment reminders
- Payment through scheduler on paid plans only
Appointlet Pricing
- Free: Unlimited appointments and meeting types, calendar syncing, customize your booking site, video integrations, booking notifications, unlimited staff logins
- Premium ($10/user/month): Free plan + remove scheduler branding, automated email reminders, pool availability, Zapier integration, payment through scheduler
It seems as though Appointlet was made to be an appointment scheduling tool for startup software companies. It offers a free plan, and its single paid plan is affordable for small sales teams. On the paid plan, you can set up pooled availability, so a prospect gets more available times from which they can choose on your booking site.
In our evaluation, Appointment earned a 4.23 out of 5. Appointlet makes it easy for sales and marketing teams to gather information about prospects before an appointment for lead scoring, and then book it with the appropriate salesperson or account exec. The scheduler integrates with popular video software, so it works well for demo meetings. With the payment integration, it can also work for service-based businesses. Appointlet lost points due to lack of deposit and no-show management.
Appointlet Features
- Add your logo to booking page
- View reports on meetings, types of meetings, status, etc.
- Create private meetings (paid plan)
- Customize appointment confirmations (paid plan)
- Payment through Stripe (paid plan)
What Appointlet Is Missing
As awesome as Appointlet is for a software team that needs to connect with prospects and clients remotely, it is lacking a few features that could make it more well-rounded. There’s no automated text feature (you have to use a Zapier integration to do it), and it’s lacking no-show management, which is vital for a lot of service-based businesses. If you need those features, consider Square Appointments.
Picktime: Best for At-Home Consultants and Educators
Picktime
What We Like
- Free product
- Includes intake forms
- Works for classes, group appointments
- Integrates with multiple video software
- Accept payments through software
What's Missing
- No appointment reminders
- No growth plans
- No HIPAA compliance
Picktime Pricing
- Free: This is the only plan available. The entire product is free to use for any size team or business. However, Picktime is a relatively new software, and it mentions adding a paid plan down the road.
It’s kind of hard to believe, but Picktime is a completely free appointment scheduler (and it earned our top spot as the best free appointment scheduling software). It integrates with the biggest names in virtual meetings, including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and GoToMeeting. It’s a system that can work well for almost any type of business, but thanks to its many management tools, it’s excellent for at-home tutors, consultants, and designers.
Picktime earned a 4.18 out of 5 in our evaluation for its bevy of features to help you manage clients, staff, appointments, and payments. You can set up recurring appointments and run reports for any number of locations you have. Plus, you can send custom intake forms to clients who book with you.
Picktime Features
- Supports multiple locations in one dashboard
- Includes custom intake forms
- Payment processors: Stripe, PayPal, Square
- Set up recurring appointments
- Customer management feature
What Picktime Is Missing
As much as we like Picktime, it’s a new scheduler that isn’t quite done yet. Some vital features for any business that relies on appointments are missing, including appointment reminders and client reviews. These features are promised soon, but in the meantime, you can get these features from SimplyBook.me.
Setmore: Best for Gyms and Yoga Studios With Multiple Classes
Setmore
What We Like
- Free plan supports up to four users
- Unlimited appointments
- Works well for class bookings
- Team management features
- Accept payments using Square and Stripe
What's Missing
- Automatic email reminders limited to 100 on free plan
- No pre-appointment intake forms
Setmore Pricing
All plans include unlimited appointments, mobile app, custom booking page, and integrations for payments, CRM, and social media.
- Free: Max of four users; 100 email reminders per month.
- Premium ($12/user/month): Max of two users. Unlimited email and text reminders, custom notifications, recurring appointments, video integrations, Google and Microsoft 365 calendar syncing
- Pro ($9/user/month): Unlimited users. Includes HIPAA compliance
One of the best features of Setmore is that the free plan allows up to four staff logins. Combine that allowance with unlimited appointments and team management features, and it makes for a great appointment scheduling software for yoga studios, cooking schools, and other businesses that book classes.
To get video integrations from Setmore, you’ll have to upgrade to a paid plan, but these are fairly affordable. Setmore’s pricing setup is a little confusing, because the middle Premium plan has a max of two users. The third-tier plan, Pro, which has all of the features of Premium plus HIPAA compliance can accommodate unlimited users and has a lower price point.
Overall, to get the best of Setmore, you have to upgrade to a paid plan, which is why it scores 3.93 out of 5 in our evaluation.
Setmore Features
- Includes mobile app on all plans
- Set up recurring appointments
- HIPAA compliance on top-tier plan
- Zoom and Teleport integrations
- Supports multiple staff calendars
- Syncs with Google and Microsoft 365 calendars
- Add booking button to Facebook and Instagram profiles
What Setmore Is Missing
We were surprised to see Setmore doesn’t offer intake forms at all—most other solutions (including Picktime, 10to8, and Bookeo) offer this feature. Plus, you have to pay to get calendar or video syncing. If you need more flexible appointment scheduling software, look into the best appointment scheduling software on our list, 10to8.
Looking for a mobile app scheduler? Read our guide to the best appointment scheduling apps.
Chili Piper: Best for B2B Sales and Marketing Teams
Chili Piper
What We Like
- Add meeting times directly to emails
- Free appointment scheduler plan available
- Notifications when a client hasn’t picked a time
- Powerful integrations with Salesforce and HubSpot
- Multiple meeting routing options
What's Missing
- Scheduler lags occasionally
- Complexity of Concierge plans may be overwhelming
- Pricey paid plans
Chili Piper Pricing
There are two types of plans:
- Instant Booker: Designed for instant scheduling through email and personal booking pages. There are three plans ranging from $0 – $25 per user, per month.
- Concierge: Designed for booking demos and other appointments through web forms. Plans are $45 per user, per month plus a flat monthly fee of $225 – $1,500.
Chili Piper offers two distinct appointment scheduling solutions for businesses: Instant Booker and Concierge. Instant Booker has a free plan, which can be useful for anyone who needs to book appointments with clients. Concierge works best for sales and marketing teams that want to meet with prospects or leads.
There’s something Chili Piper does that we haven’t seen from any other appointment scheduling software (at least not as well as Chili Piper). With Instant Booker, you can embed your available times and dates in an email to someone. You still get a booking page, but the one-click scheduling saves even more time than other solutions. Chili Piper scores 3.85 out of 5 in our evaluation because it lacks a few features small businesses might need including intake forms and payment processing.
Chili Piper Features
- Two solutions: Concierge (web form scheduling) and Instant Booker (appointment scheduler in email and booking link)
- Book appointments with suggested times in emails
- Integrates with Google and Microsoft 365 calendars
- Automated email and text reminders (all plans)
- Includes meeting buffers and notifications
- Seamless integrations with Salesforce and HubSpot
- Round-robin routing available
What Chili Piper Is Missing
To be fair, Chili Piper isn’t meant for the B2C crowd, so the features it doesn’t have make sense. You won’t find payment processing supported in Chili Piper, and only Instant Booker works for a solopreneur. For a more service-based business solution, consider Bookeo.
Booker: Best for All-In-One Spa or Salon Scheduling and Management
Booker
What We Like
- Includes POS system
- Intake forms included
- Gift card and bundle management
- Automated email and text messaging
What's Missing
- Expensive plans
- No free plan or free trial
- Lacking helpful integrations
Booker Pricing
All plans include POS, inventory, staff and client management, online booking, mobile app, and gift cards.
- Starter ($129/month): 10 staff logins, 3,000 text reminders and notifications
- Accelerate ($269/month): Unlimited staff logins, unlimited two-way text reminders and notifications, custom email templates
- Ultimate ($429/month): Automated email and text marketing, client feedback requests, referral incentive plan
- Ultimate Plus ($549/month): AI-powered booking chat assistant
Booker by Mindbody is more than appointment scheduling software—it’s a whole suite of tools meant for spa and salon owners. You can set up online booking with a custom booking link and collect information before each appointment. There’s even an AI-powered chatbot that can book, cancel, or reschedule appointments for clients, but that’s on the highest-priced plan.
As full-featured as Booker is, it didn’t score as highly as its competition. There’s no free plan or even a free trial, but you can contact the company for a demo. It scored a 3.83 out of 5 in our evaluation.
Booker Features
- Mobile app
- Unlimited notifications and reminders on most plans
- Customize email templates
- Send feedback requests to clients after appointments
- Add incentives to referrals
- Get an AI-assisted chatbot for booking, rescheduling
- Accept payments through the scheduler
What Booker Is Missing
There’s no question that Booker is expensive, but as mentioned earlier, it’s a complete management system for a spa or salon. Still, with no free plan or trial, it’s hard to know if it’s right for you. Plus, there are no video integrations, so remote consultations aren’t possible. For a more affordable solution for spas and salons, if you don’t need an all-in-one system, consider 10to8.
Bottom Line
When it comes to choosing the best appointment scheduling software, you have to consider what’s best for your type of business. There are excellent options for salons, freelancers, and tour companies, and B2B businesses. As long as you have at least a booking page and calendar syncing, you can make it work.
The overall best appointment scheduling software for any business type is 10to8. It gives you all the basics you would expect from a powerful scheduler, plus it offers a free plan and affordable plans for every stage of a business’ growth.
