Best Appointment Scheduling Apps Compared
There are dozens of scheduling apps. Calendly, Acuity, SavvyCal, SimplyBook.me, Setmore — the list goes on. But most of them were built for one thing: booking a time slot. They assume you already have a website, a storefront, and a way to showcase what you offer. If you're still figuring out what an online booking page should look like, start with our guide to what an online booking page is.
If you're a service professional — hairstylist, massage therapist, personal trainer, tattoo artist — a plain scheduling link isn't enough. Your clients need to see your services, understand your pricing, feel your brand, and then book. That's a different problem than scheduling a sales call, and it needs a different tool.
How we evaluated
We compared eight appointment scheduling apps across the criteria that matter most to service professionals: ease of setup, ability to showcase services with prices, client booking experience, team scheduling, integrations, and cost. We created accounts, set up mock service menus, and tested the booking flow from a client's perspective for each tool.
Full disclosure: radiusHQ is included in this list. We've tried to be objective — including honest trade-offs — so you can pick the right tool for your practice.
The short list
- Best overall (storefront + booking): radiusHQ
- Best for enterprise meetings: Calendly
- Best for complex intake forms: Acuity Scheduling
- Best for simple one-on-one: SavvyCal
- Best for retail + services: Square Appointments
- Best free option: Setmore
1. radiusHQ
Visit →Best for: Service pros who want a storefront + booking
Pricing: Free – $79/mo
Pros
- + Branded storefront with booking
- + Service catalog with pricing
- + No client sign-up
- + Free for solo
- + Automated reminders
Cons
- − Newer platform
- − No native payment processing
2. Calendly
Visit →Best for: Sales calls, internal meetings, enterprise teams
Pricing: Free – $16+/seat/mo
Pros
- + Mature platform
- + Widely known
- + Good CRM integrations
- + Reliable
Cons
- − No storefront or service catalog
- − Per-seat pricing adds up
- − Not designed for service pros
3. Acuity Scheduling
Visit →Best for: Squarespace users, intake-form-heavy practices
Pricing: Free – $27+/mo + per calendar
Pros
- + Custom intake forms
- + Gift certificates
- + Class/package sales
Cons
- − Steep learning curve
- − Dated UI
- − Expensive with multiple calendars
4. SavvyCal
Visit →Best for: Freelancers, one-on-one scheduling
Pricing: Free – $12/mo
Pros
- + Clean UI
- + Poll-based scheduling
- + Affordable
Cons
- − No team features
- − No storefront
- − No service catalog
5. SimplyBook.me
Visit →Best for: Customizable booking for varied industries
Pricing: Free – $9.90/mo
Pros
- + Highly customizable
- + Many integrations
- + Industry-specific features
Cons
- − Can be complex to configure
- − UI feels cluttered
- − Lots of features you may not need
6. Square Appointments
Visit →Best for: Retail + services hybrid businesses
Pricing: Free – $0/mo + payment processing
Pros
- + Payment processing built in
- + POS integration
- + Inventory management
Cons
- − Template-locked branding
- − Ecosystem lock-in
- − Transaction fees
7. Setmore
Visit →Best for: Budget-conscious solo pros
Pricing: Free – $5/mo
Pros
- + Affordable paid plans
- + Free tier available
- + Simple setup
Cons
- − Dated interface
- − Limited customization
- − No team features on free plan
8. Timely
Visit →Best for: Small businesses wanting modern UI
Pricing: $15–$35/mo
Pros
- + Clean, modern interface
- + Good team features
- + Client self-booking
Cons
- − No free tier
- − Limited customization compared to some
- − Less known than competitors
Final thoughts
The best scheduling app depends entirely on what kind of business you run. If you just need a link that books meetings and you work inside a company using Salesforce, Calendly is the safe bet. If you need intake forms and client management, Acuity or SimplyBook.me might work. If you're a solo service professional who wants a branded online presence that showcases your services alongside your availability, a storefront-based solution like radiusHQ is a better fit.
Whichever you choose, the most important thing is to pick one and make it easy for clients to book. The best scheduling tool is the one your clients will actually use. For a broader look at the landscape, check out our roundup of the best online scheduling tools.
Full disclosure: We built radiusHQ because we saw that most scheduling tools treat booking as a transaction, not an experience. If you're ready for a storefront that books clients for you, try it free.