Best Appointment Scheduling Software in 2026
One of these is $29 once. Another is already in Microsoft 365. Calendly's free plan allows one event type. Cal.com's does not.
Calendly is free for one event type, then $10 per seat per month billed yearly ($16 on Teams). Cal.com is free forever for one user with unlimited event types; Teams is $12 per user per month billed yearly. SavvyCal has no standing free plan: Basic is $10 per user per month billed yearly, Premium $17. Microsoft Bookings is included in Microsoft 365 Business Basic at $7 per user per month (USD, from 1 July 2026), not sold on its own. TidyCal is free with unlimited booking types, or $29 once for Individual Lifetime.
Key facts5 tools compared: Calendly, Cal.com, SavvyCal, Microsoft Bookings, TidyCal
- 5 tools compared: Calendly, Cal.com, SavvyCal, Microsoft Bookings, TidyCal
- Cal.com (best for: Founders who want unlimited event types without paying, or who will self-host later): From $12/user/mo (Teams, billed yearly); free forever for one user; 14-day trial on paid plans
- SavvyCal (best for: People who care more about the invitee's calendar overlay than about a free tier): From $10/user/mo (Basic, billed yearly); no free plan; trial and 30-day money-back
- Microsoft Bookings (best for: Teams already on Microsoft 365 who only need Outlook and Teams bookings): Included from $7/user/mo (Business Basic); not sold alone; $0 extra if you already pay
Appointment scheduling software is the same product in a screenshot and five different products on an invoice. Calendly sells a seat after one event type. Cal.com gives an individual unlimited event types at $0. TidyCal sells a lifetime license.
Microsoft puts Bookings inside a suite you may already pay for. SavvyCal charges from the first link.
You are not choosing a booking page. You are choosing whether the next event type, the next teammate, or the next year costs money.
Top Picks
Based on features, real-world fit, and value for money.
The default booking link: $10 a seat once you need a second event type, and the one invitees already know how to use.
From $10/seat/mo (Standard, billed yearly); free for one event type; 14-day trial on paid plans
External meetings where the other person already expects a Calendly link
Open-source Calendly alternative: free for one user, $12 a user for a team, and you can self-host.
From $12/user/mo (Teams, billed yearly); free forever for one user; 14-day trial on paid plans
Founders who want unlimited event types without paying, or who will self-host later
The paid-from-day-one scheduler: $10 a user yearly, and the booking page lets the other person overlay their own calendar on yours.
From $10/user/mo (Basic, billed yearly); no free plan; trial and 30-day money-back
People who care more about the invitee's calendar overlay than about a free tier
| Tool | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Calendly | From $10/seat/mo (Standard, billed yearly); free for one event type; 14-day trial on paid plans | External meetings where the other person already expects a Calendly link |
| Cal.com | From $12/user/mo (Teams, billed yearly); free forever for one user; 14-day trial on paid plans | Founders who want unlimited event types without paying, or who will self-host later |
| SavvyCal | From $10/user/mo (Basic, billed yearly); no free plan; trial and 30-day money-back | People who care more about the invitee's calendar overlay than about a free tier |
| Microsoft Bookings | Included from $7/user/mo (Business Basic); not sold alone; $0 extra if you already pay | Teams already on Microsoft 365 who only need Outlook and Teams bookings |
| TidyCal | Free with unlimited booking types, or $29 once (Individual Lifetime); Pro from $12/mo | Solo operators who want unlimited booking types without a monthly seat |
Pricing read from each vendor's own pricing page, checked Sep 2026. Every vendor here publishes a price.
Calendly
The default booking link: $10 a seat once you need a second event type, and the one invitees already know how to use.
- Pricing
- From $10/seat/mo (Standard, billed yearly); free for one event type; 14-day trial on paid plans
Best for: External meetings where the other person already expects a Calendly link
Pros
- Invitees recognise the page, which cuts the 'is this a real link' pause on sales and recruiting calls
- Conflict checking across Google, Outlook, Exchange and iCloud is reliable on paid plans (six calendars)
- Teams at $16 adds round robin and Salesforce, which is the actual sales use case
Cons
- Free is one event type. The moment you add a follow-up, you are paying
- Per-seat pricing adds up for a team where only a few people take bookings
Cal.com
Open-source Calendly alternative: free for one user, $12 a user for a team, and you can self-host.
- Pricing
- From $12/user/mo (Teams, billed yearly); free forever for one user; 14-day trial on paid plans
Best for: Founders who want unlimited event types without paying, or who will self-host later
Pros
- Free for one user with unlimited event types, which is the cut Calendly uses to force an upgrade
- Teams at $12 yearly undercuts Calendly Teams at $16 for the same round-robin job
- You can self-host the same product if cloud lock-in is the reason you have not picked a vendor
Cons
- Invitees will not recognise the brand, which matters a little when the booker is a customer
- Team features (round robin, managed events, branding removal) start at the $12 plan, not Free
SavvyCal
The paid-from-day-one scheduler: $10 a user yearly, and the booking page lets the other person overlay their own calendar on yours.
- Pricing
- From $10/user/mo (Basic, billed yearly); no free plan; trial and 30-day money-back
Best for: People who care more about the invitee's calendar overlay than about a free tier
Pros
- Calendar overlay is a real difference: invitees see their own busy time while they pick a slot
- Ranked availability lets you push preferred times without hiding the rest
- Basic already includes team scheduling and round robin, which Calendly holds for Teams at $16
Cons
- No standing free plan, so you pay to find out if the overlay matters to your invitees
- Paid bookings, custom domains and branding removal sit on Premium at $17
Microsoft Bookings
Already on the Microsoft 365 invoice, from $7 a user on Business Basic, and $0 extra if you already pay.
- Pricing
- Included from $7/user/mo (Business Basic); not sold alone; $0 extra if you already pay
Best for: Teams already on Microsoft 365 who only need Outlook and Teams bookings
Pros
- No second vendor and no second seat if Business Basic or above is already paid
- Native Outlook and Teams, so the booking stays inside the tenant your IT already approved
- Staff, services and a public booking page cover the salon-and-office use case without another login
Cons
- The booking page is plainer and less familiar to people who expect Calendly
- Weak outside Microsoft: Google-first companies will fight the calendar instead of the calendar fighting for them
TidyCal
The $29 lifetime Calendly alternative: unlimited types on the free plan, and a one-time license if you need auto-created video links.
- Pricing
- Free with unlimited booking types, or $29 once (Individual Lifetime); Pro from $12/mo
Best for: Solo operators who want unlimited booking types without a monthly seat
Pros
- Free includes unlimited booking types and paid bookings, which is the opposite of Calendly's one-type cap
- $29 once for Individual Lifetime is less than three months of Calendly Standard
- Agency at $79 once adds round robin without a per-seat subscription
Cons
- Free does not auto-create Zoom, Meet or Teams links. That starts at the $29 lifetime plan
- Lifetime plans are sold through AppSumo, which is a different checkout and a different support path than a normal SaaS
What it is
Appointment scheduling software is a booking link. You connect a calendar, define meeting types (a 30-minute intro, a 15-minute follow-up), set availability rules, and send a URL. The other person picks a slot that is actually free.
A confirmation, a video link, and a reminder go out without another email thread.
The category now splits into three shapes. Per-seat cloud (Calendly, SavvyCal, Cal.com Teams) charges every host. Buy once (TidyCal Lifetime) is a one-time AppSumo license.
Bundled (Microsoft Bookings) is a line inside Microsoft 365, not a second vendor. The booking page looks similar. The bill does not.
Why it matters
The free-tier cut is where the real cost sits, and it is the number each vendor puts in the smallest type. Calendly Free allows one event type and one calendar. The week you need both an intro call and a follow-up, you are on Standard at $10 a seat.
Cal.com Free allows unlimited event types for one user. TidyCal Free allows unlimited booking types, but not auto-created Zoom or Meet links. Those are not variations on a theme.
The second cost is double-paying. A company on Microsoft 365 that also buys Calendly Teams is paying twice for the same booking job.
That can be the right call when the invitee already knows the Calendly link. It is rarely the accidental one people think they made.
Key features to look for
Pricing
Calendly, Cal.com, SavvyCal and TidyCal publish list prices, but Cal.com Enterprise is the only custom quote, and Microsoft Bookings is not sold on its own.
It is included in Microsoft 365 from $7 per user per month on Business Basic (USD, with Teams, prices from 1 July 2026), at $14 on Business Standard and $22 on Business Premium, or $0 extra if you already hold a licence.
The cheapest credible entry is free on Cal.com for one user with unlimited event types, or on TidyCal with unlimited booking types and a 1% fee on paid bookings, and TidyCal Individual Lifetime is $29 once.
Calendly's free plan allows one event type before Standard at $10 per seat per month billed yearly, and paid Calendly and Cal.com plans have a 14-day trial.
Yearly billing is the listed rate: Calendly Standard saves 17% and Teams saves 20% versus monthly, Cal.com saves 25% on Teams and Organizations, and SavvyCal Basic at $10 per user per month saves 2 months versus monthly, with a trial, a 30-day money-back and no free plan.
Costs jump at Calendly Enterprise from $15,000 a year with a 50-seat minimum, at Cal.com Organizations at $28 per user per month billed yearly, and at TidyCal Pro at $12 a month or $99 a year ($8.25 a month billed yearly), with prices checked 1 September 2026.
| Plan | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Calendly Free | Free | One event type, one calendar connection, one-on-one |
| Calendly Standard | $10/seat/mo yearly (save 17% vs monthly) | Notetaker and Callie cost extra, not in the base price |
| Calendly Teams | $16/seat/mo yearly (save 20% vs monthly) | Round robin, lead routing and Salesforce |
| Calendly Enterprise | From $15,000/year | 50-seat minimum, USD only, invitees need no seat |
| Cal.com Free | Free | One user; unlimited types, calendars; email, SMS, payments, CRM, import |
| Cal.com Teams | $12/user/mo yearly (save 25% vs monthly) | Shared availability, round robin, routing forms, no branding |
| Cal.com Organizations | $28/user/mo yearly (save 25% vs monthly) | SSO, SCIM, SOC 2, HIPAA and ISO 27001 |
| Cal.com Enterprise | Custom quote | Self-hosted open source is a separate path |
| SavvyCal Basic | $10/user/mo yearly (save 2 months) | Unlimited calendars and links, team scheduling, round robin, collective and group |
| SavvyCal Premium | $17/user/mo billed yearly | Custom domains, delegated access, paid bookings, no branding |
| Microsoft Bookings Business Basic | $7/user/mo USD, with Teams | Prices from 1 July 2026; no extra per-booking fee |
| Microsoft Bookings Business Standard | $14 | Business Standard suite price, Bookings included |
| Microsoft Bookings Business Premium | $22 | Business Premium suite price, Bookings included |
| Microsoft Bookings (other suites) | Included, $0 extra if licensed | E1, E3, E5, F1, F3, education, government, Teams Essentials and Premium |
| TidyCal Free | Free | Unlimited bookings and types, 1 calendar, 1% fee, Stripe, PayPal |
| TidyCal Individual Lifetime | $29 one-time via AppSumo | Auto Zoom, Meet and Teams links, groups, 10 calendars |
| TidyCal Agency Lifetime | $79 one-time | Round robin, collective meetings, 10 calendars, SMS in US and Canada |
| TidyCal Pro | $12/mo or $99/year ($8.25/mo yearly) | No TidyCal branding, custom domain, no platform fee |
The bottom line
Pay once or pay nothing if you can. TidyCal at $29 for Individual Lifetime, or free if you can live without auto-created video links, is the cheapest way to own a booking page. Cal.com Free is the right cloud default for one person: unlimited event types, payments, and CRM sync at $0.
Move to Cal.com Teams at $12 only when round robin is a real requirement.
Calendly at $10 a seat is the right call when the person booking already expects that link. Teams at $16 is for Salesforce and routing, not for a nicer page.
Microsoft Bookings is the correct first stop on Microsoft 365. SavvyCal at $10 is for the overlay, and only if you have already decided a free plan is not the constraint.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free appointment scheduling software?
How much does Calendly cost?
Calendly vs Cal.com vs TidyCal: which should I get?
Is Microsoft Bookings free?
Sources
Prices and plan details come from each vendor's own pricing page, re-checked by the Toolradar pricing tracker.
- Calendly pricingchecked Sep 2026
- Cal.com pricingchecked Sep 2026
- SavvyCal pricingchecked Sep 2026
Some offers on this page may be paid placements or contain affiliate links.
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