Best scheduling app in 2026
Scheduling tools look free until you need a second calendar, a team round-robin, or payment on the booking page. These are the real prices at each of those walls.
Prices below were read from the vendors' own pricing pages and re-checked this week. Every tool links to its full breakdown. How we check prices.
Which one should you pick?
- Pick Cal.com if you need the best free plan. Visit Cal.com
- Pick Calendly if you need the cheapest paid seat. Visit Calendly
- Pick Acuity Scheduling if you take payment at booking. Visit Acuity Scheduling
Some buttons are affiliate links — how this works.
The short answer
Short answer: Best free plan: Cal.com Free covers unlimited event types and unlimited bookings for one user, which is more than the others give away. Cheapest paid: —/mo Full Cal.com pricing breakdown → Prices were read from each vendors own page on our last weekly check.
| Tool | Entry price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest paid seat: Calendly | Cheapest paid: $12/mo (Standard) | Standard is the cheapest paid seat here and the most widely recognised booking l |
| Best if you take payment at booking: Acuity Scheduling | Cheapest paid: $20/mo (Starter) | Payments and SMS credits are built in, so you do not bolt on a second tool. |
Prices checked 2026-10-23.
Cheapest paid seat: Calendly
Standard is the cheapest paid seat here and the most widely recognised booking link.
Cheapest paid: $12/mo (Standard)
Best if you take payment at booking: Acuity Scheduling
Payments and SMS credits are built in, so you do not bolt on a second tool.
Cheapest paid: $20/mo (Starter)
Entry prices side by side
| Tool | Cheapest paid | Plan | Annual rate | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calendly | $12 | Standard | $10 | Yes — 1 user, 1 event type, 1 calendar connection, unlimited booki |
| Acuity Scheduling | $20 | Starter | $16 | No |
| Cal.com | — | — | — | Yes — 1 user, unlimited event types, unlimited bookings, calendar |
Prices checked 2026-10-23.
How to read these prices
- Cheapest paid is the lowest monthly price that is not a trial, billed monthly. The annual column is the same plan billed yearly.
- Per-seat pricing multiplies by headcount. A $10 seat for a 6-person team is $60/month, not $10.
- Free plans change their limits more often than their price. We re-check the limits weekly and log every change on price changes.
Want the number for your own headcount? Run the cost calculator →
By the numbers
- 7 distinct dollar figures appear on this page, from $12/mo to $60/mo.
- This page has 2 pricing tables, every number read from the vendor's own page on 2026-10-12.