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.
The 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: $15/mo (Teams)
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: $16/mo (Emerging)
Entry prices side by side
| Tool | Cheapest paid | Plan | Annual rate | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calendly | $12 | Standard | $10 | Yes — 1 user, 1 event type, unlimited bookings, calendar connectio |
| Cal.com | $15 | Teams | $15 | Yes — 1 user, unlimited event types, unlimited bookings, calendar |
| Acuity Scheduling | $16 | Emerging | $12 | No |
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 →