Acuity Scheduling vs Square Appointments
Prices read from both vendors on 2026-10-19. No invented scores.
Short answer: Acuity Scheduling starts at $20 per month; Square Appointments starts at $49 per month. Acuity Scheduling is the better fit for service businesses that take payments and sms reminders at booking, and teams of several people. Square Appointments is the better fit for salons, spas and barbershops that want booking, payments and point of sale from one vendor, priced per location.
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Price comparison
| Acuity Scheduling | Square Appointments | |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest paid plan | $20/mo | $49/mo |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Plans listed | 3 | 3 |
Acuity Scheduling plans
| Plan | Monthly | Billed annually | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $20 | $16/mo | 1 calendar, unlimited appointments, 100 SMS credits/mo, payment processing |
| Standard | $34 | $27/mo | 6 calendars, 500 SMS credits/mo, coupons, gift certificates, add-ons |
| Premium | $61 | $49/mo | 36 calendars, 1,500 SMS credits/mo, custom packages, advanced reporting |
Best for: Service businesses that take payments and SMS reminders at booking, and teams of several people.
Not for: A single person who only needs a booking link - the free tiers elsewhere cover that.
See Acuity Scheduling pricing →
Square Appointments plans
| Plan | Monthly | Billed annually | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square Free | Free | Free | $0/mo per location. No monthly subscription cost - you only pay processing fees when you take a payment. No text-message marketing. 2.5% gift card load fee. |
| Square Plus | $49 | — | $49/mo per location. Free 30-day trial. 500 marketing texts/mo per account, then 3 cents per text. 2.5% gift card load fee. |
| Square Premium | $149 | — | $149/mo per location. Free 30-day trial. Lowest processing fees. 2,500 marketing texts/mo per account, then 1.5 cents per text. 0% gift card load fee. |
Best for: Salons, spas and barbershops that want booking, payments and point of sale from one vendor, priced per location.
Not for: A solo stylist who only needs a booking link - Calendly and Cal.com cover that at $0/mo, and Acuity is flatter pricing for a small team.
See Square Appointments pricing →
How to choose
Acuity Scheduling starts at $20 per month; Square Appointments starts at $49 per month. Acuity Scheduling is the better fit for service businesses that take payments and sms reminders at booking, and teams of several people. Square Appointments is the better fit for salons, spas and barbershops that want booking, payments and point of sale from one vendor, priced per location.
Run the 12-month cost calculator →
Sources: https://acuityscheduling.com/pricing, https://squareup.com/us/en/appointments/pricing. Checked 2026-10-19.