Calendly alternatives for solo businesses: 5 options compared
Calendly's free plan allows one event type and one connected calendar, and payments and reminders start on the paid Standard plan. If you offer more than one kind of call, or want clients to pay when they book, the free plan runs out quickly.
Prices checked on the official pricing pages on . Prices are in US dollars and can change at any time.
The short answer
For most one-person businesses, Cal.com's free plan covers what people usually upgrade Calendly for: several meeting types, more than one calendar, and payments. Pick TidyCal if you'd rather pay once, Zoho Bookings for the cheapest monthly plan, and Acuity if you sell sessions, packages or gift certificates.
- Cal.com: From $12/mo, free plan
- TidyCal: From $8.25/mo, free plan
- Zoho Bookings: From $6/mo, free plan
- Google Calendar appointment schedules: See vendor, free plan
- Acuity Scheduling: From $16/mo
Calendly and its alternatives at a glance
| Tool | Free plan | Paid plans | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calendly | Yes | From $10/mo | Consultants whose clients already know and expect a Calendly link. |
| Cal.com | Yes | From $12/mo | Solo consultants and coaches who want paid bookings and several meeting types for free. |
| TidyCal | Yes | From $8.25/mo | Freelancers who want paid bookings without another monthly subscription. |
| Zoho Bookings | Yes | From $6/mo | Anyone already using Zoho apps, or who wants the cheapest paid scheduler. |
| Google Calendar appointment schedules | Yes | See vendor | People who already pay for Google Workspace and need simple booking pages. |
| Acuity Scheduling | No (free trial) | From $16/mo | Coaches, therapists, trainers and salons that sell sessions, packages or gift certificates. |
Calendly: what you get
The best-known booking-page tool: share a link and clients pick a slot that fits your calendar.
- Price
- Standard from $10 per seat a month; Teams from $16. Calendly's page didn't say whether these are monthly or yearly-billing rates.
- Free plan
- One event type, one connected calendar, one-on-one meetings, a customizable booking page and the browser extension.
- Best for
- Consultants whose clients already know and expect a Calendly link.
- Works on
- Web browser, iPhone and iPad, Android, Browser extension
Pros
- Clients recognise it, so links rarely confuse anyone
- Free plan is enough for a single kind of meeting
Cons
- Free plan allows only one event type and one connected calendar
- Payments and reminders start on the paid Standard plan
Key features
- Booking page with your availability
- Automations and reminders (Standard)
- HubSpot, Mailchimp, Stripe and PayPal connections (Standard)
- Round-robin and team scheduling (Teams)
The alternatives
1. Cal.com
Why switch: The closest free replacement: unlimited event types and calendars, plus Stripe or PayPal payments, on the free plan for one user. It also imports your Calendly event types.
An open-source scheduling app with a free plan aimed squarely at one-person businesses.
- Price
- Teams $12 per user a month and Organizations $28, both billed yearly. 14-day trial.
- Free plan
- 1 user, unlimited event types and calendars, email and SMS notifications, 100+ integrations, Stripe and PayPal payments. Cal.com says there are no usage limits.
- Best for
- Solo consultants and coaches who want paid bookings and several meeting types for free.
- Works on
- Web browser, iPhone and iPad, Android, Browser extension. Open source.
Pros
- The most generous free plan here for a single user
- Can be self-hosted if you have the technical skills
Cons
- Team features (round robin, shared pages) need a paid plan
- Self-hosting means you maintain and update it yourself
Key features
- Unlimited event types on the free plan
- Stripe and PayPal payments on the free plan
- One-click import of Calendly event types
- Self-hosting option (Docker)
2. TidyCal
Why switch: If you'd rather pay once: a $29 lifetime plan. The free plan already takes payments, with a 1% platform fee.
A simple booking-page tool from AppSumo that you can buy once instead of subscribing.
- Price
- Individual Lifetime $29 one-time (sold on AppSumo); Pro $12 a month or $99 a year, which removes branding and platform fees.
- Free plan
- Unlimited booking types and 1 connected calendar. Paid bookings carry a 1% TidyCal platform fee on top of Stripe's fees.
- Best for
- Freelancers who want paid bookings without another monthly subscription.
- Works on
- Web browser
Pros
- One-time $29 lifetime plan
- Free plan can already take payments
Cons
- Free plan connects only one calendar and takes a 1% fee on paid bookings
- Removing TidyCal branding needs the Pro subscription
Key features
- Stripe or PayPal payments at booking
- Packages, bundles and recurring sessions
- Google, Microsoft and Apple calendar sync
- Email and SMS reminders
3. Zoho Bookings
Why switch: The cheapest paid plan here (from $6 a user a month billed yearly), and the free plan includes email reminders.
Zoho's appointment scheduler, with a free plan for one user and low-cost paid tiers.
- Price
- Basic $6 per user a month billed yearly ($8 monthly); Premium $9 billed yearly ($12 monthly).
- Free plan
- Forever free for 1 user: online meetings, email notifications and reminders, two-way sync with Zoho, Google and Microsoft 365/Outlook.com calendars.
- Best for
- Anyone already using Zoho apps, or who wants the cheapest paid scheduler.
- Works on
- Web browser, iPhone and iPad, Android
Pros
- Cheapest paid plans in this category
- Reminders included free
Cons
- Free plan is for one user only
- More settings to work through than simpler tools
Key features
- Customizable booking links per service
- Email reminders on the free plan
- Two-way calendar sync
- Works with other Zoho apps
4. Google Calendar appointment schedules
Why switch: If you already pay for Google Workspace: booking pages inside Google Calendar, with nothing new to sign up for.
Booking pages built into Google Calendar, so there's no new account to set up.
- Price
- Included with your Google account; premium features come with Google One or Google Workspace plans (priced separately by Google).
- Free plan
- Personal Google accounts can create basic booking pages. Some features need an eligible Google One or Google Workspace plan; taking payments (through Stripe) is not included with Google One Premium but is with Workspace Individual and Business plans.
- Best for
- People who already pay for Google Workspace and need simple booking pages.
- Works on
- Web browser, iPhone and iPad, Android
Pros
- Nothing new to sign up for if you use Google Calendar
- Bookings land straight in your calendar
Cons
- Features depend on which Google plan you have
- Fewer workflow options than dedicated schedulers
Key features
- Booking page linked to your Google Calendar
- Up to 5 automatic email reminders
- Stripe payments on eligible Workspace plans
- Email verification against spam bookings on eligible Workspace plans
Google Calendar appointment schedules website · Official pricing
Google Calendar appointment schedules alternatives · Compare with Calendly
5. Acuity Scheduling
Why switch: For appointment businesses that need intake forms, packages or gift certificates. There's no free plan, though.
Squarespace's appointment scheduler, built for service businesses that take bookings and payments every day.
- Price
- Starter $16 a month billed yearly ($20 monthly); Standard $27 ($34); Premium $55 ($69).
- Free plan
- No free plan. 7-day trial, no credit card needed.
- Best for
- Coaches, therapists, trainers and salons that sell sessions, packages or gift certificates.
- Works on
- Web browser
Pros
- Strong intake forms and packages for appointment businesses
- Takes payments on every plan
Cons
- No free plan
- Text reminders need Standard, and the Acuity footer only comes off on Premium
Key features
- Payments through Stripe, Square, PayPal and Venmo
- Custom intake forms
- Packages, memberships and gift certificates (Standard)
- Text reminders and waitlist (Standard)
Sources
Official pages we checked for the prices, plans and limits on this page:
- Calendly: calendly.com, checked October 26, 2026
- Cal.com: cal.com, checked October 26, 2026
- TidyCal: tidycal.com, tidycal.com (2), checked October 26, 2026
- Zoho Bookings: www.zoho.com, checked October 26, 2026
- Google Calendar appointment schedules: support.google.com, support.google.com (2), checked October 26, 2026
- Acuity Scheduling: acuityscheduling.com, checked October 26, 2026