In today’s world, it’s becoming more and more important for small businesses to move their services online. The benefits of offering your customers the ability to schedule appointments or book services from the comfort of their own homes is undeniable.
But with so many options out there, how do you know which one is right for you? We’ve done the research for you, so all you have to do is read on and decide which option best fits your business needs.
Without further ado, here are our picks for the best online booking systems for small businesses.
Best Online Booking System For Small Business
Here we take a look at the five best appointment scheduling apps:
- Vagaro: Best overall appointment scheduling app
- Acuity: Best for flexible scheduling
- Setmore: Best for teams wanting a free app
- Square Appointments: Best for solo service workers looking for a free option
- HoneyBook: Best for internal meeting scheduling and management
Best Appointment Scheduling Apps Compared
| Free Plan | Cost for Paid Plans | Video Appointment Integrations | Payment Integrations | Customization Features | Price Structure | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vagaro | Free trial only | $25–$85 per month | ✔ | Vagaro Payments | Fair (widget only; not app) | Scales with number of employees |
| Acuity | Free trial only | $15–$50 per month | ✔ | Stripe, Square, Google, and PayPal | Fair (limited in lower plans) | Tiered based on features and number of employees |
| Setmore | Free for four people | $9–$12 per user per month | ✔ | Stripe, Square, and PayPal | Good (booking page and widget) | Scales based on features |
| Square Appointments | Free for four people | $50–$90 per month (custom pricing for 10+ employees) | ✕ | Square Payments only | Fair (booking website; not widget) | Scales based on number of employees |
| HoneyBook | Free trial only | $9–$39 per month | ✔ | HoneyBook Payments only | Good (app and booking page) | Tiered based on features and number of employees |
best scheduling app for small business free
Best for Solopreneurs
1. Square Appointments
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Square Appointments is a great example of appointment scheduling software that’s free for single users. It offers access to all of Square’s business management software, including invoicing, CRM, and payment processing, without any charge. The catch is that it’s only free for one user. Multi-user options cost money. This makes the software best suited for solopreneurs.Read Review
- ⦿Free package for solopreneurs
- ⦿Access to Square’s business management suite
- ⦿Excellent mobile app
STAFF LOGINS & CALENDARS:1APPOINTMENTS PER MONTH:UnlimitedREMINDERS:SMS & EmailSUPPORTED PLATFORMS:Windows, MacOS, iOS, AndroidCUSTOMER SUPPORT OPTIONS:Phone, email, live chat, self-help guidesGET STARTED
2. Calendly
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Calendly is certainly one of the most recognizable names in the appointment scheduling software niche. This app rose to fame thanks to its ability to replace dozens of “what time works for you?” emails with a single click. This solution offers excellent user experience and an incredible amount of features, for free! However, splurging for its upgrade will be more than worth it, as it opens more than a hundred integrations and many additional options.Read Review
- ⦿Very affordable prices for paid plans
- ⦿Automated reminders and follow-up emails and texts
- ⦿Top-notch mobile app
STAFF LOGINS & CALENDARS:1APPOINTMENTS PER MONTH:UnlimitedREMINDERS:Email and SMSSUPPORTED PLATFORMS:Windows, macOS, iOS, AndroidCUSTOMER SUPPORT OPTIONS:Live chat, self-help guidesTRY FOR FREE
3. Squarespace Scheduling
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Squarespace Scheduling is a cloud-based appointment scheduling application for managing business appointments online. All three of its online appointment-scheduling packages are free of charge during the seven-day trial period. Despite the time limit, those in the service industry will have a hard time finding a better solution.Read Review
- ⦿Unlimited appointments
- ⦿Excellent user interface
- ⦿Easy to change appointments on the fly
STAFF LOGINS & CALENDARS:1-36APPOINTMENTS PER MONTH:UnlimitedREMINDERS:Email and SMSSUPPORTED PLATFORMS:Browsers, iOS, AndroidCUSTOMER SUPPORT OPTIONS:Email, live chat, Twitter, self-help guidesTRY FOR FREEBest for Small Business
4. Appointy
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Appointy is a scheduler app that’s been around since 2009. It offers a lot of useful features in the basic free plan, such as Zapier support for third-party software integration, booking directly from Google Calendar, automatic reminders, and accepting payments through Square.Read Review
- ⦿Square Payments integration in the free plan
- ⦿Zapier provides thousands of app integration options
- ⦿Google bookings and automatic reminders
STAFF LOGINS & CALENDARS:1APPOINTMENTS PER MONTH:100REMINDERS:Email and SMSSUPPORTED PLATFORMS:Windows, MacOS, iOS, AndroidCUSTOMER SUPPORT OPTIONS:Live chat, email, phone, help centerTRY FOR FREE
5. 10to8
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10to8 is an online booking application with a unique instant chat feature. It can be integrated with more than 500 of the most popular apps and programs out there, including Microsoft Office, Google Calendar, Zoom, Slack, Stripe, Paypal, and Xero. Not all of these integrations are available with the 10to8 free plan, but it still earns a place at the top of our free appointment scheduling software list because of its third-party software integration.Read Review
- ⦿Excellent for small business
- ⦿Live-chat feature
- ⦿Software integrations
STAFF LOGINS & CALENDARS:2APPOINTMENTS PER MONTH:100REMINDERS:Email and SMSSUPPORTED PLATFORMS:Windows, MacOS, iOS, AndroidCUSTOMER SUPPORT OPTIONS:Live chat, emailTRY FOR FREE
6. HubSpot
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The Free Meeting Scheduler is one of the most popular components of the HubSpot platform, enabling users to schedule meetings with just a couple of clicks and send automated emails – both reminders and follow-ups. Moreover, it allows for effortless CRM integration. Essentially, this is a tool that organizes the calendar for all your team members without the hassle of the back-and-forth emails. It enhances productivity, allowing you to focus on those sales pitches.Read Review
- ⦿Integrates with Gmail, G Suite, Outlook, and Office 365
- ⦿Automated email triggers
- ⦿Group meeting links for effortless scheduling
STAFF LOGINS & CALENDARS:1APPOINTMENTS PER MONTH:UnlimitedREMINDERS:EmailSUPPORTED PLATFORMS:Windows, macOS, iOS, AndroidCUSTOMER SUPPORT OPTIONS:Community, phone, email, live chat, self-help guides
Conclusion
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