Kimberlee LeonardSmall Business Expert Writer
Kimberlee Leonard has 22 years of experience as a freelance writer. Her work has been featured on US News and World Report, Business.com and Fit Small Business. She brings practical experience as a business owner and insurance agent to her role as a small business writer.
Kelly MainStaff Reviewer
Kelly Main is a Marketing Editor and Writer specializing in digital marketing, online advertising and web design and development. Before joining the team, she was a Content Producer at Fit Small Business where she served as an editor and strategist covering small business marketing content. She is a former Google Tech Entrepreneur and she holds an MSc in International Marketing from Edinburgh Napier University. Additionally, she is a Columnist at Inc. Magazine.
Kimberlee Leonard,
Kimberlee LeonardSmall Business Expert Writer
Kimberlee Leonard has 22 years of experience as a freelance writer. Her work has been featured on US News and World Report, Business.com and Fit Small Business. She brings practical experience as a business owner and insurance agent to her role as a small business writer.
Kelly Main
Kelly MainStaff Reviewer
Kelly Main is a Marketing Editor and Writer specializing in digital marketing, online advertising and web design and development. Before joining the team, she was a Content Producer at Fit Small Business where she served as an editor and strategist covering small business marketing content. She is a former Google Tech Entrepreneur and she holds an MSc in International Marketing from Edinburgh Napier University. Additionally, she is a Columnist at Inc. Magazine.
Small Business Expert Writer, Staff Reviewer
Rob WattsManaging Editor, SMB
With over a decade of editorial experience, Rob Watts breaks down complex topics for small businesses that want to grow and succeed. His work has been featured in outlets such as Keypoint Intelligence, FitSmallBusiness and PCMag.
Reviewed
Rob Watts
Rob WattsManaging Editor, SMB
With over a decade of editorial experience, Rob Watts breaks down complex topics for small businesses that want to grow and succeed. His work has been featured in outlets such as Keypoint Intelligence, FitSmallBusiness and PCMag.
Managing Editor, SMB
Reviewed
Updated: Mar 21, 2024, 9:04pm
Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.
Scheduling can be a laborious process for many business owners. Going back and forth with people about availability, sending confirmations and rescheduling can seem like a full-time job but it doesn’t need to be. The best apps for scheduling remove you from most of the process, leaving you to show up and do your job on the appointment. Forbes Advisor reviewed 10 of the most popular apps out there to come up with this list of the seven best scheduling apps of 2024.
Read more
The Best Scheduling Apps of 2024
- Square Appointments: Best overall
- Setmore: Best for unlimited appointments
- Calendly: Best for appointment booking via email
- Zoho Bookings: Best for resource management
- Appointy: Best for workflow automation
- Doodle: Best for teams with schedulers
- SimplyBook.me: Best for medical offices
Best Overall
Square Appointments
4.8
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Starting Price
Free; $29 per location month
Key Features
Task management, recurring payments, mobile app, automated appointment reminders
Learn More
Read Forbes' Review
Free; $29 per location month
Task management, recurring payments, mobile app, automated appointment reminders
Editor's Take
Square Appointments is the scheduling app created with Square, the popular payment processor. We like that it integrates directly with Square so that you can get appointments paid for directly in the booking process. You can charge late cancellation and no-show fees to make sure that people take their appointments seriously.
Plus, managing your schedule is easy with the iOS or Android apps that coordinate with you on the go, so you never miss a beat. Customers are able to book appointments directly into your calendar and can even set recurring appointments for regular services.
We like the Instagram and Google integration, making it easy to advertise your services and directly book appointments from outreach and advertising directly into your Google Calendar.
Plans and Pricing:
Square Appointments offers three plans. Keep in mind that unlike most of the best scheduling apps, Square Appointments offer pricing on a per-location basis, rather than a per-user basis. For businesses looking to schedule and manage appointments for multiple users, this can make Square Appointments the more affordable choice.
- Free: The free plan is for a single location. It includes all of Square’s basic features, such as access to the mobile app (Android and iOS), automated text and email reminders, customizable availability, recurring payments and multiple time zones.
- Plus: The Plus plan is geared toward businesses with more than one location. It costs $29 per month per location for all basic features from the Free plan, plus additional features, such as automated text and email appointment confirmations, Google Calendar sync, no-show protection and daily appointment limits.
- Premium: The Premium plan is designed to meet the needs of business with more complex booking needs and larger teams. It costs $69 per month per location. It includes everything from the Plus plan, plus extra features such as custom permissions, resource management, multiple wage rates and custom-tiered staff commissions.
Learn more: Read our full Square Appointments review.
Who should use it:
Square is the perfect solution for business owners looking for a hub to manage clients, take payments and control their calendars.
Pros & Cons
- Free plan available
- Per-location pricing is often more affordable for businesses with four or more users
- Square Payment integration
- Recurring appointments
- No-show fees option
- Limited payment options
- Limited social media integration
- Premium plans are more expensive than competitors
Best for Unlimited Appointments
Setmore
4.5
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Starting Price
Free; $5 per user, per month
Key Features
Unlimited appointments, mobile app (iOS and Android), recurring payments (with premium plans), class booking and task management (for a fee)
Learn More
Read Forbes' Review
Free; $5 per user, per month
Unlimited appointments, mobile app (iOS and Android), recurring payments (with premium plans), class booking and task management (for a fee)
Editor's Take
Setmore is one of the best scheduling apps given its feature-rich premium plans and its inclusion of unlimited appointments with its free plan. This makes it a quality solution for businesses that need a basic scheduling app for managing a high volume of appointments without any costs.
Plans and Pricing:
Setmore offers three plans that are available with monthly billing or annual billing.
- Free: The Free offer Setmore’s basic features, such as unlimited appointments, payment reminders and payments with Square.
- Premium: The premium plan is available for a special promotion of $5 per user, per month, with annual billing (58% off) or $12 per user, per month, with month-to-month billing–for up to two users. It includes everything from the Free plan, plus SMS reminders, calendar sync and additional payment processing options (Square, Stripe and PayPal).
- Pro: Businesses with three or more users can opt for the Pro plan, which also costs $5 per user, per month, with annual billing (44% off), or $9 per user, per month, with monthly billing. It includes everything from the Premium plan, with the difference being that it is geared toward businesses with larger teams.
Learn more: Read our full Setmore review.
Who should use it:
Setmore is an excellent solution for those who are on a budget and need to schedule a high volume of appointments, as well as businesses that want to accept payments through the scheduling app.
Pros & Cons
- Affordable premium plans
- Unlimited appointments
- Custom booking page on all plans
- Class booking
- Staff scheduling
- Teleport meeting access
- Maximum of 100 email reminders per month with Free plan
- Limited to two users on Premium plan
- Poor customer service
Best for Appointment Booking Via Email
Calendly
4.5
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Starting Price
Free; $10 per user, per month
Key Features
Syncs with major email service providers, email reminders (with paid plans), group events (with paid plans), mobile app and task management
Learn More
Read Forbes' Review
Free; $10 per user, per month
Syncs with major email service providers, email reminders (with paid plans), group events (with paid plans), mobile app and task management
Editor's Take
Calendly is a leader in scheduling apps with a history of providing solutions to business owners around the world. The free plan comes with a robust set of features that include a web portal, iOS and Android app for convenience. It also allows you to create unlimited one-on-one events. There is automatic event notification, though the text notifications are only available with the paid service.
Calendly integrates with Google Meet, GoToMeeting, Microsoft Teams, Webex and Zoom conferencing to give you your preference in meeting hosts. You can even integrate Calendly to Slack and Intercom for better workflows.
Plans and Pricing:
The Standard plan runs $10 per person, per month, with the Teams plan running $16 per seat, per month, if billed annually. You get team event scheduling, links to confirmation pages and metrics and reporting as you move up the platform options. It also increases the calendar connections per person from one in the free plan to six in the paid plans, giving you more options for appointment types.
Learn more: Read our full Calendly review.
Who should use it:
Calendly is a great option for businesses that are looking to accept appointment bookings via email, as well as new businesses that want to scale total appointments and integrations over time.
Pros & Cons
- Appointment booking via email
- Easy to use
- Allows survey creation
- Useful email templates
- No email reminders with Free plan
- Long customer service wait times
- Lackluster free version
- Not designed for recurring bookings
Best for Resource Management
Zoho Bookings
4.4
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Starting Price
Free; $6 per staff, per month
Key Features
Email reminders, round-robin appointment allocation, time zone conversion, group events and recurring events (with paid plan)
Free; $6 per staff, per month
Email reminders, round-robin appointment allocation, time zone conversion, group events and recurring events (with paid plan)
Editor's Take
Zoho Bookings is one of the many business platforms offered by Zoho cloud-based solutions. The Basic plan costs $6 per person per month, if billed annually, but comes with a plethora of features that include two-way calendar synchronization with Zoho, Google, Microsoft 365 and Outlook. It allows users to access online meetings in Zoom or Zoho Meeting directly.
Plans and Pricing:
Zoho Bookings offers three scheduling plans:
- Free Forever: The free plan is available for one user. It includes email notifications and calendar synchronization.
- Basic: Get the features you need for $8 per staff, per month, with annual billing or $6 per staff, per month, with monthly billing. It allows teams to set round-robin appointments, allocating resources equally. There is unlimited Zapier integration so that you can automate your workflow with ease. Customers don’t need to figure out time zone differences as the system automatically converts it for them.
- Premium: For $9 per staff, per month, with annual billing or $12 per staff, per month, with monthly billing, the Premium plan includes everything in the Basic plan plus many additional features. Customers get a sign-up portal, and you can even have a booking page hosted in your own domain. It expands what people can book, moving from just appointments to booking equipment, rooms or other resources.
Who should use it:
We like Zoho Bookings for businesses that book more than just service slots and need a way to book resources conveniently.
Read more:
Read our full Zoho Books review.
Pros & Cons
- Competitively-priced premium plans
- Feature-rich premium plans
- Hands-off bookings
- Appointment qualification
- Two-way calendar syncing
- Confusing to set up
- Limited CRM integration
Best for Workflow Automation
Appointy
4.3
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Starting Price
Free; $19.99 per month
Key features
Automatic reminds, mobile app, up to 100 appointments per month with free plan, unlimited services (with paid plan) and task management
Learn More
Read Forbes' Review
Free; $19.99 per month
Automatic reminds, mobile app, up to 100 appointments per month with free plan, unlimited services (with paid plan) and task management
Editor's Take
Appointy has four plans to choose from. You can start with the Free plan that sets up Google Calendar bookings. It integrates with Square Payments and Point of Sale so that you can take payments immediately. Unlike other free scheduling apps, Appointy allows over 1,000 Zapier integrations to automate your workflow in as many ways as possible.
Plans and Pricing:
Appointy offers four different plans. With its free plan, clients receive automatic reminders, but you are limited to 100 appointments per month. The Growth plan is a better option for busier individuals, though it is a bit pricey at $19.99 per month, if billed annually. It adds live chat and email support to help troubleshoot issues. It allows up to 2,000 appointments per day, which is more than you should need.
The next plan, the Professional plan, is $49.99 per month, if billed annually, and expands usage from one team member to five. Users can purchase gift certificates to give away, and it also allows for resource scheduling. The Enterprise plan is $79.99, if billed annually, and adds text customizations and removes all Appointy branding.
Learn more: Read our full Appointy review.
Who should use it:
Appointy works best for those with a lot of integrations that keep the workflow organized.
Pros & Cons
- Unlimited services
- Good customer support
- Simple appointment process
- Gift certificates
- Problems with premium versions
- Big learning curve
- Most plans display Appointy ads
Best for Teams With Schedulers
Doodle
4.2
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Starting Price
Free; $6.95 per user, per month
Key Features
Unlimited meetings, group polls, video integrations and unlimited booking pages
Learn More
Read Forbes' Review
Free; $6.95 per user, per month
Unlimited meetings, group polls, video integrations and unlimited booking pages
Editor's Take
Doodle is a scheduling app used by recruiters, freelancers, sales professionals, educators and nonprofits. While it doesn’t offer a free plan, it does offer competitively-priced premium plans which include unlimited group and one-on-one meetings, unlimited booking pages, Zapier integration, calendar sync, group polls and video integrations. It offers a 14-day free trial of its paid plans before you must choose a plan.
Plans and Pricing:
The Pro plan starts with one user who gets unlimited booking pages, group polls and one-on-one meetings. There is custom branding. The system integrates with Microsoft Teams, Webex and Zoom for convenient conferencing options. This plan starts at $6.95 per person, per month.
The next plan, the Team plan costs $8.95 per person, per month, and adds an administration console for easy management. There are roles and permissions that can be granted to different team members based on responsibilities. It also allows you to schedule on behalf of someone, making it perfect for a team that has assistants or schedulers responsible for bookings. Managers can review activity reports to see who their top performers are.
Learn more: Read our full Doodle review.
Who should use it:
Doodle is best for teams that divide responsibilities between schedulers and appointment setters.
Pros & Cons
- Unlimited meetings
- Unlimited booking pages
- Unlimited group polls
- Does not display ads
- Multilingual support
- No appointment reminders
- No recurring payments or appointments
- Slow customer service
- Cumbersome to use
Best for Medical Offices
SimplyBook.me
4.1
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Starting Price
Free; $8.25 per user, per month
Key Features
Admin app, client app, HIPAA compliant, accept payments (paid plans)
Learn More
Read Forbes' Review
Free; $8.25 per user, per month
Admin app, client app, HIPAA compliant, accept payments (paid plans)
Editor's Take
SimplyBook.me is a leading scheduling app for businesses operating in the medical industry given its unique inclusion of HIPAA compliance, admin apps and client apps. It offers a simple scheduling process backed with highly customizable booking options, making it a versatile scheduling application.
Plans and Pricing:
SimplyBook.me offers users four plans starting with the Free version. The Free plan limits users to 50 bookings per month with up to five users. An administrative app manages the calendar with a book site devoted to your appointments. A booking widget allows you to add calendar scheduling to websites and social media with ease and professionalism.
The next plan, the Basic plan at $8.25 per month (if billed annually), increases bookings to 100 per month with up to 15 users. It allows you to offer coupons and gift cards and integrates with sales platforms. There is also a client app so that clients can manage their accounts.
The Standard plan and Premium plan are HIPAA-compliant, costing $24.90 per month (if billed annually) and $49.90 per month (if billed annually), respectively. The key difference between these two plans is that the Premium allows for link removal so that you can simplify calendar listings and the number of bookings allowed. The Standard plan allows 500 per month, while the Premium plan allows 2,000 per month. All plans come with a 14-day free trial.
Learn more: Read our full SimplyBook.me review.
Who should use it:
SimplyBook.me is great for medical offices needing to remain HIPAA compliant in all that they do.
Pros & Cons
- Free plan for up to five users
- Admin app with all plans
- Client app (paid plans)
- Coupons and gift cards (paid plans)
- Simple scheduling process
- Highly customizable
- Free plan is limited to 50 appointments per month
- Unlimited bookings not available
- Customer support problems
- Issues with premium plans
Forbes Advisor Ratings
| Company | Company - Logo | Forbes Advisor Rating | Forbes Advisor Rating | Best For | Starting Price | Key Features | Learn More CTA text | Learn more CTA below text | LEARN MORE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square Appointments |  | 4.8 |  | Best Overall | Free; $29 per location, per month | YesTask management, recurring payments, mobile app, automated appointment reminders | Learn More | Read Forbes' Review | |
| Setmore |  | 4.5 | | Best for Unlimited Appointments | Free; $5 per user, per month | Unlimited appointments, mobile app (iOS and Android), recurring payments (with premium plans), class booking and task management (for a fee) | Learn More | Read Forbes' Review | |
| Calendly |  | 4.5 | | Best for Appointment Booking Via Email | Free; $10 per user, per month | Syncs with major email service providers, email reminders (with paid plans), group events (with paid plans), mobile app and task management | Learn More | Read Forbes' Review | |
| Zoho Bookings |  | 4.4 | | Best for Resource Management | Free; $6 per staff, per month | Email reminders, round-robin appointment allocation, time zone conversion, group events and recurring events (with paid plan) | Learn More | Read Forbes' Review | |
| Appointy |  | 4.3 | | Best for Workflow Automation | Free; $19.99 per month | Automatic reminds, mobile app, up to 100 appointments per month with free plan, unlimited services (with paid plan) and task management | Learn More | Read Forbes' Review | |
| Doodle |  | 4.2 |  | Best for Teams With Schedulers | Free; $6.95 per user per month | Unlimited meetings, group polls, video integrations and unlimited booking pages | Learn More | Read Forbes' Review | |
| SimplyBook.me |  | 4.1 | | Best for Medical Offices | Free; $8.25 per user per month | Admin app, client app, HIPAA compliant, accept payments (paid plans) | Learn More | Read Forbes' Review |
Methodology
Forbes Advisor’s five-star reviews for best scheduling apps are based on a proprietary scoring system. We had four primary rating categories: pricing, general features, additional features and reviews.
When it came to general features, we wanted to know whether or not the app offered booking availability, calendar syncing, a booking page and email notifications. We also wanted to see if there were software integrations. For additional features, we looked for real-time tracking, task management and client portals. When it came to reviews, we looked at whether the app received a three-and-a-half-star rating or higher on three major review platforms.
Featured Partners
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1
Connecteam
Pricing
Free; $35 per month for up to 30 users, or $29 per month when billed annually
Mobile app
iOS and Android
Drag-and-drop scheduling
Yes
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Acuity
Free Trial
7 days
Pricing
Save 20% on Annual Plans
Seamless client scheduling
Yes
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ClockShark
Free Trial
Yes
Time Reports and Mobile Time Tracking
Included
Attributes
GPS verification
4
Homebase
Take control of everyday work
Yes
Schedule your team on autopilot
Yes
Free for up to 20 employees (no credit card required)
Yes
What You Need to Know About Choosing Scheduling Apps
When looking for a scheduling app, you want to know that it is easy for you to use and easy for the client to use. For many people, the more the app can sync and integrate with automatic workflows, the more useful it will be. While most scheduling apps offer a free version, most users will want to upgrade to a paid version with more features that make scheduling appointments or resources easier. This is why it’s important to look beyond the free version and see whether or not the paid versions will incorporate the features you need for your business.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is a scheduling app?
A scheduling app is a tool that allows prospects or customers to book time with you automatically. It uses a web portal that shows your calendar options and lets the scheduling party pick a time that works best for them.
What are some features that a paid scheduling app has that a free app might not?
Some of the upgraded features that you find when you pay for a scheduling app include email confirmations, resource management, custom staff permissions, calendar sync and software that makes it easier to schedule bookings.
Why do I need a scheduling app?
Scheduling apps eliminate the back and forth of trying to find a time that works for everyone. The apps show what times are available, and the prospect can pick a time that works best for them. It eliminates the bulk of the work in managing a schedule.
What is the purpose of appointment reminder systems?
Appointment reminder systems help those with busy schedules remind clients about upcoming appointments to reduce the risk of missed and canceled appointments. It eliminates extra work in having someone call or text people physically to remind them about appointments.
What are some benefits of scheduling apps?
Benefits that you can reap from using scheduling apps include saving time by not having to handle the scheduling process manually, having the app sync automatically with all of your calendars―both personal and for your team members―having the app send and receive reminders and notifications via text messages and/or email automatically, eliminating issues around double-booking or unnecessary gaps during interview days or client meetings and, if you collect payments as part of your business, reminders and notices can make it easier to get your payments on time.
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