Scheduling & Booking · head to head
Acuity Scheduling vs Bear
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Acuity Scheduling starter tier limited to 1 calendar only; Bear built for Apple hardware only, with no Windows, Android or web client
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Acuity Scheduling and Bear actually diverge.
| Attribute | Acuity Scheduling | Bear |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $16/month | On request |
| Category | Scheduling & Booking | Productivity |
| Founded | 2003 | Unknown |
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Acuity Scheduling
- Online booking
- Appointment types
- Calendar sync
- Payment processing
- Email reminders
- Client self-scheduling
- Packages & memberships
- Timezone detection
Only in Bear
Nothing recorded that Acuity Scheduling does not also cover.
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Acuity Scheduling
- Client self-scheduling with automated time zone conversionnot Bear
- HIPAA-compliant scheduling for healthcare practitionersnot Bear
- Multi-location scheduling with multiple staff membersnot Bear
- Membership, package sales, and gift certificate managementnot Bear
Bear
No use cases recorded yet. See the Bear review.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Acuity Scheduling
- Starter tier limited to 1 calendar only
- SMS/text reminders, memberships, and gift certificates require Standard or Premium tier
- HIPAA compliance (BAA signature) exclusive to Premium tier at $49/month
- Custom API and CSS access, and Acuity branding removal require Premium tier
Bear
- Built for Apple hardware only, with no Windows, Android or web client
- Free tier is limited to 3 themes, 1 app icon and restricted export formats; iCloud sync requires Bear Pro
- Bear Pro is $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year after a 7 day free trial
Pricing, plan by plan
Acuity Scheduling
$16/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Acuity Scheduling review.
Bear
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Bear review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Acuity Scheduling if
- You need online booking.
- You also want appointment types.
Choose Bear if
Nothing in the data separates Bear from Acuity Scheduling on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is Acuity Scheduling or Bear better?
- Neither clearly leads. Acuity Scheduling starts at $16/month and Bear at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Acuity Scheduling or Bear?
- Acuity Scheduling starts at $16/month and Bear at On request.
- Does Acuity Scheduling or Bear run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- What is Acuity Scheduling best used for?
- Acuity Scheduling is most often used for client self-scheduling with automated time zone conversion, hipaa-compliant scheduling for healthcare practitioners, multi-location scheduling with multiple staff members, membership, package sales, and gift certificate management. Of those, client self-scheduling with automated time zone conversion and hipaa-compliant scheduling for healthcare practitioners are not what Bear is typically brought in for.
- What can Acuity Scheduling do that Bear cannot?
- Acuity Scheduling covers Online booking, Appointment types, Calendar sync, Payment processing.
Related pages
More on Acuity Scheduling
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- Acuity Scheduling vs BoldSign
- Bear vs Calendly
- Bear vs Cal.com
- Bear vs Motion
- Bear vs Appointlet
- Bear vs Appointy
- Bear vs Setmore
- Bear vs 10to8
- Bear vs Booksy
- Bear vs Boulevard
- Bear vs Doodle
- Bear vs Fresha
- Bear vs GlossGenius
- Bear vs Schedulicity
- Bear vs Square Appointments
- Bear vs When2meet
- Bear vs Zenoti
- Bear vs Airbnb
- Bear vs Booker by Mindbody
- Bear vs Todoist
- Bear vs Things 3
- Bear vs OmniFocus 3
- Bear vs Brain.fm
- Bear vs TickTick
- Bear vs Akiflow
- Bear vs Any.do
- Bear vs Focus@Will
- Bear vs Forest
- Bear vs Google Workspace
- Bear vs Hubstaff
- Bear vs Remember The Milk
- Bear vs Structured
- Bear vs Tana
- Bear vs Time Doctor
- Bear vs 7-Zip
- Bear vs Bear Notes
- Bear vs BoldSign