Softwr

Scheduling · head to head

Acuity Scheduling vs BusyCal

Acuity Scheduling logo

Acuity Scheduling

Scheduling

Scheduling made simple

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
BusyCal logo

BusyCal

Calendars

The most powerful calendar app for Mac

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Acuity Scheduling starter tier limited to 1 calendar only; BusyCal mac and iOS only, no Windows or Android support
  • They diverge on capability: Acuity Scheduling covers Online booking, BusyCal covers Customizable views.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Acuity Scheduling and BusyCal actually diverge.

Attributes where Acuity Scheduling and BusyCal differ
AttributeAcuity SchedulingBusyCal
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWebmacOS, iOS, iPad
CategorySchedulingCalendars
Founded20032007

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 BusyCal

  • Customizable views
  • Weather integration
  • Natural language
  • To-dos
  • Travel time
  • iCloud
  • Exchange
  • CalDAV

Both cover

  • Google Calendar

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 BusyCal
  • HIPAA-compliant scheduling for healthcare practitionersnot BusyCal
  • Multi-location scheduling with multiple staff membersnot BusyCal
  • Membership, package sales, and gift certificate managementnot BusyCal

BusyCal

  • Schedulingnot Acuity Scheduling
  • Appointment bookingnot Acuity Scheduling
  • Time trackingnot Acuity Scheduling
  • Resource managementnot Acuity Scheduling
  • Team coordinationnot Acuity Scheduling

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

BusyCal

  • Mac and iOS only, no Windows or Android support
  • Cannot sync iCloud calendars with Google Calendar directly, requiring workaround of hosting calendars on separate services

Pricing, plan by plan

Acuity Scheduling

Free
  • Starter$20/month
    • 1 calendar
    • Payment processing (Stripe, Square, PayPal, Venmo)
    • Email reminders
  • Standard$34/month
    • Up to 6 calendars
    • Starter features
    • Text message reminders
  • Premium$61/month
    • Up to 36 calendars
    • Standard features
    • HIPAA BAA compliance

BusyCal

Free
  • Free EditionFree
    • Basic calendaring needs
  • Premium Subscription$39.99/year
    • Advanced features
    • 14-day trial available
  • Perpetual License$49.99/once
    • One-time purchase
    • Lifetime use

Which should you pick?

Choose Acuity Scheduling if

  • You need online booking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want appointment types.
Acuity Scheduling review

Choose BusyCal if

  • You need customizable views.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on macOS, iOS, iPad.
  • You also want weather integration.
BusyCal review

Questions people ask

Is Acuity Scheduling or BusyCal better?
Neither clearly leads. Acuity Scheduling starts at Free and BusyCal at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Acuity Scheduling or BusyCal?
Acuity Scheduling starts at Free and BusyCal at Free.
Does Acuity Scheduling or BusyCal run on more platforms?
Acuity Scheduling runs on Web. BusyCal runs on macOS, iOS, iPad.
Can I use Acuity Scheduling for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 BusyCal is typically brought in for.
What can Acuity Scheduling do that BusyCal cannot?
Acuity Scheduling covers Online booking, Appointment types, Calendar sync, Payment processing. BusyCal covers Customizable views, Weather integration, Natural language, To-dos. Both handle Google Calendar.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Acuity Scheduling: How much does Acuity Scheduling cost?

Starter is $20/month (monthly) or $16/month (annual, 20% savings). Standard is $34/month (monthly) or $27/month (annual). Premium is $61/month (monthly) or $49/month (annual). All include a 7-day free trial with no credit card required. Annual billing is prorated based on signup date.

Source
BusyCal: How much does BusyCal cost?

BusyCal offers a one-time perpetual license for $49.99 USD, a premium subscription at $39.99/year or $4.99/month, and a free edition for basic calendaring needs with 14-day trial for premium features.

Source
Acuity Scheduling: How many calendars and staff can I manage per Acuity tier?

Starter supports 1 calendar. Standard supports up to 6 calendars. Premium supports up to 36 calendars. Text message reminders require Standard or higher. Multiple staff/location timezones are only available on Premium.

Source
BusyCal: What calendar services does BusyCal sync with?

BusyCal syncs with iCloud, Google Calendar, Exchange, and CalDAV servers. However, you cannot directly sync iCloud calendars with Google Calendar through BusyCal; you must host some calendars on iCloud and some on Google.

Source
Acuity Scheduling: Does Acuity Scheduling offer HIPAA compliance?

HIPAA Business Associate Agreement (BAA) compliance is only available on the Premium plan ($49-61/month). Premium also includes the ability to hide Acuity branding.

Source
BusyCal: What platforms does BusyCal support?

BusyCal is available for Mac, iPhone, and iPad.

Source
BusyCal: What are BusyCal's key features?

BusyCal includes day/week/month/year/list views, availability panel for finding open time slots, timezone side panel, travel time trackers, and integrated to-do lists.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Acuity Scheduling

More on BusyCal

Keep looking

Other head to heads