Scheduling · head to head
Acuity Scheduling vs Cal.com
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Acuity Scheduling starter tier limited to 1 calendar only; Cal.com free plan limited to single user only
- They diverge on capability: Acuity Scheduling covers Online booking, Cal.com covers Custom booking pages.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Acuity Scheduling and Cal.com actually diverge.
| Attribute | Acuity Scheduling | Cal.com |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | subscription | freemium |
| Platforms | Web | Web, Mobile app, Browser extension |
| Founded | 2003 | 2021 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Scheduling).
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 Cal.com
- Custom booking pages
- Team scheduling
- Collective scheduling
- Routing forms
- Webhooks
- Google Meet
- Web support
- Self-hosted support
Both cover
- Zoom
- Google Calendar
- Outlook
- Stripe
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 Cal.com
- HIPAA-compliant scheduling for healthcare practitionersnot Cal.com
- Multi-location scheduling with multiple staff membersnot Cal.com
- Membership, package sales, and gift certificate managementnot Cal.com
Cal.com
- Schedule meetings and manage availabilitynot Acuity Scheduling
- Accept payments via Stripe and PayPalnot Acuity Scheduling
- Integrate with Salesforce and HubSpotnot 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
Cal.com
- Free plan limited to single user only
- Free plan restricted to 1 user account
- Teams plan requires yearly billing at $12/user/month
- Organizations plan requires yearly billing at $28/user/month
- Free plan lacks team collaboration features
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
Cal.com
Free- FreeFree
- Unlimited event types
- Calendar syncing
- Workflow automation
- Teams$16/month
- Round-robin scheduling
- Shared availability
- Team workflows
- Organizations$37/month
- Organization-wide admin controls
- Centralized management
- Enterprise$null/month
- Priority support
- Dedicated database
- Higher SLAs
Which should you pick?
Choose Acuity Scheduling if
- You need online booking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want appointment types.
Choose Cal.com if
- You need custom booking pages.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Mobile app, Browser extension.
- You also want team scheduling.
Questions people ask
- Is Acuity Scheduling or Cal.com better?
- Neither clearly leads. Acuity Scheduling starts at Free and Cal.com at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Acuity Scheduling or Cal.com?
- Acuity Scheduling starts at Free and Cal.com at Free.
- Does Acuity Scheduling or Cal.com run on more platforms?
- Acuity Scheduling runs on Web. Cal.com runs on Web, Mobile app, Browser extension.
- 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 Cal.com is typically brought in for.
- What can Acuity Scheduling do that Cal.com cannot?
- Acuity Scheduling covers Online booking, Appointment types, Calendar sync, Payment processing. Cal.com covers Custom booking pages, Team scheduling, Collective scheduling, Routing forms. Both handle Zoom, Google Calendar, Outlook, Stripe.
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.
SourceCal.com: Does Cal.com have a free version?
Yes, Cal.com's free plan includes unlimited event types, calendar syncing, workflow automation, Stripe payments, and Cal Video at no cost, positioning it as one of the most fully featured free scheduling tools available.
SourceAcuity 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.
SourceCal.com: What is the difference between Teams and Organizations pricing?
Teams plan costs $16/user/month and is designed for small businesses with round-robin scheduling and shared availability. Organizations plan costs $37/user/month and adds organization-wide admin controls and centralized management for larger companies.
SourceAcuity 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.
SourceCal.com: Is there a limit on the number of team members?
The free plan and Teams plan do not specify member limits in the documented pricing. Organizations plan is designed to scale for larger deployments.
SourceCal.com: How much does the Enterprise plan cost?
Enterprise plan pricing is custom. Cal.com requires contacting their sales team to obtain a quote based on specific needs and SLA requirements.
SourceRelated pages
More on Acuity Scheduling
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