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Acuity Scheduling vs Census

Acuity Scheduling logo

Acuity Scheduling

Software

Scheduling made simple

From
$16/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Census logo

Census

Software

The reverse ETL infrastructure for data activation

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Census has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Acuity Scheduling starter tier limited to 1 calendar only; Census census was folded into Fivetran Activations, per the vendor: "Previously, this was called a sync in Census", and its own pricing page redirects to Fivetran pricing rather than showing Census plans
  • They diverge on capability: Acuity Scheduling covers Online booking, Census covers Reverse ETL.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Acuity Scheduling and Census differ
AttributeAcuity SchedulingCensus
Starting price$16/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionusage-based
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Api
Founded20032020

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Census

  • Reverse ETL
  • Data syncing
  • Transformation
  • Real-time activation
  • Error handling
  • Monitoring
  • Analytics
  • 150+ destinations

Both cover

  • SOC2

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

Census

  • Syncing customer data from a warehouse into marketing and sales tools (reverse ETL)not 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

Census

  • Census was folded into Fivetran Activations, per the vendor: "Previously, this was called a sync in Census", and its own pricing page redirects to Fivetran pricing rather than showing Census plans
  • Free Fivetran Activations tier caps at 3,500 monthly active rows

Pricing, plan by plan

Acuity Scheduling

$16/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Acuity Scheduling review.

Census

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic syncing
    • Limited destinations
  • Pro$250/month
    • Advanced syncing
    • Email support
  • Enterprise$1500/month
    • Unlimited syncing
    • Dedicated support

Which should you pick?

Choose Acuity Scheduling if

  • You need online booking.
  • You also want appointment types.
Acuity Scheduling review

Choose Census if

  • You need reverse etl.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want data syncing.
Census review

Questions people ask

Is Acuity Scheduling or Census better?
Neither clearly leads. Acuity Scheduling starts at $16/month and Census at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Acuity Scheduling or Census?
Census has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $16/month for Acuity Scheduling and Free for Census.
Does Acuity Scheduling or Census run on more platforms?
Acuity Scheduling runs on Web. Census runs on Web, Api.
Can I use Census for free?
Yes. Census has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Acuity Scheduling starts at $16/month.
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 Census is typically brought in for.
What can Acuity Scheduling do that Census cannot?
Acuity Scheduling covers Online booking, Appointment types, Calendar sync, Payment processing. Census covers Reverse ETL, Data syncing, Transformation, Real-time activation. Both handle SOC2.
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