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Scheduling · head to head

Acuity Scheduling vs Doodle

Acuity Scheduling logo

Acuity Scheduling

Scheduling

Scheduling made simple

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Doodle logo

Doodle

Scheduling

Find the best time for anything

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Acuity Scheduling starter tier limited to 1 calendar only; Doodle free plan restricted to one active poll and one booking page with 10-slot limit
  • They diverge on capability: Acuity Scheduling covers Online booking, Doodle covers Group polls.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Acuity Scheduling and Doodle differ
AttributeAcuity SchedulingDoodle
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWebWeb, Mobile (iOS, Android)
Founded20032007

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
  • Payment processing
  • Email reminders
  • Client self-scheduling
  • Packages & memberships
  • Timezone detection
  • Squarespace

Only in Doodle

  • Group polls
  • 1:1 scheduling
  • Booking pages
  • Time zone support
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Slack
  • Web support
  • Ios support

Both cover

  • Calendar sync
  • Zoom
  • Google Calendar
  • Outlook

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

Doodle

  • 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

Doodle

  • Free plan restricted to one active poll and one booking page with 10-slot limit
  • Free users see excessive advertisements on booking pages
  • Limited customization options for poll types and response formats
  • Mobile app experiences bugs and has less polished interface than desktop version

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

Doodle

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Doodle review.

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 Doodle if

  • You need group polls.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile (iOS, Android).
  • You also want 1:1 scheduling.
Doodle review

Questions people ask

Is Acuity Scheduling or Doodle better?
Neither clearly leads. Acuity Scheduling starts at Free and Doodle at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Acuity Scheduling or Doodle?
Acuity Scheduling starts at Free and Doodle at Free.
Does Acuity Scheduling or Doodle run on more platforms?
Acuity Scheduling runs on Web. Doodle runs on Web, Mobile (iOS, Android).
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 Doodle is typically brought in for.
What can Acuity Scheduling do that Doodle cannot?
Acuity Scheduling covers Online booking, Appointment types, Payment processing, Email reminders. Doodle covers Group polls, 1:1 scheduling, Booking pages, Time zone support. Both handle Calendar sync, Zoom, Google Calendar, Outlook.

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
Doodle: Does Doodle offer a free plan?

Yes. Doodle's free plan includes one active group poll, one booking page, and one 1:1 meeting, limited to 10 slots per poll with ads displayed. Premium plans start at $15/month.

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
Doodle: What are Doodle's pricing plans?

Professional plan costs $15/month (or $132/year). Team plan costs $19.95/user/month (or $8.95/user/month billed annually) with a two-seat minimum.

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
Doodle: Does Doodle integrate with calendar apps?

Yes. Doodle integrates with Google Calendar and Outlook Calendar to prevent double-bookings. Slack integration allows poll creation and sharing directly in Slack channels.

Source
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