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Software · head to head

Acuity Scheduling vs Freshservice

Acuity Scheduling logo

Acuity Scheduling

Software

Scheduling made simple

From
$16/month
Rated
-
Freshservice logo

Freshservice

Software

Modern IT service management

From
$19/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Acuity Scheduling starter tier limited to 1 calendar only; Freshservice change, problem and release management require the Pro plan at $99 per agent per month, so core ITIL processes sit two tiers up
  • They diverge on capability: Acuity Scheduling covers Online booking, Freshservice covers Incident management.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Acuity Scheduling and Freshservice differ
AttributeAcuity SchedulingFreshservice
Starting price$16/month$19/month
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20032010

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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 Freshservice

  • Incident management
  • Asset management
  • Change management
  • Knowledge base
  • Automation
  • Reporting
  • Slack
  • Microsoft Teams

Both cover

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

Freshservice

  • IT service management and internal help desk ticketingnot Acuity Scheduling
  • Asset management and change control for IT teamsnot 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

Freshservice

  • Change, problem and release management require the Pro plan at $99 per agent per month, so core ITIL processes sit two tiers up
  • Every plan includes only 100 ITAM asset units, with more sold separately regardless of tier
  • Orchestration transactions are metered monthly, from 1,000 on Starter to 20,000 on Enterprise, with extra packs at $250 per 1,000
  • The Freddy AI copilot is a $29 per agent per month add on on top of Pro or Enterprise
  • Sandbox and audit logs are Enterprise only, which carries no published price

Pricing, plan by plan

Acuity Scheduling

$16/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Acuity Scheduling review.

Freshservice

$19/month
  • Starter$19/month
    • Incident management
    • Knowledge base
    • Self-service portal
  • Growth$49/month
    • Asset management
    • Approval workflows
    • SLA management
  • Pro$95/month
    • Problem management
    • Change management
    • Release management
  • Enterprise$119/month
    • Freddy AI
    • Audit logs
    • Custom SSL

Which should you pick?

Choose Acuity Scheduling if

  • You need online booking.
  • You also want appointment types.

Choose Freshservice if

  • You need incident management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want asset management.

Questions people ask

Is Acuity Scheduling or Freshservice better?
Neither clearly leads. Acuity Scheduling starts at $16/month and Freshservice at $19/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Acuity Scheduling or Freshservice?
Acuity Scheduling starts at $16/month and Freshservice at $19/month.
Does Acuity Scheduling or Freshservice run on more platforms?
Acuity Scheduling runs on Web. Freshservice runs on Web, Ios, Android.
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 Freshservice is typically brought in for.
What can Acuity Scheduling do that Freshservice cannot?
Acuity Scheduling covers Online booking, Appointment types, Calendar sync, Payment processing. Freshservice covers Incident management, Asset management, Change management, Knowledge base. Both handle HIPAA, SOC2.

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