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Scheduling · head to head

Acuity Scheduling vs Harvest Forecast

Acuity Scheduling logo

Acuity Scheduling

Scheduling

Scheduling made simple

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Harvest Forecast logo

Harvest Forecast

Calendars

Simple visual resource planning

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Acuity Scheduling starter tier limited to 1 calendar only; Harvest Forecast the free plan allows a single seat and 2 projects
  • They diverge on capability: Acuity Scheduling covers Online booking, Harvest Forecast covers Visual scheduling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Acuity Scheduling and Harvest Forecast actually diverge.

Attributes where Acuity Scheduling and Harvest Forecast differ
AttributeAcuity SchedulingHarvest Forecast
CategorySchedulingCalendars
Founded20032006

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (subscription), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web), 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 Harvest Forecast

  • Visual scheduling
  • Capacity planning
  • Project assignments
  • Utilization reports
  • Harvest integration
  • Harvest
  • iCal
  • Web support

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

Harvest Forecast

  • Team scheduling and capacity planningnot Acuity Scheduling
  • Project utilization optimizationnot 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

Harvest Forecast

  • The free plan allows a single seat and 2 projects
  • Paid plans bill per seat with usage charged beyond the base rate rather than being purely flat
  • The Enterprise plan is $14 per seat per month against $9 on Teams
  • The 20% saving requires annual payment
  • Enterprise Plus is custom priced

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

Harvest Forecast

Free
  • Monthly$6.25/month
    • Per-person billing
    • Team scheduling
    • Shift assignments and timelines
  • Annual$5/month
    • Per-person billing
    • 20% discount vs monthly

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 Harvest Forecast if

  • You need visual scheduling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want capacity planning.
Harvest Forecast review

Questions people ask

Is Acuity Scheduling or Harvest Forecast better?
Neither clearly leads. Acuity Scheduling starts at Free and Harvest Forecast at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Acuity Scheduling or Harvest Forecast?
Acuity Scheduling starts at Free and Harvest Forecast at Free.
Does Acuity Scheduling or Harvest Forecast run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
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 Harvest Forecast is typically brought in for.
What can Acuity Scheduling do that Harvest Forecast cannot?
Acuity Scheduling covers Online booking, Appointment types, Calendar sync, Payment processing. Harvest Forecast covers Visual scheduling, Capacity planning, Project assignments, Utilization reports. 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
Harvest Forecast: How much does Harvest Forecast cost?

Harvest Forecast costs $6.25/person/month with monthly billing or $5/person/month with annual billing (20% discount).

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
Harvest Forecast: Is Harvest Forecast free?

Harvest Forecast offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card required, but there is no permanent free plan.

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
Harvest Forecast: Do nonprofits and educational institutions get discounts on Forecast?

Yes, Harvest Forecast offers special pricing for nonprofits, educational institutions, and classroom use.

Source
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