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Scheduling & Booking · head to head

Acuity Scheduling vs Microsoft Teams

Acuity Scheduling logo

Acuity Scheduling

Scheduling & Booking

Scheduling made simple

From
$16/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Microsoft Teams logo

Microsoft Teams

All industries

Meet, chat, call, and collaborate in just one place

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Microsoft Teams 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; Microsoft Teams resource-heavy application; slow to load and consumes significant CPU/memory compared to alternatives
  • They diverge on capability: Acuity Scheduling covers Online booking, Microsoft Teams covers Chat & channels.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Acuity Scheduling and Microsoft Teams actually diverge.

Attributes where Acuity Scheduling and Microsoft Teams differ
AttributeAcuity SchedulingMicrosoft Teams
Starting price$16/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
CategoryScheduling & BookingAll industries
Founded20031975

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Microsoft Teams

  • Chat & channels
  • Video conferencing
  • Screen sharing
  • File collaboration
  • Office integration
  • Live events
  • Phone system
  • Apps & workflows

Both cover

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

Microsoft Teams

  • Remote meetingsnot Acuity Scheduling
  • Team collaborationnot Acuity Scheduling
  • Document sharingnot Acuity Scheduling
  • Project managementnot Acuity Scheduling
  • Webinarsnot 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

Microsoft Teams

  • Resource-heavy application; slow to load and consumes significant CPU/memory compared to alternatives
  • Limited channel structure; maximum of 200 public and 30 private channels per team
  • Cannot invite guest users to specific channels; guest access grants full team visibility
  • Unable to chat during screen sharing; limits real-time collaborative communication
  • Limited customization options for branding and interface; cluttered UX compared to Slack
  • Channels cannot be moved between teams; requires manual replication for reorganization

Pricing, plan by plan

Acuity Scheduling

$16/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Acuity Scheduling review.

Microsoft Teams

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited chat
    • 100 participants in meetings
    • 5GB file storage
  • Microsoft Teams Essentials$4/month
    • 300 participants in meetings
    • 10GB cloud storage
    • Phone & web support
  • Microsoft 365 Business Basic$6/month
    • Everything in Essentials
    • 1TB OneDrive storage
    • Web & mobile Office apps
  • Microsoft 365 Business Standard$12.5/month
    • Everything in Basic
    • Desktop Office apps
    • Webinar hosting

Which should you pick?

Choose Acuity Scheduling if

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

Choose Microsoft Teams if

  • You need chat & channels.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
  • You also want video conferencing.
Microsoft Teams review

Questions people ask

Is Acuity Scheduling or Microsoft Teams better?
Neither clearly leads. Acuity Scheduling starts at $16/month and Microsoft Teams at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Acuity Scheduling or Microsoft Teams?
Microsoft Teams has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $16/month for Acuity Scheduling and Free for Microsoft Teams.
Does Acuity Scheduling or Microsoft Teams run on more platforms?
Acuity Scheduling runs on Web. Microsoft Teams runs on Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
Can I use Microsoft Teams for free?
Yes. Microsoft Teams 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 Microsoft Teams is typically brought in for.
What can Acuity Scheduling do that Microsoft Teams cannot?
Acuity Scheduling covers Online booking, Appointment types, Calendar sync, Payment processing. Microsoft Teams covers Chat & channels, Video conferencing, Screen sharing, File collaboration. Both handle Outlook, HIPAA, SOC2.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Microsoft Teams: Does Microsoft Teams have a free tier?

Yes. Microsoft Teams offers a free Home tier with unlimited chat, 60-minute group meetings for up to 100 people, 5GB cloud storage, and basic file sharing, though limits are restrictive for growing teams.

Source
Microsoft Teams: What are Microsoft Teams' paid plans?

Microsoft Teams Essentials costs $4/user/month (chat, calling, meetings, 10GB storage). Microsoft 365 Business Basic costs $7/user/month (includes desktop Office apps, 1TB storage). Premium plans with Copilot start at $23.50/user/month.

Source
Microsoft Teams: What are Microsoft Teams' primary features?

Teams provides real-time chat, video and voice calling, meetings with up to 300 participants, file sharing and storage integration with OneDrive, recording and transcripts, and deep integration with Microsoft 365 apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).

Microsoft Teams: What integrations does Teams support?

Microsoft Teams integrates with calendar apps (Outlook, Google Calendar), project management tools (Trello), and works with Zapier for custom workflow automation. Teams also has native connectors to many Microsoft 365 apps and third-party services.

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Related pages

More on Acuity Scheduling

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