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Scheduling · head to head

Acuity Scheduling vs Planday

Acuity Scheduling logo

Acuity Scheduling

Scheduling

Scheduling made simple

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Planday logo

Planday

Scheduling

Danish workforce scheduling and shift management software for shift-based businesses

From
£2.99/user per month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Acuity Scheduling 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; Planday plus and Pro pricing not published; requires contacting sales
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Acuity Scheduling and Planday differ
AttributeAcuity SchedulingPlanday
Starting priceFree£2.99/user per month
Free tierYesNo
Founded2003Unknown

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web), 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
  • Calendar sync
  • Payment processing
  • Email reminders
  • Client self-scheduling
  • Packages & memberships
  • Timezone detection

Only in Planday

Nothing recorded that Acuity Scheduling does not also cover.

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

Planday

  • Workforce scheduling and managementnot Acuity Scheduling
  • Time tracking and payroll integrationnot Acuity Scheduling
  • Employee scheduling for retail and hospitalitynot Acuity Scheduling
  • Rostering and shift managementnot 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

Planday

  • Plus and Pro pricing not published; requires contacting sales
  • Starter tier requires minimum of 5 users making it unsuitable for solo operations
  • Plus plan pricing per user not specified on pricing page

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

Planday

£2.99/user per month
  • Starter$2.99/user per month
    • Intuitive scheduling
    • Simple time tracking
    • Working time rules
  • Plus$null/mo
    • Advanced scheduling
    • Leave and absence management
    • Accurate payroll reporting and integrations
  • Pro$null/mo
    • Custom planning metrics
    • Auto-scheduling
    • Configurable organisational structure

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 Planday if

Nothing in the data separates Planday from Acuity Scheduling on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Planday review

Questions people ask

Is Acuity Scheduling or Planday better?
Neither clearly leads. Acuity Scheduling starts at Free and Planday at £2.99/user per month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Acuity Scheduling or Planday?
Acuity Scheduling has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Acuity Scheduling and £2.99/user per month for Planday.
Does Acuity Scheduling or Planday 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?
Yes. Acuity Scheduling has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Planday starts at £2.99/user per 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 Planday is typically brought in for.
What can Acuity Scheduling do that Planday cannot?
Acuity Scheduling covers Online booking, Appointment types, Calendar sync, Payment processing.

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
Planday: How much does Planday cost?

Planday's Starter plan costs £2.99 per user per month with a minimum of 5 users required. Plus and Pro plans require contacting sales for custom pricing.

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
Planday: Does Planday offer a free trial?

Yes, Planday offers a 30-day free trial available for both Starter and Plus plans with no credit card required. You can cancel anytime.

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
Planday: What is the minimum Planday commitment?

The Starter tier requires a minimum of 5 users at £2.99 per user per month. Annual prepayment may offer different terms; contact sales for details.

Source
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