Softwr

Software · head to head

Acuity Scheduling vs PlanetScale

Acuity Scheduling logo

Acuity Scheduling

Software

Scheduling made simple

From
$16/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PlanetScale logo

PlanetScale

Software

The MySQL-compatible serverless database

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Acuity Scheduling starter tier limited to 1 calendar only; PlanetScale eBS High Availability requires 3-node configuration with replication overhead
  • They diverge on capability: Acuity Scheduling covers Online booking, PlanetScale covers Database Branching.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Acuity Scheduling and PlanetScale differ
AttributeAcuity SchedulingPlanetScale
Starting price$16/month$15/month
PlatformsWebCloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure)
Founded20032018

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 PlanetScale

  • Database Branching
  • Non-blocking Schema Changes
  • Insights
  • Horizontal Scaling
  • Connection Pooling
  • Query Caching
  • Automatic Backups
  • Global Replication

Both cover

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

PlanetScale

  • MySQL database hosting with automatic failover and replicationnot Acuity Scheduling
  • Vitess-based sharding for horizontal scaling across large datasetsnot Acuity Scheduling
  • Cloud provider flexibility across AWS, GCP, Azure with 60+ regionsnot Acuity Scheduling
  • Cost-effective database clusters using ARM64 architecture optionsnot 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

PlanetScale

  • EBS High Availability requires 3-node configuration with replication overhead
  • EBS Non-HA single-node option lacks redundancy and automatic failover
  • Pricing varies by cloud provider and region, requiring queries for specific rates
  • ARM64 architecture only available on EBS tier, not Metal deployments

Pricing, plan by plan

Acuity Scheduling

$16/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Acuity Scheduling review.

PlanetScale

$15/month

No published plan breakdown. See the PlanetScale review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Acuity Scheduling if

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

Choose PlanetScale if

  • You need database branching.
  • You work on Cloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure).
  • You also want non-blocking schema changes.
PlanetScale review

Questions people ask

Is Acuity Scheduling or PlanetScale better?
Neither clearly leads. Acuity Scheduling starts at $16/month and PlanetScale at $15/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Acuity Scheduling or PlanetScale?
Acuity Scheduling starts at $16/month and PlanetScale at $15/month.
Does Acuity Scheduling or PlanetScale run on more platforms?
Acuity Scheduling runs on Web. PlanetScale runs on Cloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure).
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 PlanetScale is typically brought in for.
What can Acuity Scheduling do that PlanetScale cannot?
Acuity Scheduling covers Online booking, Appointment types, Calendar sync, Payment processing. PlanetScale covers Database Branching, Non-blocking Schema Changes, Insights, Horizontal Scaling. Both handle SOC2.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Acuity Scheduling

More on PlanetScale

Keep looking

Other head to heads