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Scheduling · head to head

Acuity Scheduling vs Podio

Acuity Scheduling logo

Acuity Scheduling

Scheduling

Scheduling made simple

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Podio logo

Podio

Project Management

The flexible team collaboration platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Acuity Scheduling starter tier limited to 1 calendar only; Podio the free plan stops at 5 users and 100 items across the whole organisation
  • They diverge on capability: Acuity Scheduling covers Online booking, Podio covers Workspaces.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Acuity Scheduling and Podio differ
AttributeAcuity SchedulingPodio
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
CategorySchedulingProject Management
Founded20032009

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (subscription), free tier (Yes), 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 Podio

  • Workspaces
  • Apps
  • Workflows
  • Tasks
  • Calendar
  • Slack
  • Google Drive
  • Dropbox

Both cover

  • Zapier

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

Podio

  • Building custom workspaces and apps without codenot Acuity Scheduling
  • Project and task management for a small teamnot Acuity Scheduling
  • Client collaboration with external users on the paid plansnot Acuity Scheduling
  • Simple workflow automation between appsnot 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

Podio

  • The free plan stops at 5 users and 100 items across the whole organisation
  • Workflow automation is capped at 25,000 actions a month even on Premium at $19.20 per user
  • API access is a paid add-on from $23 a month, and higher call rates run to $159
  • Extra automation is billed separately, from $39 up to $559 a month
  • Visual reports, email integrations and PDF generation all require Premium

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

Podio

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 5 users
    • 100 items maximum per organization
    • Basic task management
  • Plus$11.2/per user/month
    • $14/user/month monthly
    • Unlimited items
    • Task automation
  • Premium$19.2/per user/month
    • $24/user/month monthly
    • Advanced automation with 25,000 actions/month
    • Enhanced API

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 Podio if

  • You need workspaces.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want apps.
Podio review

Questions people ask

Is Acuity Scheduling or Podio better?
Neither clearly leads. Acuity Scheduling starts at Free and Podio at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Acuity Scheduling or Podio?
Acuity Scheduling starts at Free and Podio at Free.
Does Acuity Scheduling or Podio run on more platforms?
Acuity Scheduling runs on Web. Podio runs on Web, Ios, Android.
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 Podio is typically brought in for.
What can Acuity Scheduling do that Podio cannot?
Acuity Scheduling covers Online booking, Appointment types, Calendar sync, Payment processing. Podio covers Workspaces, Apps, Workflows, Tasks. Both handle Zapier.

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
Podio: How much does Podio cost?

Podio offers a free plan with up to 5 users and 100 items limit. Paid tiers start at $11.20/user/month (annual) or $14/user/month (monthly) for Plus, and $19.20/user/month (annual) or $24/user/month (monthly) for Premium.

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
Podio: Is Podio free?

Podio offers a free plan for up to 5 users with basic task management features and a maximum of 100 items per organization. Paid plans are required for more users or items.

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
Podio: What limits are on Podio's free plan?

The free plan supports up to 5 users and stores a maximum of 100 items per organization. API calls are limited to 1,000 per hour on the base tier.

Source
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