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Scheduling · head to head

Bookedin vs Outlook Calendar

Bookedin logo

Bookedin

Scheduling

Appointment scheduling priced per calendar rather than per business

From
Free
Rated
-
Outlook Calendar logo

Outlook Calendar

Calendars

Professional calendar management for Microsoft 365

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Bookedin pricing is per calendar, so a five-staff salon pays roughly five times the headline price and lands above competitors that charge one flat business rate for unlimited staff.; Outlook Calendar offline support limited to only past 30 days of events, older events unavailable
  • They diverge on capability: Bookedin covers Per calendar pricing, Outlook Calendar covers Meeting scheduling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bookedin and Outlook Calendar actually diverge.

Attributes where Bookedin and Outlook Calendar differ
AttributeBookedinOutlook Calendar
Pricing modelPer calendar per monthUnknown
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
CategorySchedulingCalendars
FoundedUnknown1975

Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 Bookedin

  • Per calendar pricing
  • Public booking page
  • Reminders
  • Deposits and payments
  • Class scheduling
  • Free tier
  • Mobile apps
  • Booking forms

Only in Outlook Calendar

  • Meeting scheduling
  • Shared calendars
  • Room booking
  • Availability sharing
  • Recurring events
  • Microsoft Teams
  • OneDrive
  • SharePoint

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Bookedin

  • A solo tattoo artist who needs deposits taken at booking to stop no-shows without buying a studio management systemnot Outlook Calendar
  • A barber shop with two chairs that wants an Instagram booking link and automated SMS reminders running by the end of the daynot Outlook Calendar
  • A tutor running both one-to-one sessions and small group classes from the same booking pagenot Outlook Calendar
  • A pet groomer who wants intake questions captured at booking so the appointment length is right before the client arrivesnot Outlook Calendar

Outlook Calendar

  • Schedulingnot Bookedin
  • Appointment bookingnot Bookedin
  • Time trackingnot Bookedin
  • Resource managementnot Bookedin
  • Team coordinationnot Bookedin

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Bookedin

  • Pricing is per calendar, so a five-staff salon pays roughly five times the headline price and lands above competitors that charge one flat business rate for unlimited staff.
  • The free plan stops at 50 bookings a month across appointments and classes together, which a modestly busy single operator exceeds in a fortnight, making it an extended trial rather than a usable free tier.
  • It is a scheduler, not a business system: there is no inventory, commission tracking, payroll or point of sale, so growing businesses hit a wall and face a migration to a salon or clinic platform.
  • Payments run through Stripe, Square or PayPal, so you carry their processing fees on top of the subscription and get no negotiated rate from the vendor.
  • Client marketing is limited to reminders and basic notifications, with none of the campaign, loyalty or rebooking automation that competitors in the salon space treat as core.

Outlook Calendar

  • Offline support limited to only past 30 days of events, older events unavailable
  • Shared calendars and group calendars not available offline
  • Cached Exchange Mode issues can limit available offline data
  • Occasional sync conflicts when coming back online

Pricing, plan by plan

Bookedin

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 50 bookings per month total
    • One booking page
    • Appointment and class scheduling
  • Plus$19/month
    • Per calendar, billed annually; about USD 24 billed monthly
    • Unlimited bookings
    • SMS and email reminders
  • Pro$39/month
    • Per calendar per month
    • Everything in Plus
    • Advanced customisation and branding
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Quoted pricing for multi-location businesses
    • Dedicated support
    • Consolidated management across sites

Outlook Calendar

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Outlook.com email and calendar
    • 50MB attachment limit
    • 1GB cloud storage
  • Microsoft 365 Basic$19.99/year
    • Outlook with limited features
    • Cloud storage
  • Microsoft 365 Personal$99.99/year
    • Premium Outlook
    • Ad-free email
    • 100GB mailbox storage
  • Microsoft 365 Business Basic$6/month
    • Business-class email
    • 1TB cloud storage
    • Microsoft Teams

Which should you pick?

Choose Bookedin if

  • You need per calendar pricing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want public booking page.

Choose Outlook Calendar if

  • You need meeting scheduling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
  • You also want shared calendars.

Questions people ask

Is Bookedin or Outlook Calendar better?
Neither clearly leads. Bookedin starts at Free and Outlook Calendar at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bookedin or Outlook Calendar?
Bookedin starts at Free and Outlook Calendar at Free.
Does Bookedin or Outlook Calendar run on more platforms?
Bookedin runs on Web, iOS, Android. Outlook Calendar runs on Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
Can I use Bookedin for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Bookedin best used for?
Bookedin is most often used for a solo tattoo artist who needs deposits taken at booking to stop no-shows without buying a studio management system, a barber shop with two chairs that wants an instagram booking link and automated sms reminders running by the end of the day, a tutor running both one-to-one sessions and small group classes from the same booking page, a pet groomer who wants intake questions captured at booking so the appointment length is right before the client arrives. Of those, a solo tattoo artist who needs deposits taken at booking to stop no-shows without buying a studio management system and a barber shop with two chairs that wants an instagram booking link and automated sms reminders running by the end of the day are not what Outlook Calendar is typically brought in for.
What can Bookedin do that Outlook Calendar cannot?
Bookedin covers Per calendar pricing, Public booking page, Reminders, Deposits and payments. Outlook Calendar covers Meeting scheduling, Shared calendars, Room booking, Availability sharing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bookedin: How much is Bookedin for a team?

Charged per calendar. Plus is about USD 19 per calendar billed annually or 24 monthly, and Pro about 39, so a five-person team on Plus is roughly USD 95 to 120 a month.

Outlook Calendar: Is Outlook Calendar free?

Outlook.com with calendar is free via a Microsoft account. Outlook Calendar also comes with Microsoft 365 Personal ($99.99/year), Family ($129.99/year), or Business plans starting at $6/user/month.

Source
Bookedin: Is the free plan usable long term?

Only for very low volume. It caps at 50 bookings per month across appointments and classes combined.

Outlook Calendar: Does Outlook Calendar work offline?

Outlook Calendar has limited offline support. New Outlook caches only the past 30 days of calendar items. Shared calendars and group calendars are not supported offline. Changes sync when you reconnect.

Source
Bookedin: Does it take payments?

Yes, deposits or full payment at booking through Stripe, Square or PayPal, with those processors fees applying on top of your subscription.

Outlook Calendar: What platforms does Outlook Calendar support?

Outlook Calendar is available on Windows (desktop and web), macOS (desktop and web), iOS, and Android. Real-time synchronization works across all devices.

Source
Bookedin: Who makes it?

Coldwin Software Inc., a Canadian company that has run the product since 2010.

Outlook Calendar: Does Outlook Calendar integrate with Slack?

Yes. Outlook Calendar integrates with Slack to sync your status and receive meeting notifications. You can RSVP to invites directly in Slack and join Microsoft Teams meetings from Slack reminders.

Source
Outlook Calendar: Can you share calendars and set delegate permissions?

Yes. Outlook Calendar supports calendar sharing with delegate permissions, color categories for organization, and the Scheduling Assistant to view attendee availability for meeting times.

Source
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