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Scheduling & Booking · head to head

Cal.com vs Phorest

Cal.com logo

Cal.com

Scheduling & Booking

Scheduling infrastructure for everyone

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Phorest logo

Phorest

Beauty & Salon

Salon software that grows your business

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Cal.com has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Cal.com free plan limited to single user only; Phorest no price is published for any of the seven plans, and every route ends at a quote request
  • They diverge on capability: Cal.com covers Custom booking pages, Phorest covers Appointment booking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cal.com and Phorest actually diverge.

Attributes where Cal.com and Phorest differ
AttributeCal.comPhorest
Starting priceFree$99/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Mobile app, Browser extensionWeb, Ios, Android, Api
CategoryScheduling & BookingBeauty & Salon
Founded20212003

Identical on both: 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 Cal.com

  • Custom booking pages
  • Team scheduling
  • Collective scheduling
  • Routing forms
  • Webhooks
  • Google Calendar
  • Outlook
  • Zoom

Only in Phorest

  • Appointment booking
  • Client management
  • Point of sale
  • Marketing automation
  • Reputation management
  • Staff management
  • Inventory tracking
  • Business reports

Both cover

  • Stripe
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Cal.com

  • Schedule meetings and manage availabilitynot Phorest
  • Accept payments via Stripe and PayPalnot Phorest
  • Integrate with Salesforce and HubSpotnot Phorest

Phorest

  • Salon and spa appointment booking with client recordsnot Cal.com
  • Marketing, memberships and staff management for beauty businessesnot Cal.com

Where each one falls short

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

Cal.com

  • Free plan limited to single user only
  • Free plan restricted to 1 user account
  • Teams plan requires yearly billing at $12/user/month
  • Organizations plan requires yearly billing at $28/user/month
  • Free plan lacks team collaboration features

Phorest

  • No price is published for any of the seven plans, and every route ends at a quote request
  • There is no free trial at all, which the company states plainly
  • The product is described as suited to 3 or more staff, so a solo operator is outside the intended range
  • The branded booking app requires the Ultimate plan, and two way SMS, memberships, lead management and the ads manager are all Elite only

Pricing, plan by plan

Cal.com

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Cal.com review.

Phorest

$99/month
  • Grow$99/month
    • Appointment booking
    • Client management
    • POS
  • Elevate$179/month
    • Everything in Grow
    • Advanced marketing
    • Online booking
  • Innovate$299/month
    • Everything in Elevate
    • Multi-location
    • Advanced analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose Cal.com if

  • You need custom booking pages.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile app, Browser extension.
  • You also want team scheduling.
Cal.com review

Choose Phorest if

  • You need appointment booking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want client management.
Phorest review

Questions people ask

Is Cal.com or Phorest better?
Neither clearly leads. Cal.com starts at Free and Phorest at $99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cal.com or Phorest?
Cal.com has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Cal.com and $99/month for Phorest.
Does Cal.com or Phorest run on more platforms?
Cal.com runs on Web, Mobile app, Browser extension. Phorest runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
Can I use Cal.com for free?
Yes. Cal.com has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Phorest starts at $99/month.
What is Cal.com best used for?
Cal.com is most often used for schedule meetings and manage availability, accept payments via stripe and paypal, integrate with salesforce and hubspot. Of those, schedule meetings and manage availability and accept payments via stripe and paypal are not what Phorest is typically brought in for.
What can Cal.com do that Phorest cannot?
Cal.com covers Custom booking pages, Team scheduling, Collective scheduling, Routing forms. Phorest covers Appointment booking, Client management, Point of sale, Marketing automation. Both handle Stripe, Web support.
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