Software · head to head
Cal.com vs Square Appointments
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Cal.com free plan limited to single user only; Square Appointments the free plan is aimed at solo professionals; booking across multiple staff requires the paid Plus plan
- They diverge on capability: Cal.com covers Custom booking pages, Square Appointments covers Online booking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Cal.com and Square Appointments actually diverge.
| Attribute | Cal.com | Square Appointments |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | subscription |
| Platforms | Web, Mobile app, Browser extension | Web, Ios, Android |
| Founded | 2021 | 2009 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Cal.com
- Custom booking pages
- Team scheduling
- Collective scheduling
- Routing forms
- Webhooks
- Outlook
- Zoom
- Google Meet
Only in Square Appointments
- Online booking
- Client management
- Point of sale
- Payment processing
- Automated reminders
- Instagram booking
- Google booking
- Mobile app
Both cover
- Google Calendar
- 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 Square Appointments
- Accept payments via Stripe and PayPalnot Square Appointments
- Integrate with Salesforce and HubSpotnot Square Appointments
Square Appointments
- Online appointment booking for salons, barbers and personal servicesnot Cal.com
- Taking card payments and deposits at the time of bookingnot Cal.com
- Managing staff calendars, waitlists and no-show policiesnot 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
Square Appointments
- The free plan is aimed at solo professionals; booking across multiple staff requires the paid Plus plan
- Cancellation policies, no-show fees and waitlists require the Plus plan
- Resource management, service cost tracking and the future bookings report require the Premium plan
- Custom processing rates are reserved for Square Pro, which is aimed at businesses processing over $250,000 a year
- Card processing fees are charged on top of the plan fee on every tier including the free one
Pricing, plan by plan
Cal.com
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Cal.com review.
Square Appointments
Free- FreeFree
- Unlimited appointments
- Online booking
- Client management
- Plus$29/month
- Everything in Free
- Multiple staff calendars
- No-show protection
- Premium$69/month
- Everything in Plus
- Multi-location
- Staff management
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.
Choose Square Appointments if
- You need online booking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want client management.
Questions people ask
- Is Cal.com or Square Appointments better?
- Neither clearly leads. Cal.com starts at Free and Square Appointments at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Cal.com or Square Appointments?
- Cal.com starts at Free and Square Appointments at Free.
- Does Cal.com or Square Appointments run on more platforms?
- Cal.com runs on Web, Mobile app, Browser extension. Square Appointments runs on Web, Ios, Android.
- Can I use Cal.com for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- 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 Square Appointments is typically brought in for.
- What can Cal.com do that Square Appointments cannot?
- Cal.com covers Custom booking pages, Team scheduling, Collective scheduling, Routing forms. Square Appointments covers Online booking, Client management, Point of sale, Payment processing. Both handle Google Calendar, Web support.
Related pages
More on Square Appointments
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