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Software · head to head

Calendly vs Capsule

Calendly logo

Calendly

Software

Scheduling automation platform for eliminating back-and-forth

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Capsule logo

Capsule

Software

Visual CRM for small teams

From
$19/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Calendly has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Calendly the free plan allows one event type and one calendar connection, so it cannot handle different meeting formats; Capsule the free plan is capped at 2 users, 250 contacts, 5 custom fields and a single pipeline
  • They diverge on capability: Calendly covers Calendar sync, Capsule covers Contact management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Calendly and Capsule actually diverge.

Attributes where Calendly and Capsule differ
AttributeCalendlyCapsule
Starting priceFree$19/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
Founded20132008

Identical on both: platforms (Web, iOS, Android), 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 Calendly

  • Calendar sync
  • Automated scheduling
  • Custom availability
  • Time zone detection
  • Reminder emails
  • Buffer time
  • Meeting polls
  • Embed on website

Only in Capsule

  • Contact management
  • Deal tracking
  • Task management
  • Email sync
  • Activity timeline
  • Zapier
  • Google Apps
  • Cloud deployment

Both cover

  • Slack
  • GDPR

What people use each for

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

Calendly

  • Sales meetingsnot Capsule
  • Interview schedulingnot Capsule
  • Customer callsnot Capsule
  • Office hoursnot Capsule
  • Webinar registrationnot Capsule

Capsule

  • Simple contact and pipeline CRM for a small teamnot Calendly
  • Tracking deals and follow-up tasksnot Calendly
  • Linking emails and notes to contact recordsnot Calendly
  • Multiple sales pipelines on the paid tiersnot Calendly

Where each one falls short

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

Calendly

  • The free plan allows one event type and one calendar connection, so it cannot handle different meeting formats
  • Automated reminders and multiple calendars need Standard at $10 per seat per month
  • Round-robin routing, lead qualification and Salesforce integration require Teams at $16 per seat per month
  • SAML single sign-on, audit logs and domain control are Enterprise only, starting at $15,000 a year
  • Advertised prices are the annual rates

Capsule

  • The free plan is capped at 2 users, 250 contacts, 5 custom fields and a single pipeline
  • Contact ceilings gate every tier, from 30,000 on Starter to 120,000 on Advanced
  • Per-user prices are not shown as figures on the pricing page, only as tier names
  • Ultimate is quote-only

Pricing, plan by plan

Calendly

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 event type
    • 1 calendar connection
    • Basic confirmation email
  • Standard$10/month
    • Unlimited event types
    • Multiple calendars (up to 6)
    • Integrations with HubSpot, Mailchimp, Stripe, PayPal
  • Teams$16/month
    • All Standard features
    • Salesforce integration
    • Round-robin meetings
  • Enterprise$15000/year
    • All Teams features
    • Salesforce routing lookup
    • Microsoft Dynamics 365

Capsule

$19/month
  • Starter$19/month
    • Contact management
    • Task tracking
  • Professional$39/month
    • Everything in Starter
    • Pipeline management
    • Reporting
  • Enterprise$99/month
    • Everything in Professional
    • Custom fields
    • API access

Which should you pick?

Choose Calendly if

  • You need calendar sync.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want automated scheduling.
Calendly review

Choose Capsule if

  • You need contact management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want deal tracking.
Capsule review

Questions people ask

Is Calendly or Capsule better?
Neither clearly leads. Calendly starts at Free and Capsule at $19/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Calendly or Capsule?
Calendly has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Calendly and $19/month for Capsule.
Does Calendly or Capsule run on more platforms?
Calendly runs on Web, iOS, Android. Capsule runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Calendly for free?
Yes. Calendly has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Capsule starts at $19/month.
What is Calendly best used for?
Calendly is most often used for sales meetings, interview scheduling, customer calls, office hours. Of those, sales meetings and interview scheduling are not what Capsule is typically brought in for.
What can Calendly do that Capsule cannot?
Calendly covers Calendar sync, Automated scheduling, Custom availability, Time zone detection. Capsule covers Contact management, Deal tracking, Task management, Email sync. Both handle Slack, GDPR.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Calendly: Does the free tier include automatic reminders?

No. The free plan only includes a basic confirmation email when someone books. Automated reminder workflows, SMS reminders, and follow-up sequences require the Standard plan ($10/month or higher).

Source
Calendly: Can I offer multiple meeting types on the free plan?

Only one event type can be active at a time. You can create multiple event types, but only one booking link works simultaneously. Switching between different meeting lengths requires manually activating another event type.

Source
Calendly: Does Calendly work with Apple Calendar and iCloud?

No longer for new users. As of August 20, 2024, new users cannot connect iCloud or Apple Calendar. Existing connections continue to work, but Calendly ended support for new Apple Calendar integrations citing Apple's security changes.

Source
Calendly: What platforms can I use Calendly on?

Calendly is available on Web, iOS, and Android. Browser extensions are available for Safari. There are no dedicated Windows or Mac desktop applications.

Source
Calendly: What does the Standard plan ($10/month) add over free?

Unlimited event types, multiple calendar connections (up to 6), integrations with HubSpot, Mailchimp, Salesforce, Stripe, PayPal, Zapier, and webhooks, plus automated reminders and email sequences.

Source
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