Software · head to head
Calendly vs Google Calendar
Calendly
Software
Scheduling automation platform for eliminating back-and-forth
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Calendly the free plan allows one event type and one calendar connection, so it cannot handle different meeting formats; Google Calendar no AI-driven scheduling assistance or automatic meeting time optimization
- They diverge on capability: Calendly covers Calendar sync, Google Calendar covers Event scheduling.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Calendly and Google Calendar actually diverge.
| Attribute | Calendly | Google Calendar |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows |
| Founded | 2013 | 1998 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), 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 Calendly
- Calendar sync
- Automated scheduling
- Custom availability
- Time zone detection
- Reminder emails
- Buffer time
- Meeting polls
- Embed on website
Only in Google Calendar
- Event scheduling
- Multiple calendars
- Reminders and notifications
- Event sharing
- Video conferencing integration
- Gmail
- Google Meet
- Google Tasks
Both cover
- Zoom
- Slack
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Calendly
- Sales meetingsnot Google Calendar
- Interview schedulingnot Google Calendar
- Customer callsnot Google Calendar
- Office hoursnot Google Calendar
- Webinar registrationnot Google Calendar
Google Calendar
- Schedulingnot Calendly
- Appointment bookingnot Calendly
- Time trackingnot Calendly
- Resource managementnot Calendly
- Team coordinationnot 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
Google Calendar
- No AI-driven scheduling assistance or automatic meeting time optimization
- Lacks built-in appointment booking pages or payment integrations for scheduling
- Limited mobile support for shared calendars and unreliable push notifications on phones
- No native task management or project tracking features within the calendar interface
- Limited offline functionality on the web (read-only mode only)
- Strict usage limits (maximum 60 calendars, 750 shares per time period)
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
Google Calendar
Free- PersonalFree
- Event scheduling
- Sharing
- Notifications
- Google Workspace Business Starter$7/month
- All personal features
- Team collaboration
- 30GB storage
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.
Choose Google Calendar if
- You need event scheduling.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
- You also want multiple calendars.
Questions people ask
- Is Calendly or Google Calendar better?
- Neither clearly leads. Calendly starts at Free and Google Calendar at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Calendly or Google Calendar?
- Calendly starts at Free and Google Calendar at Free.
- Does Calendly or Google Calendar run on more platforms?
- Calendly runs on Web, iOS, Android. Google Calendar runs on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
- Can I use Calendly for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- 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 Google Calendar is typically brought in for.
- What can Calendly do that Google Calendar cannot?
- Calendly covers Calendar sync, Automated scheduling, Custom availability, Time zone detection. Google Calendar covers Event scheduling, Multiple calendars, Reminders and notifications, Event sharing. Both handle Zoom, Slack.
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).
SourceGoogle Calendar: Can I use Google Calendar offline?
Yes. On the web, Google Calendar works in read-only mode offline for cached events. On iOS and Android, the Google Calendar app automatically caches recent events and lets you create, edit, and respond to events offline. Changes sync automatically when you reconnect to the internet.
SourceCalendly: 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.
SourceGoogle Calendar: Can I export my calendar data?
Yes. Google Calendar exports as ICS files through Settings > Import & export > Export. ICS files are readable by Outlook, Apple Calendar, Thunderbird, and most other calendar applications.
SourceCalendly: 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.
SourceGoogle Calendar: Does Google Calendar integrate with video conferencing?
Yes. Google Calendar integrates natively with Google Meet and Zoom. When you create an event, you can add a video conference link directly. Other platforms like Webex and GoTo Meeting can be integrated via Zapier or third-party automation.
SourceCalendly: 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.
SourceGoogle Calendar: Can I share my calendar with teams?
Yes. You can share individual calendars with specific people or make them publicly viewable. However, accessing shared calendars on mobile devices has limitations, and push notifications for shared calendars may not work reliably on phones.
SourceCalendly: 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.
SourceGoogle Calendar: Does Google Calendar work with Outlook?
No direct integration. You can manually import/export using ICS files or use third-party tools like Zapier to sync events. This is different from Outlook, which integrates seamlessly within Microsoft 365.
SourceGoogle Calendar: Is there a cost to use Google Calendar?
Google Calendar is free for personal use. Google Workspace plans (which include Calendar) start at $7 per user per month for business use.
Source