Softwr

Software · head to head

Calendly vs Microsoft Teams

Calendly logo

Calendly

Software

Scheduling automation platform for eliminating back-and-forth

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Microsoft Teams logo

Microsoft Teams

Software

Meet, chat, call, and collaborate in just one place

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Microsoft Teams resource-heavy application; slow to load and consumes significant CPU/memory compared to alternatives
  • They diverge on capability: Calendly covers Calendar sync, Microsoft Teams covers Chat & channels.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Calendly and Microsoft Teams actually diverge.

Attributes where Calendly and Microsoft Teams differ
AttributeCalendlyMicrosoft Teams
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
Founded20131975

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 Calendly

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

Only in Microsoft Teams

  • Chat & channels
  • Video conferencing
  • Screen sharing
  • File collaboration
  • Office integration
  • Live events
  • Phone system
  • Apps & workflows

Both cover

  • Outlook
  • Office 365
  • SOC2
  • HIPAA

What people use each for

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

Calendly

  • Sales meetingsnot Microsoft Teams
  • Interview schedulingnot Microsoft Teams
  • Customer callsnot Microsoft Teams
  • Office hoursnot Microsoft Teams
  • Webinar registrationnot Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams

  • Remote meetingsnot Calendly
  • Team collaborationnot Calendly
  • Document sharingnot Calendly
  • Project managementnot Calendly
  • Webinarsnot 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

Microsoft Teams

  • Resource-heavy application; slow to load and consumes significant CPU/memory compared to alternatives
  • Limited channel structure; maximum of 200 public and 30 private channels per team
  • Cannot invite guest users to specific channels; guest access grants full team visibility
  • Unable to chat during screen sharing; limits real-time collaborative communication
  • Limited customization options for branding and interface; cluttered UX compared to Slack
  • Channels cannot be moved between teams; requires manual replication for reorganization

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

Microsoft Teams

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited chat
    • 100 participants in meetings
    • 5GB file storage
  • Microsoft Teams Essentials$4/month
    • 300 participants in meetings
    • 10GB cloud storage
    • Phone & web support
  • Microsoft 365 Business Basic$6/month
    • Everything in Essentials
    • 1TB OneDrive storage
    • Web & mobile Office apps
  • Microsoft 365 Business Standard$12.5/month
    • Everything in Basic
    • Desktop Office apps
    • Webinar hosting

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 Microsoft Teams if

  • You need chat & channels.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
  • You also want video conferencing.
Microsoft Teams review

Questions people ask

Is Calendly or Microsoft Teams better?
Neither clearly leads. Calendly starts at Free and Microsoft Teams at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Calendly or Microsoft Teams?
Calendly starts at Free and Microsoft Teams at Free.
Does Calendly or Microsoft Teams run on more platforms?
Calendly runs on Web, iOS, Android. Microsoft Teams runs on Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
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 Microsoft Teams is typically brought in for.
What can Calendly do that Microsoft Teams cannot?
Calendly covers Calendar sync, Automated scheduling, Custom availability, Time zone detection. Microsoft Teams covers Chat & channels, Video conferencing, Screen sharing, File collaboration. Both handle Outlook, Office 365, SOC2, HIPAA.

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
Microsoft Teams: Does Microsoft Teams have a free tier?

Yes. Microsoft Teams offers a free Home tier with unlimited chat, 60-minute group meetings for up to 100 people, 5GB cloud storage, and basic file sharing, though limits are restrictive for growing teams.

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
Microsoft Teams: What are Microsoft Teams' paid plans?

Microsoft Teams Essentials costs $4/user/month (chat, calling, meetings, 10GB storage). Microsoft 365 Business Basic costs $7/user/month (includes desktop Office apps, 1TB storage). Premium plans with Copilot start at $23.50/user/month.

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
Microsoft Teams: What are Microsoft Teams' primary features?

Teams provides real-time chat, video and voice calling, meetings with up to 300 participants, file sharing and storage integration with OneDrive, recording and transcripts, and deep integration with Microsoft 365 apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).

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
Microsoft Teams: What integrations does Teams support?

Microsoft Teams integrates with calendar apps (Outlook, Google Calendar), project management tools (Trello), and works with Zapier for custom workflow automation. Teams also has native connectors to many Microsoft 365 apps and third-party services.

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
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Calendly

More on Microsoft Teams

Keep looking

Other head to heads