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Software · head to head

Calendly vs Timely

Calendly logo

Calendly

Software

Scheduling automation platform for eliminating back-and-forth

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Timely logo

Timely

Software

Smart scheduling software with AI-powered features

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; Timely starter is capped at 20 projects and a maximum of 5 users, at $11 per user per month billed monthly or $9 billed yearly
  • They diverge on capability: Calendly covers Calendar sync, Timely covers AI-powered scheduling.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Calendly and Timely actually diverge.

Attributes where Calendly and Timely differ
AttributeCalendlyTimely
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android, Api
Founded20132015

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 Timely

  • AI-powered scheduling
  • Online booking
  • Automated reminders
  • Staff management
  • Client management
  • Resource allocation
  • Analytics and reporting
  • Mobile app

Both cover

  • Google Calendar
  • Slack
  • Stripe

What people use each for

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

Calendly

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

Timely

  • Automatic time tracking across apps and websites for billing clientsnot Calendly
  • Reporting billable hours and monitoring project budgetsnot Calendly
  • Team capacity planning and timesheet approvalnot 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

Timely

  • Starter is capped at 20 projects and a maximum of 5 users, at $11 per user per month billed monthly or $9 billed yearly
  • Premium is capped at a maximum of 50 users, at $20 per user per month billed monthly or $16 billed yearly
  • Unlimited users requires the Unlimited plan at $28 per user per month billed monthly or $22 billed yearly
  • Capacity management and reporting, overtime and undertime tracking, Azure user management and 50+ currencies are all on the Unlimited plan only
  • Team management, budgets and costs, and accounting and project management integrations are excluded from Starter
  • The Enterprise plan is contact sales only with no published price
  • Tasks is sold as a paid add-on rather than being included

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

Timely

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic scheduling
    • Online booking
    • Automated reminders
  • Starter$29/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Staff management
    • Customer management
  • Professional$69/month
    • Everything in Starter
    • Advanced analytics
    • Marketing tools

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 Timely if

  • You need ai-powered scheduling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want online booking.
Timely review

Questions people ask

Is Calendly or Timely better?
Neither clearly leads. Calendly starts at Free and Timely at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Calendly or Timely?
Calendly starts at Free and Timely at Free.
Does Calendly or Timely run on more platforms?
Calendly runs on Web, iOS, Android. Timely runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
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 Timely is typically brought in for.
What can Calendly do that Timely cannot?
Calendly covers Calendar sync, Automated scheduling, Custom availability, Time zone detection. Timely covers AI-powered scheduling, Online booking, Automated reminders, Staff management. Both handle Google Calendar, Slack, Stripe.

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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Related pages

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