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All industries · head to head

Calendly vs Zeplin

Calendly logo

Calendly

All industries

Scheduling automation platform for eliminating back-and-forth

From
Free
Rated
-
Zeplin logo

Zeplin

Design Tools

Design handoff and developer collaboration

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; Zeplin the free plan is limited to 1 project and 100 screens and works only in a personal workspace
  • They diverge on capability: Calendly covers Calendar sync, Zeplin covers Design specs.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Calendly and Zeplin actually diverge.

Attributes where Calendly and Zeplin differ
AttributeCalendlyZeplin
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Desktop, Mobile
CategoryAll industriesDesign Tools
Founded20132014

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Zeplin

  • Design specs
  • Asset export
  • Code snippets
  • Design tokens
  • Comments
  • Version control
  • Handoff workflow
  • Accessibility checks

Both cover

  • Slack
  • SOC2
  • GDPR

What people use each for

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

Calendly

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

Zeplin

  • Handing off design specs from Figma or Sketch to developersnot Calendly
  • Sharing screens, assets and style guides with an engineering teamnot Calendly
  • Reviewing and commenting on design versionsnot 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

Zeplin

  • The free plan is limited to 1 project and 100 screens and works only in a personal workspace
  • Free plan AI reviews are capped at 3 per week
  • Role based permissions require the Advanced plan or higher
  • Single sign on, multi factor authentication, activity logs and invoiced billing are Enterprise only
  • Priority 24 hour support is Enterprise only
  • Basic plan caps screens at 1,000 per project and is priced per project rather than per seat
  • Enterprise pricing is by quote with no published rate

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

Zeplin

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 project
    • 1 workspace
    • Basic specs
  • Starter$19/month
    • Unlimited projects
    • Multiple workspaces
    • Advanced specs
  • Professional$49/month
    • Everything in Starter
    • Team collaboration
    • Admin controls

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 Zeplin if

  • You need design specs.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
  • You also want asset export.

Questions people ask

Is Calendly or Zeplin better?
Neither clearly leads. Calendly starts at Free and Zeplin at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Calendly or Zeplin?
Calendly starts at Free and Zeplin at Free.
Does Calendly or Zeplin run on more platforms?
Calendly runs on Web, iOS, Android. Zeplin runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
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 Zeplin is typically brought in for.
What can Calendly do that Zeplin cannot?
Calendly covers Calendar sync, Automated scheduling, Custom availability, Time zone detection. Zeplin covers Design specs, Asset export, Code snippets, Design tokens. Both handle Slack, SOC2, 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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