Softwr

Calendars · head to head

Cron Calendar vs Square Appointments

Cron Calendar logo

Cron Calendar

Calendars

The next-generation calendar for professionals

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Square Appointments logo

Square Appointments

Scheduling

Free scheduling for beauty businesses

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Cron Calendar has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Cron Calendar no longer sold as Cron. Notion acquired it and renamed it Notion Calendar, and cron.com now carries that banner; Square Appointments the free plan is aimed at solo professionals; booking across multiple staff requires the paid Plus plan
  • They diverge on capability: Cron Calendar covers Keyboard shortcuts, Square Appointments covers Online booking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cron Calendar and Square Appointments actually diverge.

Attributes where Cron Calendar and Square Appointments differ
AttributeCron CalendarSquare Appointments
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionusage-based
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsMacos, Windows, Ios, Android, WebWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryCalendarsScheduling
Founded20162009

Identical on both: 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 Cron Calendar

  • Keyboard shortcuts
  • Multi-timezone
  • Scheduling links
  • Team availability
  • Menu bar access
  • Notion
  • Zoom
  • Google Meet

Only in Square Appointments

  • Online booking
  • Client management
  • Point of sale
  • Payment processing
  • Automated reminders
  • Instagram booking
  • Google booking
  • Mobile app

Both cover

  • Google Calendar
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Cron Calendar

  • Keyboard-driven calendar for people living in their schedulenot Square Appointments
  • Managing several Google calendars in one viewnot Square Appointments
  • Scheduling links for meeting availabilitynot Square Appointments
  • Joining video calls from the menu barnot Square Appointments

Square Appointments

  • Online appointment booking for salons, barbers and personal servicesnot Cron Calendar
  • Taking card payments and deposits at the time of bookingnot Cron Calendar
  • Managing staff calendars, waitlists and no-show policiesnot Cron Calendar

Where each one falls short

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

Cron Calendar

  • No longer sold as Cron. Notion acquired it and renamed it Notion Calendar, and cron.com now carries that banner
  • Tied to the Notion account system rather than standing alone

Square Appointments

  • The free plan is aimed at solo professionals; booking across multiple staff requires the paid Plus plan
  • Cancellation policies, no-show fees and waitlists require the Plus plan
  • Resource management, service cost tracking and the future bookings report require the Premium plan
  • Custom processing rates are reserved for Square Pro, which is aimed at businesses processing over $250,000 a year
  • Card processing fees are charged on top of the plan fee on every tier including the free one

Pricing, plan by plan

Cron Calendar

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Notion Calendar access
    • Basic calendar features
  • Plus$10/month
    • Notion Calendar included
    • Unlimited users
    • All Notion workspace features
  • Business$20/month
    • Notion Calendar included
    • Unlimited users
    • All Plus features
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • Notion Calendar included
    • Custom pricing
    • Unlimited users

Square Appointments

On request
  • Solo Professional Plan$null/transaction
    • Processing fees apply
    • For solo professionals taking payments and managing schedules
    • Top appointments features
  • Plus Plan$null/transaction
    • Processing fees apply
    • Free trial available
    • For growing teams needing more advanced tools
  • Premium Plan$null/transaction
    • Processing fees apply
    • Free trial available
    • For large salons with complex staff management
  • Square Pro$null/month
    • Custom pricing for businesses processing over $250,000 annually
    • Hardware discounts
    • Onboarding support

Which should you pick?

Choose Cron Calendar if

  • You need keyboard shortcuts.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Macos, Windows, Ios, Android, Web.
  • You also want multi-timezone.
Cron Calendar review

Choose Square Appointments if

  • You need online booking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want client management.
Square Appointments review

Questions people ask

Is Cron Calendar or Square Appointments better?
Neither clearly leads. Cron Calendar starts at Free and Square Appointments at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cron Calendar or Square Appointments?
Cron Calendar has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Cron Calendar and On request for Square Appointments.
Does Cron Calendar or Square Appointments run on more platforms?
Cron Calendar runs on Macos, Windows, Ios, Android, Web. Square Appointments runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Cron Calendar for free?
Yes. Cron Calendar has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Square Appointments starts at On request.
What is Cron Calendar best used for?
Cron Calendar is most often used for keyboard-driven calendar for people living in their schedule, managing several google calendars in one view, scheduling links for meeting availability, joining video calls from the menu bar. Of those, keyboard-driven calendar for people living in their schedule and managing several google calendars in one view are not what Square Appointments is typically brought in for.
What can Cron Calendar do that Square Appointments cannot?
Cron Calendar covers Keyboard shortcuts, Multi-timezone, Scheduling links, Team availability. Square Appointments covers Online booking, Client management, Point of sale, Payment processing. Both handle Google Calendar, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cron Calendar: How much does Notion Calendar cost?

Notion Calendar is included at no additional cost with any Notion plan. The Free Notion plan includes Calendar at $0/month. Paid Notion plans start at $10/member/month for Plus and $20/member/month for Business, with Enterprise custom pricing.

Source
Square Appointments: How much do Square Appointments plans cost?

Square Appointments pricing is based on processing fees rather than monthly subscription fees. Specific percentages are not listed online. The Solo Professional, Plus, and Premium plans all charge processing fees on transactions. For businesses processing over $250,000 annually, Square Pro offers custom pricing including hardware discounts, onboarding support, and account management.

Source
Cron Calendar: Is Notion Calendar free?

Notion Calendar is included free with all Notion plans, including the free tier. There is no separate pricing for the Calendar feature.

Source
Square Appointments: Is there a free trial for Square Appointments?

Yes, the Plus and Premium plans offer free trials for an unspecified number of days. The Solo Professional plan does not appear to offer a trial period.

Source
Cron Calendar: What is the per-user cost for Notion Calendar?

Notion Calendar has no separate per-user cost as it is bundled into Notion's pricing. Free Notion accounts include it at $0/month. Plus plan is $10 per member/month and Business is $20 per member/month.

Source
Square Appointments: What features does the Premium plan add compared to Plus?

The Premium plan includes all Plus features plus Future Bookings Report for tracking upcoming appointments, Service Cost Tracking to monitor service profitability, and Resource Management for scheduling equipment and facilities across multiple staff members.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Cron Calendar

More on Square Appointments

Keep looking

Other head to heads