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Software · head to head

Doodle vs Shedul

Doodle logo

Doodle

Software

Find the best time for anything

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Shedul logo

Shedul

Software

Free salon scheduling software

From
$14.95/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Doodle has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Doodle free plan restricted to one active poll and one booking page with 10-slot limit; Shedul hidden costs beyond subscription including 20% marketplace commission, payment processing fees (2.19% + 20 cents), SMS fees (5-15 cents each), and $500 card terminal requirement
  • They diverge on capability: Doodle covers Group polls, Shedul covers Appointment scheduling.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Doodle and Shedul actually diverge.

Attributes where Doodle and Shedul differ
AttributeDoodleShedul
Starting priceFree$14.95/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Mobile (iOS, Android)Web, iOS, Android
Founded20072015

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), 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 Doodle

  • Group polls
  • 1:1 scheduling
  • Booking pages
  • Calendar sync
  • Time zone support
  • Outlook
  • Zoom
  • Microsoft Teams

Only in Shedul

  • Appointment scheduling
  • Online booking
  • Client database
  • Point of sale
  • Inventory tracking
  • Marketing campaigns
  • Reports & analytics
  • Mobile apps

Both cover

  • Google Calendar
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Doodle

  • Schedulingnot Shedul
  • Appointment bookingnot Shedul
  • Time trackingnot Shedul
  • Resource managementnot Shedul
  • Team coordinationnot Shedul

Shedul

  • Free salon managementnot Doodle
  • Appointment schedulingnot Doodle
  • Payment processingnot Doodle
  • Client marketingnot Doodle

Where each one falls short

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

Doodle

  • Free plan restricted to one active poll and one booking page with 10-slot limit
  • Free users see excessive advertisements on booking pages
  • Limited customization options for poll types and response formats
  • Mobile app experiences bugs and has less polished interface than desktop version

Shedul

  • Hidden costs beyond subscription including 20% marketplace commission, payment processing fees (2.19% + 20 cents), SMS fees (5-15 cents each), and $500 card terminal requirement
  • Premium support (phone and live chat) requires additional paid add-on, base plan only includes email support
  • Limited customization and branding options in free tier compared to competitors
  • Complex pricing structure with many add-on fees makes true cost of ownership difficult to calculate upfront
  • Card payment terminal ($500) must be purchased separately for in-person payments instead of supporting third-party terminals

Pricing, plan by plan

Doodle

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Doodle review.

Shedul

$14.95/month
  • Independent$19.95/month
    • Single calendar
    • Single login
    • Appointment scheduling
  • Team$14.95/month per team member
    • Multiple calendars
    • Multiple team logins
    • All Independent features

Which should you pick?

Choose Doodle if

  • You need group polls.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile (iOS, Android).
  • You also want 1:1 scheduling.
Doodle review

Choose Shedul if

  • You need appointment scheduling.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want online booking.
Shedul review

Questions people ask

Is Doodle or Shedul better?
Neither clearly leads. Doodle starts at Free and Shedul at $14.95/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Doodle or Shedul?
Doodle has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Doodle and $14.95/month for Shedul.
Does Doodle or Shedul run on more platforms?
Doodle runs on Web, Mobile (iOS, Android). Shedul runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Doodle for free?
Yes. Doodle has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Shedul starts at $14.95/month.
What is Doodle best used for?
Doodle is most often used for scheduling, appointment booking, time tracking, resource management. Of those, scheduling and appointment booking are not what Shedul is typically brought in for.
What can Doodle do that Shedul cannot?
Doodle covers Group polls, 1:1 scheduling, Booking pages, Calendar sync. Shedul covers Appointment scheduling, Online booking, Client database, Point of sale. Both handle Google Calendar, Web support, Ios support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Doodle: Does Doodle offer a free plan?

Yes. Doodle's free plan includes one active group poll, one booking page, and one 1:1 meeting, limited to 10 slots per poll with ads displayed. Premium plans start at $15/month.

Source
Shedul: Is Shedul/Fresha free to use?

No. Shedul, now rebranded as Fresha, charges $19.95 USD per month for the Independent plan (one person) and $14.95 per month per team member for the Team plan. However, there are additional costs beyond the base subscription including 20% commission on marketplace bookings, payment processing fees of 2.19% + 20 cents per transaction, SMS messaging fees of 5 to 15 cents per message, and a $500 card payment terminal if processing in-person payments.

Source
Doodle: What are Doodle's pricing plans?

Professional plan costs $15/month (or $132/year). Team plan costs $19.95/user/month (or $8.95/user/month billed annually) with a two-seat minimum.

Source
Shedul: What features are included in Shedul/Fresha?

Shedul/Fresha includes appointment scheduling, client management with history and preferences, automated appointment reminders, online booking through website or Facebook, point-of-sale (POS) system, inventory and product management, client loyalty programs, and basic reporting and analytics. All features are available on all paid plans without additional feature-based tiers.

Source
Doodle: Does Doodle integrate with calendar apps?

Yes. Doodle integrates with Google Calendar and Outlook Calendar to prevent double-bookings. Slack integration allows poll creation and sharing directly in Slack channels.

Source
Shedul: What are the hidden costs beyond the subscription price?

Shedul/Fresha charges 20% commission on new client bookings through the Fresha marketplace, 2.19% plus 20 cents for card payment processing, SMS messaging at 5 to 15 cents per message, and requires a $500 card payment terminal for in-person credit card processing. According to industry analysis, true annual costs run approximately 70% higher than the published subscription price.

Source
Shedul: Does Shedul/Fresha work on mobile devices?

Yes, Shedul/Fresha is available as a web platform and has native mobile apps for iOS and Android. Clients can book appointments through the mobile apps, and staff can manage appointments from their phones.

Source
Shedul: What support options are available?

Free and Team plans include email support only. Live chat and phone support (24/7) are only available with an optional premium add-on that costs extra per month. The Fresha Plus premium support is required to access phone and chat support.

Source
Shedul: Can I export my salon data from Shedul/Fresha?

While Shedul/Fresha provides reporting and analytics features, the platform does not clearly document export options for bulk data transfer. Users should contact support to determine data export capabilities and formats.

Source
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