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Doodle vs Square Appointments

Doodle logo

Doodle

Software

Find the best time for anything

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Square Appointments logo

Square Appointments

Software

Free scheduling for beauty businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Doodle free plan restricted to one active poll and one booking page with 10-slot limit; Square Appointments the free plan is aimed at solo professionals; booking across multiple staff requires the paid Plus plan
  • They diverge on capability: Doodle covers Group polls, Square Appointments covers Online booking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Doodle and Square Appointments actually diverge.

Attributes where Doodle and Square Appointments differ
AttributeDoodleSquare Appointments
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWeb, Mobile (iOS, Android)Web, Ios, Android
Founded20072009

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 Doodle

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

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.

Doodle

  • Schedulingnot Square Appointments
  • Appointment bookingnot Square Appointments
  • Time trackingnot Square Appointments
  • Resource managementnot Square Appointments
  • Team coordinationnot Square Appointments

Square Appointments

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

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

Doodle

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Doodle review.

Square Appointments

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited appointments
    • Online booking
    • Client management
  • Plus$29/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Multiple staff calendars
    • No-show protection
  • Premium$69/month
    • Everything in Plus
    • Multi-location
    • Staff management

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 Square Appointments if

  • You need online booking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want client management.
Square Appointments review

Questions people ask

Is Doodle or Square Appointments better?
Neither clearly leads. Doodle starts at Free and Square Appointments at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Doodle or Square Appointments?
Doodle starts at Free and Square Appointments at Free.
Does Doodle or Square Appointments run on more platforms?
Doodle runs on Web, Mobile (iOS, Android). Square Appointments runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Doodle for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Square Appointments is typically brought in for.
What can Doodle do that Square Appointments cannot?
Doodle covers Group polls, 1:1 scheduling, Booking pages, Calendar sync. Square Appointments covers Online booking, Client management, Point of sale, Payment processing. Both handle Google Calendar, Web 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
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
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
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Related pages

More on Doodle

More on Square Appointments

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