Software · head to head
Folk vs Calendly
Calendly
Software
Scheduling automation platform for eliminating back-and-forth
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Folk no native mobile app, only works through mobile browser which is not optimized for phones; Calendly the free plan allows one event type and one calendar connection, so it cannot handle different meeting formats
- They diverge on capability: Folk covers Contact management, Calendly covers Calendar sync.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Folk and Calendly actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), 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 Folk
- Contact management
- Email tracking
- Mail merge
- Chrome extension
- Tags & groups
- Notes & activities
- Import/export
- Search & filters
Only in Calendly
- Calendar sync
- Automated scheduling
- Custom availability
- Time zone detection
- Reminder emails
- Buffer time
- Meeting polls
- Embed on website
Both cover
- GDPR
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Folk
- Contact managementnot Calendly
- Sales outreachnot Calendly
- Networkingnot Calendly
- Recruitmentnot Calendly
- Investor relationsnot Calendly
Calendly
- Sales meetingsnot Folk
- Interview schedulingnot Folk
- Customer callsnot Folk
- Office hoursnot Folk
- Webinar registrationnot Folk
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Folk
- No native mobile app, only works through mobile browser which is not optimized for phones
- Limited workflow automation capabilities compared to enterprise CRMs
- No automatic phone call tracking, requires manual entry
- Limited reporting and analytics features
- Monthly caps on email sends and enrichment credits on lower tiers
- LinkedIn Chrome extension sometimes has synchronization problems
- Email sent through Folk sometimes doesn't appear as sent in user's Outlook account
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
Pricing, plan by plan
Folk
Free- Standard$24/month
- Pipeline management
- Email campaigns
- Contact enrichment
- Premium$48/month
- Custom objects
- Email sequences
- Dashboards
- Enterprise$80/month
- Dedicated account manager
- Custom integrations
- Priority support
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
Which should you pick?
Choose Folk if
- You need contact management.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want email tracking.
Choose Calendly if
- You need calendar sync.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want automated scheduling.
Questions people ask
- Is Folk or Calendly better?
- Neither clearly leads. Folk starts at Free and Calendly at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Folk or Calendly?
- Folk starts at Free and Calendly at Free.
- Does Folk or Calendly run on more platforms?
- Folk runs on Web. Calendly runs on Web, iOS, Android.
- Can I use Folk for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Folk best used for?
- Folk is most often used for contact management, sales outreach, networking, recruitment. Of those, contact management and sales outreach are not what Calendly is typically brought in for.
- What can Folk do that Calendly cannot?
- Folk covers Contact management, Email tracking, Mail merge, Chrome extension. Calendly covers Calendar sync, Automated scheduling, Custom availability, Time zone detection. Both handle GDPR.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Folk: What are Folk's pricing plans?
Folk offers three plans: Standard at $24/month per member (billed annually), Premium at $48/month with custom objects and email sequences, and Enterprise from $80/month with advanced security and dedicated support. New workspaces get a 2-week free trial with all Premium features.
SourceCalendly: 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).
SourceFolk: Does Folk offer a mobile app?
Folk does not have native iOS or Android apps. The web interface technically works on mobile browsers but is built primarily for desktop use.
SourceCalendly: 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.
SourceFolk: Does Folk track phone calls automatically?
No, Folk does not automatically track phone calls. All call interactions must be manually entered into the system.
SourceCalendly: 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.
SourceFolk: What integrations does Folk support?
Folk supports over 5,000 integrations through platforms like Zapier and Make. It includes native email, calendar, and WhatsApp sync, LinkedIn extension, and can enrich contact data using its built-in enrichment tool.
SourceCalendly: 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.
SourceCalendly: 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