Softwr

Scheduling · head to head

Setmore vs Zcal

Setmore logo

Setmore

Scheduling

Free appointment scheduling and customer management

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zcal logo

Zcal

Scheduling

Scheduling with an unusually large free tier and heavy branding control

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Setmore free plan limited to 4 users maximum; Zcal zcal branding stays on the free booking page, so the tier that is otherwise generous is not usable as a customer facing page for a business that cares how it looks.
  • They diverge on capability: Setmore covers Unlimited appointments, Zcal covers Unlimited booking links.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Setmore and Zcal actually diverge.

Attributes where Setmore and Zcal differ
AttributeSetmoreZcal
Pricing modelfreemiumPer user per month
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb
Founded2008Unknown

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

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 Setmore

  • Unlimited appointments
  • Online booking
  • Calendar synchronization
  • Customer database
  • Email reminders
  • Mobile app
  • Custom branding
  • Google Calendar

Only in Zcal

  • Unlimited booking links
  • Branded booking pages
  • Meeting polls
  • Group events
  • Round robin and collective
  • Paid bookings

Both cover

  • SMS reminders

What people use each for

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

Setmore

  • Online appointment and booking managementnot Zcal
  • Service provider scheduling platformnot Zcal
  • Customer communication via email and SMS remindersnot Zcal

Zcal

  • A consultant who runs several different meeting types and refuses to pay a subscription for the privilege of having more than one booking linknot Setmore
  • A coach or recruiter who wants a branded page with a welcome video and intake questions before the call happensnot Setmore
  • A small team that needs round robin distribution of inbound calls without buying a full sales engagement platformnot Setmore
  • Anyone taking payment at the point of booking, where the Stripe connection removes an invoicing step afterwardsnot Setmore

Where each one falls short

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

Setmore

  • Free plan limited to 4 users maximum
  • Free plan limited to 200 appointments per month
  • Live receptionist add-on limited to US only
  • Custom enterprise pricing not published

Zcal

  • Zcal branding stays on the free booking page, so the tier that is otherwise generous is not usable as a customer facing page for a business that cares how it looks.
  • Paid tier prices are not stated plainly in the product documentation and third party sources disagree on the figure, so the paid step up has to be confirmed on the vendor pricing page before budgeting for a team.
  • SMS reminders are credit metered on paid tiers, so a high volume booker can exhaust the allowance and be pushed up a tier by message count rather than by needing any feature.
  • The integration list is short next to established competitors, and there is no deep native CRM object writing, so a sales team that wants bookings to create and update CRM records will need automation glue.
  • It is a small vendor in a category dominated by much larger companies, which is fine for a personal booking link and a real consideration if booking is a core business process you cannot afford to migrate off in a hurry.

Pricing, plan by plan

Setmore

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Supports up to 4 users
    • Unlimited appointments
    • Payment acceptance and branded booking page
  • Pro (Annual)$5/month
    • Annual billing at $5/user/month
    • Unlimited users
    • All Free features plus SMS and email reminders
  • Pro (Monthly)$12/month
    • Monthly billing at $12/user/month
    • Unlimited users with same Pro features as annual
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • Custom all-in-one booking system
    • Scales with your business

Zcal

Free
  • Free ForeverFree
    • Unlimited booking links
    • Unlimited connected calendar accounts
    • Meeting polls and group events
  • Pro$undefined/month
    • Per user per month, priced on the vendor pricing page
    • Team creation and team pages
    • Round robin and collective events
  • Business$undefined/month
    • Per user per month, priced on the vendor pricing page
    • Everything in Pro
    • Custom domain and custom sending email domain

Which should you pick?

Choose Setmore if

  • You need unlimited appointments.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want online booking.
Setmore review

Choose Zcal if

  • You need unlimited booking links.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want branded booking pages.
Zcal review

Questions people ask

Is Setmore or Zcal better?
Neither clearly leads. Setmore starts at Free and Zcal at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Setmore or Zcal?
Setmore starts at Free and Zcal at Free.
Does Setmore or Zcal run on more platforms?
Setmore runs on Web, iOS, Android. Zcal runs on Web.
Can I use Setmore for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Setmore best used for?
Setmore is most often used for online appointment and booking management, service provider scheduling platform, customer communication via email and sms reminders. Of those, online appointment and booking management and service provider scheduling platform are not what Zcal is typically brought in for.
What can Setmore do that Zcal cannot?
Setmore covers Unlimited appointments, Online booking, Calendar synchronization, Customer database. Zcal covers Unlimited booking links, Branded booking pages, Meeting polls, Group events. Both handle SMS reminders.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Setmore: How much does Setmore cost?

Setmore is free for up to 4 users. Pro plan costs $5/user/month with annual billing or $12/user/month with monthly billing. An Enterprise plan with custom pricing is available for larger organizations.

Source
Zcal: Is the free plan actually usable?

Yes. Unlimited booking links and unlimited calendar connections, which is more than most competitors allow, but Zcal branding stays on the page.

Setmore: What features are included in the Free plan?

The Free plan supports up to 4 users and includes unlimited appointments, payment acceptance, branded booking page, mobile app, email reminders and confirmations, integrations, and team collaboration tools.

Source
Zcal: What do you pay for?

Team features, round robin and collective events, branding removal, custom fonts, SMS reminders and custom domains.

Setmore: What is the difference between Setmore's Free and Pro plans?

Pro adds SMS and email reminders, branded mobile app, removal of Setmore branding, customer blocking, Google Reviews integration, custom notifications, and priority support. Pro supports unlimited users versus 4 on Free.

Source
Zcal: Can I take payment for bookings?

Yes, through the Stripe connection at the point of booking.

Setmore: Does Setmore provide customer support?

Yes, all plans include 24/7 human support. The Pro plan includes priority support access.

Source
Zcal: Does it do round robin?

Yes, on the paid tiers. Round robin and collective events are not on the free plan.

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