Software · head to head
Shedul vs Calendly
Calendly
Software
Scheduling automation platform for eliminating back-and-forth
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Calendly has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: 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; Calendly the free plan allows one event type and one calendar connection, so it cannot handle different meeting formats
- They diverge on capability: Shedul covers Appointment scheduling, Calendly covers Calendar sync.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Shedul and Calendly actually diverge.
Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), platforms (Web, iOS, Android), 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 Shedul
- Appointment scheduling
- Online booking
- Client database
- Point of sale
- Inventory tracking
- Marketing campaigns
- Reports & analytics
- Mobile apps
Only in Calendly
- Calendar sync
- Automated scheduling
- Custom availability
- Time zone detection
- Reminder emails
- Buffer time
- Meeting polls
- Embed on website
Both cover
- Google Calendar
- Stripe
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Shedul
- Free salon managementnot Calendly
- Appointment schedulingnot Calendly
- Payment processingnot Calendly
- Client marketingnot Calendly
Calendly
- Sales meetingsnot Shedul
- Interview schedulingnot Shedul
- Customer callsnot Shedul
- Office hoursnot Shedul
- Webinar registrationnot Shedul
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
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
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
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 Shedul if
- You need appointment scheduling.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want online booking.
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 Shedul or Calendly better?
- Neither clearly leads. Shedul starts at $14.95/month and Calendly at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Shedul or Calendly?
- Calendly has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $14.95/month for Shedul and Free for Calendly.
- Does Shedul or Calendly run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Calendly for free?
- Yes. Calendly has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Shedul starts at $14.95/month.
- What is Shedul best used for?
- Shedul is most often used for free salon management, appointment scheduling, payment processing, client marketing. Of those, free salon management and appointment scheduling are not what Calendly is typically brought in for.
- What can Shedul do that Calendly cannot?
- Shedul covers Appointment scheduling, Online booking, Client database, Point of sale. Calendly covers Calendar sync, Automated scheduling, Custom availability, Time zone detection. Both handle Google Calendar, Stripe.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
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.
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).
SourceShedul: 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.
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.
SourceShedul: 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.
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.
SourceShedul: 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.
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.
SourceShedul: 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.
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.
SourceShedul: 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