Software · head to head
When2meet vs Calendly
Calendly
Software
Scheduling automation platform for eliminating back-and-forth
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: When2meet no calendar synchronization capability; Calendly the free plan allows one event type and one calendar connection, so it cannot handle different meeting formats
- They diverge on capability: When2meet covers Visual availability grid, Calendly covers Calendar sync.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which When2meet and Calendly actually diverge.
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 When2meet
- Visual availability grid
- No account required
- Drag-to-select availability
- Group overview
- Shareable links
- Web support
Only in Calendly
- Calendar sync
- Automated scheduling
- Custom availability
- Time zone detection
- Reminder emails
- Buffer time
- Meeting polls
- Embed on website
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
When2meet
- Schedulingnot Calendly
- Appointment bookingnot Calendly
- Time trackingnot Calendly
- Resource managementnot Calendly
- Team coordinationnot Calendly
Calendly
- Sales meetingsnot When2meet
- Interview schedulingnot When2meet
- Customer callsnot When2meet
- Office hoursnot When2meet
- Webinar registrationnot When2meet
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
When2meet
- No calendar synchronization capability
- No automated reminders to participants
- No dedicated mobile app, web-only access
- No integration with calendar systems or other tools
- Requires manual entry of availability rather than auto-sync from calendar
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
When2meet
Free- FreeFree
- Unlimited events
- Visual availability
- No account needed
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 When2meet if
- You need visual availability grid.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want no account required.
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 When2meet or Calendly better?
- Neither clearly leads. When2meet 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, When2meet or Calendly?
- When2meet starts at Free and Calendly at Free.
- Does When2meet or Calendly run on more platforms?
- When2meet runs on Web. Calendly runs on Web, iOS, Android.
- Can I use When2meet for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is When2meet best used for?
- When2meet is most often used for scheduling, appointment booking, time tracking, resource management. Of those, scheduling and appointment booking are not what Calendly is typically brought in for.
- What can When2meet do that Calendly cannot?
- When2meet covers Visual availability grid, No account required, Drag-to-select availability, Group overview. Calendly covers Calendar sync, Automated scheduling, Custom availability, Time zone detection.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
When2meet: Is When2meet free to use?
Yes, When2meet is completely free. Anyone can create and participate in availability surveys at no cost. The service is supported by advertising.
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).
SourceWhen2meet: Do I need to create an account to use When2meet?
No, When2meet requires no login or account creation. You can create scheduling polls and share them instantly.
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.
SourceWhen2meet: How does When2meet differ from Doodle or Calendly?
When2meet is a basic polling tool where participants manually mark availability. Unlike Doodle, it has no calendar sync or timezone handling. Unlike Calendly, it does not support direct booking or calendar integrations.
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.
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