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Scheduling · head to head

Bookedin vs Zcal

Bookedin logo

Bookedin

Scheduling

Appointment scheduling priced per calendar rather than per business

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: Bookedin pricing is per calendar, so a five-staff salon pays roughly five times the headline price and lands above competitors that charge one flat business rate for unlimited staff.; 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: Bookedin covers Per calendar pricing, Zcal covers Unlimited booking links.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bookedin and Zcal actually diverge.

Attributes where Bookedin and Zcal differ
AttributeBookedinZcal
Pricing modelPer calendar per monthPer user per month
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb

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 Bookedin

  • Per calendar pricing
  • Public booking page
  • Reminders
  • Deposits and payments
  • Class scheduling
  • Free tier
  • Mobile apps
  • Booking forms

Only in Zcal

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

What people use each for

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

Bookedin

  • A solo tattoo artist who needs deposits taken at booking to stop no-shows without buying a studio management systemnot Zcal
  • A barber shop with two chairs that wants an Instagram booking link and automated SMS reminders running by the end of the daynot Zcal
  • A tutor running both one-to-one sessions and small group classes from the same booking pagenot Zcal
  • A pet groomer who wants intake questions captured at booking so the appointment length is right before the client arrivesnot 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 Bookedin
  • A coach or recruiter who wants a branded page with a welcome video and intake questions before the call happensnot Bookedin
  • A small team that needs round robin distribution of inbound calls without buying a full sales engagement platformnot Bookedin
  • Anyone taking payment at the point of booking, where the Stripe connection removes an invoicing step afterwardsnot Bookedin

Where each one falls short

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

Bookedin

  • Pricing is per calendar, so a five-staff salon pays roughly five times the headline price and lands above competitors that charge one flat business rate for unlimited staff.
  • The free plan stops at 50 bookings a month across appointments and classes together, which a modestly busy single operator exceeds in a fortnight, making it an extended trial rather than a usable free tier.
  • It is a scheduler, not a business system: there is no inventory, commission tracking, payroll or point of sale, so growing businesses hit a wall and face a migration to a salon or clinic platform.
  • Payments run through Stripe, Square or PayPal, so you carry their processing fees on top of the subscription and get no negotiated rate from the vendor.
  • Client marketing is limited to reminders and basic notifications, with none of the campaign, loyalty or rebooking automation that competitors in the salon space treat as core.

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

Bookedin

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 50 bookings per month total
    • One booking page
    • Appointment and class scheduling
  • Plus$19/month
    • Per calendar, billed annually; about USD 24 billed monthly
    • Unlimited bookings
    • SMS and email reminders
  • Pro$39/month
    • Per calendar per month
    • Everything in Plus
    • Advanced customisation and branding
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Quoted pricing for multi-location businesses
    • Dedicated support
    • Consolidated management across sites

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 Bookedin if

  • You need per calendar pricing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want public booking page.
Bookedin 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 Bookedin or Zcal better?
Neither clearly leads. Bookedin 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, Bookedin or Zcal?
Bookedin starts at Free and Zcal at Free.
Does Bookedin or Zcal run on more platforms?
Bookedin runs on Web, iOS, Android. Zcal runs on Web.
Can I use Bookedin for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Bookedin best used for?
Bookedin is most often used for a solo tattoo artist who needs deposits taken at booking to stop no-shows without buying a studio management system, a barber shop with two chairs that wants an instagram booking link and automated sms reminders running by the end of the day, a tutor running both one-to-one sessions and small group classes from the same booking page, a pet groomer who wants intake questions captured at booking so the appointment length is right before the client arrives. Of those, a solo tattoo artist who needs deposits taken at booking to stop no-shows without buying a studio management system and a barber shop with two chairs that wants an instagram booking link and automated sms reminders running by the end of the day are not what Zcal is typically brought in for.
What can Bookedin do that Zcal cannot?
Bookedin covers Per calendar pricing, Public booking page, Reminders, Deposits and payments. Zcal covers Unlimited booking links, Branded booking pages, Meeting polls, Group events.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bookedin: How much is Bookedin for a team?

Charged per calendar. Plus is about USD 19 per calendar billed annually or 24 monthly, and Pro about 39, so a five-person team on Plus is roughly USD 95 to 120 a month.

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.

Bookedin: Is the free plan usable long term?

Only for very low volume. It caps at 50 bookings per month across appointments and classes combined.

Zcal: What do you pay for?

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

Bookedin: Does it take payments?

Yes, deposits or full payment at booking through Stripe, Square or PayPal, with those processors fees applying on top of your subscription.

Zcal: Can I take payment for bookings?

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

Bookedin: Who makes it?

Coldwin Software Inc., a Canadian company that has run the product since 2010.

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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