Softwr

Scheduling · head to head

Planday vs Zcal

Planday logo

Planday

Scheduling

Danish workforce scheduling and shift management software for shift-based businesses

From
£2.99/user per month
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

  • Only Zcal has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Planday plus and Pro pricing not published; requires contacting sales; 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.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Planday and Zcal actually diverge.

Attributes where Planday and Zcal differ
AttributePlandayZcal
Starting price£2.99/user per monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer user per month
Free tierNoYes

Identical on both: platforms (Web), 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 Planday

Nothing recorded that Zcal does not also cover.

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.

Planday

  • Workforce scheduling and managementnot Zcal
  • Time tracking and payroll integrationnot Zcal
  • Employee scheduling for retail and hospitalitynot Zcal
  • Rostering and shift managementnot 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 Planday
  • A coach or recruiter who wants a branded page with a welcome video and intake questions before the call happensnot Planday
  • A small team that needs round robin distribution of inbound calls without buying a full sales engagement platformnot Planday
  • Anyone taking payment at the point of booking, where the Stripe connection removes an invoicing step afterwardsnot Planday

Where each one falls short

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

Planday

  • Plus and Pro pricing not published; requires contacting sales
  • Starter tier requires minimum of 5 users making it unsuitable for solo operations
  • Plus plan pricing per user not specified on pricing page

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

Planday

£2.99/user per month
  • Starter$2.99/user per month
    • Intuitive scheduling
    • Simple time tracking
    • Working time rules
  • Plus$null/mo
    • Advanced scheduling
    • Leave and absence management
    • Accurate payroll reporting and integrations
  • Pro$null/mo
    • Custom planning metrics
    • Auto-scheduling
    • Configurable organisational structure

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 Planday if

Nothing in the data separates Planday from Zcal on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Planday 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 Planday or Zcal better?
Neither clearly leads. Planday starts at £2.99/user per month and Zcal at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Planday or Zcal?
Zcal has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at £2.99/user per month for Planday and Free for Zcal.
Does Planday or Zcal run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Zcal for free?
Yes. Zcal has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Planday starts at £2.99/user per month.
What is Planday best used for?
Planday is most often used for workforce scheduling and management, time tracking and payroll integration, employee scheduling for retail and hospitality, rostering and shift management. Of those, workforce scheduling and management and time tracking and payroll integration are not what Zcal is typically brought in for.
What can Planday do that Zcal cannot?
Zcal covers Unlimited booking links, Branded booking pages, Meeting polls, Group events.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Planday: How much does Planday cost?

Planday's Starter plan costs £2.99 per user per month with a minimum of 5 users required. Plus and Pro plans require contacting sales for custom pricing.

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.

Planday: Does Planday offer a free trial?

Yes, Planday offers a 30-day free trial available for both Starter and Plus plans with no credit card required. You can cancel anytime.

Source
Zcal: What do you pay for?

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

Planday: What is the minimum Planday commitment?

The Starter tier requires a minimum of 5 users at £2.99 per user per month. Annual prepayment may offer different terms; contact sales for details.

Source
Zcal: Can I take payment for bookings?

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

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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