Calendly vs Acuity: How to Pick the Right Tool for Your Business [2025]

With remote teams and online appointments becoming standard, efficient scheduling has become a critical part of running a successful business. In fact, Calendly currently holds approximately 25% of the global scheduling app market share, while Acuity Scheduling accounts for about 1.87%... If you’re looking to save time, streamline client interactions, and reduce administrative overhead, the right scheduling tool can make all the difference. Two of the most popular options you’ll come across are Calendly and Acuity Scheduling. Both offer powerful features, integrations, and workflows—but how do you decide which one is best suited for your unique situation?

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Finding the Perfect Fit for Your Needs

The key to choosing between Calendly and Acuity is understanding your priorities. Do you value a sleek, minimalistic interface and fast setup, or do you need deep customization, robust branding options, and the ability to handle complex scenarios like selling packages and accepting payments?

Calendly: Simplicity at Its Best
Calendly is renowned for its ease of use. It’s built for busy professionals who need a straightforward solution to schedule calls, interviews, and demos without countless back-and-forth emails. You can set it up quickly, share a unique booking link, and allow invitees to pick the best time from your live availability. If simplicity is what you crave, Calendly delivers that in spades.

Acuity Scheduling: Tailored for Service-Based Businesses
Acuity Scheduling, by contrast, shines when it comes to customization. Service-based businesses—therapists, consultants, coaches, fitness instructors—often need more than just a basic calendar link. With Acuity, you can brand your booking pages to match your business identity, create intake forms, sell packages or gift certificates, manage classes or group sessions, and even process payments directly at the time of booking. While it’s more complex to set up, the result is a highly tailored experience that can impress clients and streamline your entire operational flow.

Pricing & Subscription Tiers

The cost of your scheduling tool will influence your decision, especially if you’re planning to scale.

Calendly: Affordable and Scalable
Calendly’s free plan is ideal for individuals who need simple scheduling without extra frills. As you upgrade, you unlock premium features like routing forms, CRM integrations, and team functionality. It remains cost-effective and appeals to those who prefer a straightforward pricing model aligned with additional capabilities.

Acuity: Feature-Rich Investments
Acuity tends to cater more toward paid plans, offering a free trial but focusing on feature-rich subscription levels. Those tiers bring robust capabilities for managing a service-oriented business: everything from complex scheduling rules and HIPAA compliance (for certain plans) to payment processing, custom branding, and automated reminders. If your business model relies on monetizing appointments, Acuity’s investment could pay off handsomely.

Integrations & Flexibility

When it comes to building efficient workflows, both Calendly and Acuity understand the importance of integrating with your existing tech stack.

Video Conferencing
Both platforms work seamlessly with Zoom, generating unique links for each appointment. Whether you’re hosting a sales call or a virtual class, both tools make it easy to bring everyone together online.

Calendar Syncing
Calendly and Acuity integrate with popular calendars like Google Calendar, Outlook, and iCal. Calendly stands out for its simplicity, while Acuity provides more complex scheduling rules and detailed customization for those who need it.

CRM & Marketing Tools
If you’re deeply invested in CRM workflows and lead qualification, Calendly’s integrations with platforms like Salesforce and HubSpot may serve you well. For businesses that prefer to manage client intake and relationships more directly within their scheduling tool (e.g., capturing client information, recurring appointments, and payment handling), Acuity’s built-in functionality reduces the need for heavy external CRM reliance.

Setting Up Automated Workflows With Zapier or Make.com

Whichever platform you choose, you’re not limited to built-in features. Tools like Zapier and Make.com (formerly Integromat) let you connect Calendly or Acuity with countless other applications. This means you can automatically:

- Create new leads in your CRM whenever someone books an appointment.
- Update marketing lists in Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign based on scheduled meetings.
- Generate invoices in your accounting software whenever someone pays through Acuity.

With these automation tools, your scheduling platform can become the central hub of a finely tuned, automated workflow, ensuring that every booking triggers the right downstream actions.

Need Expert Help?

If you or your business needs assistance in building automated processes or integrating Calendly or Acuity with the rest of your tech ecosystem, consider reaching out to the experts at Catalytics Automation. Their team specializes in helping businesses streamline operations, build end-to-end workflows, and ensure that the technology you invest in delivers maximum value.

Evaluating Alternatives & Making Your Decision

While Calendly and Acuity are often the top contenders, there are alternatives like Doodle, Setmore, or SimplyBook.me that cater to niche needs. However, these might lack the comprehensive features and reliability of either Calendly or Acuity. For a business that prioritizes a quick, accessible solution, Calendly is a natural fit. For those who need more tailored workflows and direct revenue generation through appointments, Acuity stands out from the crowd.

Which Is Right for You?

Ultimately, the winner in the Calendly vs Acuity debate depends on what you value most. If you want a clean interface, a short learning curve, and easy integration with CRM tools, Calendly will be your best ally. If you’re running a service-based operation that requires flexible branding, payment processing, detailed client management, and the option to sell packages or subscriptions directly through your scheduling page, Acuity is the more powerful choice.

As we move into 2025 and beyond, efficient scheduling is no longer just a convenience—it’s a competitive advantage. Whichever option you choose, both Calendly and Acuity can help your business stay organized, provide an elevated client experience, and ensure that everyone’s valuable time is used more wisely.