Download A Free Appointment Calendar

Appointment scheduling software allows clients to view a calendar of your business's available meeting times and self-book an appointment. It also lets business owners manage appointments, send automatic reminders, and accept deposits online. Free appointment scheduling software can be hard to find, as many programs are simply limited versions of larger, paid services. However, we identified eight programs that provide comprehensive features at no cost.

The best free appointment scheduling software is:

Picktime: Best overall software for scheduling appointments of any kind
Square Appointments: Best appointment scheduling for solo providers who want scheduling, payment, and SMS reminders for free
10to8: Best easy, feature-rich appointment software that allows for a lot of integrations
Appointlet: Best free appointment scheduling for busy sales teams
Fresha: Best for beauty and wellness businesses that need inventory and POS
Calendly: Best for making appointments with clients or scheduling meetings with co-workers
Setmore: Best for gyms and businesses that need to set appointments for multiple staff members or classes
Acuity: Best for medical, dental, and other businesses needing intake forms

How We Evaluated Free Appointment Scheduling Software

For appointment scheduling software to work for your business, it needs to account for all the nuances that go into booking an appointment. For example, some businesses charge clients during the booking process or need clients to fill out a questionnaire before confirming their appointment. Others need support for multiple employees or may want video integration that automatically adds meeting links to the confirmation email.

To evaluate free appointment scheduling software, we looked carefully at all of these features. We also noted which are available for free versus which require a premium upgrade—because the last thing you want is to get all set up, then find out you need to pay a monthly fee to access one essential feature. Lastly, we evaluated each software's quality, ease of use, and customer support.

Picktime rocked the chart with a score of 4.76 out of 5 stars. It offers nearly every feature we looked for and works for multiple users—all for free. Click through the tabs below for our detailed evaluation criteria.

Breakdown
Free Plan Limitations
Appointment Booking Tools
General Appointment Features
Expert Score

30%

Free Plan Limitations

30%

Appointment Booking Tools

20%

General Appointment Features

30% of Overall Score

A free plan means nothing if you can't use it. We favored plans that didn't make you pay for their most useful features. We also considered whether they limited the number of users or appointments you can book.

20% of Overall Score

Can you take payments through the software itself? Does it integrate with other software? Are there appointment reminders or a customer database for marketing?

20% of Overall Score

In addition to our own evaluation of the features and value, we looked at reviews from actual users posted on trusted review compilation sites for software. Every calendar software we considered had excellent reviews—4 out of 5 stars and higher—on Capterra and/or G2.

*Percentages of overall score

Picktime

Best Overall Appointment Scheduling Software

Overall Score

4.76

OUT OF

RATING CRITERIA	Free Plan Limitations	5	OUT OF	5
	Apointment Booking Tools	4.94	OUT OF	5
	Back Office Features	4.5	OUT OF	5
	Expert Score	4.38	OUT OF	5

Picktime is a relatively new appointment scheduling software, and as such, it is currently free. It plans on introducing paid plans in the future but will keep it free for any business that registers during this free period. This is the time to pick up this excellent software.

What makes Picktime the best free appointment scheduling software for businesses? Its feature-dense, covering multiple staff members, classes, and calendar syncs. It lets you add intake forms, take deposits, generate invoices or accept payments online, and send automated reminders. It integrates with several other types of software, including multiple video conferencing apps. With a score of 4.76 out of 5 stars and raving user reviews, it's hard to beat.

Picktime Pricing

Completely free. There are no paid plans, no extra features, no percentages for credit card processing. However, Picktime is offering a limited number of free memberships for early adopters. Get yours before they institute pricing to get the software free forever.

Picktime Features

Add unlimited staff members.
Schedule classes or individual appointments.
Integrate into your website or use Picktime's booking page.
Integrate with Google Meet, Microsoft Skype, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, GoToMeeting, and Jitsi Meet.
Accept payments through the schedule or send invoices. Accept deposits against no-shows.
Save customer details and allow for recurring appointments.

Square Appointments

Overall Score

4.44

OUT OF

RATING CRITERIA	Free Plan Limitations	4	OUT OF	5
	Apointment Booking Tools	4.13	OUT OF	5
	Back Office Features	5	OUT OF	5
	Expert Score	5	OUT OF	5

Square Appointments gives you all the main features of appointment scheduling software without hiding anything behind a paywall or showing pesky ads. You can set up a webpage where clients can view your open time slots and book an appointment. It also sends automatic email or SMS reminders when the appointment is drawing near. It syncs your appointments with Google Calendar, so any conflicts you have are automatically removed from your booking page.

Like Fresha, Square offers point-of-sale (POS) software with inventory that works with Square Appointments. However, Square's POS software is rated as the best for small businesses.

Square is a very popular appointment program and gets good reviews from users. It integrates with a multitude of other software for business, just not for video conferencing. It has email and text appointment reminders. In addition to credit card processing, it can handle digital gift cards, and it includes time-tracking software. Square loses points because the free plan is limited to a single user, and it only syncs with Google calendar. Square's robust free features earned it a 4.44 out of 5.

Square Appointments Pricing

Free: Full appointment scheduling software free for one user plus a transaction fee of 2.5% plus 10 cents for any payments processed through the platform
$50 per month: Two to five users
$90 per month: Six to 10 users
Custom pricing: 11 or more users

Square Appointments Features

Book appointments through your website and attach documents or contracts to the verification emails for intake forms.
Accept payments through Square (fee applies) and send invoices. Set deposits against no-shows.
Class or group bookings.
Attach intake forms, contracts, or other documents to confirmation emails.
Accept payments, including deposits against no-shows.
Maintain customer database.
Works with Square POS and Square Online.

10to8

Best for Small Businesses

Overall Score

4.25

OUT OF

RATING CRITERIA	Free Plan Limitations	2.5	OUT OF	5
	Apointment Booking Tools	5	OUT OF	5
	Back Office Features	5	OUT OF	5
	Expert Score	5	OUT OF	5

Another feature-rich appointment scheduling software, 10to8 offers booking for individuals or classes, calendars for multiple staff members, customizable questionnaires, payment acceptance online, and calendar sync with multiple calendars. It also offers video chat integration for virtual appointments.

With 4.25 out of 5 stars, 10to8 is an excellent software for just about any small business. It offers all of its features in its free plan but limits the number of staff and appointments. All the plans have limits until you get to the Enterprise plan. The free plan does not offer custom branding.

10to8 Pricing

Free: All features. 100 appointments per month, two staff members, no branding capability.
Basic ($9.60 per month): All features. 100 appointments per month, two staff members, custom branding.
Grow ($20 per month): All features. 300 appointments per month, three staff members, custom branding.
Bigger Business ($40 per month): All features. 600 appointments per month, six staff members, custom branding.
Enterprise (Quote): All features. Unlimited appointments per month, unlimited staff members, custom branding. HIPAA tools. Phone support.

10to8 Features

Booking page that can be added to Facebook or website and includes customizable questionnaires
Intelligent tracking to alert you to no-shows so you can call and follow-up
Over 1,500 integrations, including Outlook, Google, iCal, Exchange, Office 365, Zoom, Xero, MailChimp, and more
Works with PayPal, Stripe, or Sage Pay
Two-way chat with clients to contact or get more information
Set travel buffers for home visits
HIPAA complaint

Appointlet

Overall Score

4.23

OUT OF

RATING CRITERIA	Free Plan Limitations	5	OUT OF	5
	Apointment Booking Tools	3.69	OUT OF	5
	Back Office Features	4	OUT OF	5
	Expert Score	4.13	OUT OF	5

Appointlet is another excellent scheduling software, but it also allows you to integrate into your sales funnel, whether on your website, emails, or landing pages. With Google calendar and Office 365 integration, plus several video chat channels, it's a good choice for sales teams, but it works well for service businesses.

Appointlet scored closely to 10to8, ranking only slightly higher because it allows unlimited bookings and staff members. However, its features are not quite as robust, and some require a paid plan. Even so, users love it, and Appointlet earned a 4.23 out of 5 in our evaluation.

Appointlet Pricing

Free: Appointlet provides most features free for one user
Premium ($8 per month, per member): customizable branding, automated booking reminders, pooled availability for teams, private meeting types, Zapier integrations

Appointlet Features

Customize your booking page and integrate it into your website, landing page, or emails.
Team scheduling includes organization scheduling pages, individual pages, pooled availability, multi-user support, and centralized administration and billing.
Sync with Google Calendar or Office 365 so prior engagements on your calendar are marked unavailable on your booking page.
Video chat integrations with Zoom, Join.me, Go2Meeting, and Webex
Accept payments through software; keep information in a customer database.

Fresha

Best for Health and Beauty Industry

Overall Score

4.13

OUT OF

RATING CRITERIA	Free Plan Limitations	5	OUT OF	5
	Apointment Booking Tools	3.5	OUT OF	5
	Back Office Features	3.5	OUT OF	5
	Expert Score	4.38	OUT OF	5

Fresha is a very popular and much-appreciated app in the beauty and health industry. It allows you to book unlimited appointments for as many staff members as you wish in as many locations as you need. It also has unlimited email notifications.

Fresha stands out from the competition in that it includes a POS and inventory system in its free program, something only Square offers. It loses points, however, because some of the features offered by other free software, such as SMS text reminders, are only with its unique paid plan.

The paid plan deserves mention, however. Like Square, it charges you for transactions, but in return, it lets you book through its Fresha Marketplace, Yahoo, and other online venues, expanding your reach. It takes a 20% commission for each new client you book through its marketplace. Overall, Fresha earned a 4.13 out of 5.

Fresha Pricing

Free: Unlimited number of employees, POS, inventory
Fresha Plus (2.19% plus 20 cents per transaction + 20% new client fee): Everything in the free plan plus online booking, payment processing, no-show protection, marketing tools, SMS text reminders

Fresha Features

The free plan only allows bookings through the in-person app on your tablet, mobile, or desktop. The paid plan allows online bookings through Fresha Marketplace, Facebook, Yahoo, or your website.
Like Square, Setmore, and Acuity, you can view all your employee's schedules and simply drag and drop to reschedule appointments.
Email appointment reminders
Unlimited POS and inventory use, including bar code scanning, receipts, and more
Top-notch interface and features praised by users: 4.9 out of 5 stars on Capterra (1,177 reviews)

Calendly

Best for Business Appointments

Overall Score

3.13

OUT OF

RATING CRITERIA	Free Plan Limitations	4	OUT OF	5
	Apointment Booking Tools	2.5	OUT OF	5
	Back Office Features	1.25	OUT OF	5
	Expert Score	4.63	OUT OF	5

Calendly offers a strong and user-friendly appointment scheduling system that works especially well with busy offices. You can send emails with your Calendly link to others (even groups) to let them see your available times, making it easier to schedule group meetings. It provides automated notifications and integrations with video conferencing software.

Calendly is loaded with features for teams that deal with a high volume of appointments: You can assign team members round-robin based on various rules, or based on when all necessary team members are available. Unfortunately, none of these features are available with the free version of Calendly.

Calendly got high marks from user-reviewers, and our expert review gave it 3.13 out of 5 stars because so many features require a paid plan. However, should you be looking for a free program that can scale, Calendly may be a good bet.

Calendly Pricing

Free: Calendly provides a basic version free for one user. You can only book one event type, which means you can only set up a single meeting duration, name, location, and description.
Premium ($8 per month): Two calendars per user, unlimited event types. Pooled availability, group bookings, customize notifications, 700+ integrations
Pro ($12 per month): Six calendars per user, adds online payments and SMS notifications

Calendly Features

Book clients via links or embed Calendly on your website.
Sync with Google Calendar, Office 365, Outlook, and iCloud.
Video chat integrations include Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and GoToMeeting.
Team booking and round-robin appointment assignments with paid plans.
Paid plan also integrates with Salesforce.

Setmore

Best for Classes and Multiple Staff Members

Overall Score

3.47

OUT OF

RATING CRITERIA	Free Plan Limitations	2.5	OUT OF	5
	Apointment Booking Tools	3.81	OUT OF	5
	Back Office Features	3.5	OUT OF	5
	Expert Score	4.38	OUT OF	5

Setmore supports up to four users for free and is loaded with features that make it great for managing teams. Clients can book online and see which employees are available at a particular time. Or, you can add appointments manually from the dashboard, as well as reschedule or reassign appointments with just a few clicks. You can accept payments with Square and maintain a customer database. It also integrates with mailing, sales, and CRM programs, as well as a multitude of business apps.

This software is easy-to-use and well regarded by users, so Setmore earned a 3.47 out of 5. But, loses points as a free plan because it charges for many of the features that other scheduling software on our list offer free. (Paid features include reminders, customization, and video integration.) However, its paid plans are reasonably priced, especially if you have three or more employees.

Setmore Pricing

Free: Most features for up to four employees, payment with Square only
Premium ($9 per user, per month): 1-2 users, includes all free features, plus SMS reminders, custom notifications, recurring appointments, Zoom, calendar sync, payment with Square or Stripe
Pro ($5 per user, per month): 3+ users, includes all free features, plus SMS reminders, custom notifications, recurring appointments, Zoom, calendar sync, payment with Square or Stripe

Setmore Features

Book individual appointments or classes with the number of seats available. (The free plan has the Setmore logo.)
Accept payments through Square (or Square and Stripe with paid plans), including deposits against no-shows.
Integrate with Teleport.video for video appointments (or with Zoom for paid plans).
Integrate with Salesforce, QuickBooks, Freshdesk, Mailchimp, and more.

Acuity

Professional services, especially in the medical field

Overall Score

3.03

OUT OF

RATING CRITERIA	Free Plan Limitations	2	OUT OF	5
	Apointment Booking Tools	3.75	OUT OF	5
	Back Office Features	2.75	OUT OF	5
	Expert Score	3.75	OUT OF	5

Acuity is a good-looking and smooth platform both for visitors booking appointments and users managing them on the back-end. It's loaded with handy features, including custom intake questionnaires that are useful for medical practices and other businesses that need detailed information from clients before confirming appointments. It's also designed to be HIPAA compliant.

As a top-shelf program, however, Acuity does not give away much. The free version is quite limited compared to the other programs, and thus it loses points as a free scheduling program. It earned a 3.03 out of 5 in our evaluation. However, the paid versions are worth exploring if you have specific needs, such as clients who need payment plans.

Acuity Pricing

Free: Book an unlimited number of appointments with intake forms, but there are no automatic reminders, payments, or calendar syncs. Acuity branding. One user
Emerging ($14 per month): Advanced features including calendar sync, saving credit cards, tips, video meetings, follow-up emails. Acuity branding. One user
Growing ($23 per month): All the above features plus text reminders, appointment packages, subscription, and custom branding. Up to six users
Powerhouse ($45 per month): Adds gift certificate management, custom CSS, API support, and Sign BAA for HIPAA-compliance. Up to 36 users

Acuity Features

Simple booking with an attractive, minimalist booking page that can also be embedded on your website.
Create custom questionnaires with text fields, drop-down lists, yes/no buttons, and more.
Unlimited bookings and services with the free plan.
Paid plans offer excellent features for the medical and professional field, including
- Appointment packages with payment plans
- Subscriptions, memberships, gift certificates
- Customizations
- HIPPA Compliance
- Integrations with video chat software, calendars, CRM and email marketing, QuickBooks, and more

Bottom Line

As the world opens up in 2021, people will again be needing appointments for services, classes, and recreation. Plus, the need for virtual appointments will remain strong. This is the perfect time to find and implement the best appointment scheduling software, so you'll be set to take appointments quickly and easily. Even better, a great many programs offer excellent features for free.

Among these, Picktime impressed us the most with its range of features and ease of use. Customers gave it excellent reviews as well. Sign up for Picktime and be ready for your clients.