Calendly dominates meeting scheduling, but it's not the best fit for everyone. Freelancers and consultants often need different features than enterprise teams - and Calendly's pricing reflects its enterprise focus.
This guide compares the top Calendly alternatives with attention to what independent professionals actually need: simple pricing, reliable calendar sync, professional appearance, and timezone handling that just works.
Why Look Beyond Calendly?
Calendly works well for many people. But common pain points push freelancers to explore alternatives:
Pricing - The free tier limits you to one event type. Paid plans start at $10/month. For a solo consultant, that's $120/year for features you might not need.
Feature bloat - Round-robin routing, Salesforce integration, admin analytics - irrelevant for independents. You're paying for complexity you don't use.
Generic appearance - Your booking page looks like every other Calendly page. Limited branding on lower tiers.
Calendar sync issues - Some users report delays with iCloud and other calendars. For consultants juggling multiple calendars, reliability matters.
What Actually Matters for Freelancers
| Feature | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Affordable pricing | You're paying personally, not expensing to a company |
| Professional appearance | Your booking page represents your brand |
| Reliable calendar sync | Connect all your calendars without double-bookings |
| Automatic timezone handling | International clients should see times in their timezone |
| No guest accounts | Clients shouldn't need to sign up to book with you |
The Alternatives
Cal.com
Cal.com is the leading open-source Calendly alternative.
Pricing: Free tier with unlimited bookings. Pro at $12/month.
Good for: Tech-savvy freelancers who want control. You can self-host if privacy matters.
Downsides: UI can feel complex for simple use cases. Self-hosting requires technical knowledge.
SavvyCal
SavvyCal focuses on recipient experience with overlay scheduling - guests see their own calendar alongside your availability.
Pricing: Limited free tier. Basic at $12/month.
Good for: Consultants who work with busy executives and want a polished client experience.
Downsides: Smaller company. Fewer integrations than Calendly.
Acuity Scheduling
Acuity (owned by Squarespace) targets service businesses that need payment collection.
Pricing: No free tier. Starts at $16/month.
Good for: Coaches, therapists, consultants who charge for appointments. Strong payment integration with Stripe and PayPal.
Downsides: No free plan. Interface feels dated. More complex than needed for simple scheduling.
TidyCal
TidyCal offers lifetime pricing - pay once, use forever.
Pricing: Limited free tier. Pro is $29 one-time (not monthly).
Good for: Budget-conscious freelancers who hate subscriptions.
Downsides: Smaller team (AppSumo product). Uncertainty about long-term development.
Doodle
Doodle pioneered group poll scheduling and added 1:1 booking pages.
Pricing: Free tier with ads. Pro at $6.95/month.
Good for: People who frequently schedule meetings with groups - workshops, team calls with clients.
Downsides: Booking pages are secondary to polls. Less polished than dedicated tools.
Calendly
For reference, Calendly offers:
Pricing: Free (1 event type). Standard at $10/month. Teams at $16/user/month.
Good for: People who need enterprise integrations (Salesforce, HubSpot) and don't mind paying for reliability.
Downsides: Limited free tier. Enterprise-focused roadmap. Generic appearance.
bookcall
bookcall is built specifically for freelancers and consultants.
Pricing: Free tier available. Lifetime pricing option - pay once, use forever.
Good for: Independents who want a booking page that doubles as a professional profile - bio, photo, links, and scheduling in one place.
What sets it apart:
- Your booking page is also your professional profile
- Automatic timezone detection for guests
- Multi-calendar sync (Google, iCloud, Outlook, Yahoo)
- Zoom integration with automatic meeting links
- Guests can reschedule/cancel without emailing you
- Clean, modern design
Quick Comparison
| Tool | Free Tier | Starting Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cal.com | Yes | $12/month | Self-hosting, open source |
| SavvyCal | Limited | $12/month | Polished client experience |
| Acuity | No | $16/month | Payment collection |
| TidyCal | Limited | $29 lifetime | One-time payment |
| Doodle | Yes (ads) | $6.95/month | Group scheduling |
| Calendly | Limited | $10/month | Enterprise integrations |
| bookcall | Yes | Lifetime option | Profile + scheduling combo |
Stop Juggling Linktree + Calendly + Zoom
Most scheduling tools give you a generic booking form. bookcall gives you a professional landing page that shows clients who they're booking with - your photo, bio, and links - before they even pick a time.
Built-in video calls, calendar overlay (so guests can compare your availability with theirs), and payments are coming soon. One tool instead of three.
More calendar integrations than anyone else - Google, iCloud, Outlook, Yahoo, Fastmail, and any CalDAV calendar. No double-bookings.
Automatic timezone handling - Clients see your availability in their local timezone. No dropdowns, no confusion.
No enterprise bloat - No per-seat pricing. Lifetime option available.