Booking appointments can be quite demanding for every business, both start-ups and large enterprises. The hassle of manually scheduling meetings, setting reminders and notifications, and creating follow-ups for every booked appointment is both repetitive and time-consuming.
It would be so much easier and faster if there was an automatic way to deal with scheduling appointments. Well, this is where Calendly vs Acuity come into play.
Calendly and Acuity Scheduling: What are they for?
Calendly and Acuity are appointment scheduling software whose goals are to make life easier for businesses by handling every aspect of business appointments.
Their features and tools are geared towards their successful integration with other business tools so that they work together in synchrony without interfering with other business activities.
But, how do you know what software to choose between Calendly and Acuity? Why should you choose Calendly or Acuity scheduling? For what purposes and when can you use Calendly or Acuity?
These questions would be answered further along in this article, so stick with us till the end.
Calendly Vs Acuity: Overview
Calendly
Calendly is cloud-based scheduling software that helps businesses create new appointments and also keep up with their old ones automatically. Calendly can connect to about six different digital calendars per user, which it sorts through and organizes to schedule a convenient appointment for you and your clients/customers.
It is a perfect example of an automated messenger that finds a balance between businesses’ and clients’ schedules.
Acuity Scheduling
Acuity is also similar to Calendly as it offers appointment scheduling among its features. However, it also offers other features like database management, accounting, and other various tools that ensure the smooth running of your business administration.
Both scheduling softwares can:
- automate appointment scheduling, send reminders and notifications, and create follow-ups
- integrate with other business tools and applications
- receive payment via various payment options such as PayPal, Square, and Stripe
- integrate and sync with different calendar apps including iCloud, Google, and Office 365.
- be accessed across different devices, with the appropriate internet connection and user-access/permit
- hold virtual meetings via video conferencing platforms such as Zoom and Google meet.
With the above automated functions, you can now divert the time spent on scheduling to more important projects. However, these functions come at a price. Acuity and Calendly have a relatively affordable paid plan option and with this, you can access the above features. The pricing will, however, be discussed in the article as we proceed.
To decide which scheduling app is best for your business, comparison between Calendly vs Acuity will be discussed under the following criteria:
Features
Calendly offers and prioritizes calendar management as a unique feature. With Calendly, you can schedule appointments at your and your team/clients’ convenience, set reminders, and keep up with results from old appointments via follow-ups. It can integrate and sync with up to six different digital calendars which include Google, iCloud, Outlook, Microsoft 365, and iCal.
Acuity also offers the same features as Calendly mentioned above. However, Acuity extends its features into clients’ management and accounting. With this feature, it can easily integrate different business tools and functions into its software.
While this may sound appealing to startups and small businesses because it is like killing multiple birds with one stone, larger enterprises and businesses do not require it because they already developed and now manage these business tools differently.
Calendly and Acuity both offer virtual meetings via video conferencing platforms. Calendly, however, has more video conferencing options than Acuity. They both can integrate with Zoom, and Google meet while Calendly can still further integrate with others like Webex and Microsoft Teams.
As part of its features, Calendly also offers polls, which allow the participants of the appointment to vote on the scheduled time. The participants can decide on the best time to hold a meeting of their own accord. Calendly also offers a user-permit feature that restricts and allows access to the calendar. So, you can set a feature such that only the selected participants can access a particular calendar, and no one else.
Who’s the winner?
The comparison in the features of Calendly vs Acuity shows that Calendly has more to offer in terms of ease of calendar and appointment management than Acuity.
Ease of use
Both Calendly and Acuity are easy to navigate and work with. They do not require experience or advanced knowledge in software management, and thus, takes little time in setting them up.
With basic knowledge of software navigation, you can create and send meetings and email reminders and notifications using Calendly.
Acuity, however, further simplifies its usage. It already creates a user interface where all the complex aspects have already been set up. All that is left is to personalize the add-ons according to your preferences.
To prevent limits of usage, both Calendly and Acuity can be accessed across different devices. So, you don’t need to be at work or in your office to access your schedules, you can do that from anywhere with the right device. Also, their features allow them to work and schedule appointments across different time zones.
Who’s the winner?
With these features, Acuity is more inclined towards easy customer usage than Calendly. However, both of them are considered to be user-friendly.
Integrations
Both Calendly and Acuity integrate with various third-party applications to enhance the smooth and stress-free usage of their users.
Calendly integrates with:
- Video conferencing platforms such as Webex, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and Zoom
- Communication platforms such as Intercom
- Payment applications such as PayPal and Stripe
- Workflow automation tools like Zapier and Slack
- Marketing and lead generation apps such as Salesforce and HubSpot
- Web analytic tools such as Google analytics
- API apps like The Calendly API.
Integration with these applications creates an easy workflow and result for its users without compromising function.
Acuity also integrates with some third-party applications, but not as much as Calendly. These applications include:
- Video conferencing platforms include Zoom and Google meet.
- Work automation tools such as Zapier
- Web analytic tools such as Google analytics
- Payment platforms such as Stripe and Square.
Who’s the winner?
Comparison in application integration between Calendly vs Acuity indicates that Calendly spreads its wings further than Acuity and thus, is better in this regard.
Customer Service
Calendly handles customer complaints, resolves problems, and troubleshoots issues via an AI-based chatbot. You can also send your complaints via a support ticket that the company provides. The help system however gives more focus and priority to users who purchased their paid subscription plan (pro and premium). This indicates that to enjoy their customer service to the fullest, you need to be a subscriber to their paid plans.
Acuity, on the other hand, provides a wide range of tutorial articles and videos for its users. These usually cover the majority of the problems and issues encountered by their users. However, further assistance can also be provided if need be, and all you have to do is fill out a form and then request the assistance.
Who’s the winner?
Acuity beats Calendly in how effective, fast and responsive their systems and personnel are at resolving customers’ concerns and problems.
Pricing
Calendly offers both paid and free subscription plans for its users while Acuity offers just the paid plan. However, Calendly’s free plan only caters to users that use just one type of calendar integration with the same kind of appointments. This feature comes in handy for individuals, start-ups, and small businesses that do not require the extended features of a scheduling application.
For the paid subscription, Calendly offers free trials for 14 days after which renewal is made by paying for its paid plan that goes for $12 per seat. Acuity pricing, on the other hand, offers its free trials for 7 days after which a subscription plan of $14 per seat is required for renewal.
Who’s the winner?
To compare the pricing and user benefits of Calendly vs Acuity, Calendly tops the scale in this criteria.
Calendly vs. Acuity: Which one to choose?
With the overall evaluation of the above criteria in comparing Calendly and Acuity, you are probably wondering what to do next.
If Acuity is better than Calendly in some criteria and Calendly also is, to Acuity, in other criteria, which, then, is the best to use?
Well, let’s discuss that, shall we?
When should I choose Calendly
If your main focus is calendar and appointment management, then Calendly is your ideal application. Its ability to integrate with various third-party applications is an added advantage. It is cloud-based and enables unrestricted access across devices and easy navigation.
Regardless of how large or small your business is, Calendly can fit perfectly into its job prescription without any problem.
When should I choose Acuity
If you want an app that does the work of multiple applications, then Acuity is your go-to software. Other than calendar management, it also incorporates other business tools such as accounting and client database management tools. This feature saves you time and money that you could have spent on building these applications separately.
Acuity’s great customer service is a benefit to be reckoned with and can serve you in delivering administrative activities at best.
Wrap up on Caledly and Acuity comparison
Considering the various criteria that we established the two scheduling applications on, your scale will tilt to one side than the other when weighing your options, and that right there is the answer that you seek.
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