Calendly vs Cal.com vs Google Calendar: The Best Scheduling App
Stop the 'does Tuesday work?' email chain. Compare booking-link tools on free plans, price and features for freelancers, consultants and small teams.
"Does Tuesday at 3 work?" "Sorry, how about Wednesday morning?" "I'm out Wednesday, Thursday?"
A scheduling link ends that. You share a link, the other person sees when you're free and picks a time, and it lands in both calendars with a video link attached. Here's which tool to use.
Quick picks
- Already use Google Calendar and need something simple: Google Calendar's appointment schedules
- The best-known option, polished and easy: Calendly
- Most generous free plan, open source: Cal.com
Google Calendar appointment schedules
Google Calendar has a built-in booking page feature. Set your available hours, share the link and people can book a slot. It's free in a basic form, with extra features like payments and reminders on paid Google Workspace plans.
Pick it if: you live in Google Calendar and just need people to book a time with you.
Calendly: the familiar one
Most people have booked a Calendly link before, which makes clients comfortable. It connects to Google, Outlook and iCloud calendars, adds Zoom or Meet links automatically, and sends reminders.
The free plan is limited to one active event type (for example, just "30-minute call"). The Standard plan is about $10 per user a month billed yearly (around $12 monthly), and adds unlimited event types, several connected calendars and payment collection through Stripe and PayPal.
Pick it if: you want the most polished, familiar experience and you'll pay for it.
Cal.com: the generous open-source option
Cal.com does most of what Calendly does, and its free plan includes unlimited event types. It's open source, so technical teams can even host it themselves. Paid team plans start around $12 per user a month.
Pick it if: you need several meeting types without paying, or you like open-source software.
Comparison
| Free plan | Paid from | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Calendar |
Basic booking pages | Google Workspace plans | Simple personal booking |
| Calendly |
1 event type | About $10/user/mo | Polished client bookings |
| Cal.com | Unlimited event types | About $12/user/mo | Free power users, open source |
Setup tips that make a difference
- Add buffer time between meetings, at least 10 minutes. Back-to-back calls all day is a recipe for burnout.
- Set a daily limit so people can't book six calls in one day.
- Ask one or two questions on the booking form, like "What would you like to discuss?" You'll walk into calls prepared.
- Set minimum notice (for example, 24 hours) so nobody books you for 10 minutes from now.
- Connect every calendar you use, including personal ones, so nobody books over the dentist.
Running calls once they're booked? Compare Zoom, Google Meet and Teams.
