Alternatives
Calendly alternatives: 5 client booking apps in 2026
What to use instead of Calendly when you book clients for services rather than schedule calls: Bookora, Setmore, Square Appointments, Fresha and Booksy. Checked 22 September 2026.
In short
Calendly is a meeting scheduler: it has no per-client prices, no client base with history, no stock and no stats by service, and its settings live in the web version. If you are a beauty professional, coach or consultant with services, prices and durations, the closest replacement is Bookora: $9.99 a month for two seats against $12 for Calendly Standard, email and Telegram reminders, Google Calendar, everything from the phone. If you need booking without a subscription for a team, Setmore; booking without a subscription plus card processing in eight countries, Square Appointments; a salon with a till and a marketplace, Fresha or Booksy.
Why people look for a Calendly replacement
The reasons we hear most often, with the numbers behind them as of 22 September 2026:
Calendly is built for meetings, not services: no per-client price, no service categories, no studio address and no client base with visit history.
SMS reminders only from the Standard plan and on credits: 250 per user a month, which in Scandinavia and Switzerland is about 83 messages.
Calendars, integrations and the team are set up in the web version only; the interface comes in 5 languages.
Costly for a team: Teams is $20 per user a month, so a team of five pays $100.
5 Calendly alternatives
US prices as of 22 September 2026. Each service says who it is for, what it costs and where it falls short.
Bookora
An independent professional or a team of up to 20 who run bookings from a phone and do not want to give up a share of each client.
Price: Premium $9.99 a month or $59.99 a year (≈ $5 a month) for two seats; team packs from $39.99 for 5 seats. Without a subscription, only the calendar and client base for one person.
Pros
No commission on bookings or on clients
Automatic email and Telegram reminders in any country, WhatsApp in one tap
Two-way Google Calendar, consumables and personal prices included in the subscription
9 interface languages, including Arabic, Japanese and Chinese; everything managed from the phone
Cons
No online payments or deposits
No marketplace and no automatic SMS
No web dashboard and no roles or permissions
Setmore
A team of up to four that wants online booking without a subscription and payment collection.
Price: Up to 4 users without a subscription; Pro $12 per user a month or $5 billed yearly.
Pros
Online booking is part of the free plan
Payment through Stripe, Square and PayPal
A booking page in 32 languages, four permission levels
Cons
SMS on Pro only, and not sent to more than 200 countries and territories, including Germany, France, Spain and Russia
No stock and no personal prices
Interface in 4 languages; the app holds up to 6 staff, the rest is on the web
Square Appointments
A salon in one of Square's eight countries that wants booking without a subscription and card processing in one system.
Price: One location without a subscription; Plus $49 a month per location. Card processing 3.3% + 30¢ per online payment.
Pros
Online booking with SMS and deposits without a subscription
Staff at no extra charge: the price is per location, not per person
A till and Square card processing in one system
Cons
8 countries only: US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, Japan, France, Spain
Google Calendar, stock and permissions only on Plus at $49
Sync, shifts and permissions are set up in the web dashboard
Fresha
A salon that needs deposits, a till, gift cards and a marketplace with a flow of clients.
Price: $19.95 a month per professional and $14.95 per team member, 7-day trial. Plus 20% of a marketplace client's first visit ($6 minimum) and 2.79% + $0.20 per online payment.
Pros
Deposits against no-shows
A till, gift cards and a loyalty program (add-on at $59.95 a month)
Email, SMS and WhatsApp reminders: 100 messages a month included
Two-way Google Calendar sync
Cons
20% for a new marketplace client, even one who merely viewed your profile
No free plan
The salon website and some settings are desktop only
Booksy
A salon with a receptionist, a till and clients from the marketplace.
Price: $29.99 a month plus tax and $20 per staff member, 14-day trial. Boost brings marketplace clients for 30% of the first visit ($10 to $100); you can leave it off.
Pros
A marketplace with a ready flow of clients
Online payments, deposits and a till
SMS and push reminders at no extra charge
Shifts, staff commissions and five permission levels
Cons
Pricier than the rest of the list: $29.99 plus $20 per staff member
No Google Calendar sync, only an .ics import
Some settings only in the web version or on a tablet; no Russian, Arabic or Japanese
Which one fits whom
In short, by type of work:
A beauty professional, coach, therapist or tutor with services, prices and a client base: Bookora.
A team of up to four that wants online booking without a subscription and payment collection: Setmore.
A salon in one of Square's eight countries with a Square till: Square Appointments.
A salon with deposits, a till and a marketplace: Fresha or Booksy.
If your booking really is a Zoom call with a CRM and forms, stay with Calendly: nothing else on this list comes close on the number of integrations.
How the list was made
The list holds the services that do the same job as Calendly: client booking, reminders and a calendar for a professional or a small salon. Calendly is included because people often try it for bookings, although it is built for meetings. The order follows how well a service covers an independent professional's needs without a commission; Bookora comes first because it is our product, and every card, ours included, lists its cons.
All prices are US prices in dollars, from the official pricing pages and help centers on the date checked; Bookora's are from the App Store. We do not use store ratings or reviews: they depend on a product's age and country. Every service has a detailed comparison with Bookora on a dozen or more criteria; the link is on its card.
How to move from Calendly
Export the client list from Calendly as CSV and import it into the new service; Bookora can also take clients from your phone contacts. Appointment history usually does not carry over: you create upcoming visits in the new calendar and keep the old one until its last appointment.
Then replace the booking link in your profile, signature and messages to clients, and send the new one to regulars on WhatsApp. The step-by-step guide for Calendly is in its comparison with Bookora.
Frequently asked questions
Is Calendly suitable for a salon or a beauty professional?
Calendly can be used for bookings, but it is built for meetings: no per-client prices, no service categories, no stock and no stats by service, and calendars, integrations and the team are set up in the web version only. For services with a price and a duration, Bookora, Setmore, Square Appointments, Fresha or Booksy fit better.
Is there a free Calendly alternative?
Online booking without a subscription comes with Setmore (up to 4 users) and Square Appointments (one location, in 8 countries only). Bookora without a subscription is only the calendar and client base for one person; online booking is Premium at $9.99 a month.
Which Calendly alternative takes payments?
Setmore (Stripe, Square, PayPal), Square Appointments (Square card processing), Fresha and Booksy (online payments and deposits). Bookora does not take payments: the client pays you directly.
Which Calendly alternative reminds clients without SMS credits?
Bookora sends reminders by email and Telegram in any country and opens WhatsApp with a ready message. Booksy has SMS and push at no extra charge, Square Appointments has SMS in its eight countries, and Fresha includes 100 messages a month.
How do I move my clients out of Calendly?
Export the list of meetings with contacts as CSV from the Calendly web version, or collect names and phone numbers from your calendar and messages, then import them into the new service. Bookora takes CSV and phone contacts.
Which is cheaper, Calendly or Bookora?
For one user it is close: Bookora $9.99 a month for two seats, Calendly Standard $12; yearly, $59.99 against $120. For a team of five, $39.99 against $100 a month. Neither charges a commission.
Sources
- Calendly: mobile app
https://calendly.com/help/mobile-app-faq
- Calendly: SMS credit limits
https://calendly.com/help/sms-credit-limits
- Fresha pricing
https://www.fresha.com/pricing
- Booksy pricing
https://biz.booksy.com/en-us/pricing
- Calendly pricing
https://calendly.com/pricing
- Square Appointments pricing
https://squareup.com/us/en/appointments/pricing
- Setmore pricing
https://www.setmore.com/pricing
- Bookora on the App Store
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bookora-appointment-calendar/id6745752738
- Bookora help center
https://docs.bookora.me
Facts checked: September 22, 2026 · Updated: September 22, 2026 · Bookora team
Service names belong to their owners; Bookora is not affiliated with any of them. Facts about competitors come from their official pricing pages and help centers on the date checked; "no" means the feature is not described there. Found an inaccuracy? Email support@bookora.me and we will check and fix it.