Acuity Scheduling vs TidyCal
A side-by-side look at 2 Productivity tools for 2026 — the verdict, pricing, ratings, features, and what readers think.
acuityscheduling.com
Best for salons, wellness, fitness and consulting businesses that need booking, intake forms and payments together
Online booking, payments and client management for appointment-based businesses, with intake forms, packages and reminders that cut no-shows.
Visit Acuity Scheduling
tidycal.com
Best for solo coaches and service providers who want to take paid bookings cheaply, without a subscription
Get booked and get paid: a free booking page with paid, recurring and package bookings, plus a USD 29 one-time lifetime deal.
Visit TidyCalPricing compared
Acuity Scheduling
$16/mo
TidyCal
$29/one-time
Head to head
| Acuity Scheduling | TidyCal | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ||
| Starting price | $16/mo | $29/one-time |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial, no credit card needed | Free plan, no credit card needed |
| Platforms | Web · iOS · Android · API | Web · API |
| Founded | 2006 | — |
Pros & cons
Acuity Scheduling
Pros
- Deep tools for service businesses: intake forms, packages, memberships, gift certificates and waitlists.
- Accepts payments through Stripe, Square and PayPal.
- HIPAA BAA available on Premium for US health and wellness practices.
- Integrates with QuickBooks, FreshBooks, Mailchimp and Zapier.
Cons
- No free plan and only a 7-day trial.
- Text reminders, waitlists and packages start at Standard.
- Branding removal, the BAA and the API need Premium.
- Trustpilot score (3.6) is lower than its G2 score.
TidyCal
Pros
- Generous free plan with paid, recurring and package bookings.
- Lifetime plans from USD 29 with no recurring charge.
- API, MCP and webhooks on every plan, including free.
- Built-in Calendly importer.
Cons
- 1% platform fee on Stripe payments on Free and Lifetime plans.
- Custom domain, branding removal and unlimited calendars only on Pro.
- SMS reminders only in the US and Canada, capped on Agency Lifetime.
- No native HubSpot or Salesforce integration listed.
Features compared
| Acuity Scheduling | TidyCal | |
|---|---|---|
| Plans & pricing | ||
| Free tier | — | ✓ Yes |
| Free trial | — | ✗ No |
| Pricing model | — | Free / lifetime deal / monthly |
| Platforms & access | ||
| Web app | — | ✓ Yes |
| Integrations & extensibility | ||
| Public API | — | ✓ Yes |
| Native integrations | — | Google Calendar, Outlook, Zoom, Stripe |
| Automation (Zapier/Make) | — | ✓ Yes |
| Security & compliance | ||
| Two-factor auth | — | ✓ Yes |
| GDPR compliant | — | ✓ Yes |
| Support | ||
| Email support | — | ✓ Yes |
| Knowledge base | — | ✓ Yes |