Calendly vs Acuity for Canadian Service Businesses
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Calendly and Acuity Scheduling solve the same problem — ending the booking-email thread — but they were built for different customers. Calendly is a meeting scheduler that grew into payments; Acuity is an appointment-and-payments platform for businesses that sell their time. For a Canadian salon, clinic, or contractor, that difference decides the winner before you ever open a feature list.
The prices (checked 2026-10-05): both vendors bill in USD
US$ is the billed list price; ≈ CA$ is our estimate at the Oct 5, 2026 mid-market rate (1 USD = 1.4242 CAD), taxes extra. Canadian-billed alternative for clinics: Jane App (jane.app) prices in CAD.
| Plan | Annual (per month) | Monthly (per month) | Free / trial |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calendly Free | $0 | $0 | Free forever |
| Calendly Standard | US$10/seat ≈ CA$14.24 | US$12/seat ≈ CA$17.09 | — |
| Calendly Teams | US$16/seat ≈ CA$22.79 | US$20/seat ≈ CA$28.48 | — |
| Acuity Starter | US$16 ≈ CA$22.79 | US$20 ≈ CA$28.48 | 7-day trial only — no free plan |
| Acuity Standard | US$27 ≈ CA$38.45 | US$34 ≈ CA$48.42 | |
| Acuity Premium | US$49 ≈ CA$69.79 | US$61 ≈ CA$86.88 |
Calendly's free plan — one booking link, unlimited meetings — covers a solo consultant with a single call type. Acuity has no free tier: 7 days, then the meter starts.
Feature table: what actually differs for service businesses
Beyond pricing, the two diverge on exactly the features a service business lives or dies by.
| Calendly | Acuity Scheduling | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing model | Per seat — every team member costs extra | Flat fee — staff included, calendars capped at 1/6/36 |
| Intake forms | Routing forms that send prospects to the right meeting type | Detailed intake forms on every plan |
| Payments | Stripe and PayPal on paid plans only | Stripe, Square, PayPal and Venmo on all plans, deposits included |
| Packages & memberships | Packages and payment links; no subscriptions or memberships | Packages with payment plans, subscriptions, memberships and gift cards on Standard and up |
| Group / class booking | Group events on paid tiers, but built for one-to-one meetings | Classes and group scheduling are a core strength |
| Reminders | Workflows with reminders on paid plans | Email on all plans; SMS reminders on Standard and up |
| Integrations | 100+ native, deepest on CRM — Salesforce, HubSpot — plus Zoom, Teams, Meet | ~30 native plus Zapier; calendar sync, Zoom, Google Meet |
| Privacy / compliance | SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, CCPA | HIPAA option on Premium (signed agreement) |
| Branding | Custom branding on paid plans | Logo and colours on all plans; remove Powered-by footer and add custom CSS on Premium |
The staffing math: per-seat vs flat fee
Calendly multiplies by headcount; Acuity is flat-fee with a cap on calendars:
- Solo: Calendly Standard (US$10/seat ≈ CA$14.24) beats Acuity Starter (US$16 ≈ CA$22.79) by ≈ CA$8.55/month — ≈ CA$103/year.
- Two staff: Calendly Teams at 2 seats (US$32 ≈ CA$45.58/month) loses to Acuity Standard (US$27 ≈ CA$38.45/month) — 6 calendars, packages, and SMS reminders included.
- Three staff: Calendly Teams at 3 seats (US$48 ≈ CA$68.37) versus Acuity Premium (US$49 ≈ CA$69.79) — within ≈ CA$1.40. Price is a wash; features decide.
The crossover lands between two and three people. The 7-day Acuity trial against Calendly's free plan is the honest way to confirm which side you're on.
Pick by use case
- Salon or barbershop: Acuity — per-stylist calendars, a browsable service menu, deposits at booking, and packages for regulars. If you already take Square in person, Acuity's Square integration keeps payments in one place.
- Clinic — physio, dental, wellness: Acuity — intake forms attached to each booking, packages for treatment plans, and a HIPAA-tier option on Premium. Check either tool's data handling against your provincial privacy obligations first.
- Contractor or mobile trades: Acuity — a deposit at booking is the strongest no-show protection, and intake forms capture job details before you drive out.
- Coach or consultant selling packages: Acuity — packages with payment plans, memberships, and gift cards on Standard and up. If your "coaching" is really paid Zoom calls, Calendly Standard is simpler and cheaper.
- When Calendly wins: you book meetings, not appointments — sales calls, consultations, interviews. You want the free tier, the simplest link for non-technical clients, or deep Salesforce/HubSpot integration. (Squarespace users note: Squarespace acquired Acuity in 2019, so Acuity's native embed is the path of least resistance.)
Quick checklist
- One call type fits Calendly's free plan; a service menu needs Acuity.
- Taking money at booking — deposits, packages — is Acuity's home turf.
- Count staff and run the math above: solo favours Calendly, two-plus usually favours Acuity.
- Budget in USD — both bill Canadians in US dollars; CAD figures are estimates, taxes extra.
- Trial both first: Acuity's 7 days against Calendly's free plan.
FAQ
Does Calendly have a free plan?
Yes — free forever, with one event type and one connected calendar. Paid tiers start at US$10 per seat per month on annual billing (≈ CA$14.24 at current rates; both vendors bill in USD).
Does Acuity Scheduling have a free plan?
No. Acuity offers a 7-day trial on any plan, then paid plans start at US$16 per month on annual billing (≈ CA$22.79 at current rates; both vendors bill in USD). No permanent free tier exists.
Which is better for a small service business?
Acuity, if you sell time to clients and need intake forms, deposits, packages, or class scheduling — salons, clinics, coaches, studios. Calendly, if you book meetings and calls, want the free tier, or need deep CRM integration.
How much does Acuity Scheduling cost in Canada?
US$16, US$27, or US$49 per month for Starter, Standard, and Premium on annual billing — all USD-billed (≈ CA$22.79, CA$38.45, CA$69.79 at the Oct 5, 2026 mid-market rate; taxes extra). Monthly is roughly 17–20% higher (US$20, US$34, US$61).
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