Appointment scheduling software simply helps you to be more efficient with your business while charging your customers less. If you’re a small business owner and want to grow profits and save money at the same time, free and paid appointment scheduling software is just what you need.
Here we will be looking into the best free and paid online booking small business software – what features they offer and how well they help you increase sales.
vCita Online Scheduling
vCita Online Scheduling is a self-service event registration and appointment scheduling solution from vCita, which has over the years evolved to become a comprehensive business management and client engagement platform with components for online CRM to boost client communications, advanced lead-generating website widgets, online payments, email, and SMS campaigns and other tools that could create more business while enabling the provision of great service.
As the foundation platform from which other solutions sprang from, vCita Online scheduling now features a client portal that allows your clients to book, pay, reschedule or do other things to ensure you are able to connect with clients 24/7 without missing a beat.
Try out vcita Online Scheduling with their free trial
VISIT WEBSITEFREE TRIAL
What is unique about vCita Online Scheduling?
- Booking for classes and other events is available 24/7, a convenient approach to appointment registration that is also available from any device.
- Multi-functional service that allows for clients to check messages, active appointments, make payments, even review invoices or documents.
- Handy and efficient, the application syncs with any calendar from desktop or phone devices so you won’t miss important events you have signed for.
Detailed vcita Online Scheduling Review
Simplybook.me
Simplybook.me is a free booking app (paid plans available) for up to 50 bookings and suits businesses of any size. The cloud app lets your clients book your service 24/7, while you receive real-time alerts. You also get email and SMS reminders leading to the appointment or get notified of changes or cancellations, if any. Moreover, a booking page can be embedded on your website or Facebook page.
We like how the app provides customized solutions. For instance, you can configure the interface with your brand colors or create multiple services for bookings. Furthermore, the app can collect customer feedback to help you gauge your service rating.
Try out SimplyBook.me with their free trial
VISIT WEBSITE FREE TRIAL
It also added a new POS system where you can print invoices and accept cash and credit card payments on-site. Furthermore, you can leverage your marketing processes with its gift cards and coupons to build customer loyalty. The app also integrates with Google Calendar and the dashboard displays KPIs for quick lookups. It also accepts payment integration via Paypal, Dwolla, Zooz, Skrill, and Bitcoin. Other features to note include recurring tasks, group booking, and unit location.
What is unique about Simplybook.me?
- 24/7 booking with real-time alert
- Email and SMS reminders leading to the appointment
- Bitcoin integration on top of other payment processing integrations like PayPal, Dwolla, and Skrill
Detailed SimplyBook.me Review
TeamUp
Next on our list is TeamUp, an appointment scheduling software ideal for fitness businesses. Through the app, your clients can easily book their own appointments or register for your classes and membership plans. Customizing tools allow you to design events and workshops that match your brand. With the application, you can set class types, create one-time slots or recurring timeslots, and manage multiple bookings.
In one easy-to-understand scheduling calendar, your clients will have a complete view of your recurring classes, class types, and class ranges. Meanwhile, you can track each member’s class or event participation by adding member information that goes straight to your calendar.
Detailed TeamUp ReviewREAD MORE
TeamUp also helps you save time by automating repetitive processes like billing, receipts, and instructor payroll. Catch-up classes, waitlists, and payments are also automatically handled by the software.
Moreover, you can create customized membership plans and waivers. By generating customized signup forms, you get total control over the details you need to collect. Plus, TeamUp allows you to create a discount code system to support any promotion you have.
The pricing scheme ranges from $59/month for 0-50 clients to $179/month for 200 and more clients.
What is unique about TeamUp?
- Best suited for fitness studios, boxes, and gyms
- Set flexible pricing plans and membership limits
- Simple, intelligible online calendar
- Attendance tracking for members
Acuity Scheduling
Acuity Scheduling is at the top of our list of the best appointment scheduling tools for 2021. The platform comes out on top thanks to its powerful scheduling capabilities, which benefit business owners and clients alike.
The platform makes it incredibly easy for clients to schedule appointments right on your website, without the need for calls or emails. Clients will be able to check your calendar, which is continuously updated to reflect your availability in real time. Built-in features also allow clients to reschedule or cancel appointments with just a few clicks. Want to reduce no-show rates? Acuity Scheduling lets you integrate online payment gateways like PayPal and Square into your website so clients must make deposits before their appointments are confirmed.
Detailed Acuity Scheduling Review
Acuity Scheduling also streamlines scheduling for businesses with more than one location. You can set up a calendar for each location to minimize mix-ups and keep your business’ schedules more organized. These calendars can be easily embedded into your website or social media profiles so clients can book appointments wherever they are.
The platform sends you a notification whenever new appointments are made on any of your calendars, so you don’t have to worry about bookings falling through the cracks even in your busy months. You can check your calendars and manage appointments even if you’re out of the office since Acuity Scheduling is web-based and accessible through a browser.
You can easily sign up for Acuity Scheduling free trial and get to know the features firsthand at no cost and without commitment.
What is unique about Acuity Scheduling?
- Timezones adjust according to the viewer
- Integrations with payment solutions like PayPal and Stripe
- Free app for single users
- White label option
10to8
10to8 is a great cloud appointment tool that helps reduce no-shows and increase the clarity of your communication with clients to ensure no-hassle appointments. It comes free for small businesses for up to 100 monthly appointments and scalable to enterprise requirements such as volume appointments.
The app requires minimal administration and suits neighborhood shops including boutiques, salons and fitness gyms, and professional services like dental clinics, law firms, and tutorial services. For its intuitive feature set and budget-friendly price tiers, 10to8 is currently our top choice in this category.
Detailed 10to8 Review
More than just an appointment app, 10to8 is also a marketing tool that boosts sales and drives the bottom line. It expands your customer reach with intuitive features. The two-way calendar-integrated chat, for instance, enables real-time communication between you and clients. It syncs with popular calendar apps like Google Calendar, iCal, and Outlook, allowing for consolidated visibility on your messages from various sources.
Likewise, the app automatically alerts you and clients of upcoming appointments via email and SMS. You’re also notified of any change in the appointment, which reduces miscommunication and helps you manage expectations.
10to8 can also be utilized for resource management. Its rota management tool lets you coordinate staff availability and avoid schedule conflicts. If you have a small team, you can optimize their time with proper time and task management using the app.
The app is accessible from desktop and mobile and can be white-labeled. You can add a payment processing feature, too, to allow advanced deposits from customers using PayPal, Stripe, or SagePay.
The free version is good for up to 100 appointments per month, while paid plans start at $9.6 per month.
What is unique about 10to8?
- Two-way calendar-integrated chat enables both you and clients to message each other in real time and with clarity and transparency.
- It has a free app for up to 100 appointments per month.
- Rota management helps you coordinate staff availability and optimize your resources.
- Payment processing can be integrated through PayPal, SagePay, and Stripe.
- Low entry price point at $9.6 per month, suits small shops with tight cash flow.
YouCanBook.me
YouCanBook.me is a free app (basic features) that integrates with multiple calendars and allows self-service bookings. It best suits freelancers and small businesses.
The app integrates with Google Calendar and iCloud Calendar and features a personalized scheduling page for each customer. The page alerts them for the upcoming appointment or urgent changes made. Likewise, setup is as easy as simply linking your app account to the Google Calendar of iCloud Calendar.
Detailed YouCanBook.me Review
Bookings are done directly on the calendar for convenience and by customers. This frees you up from manual entries, while allowing simultaneous bookings and, thus, speed up the appointment process.
We like how the app displays real-time bookings, which can be embedded on your website or Facebook page, preventing schedule conflicts or double bookings. Other notable features include tools for appointment padding, tentative bookings, and credit card payments.
Pricing starts at $10 per calendar/month.
What is unique about YouCanBook.me?
- A self-service page for customer bookings
- Multiple calendar integration including Google Calendar and iCal
- Free app for basic features
Checkfront
Checkfront is also one of the top 20 appointment scheduling tools on our list. The cloud appointment app integrates with popular online services for bookings and reservations. It also features payment processing and analytics to help you leverage data. As a booking platform, it’s popular with the travel industry, allowing them to integrate the features via API in their websites and CMS, and other key business systems for marketing, CRM, and business intelligence.
Detailed Checkfront Review
Bookings that can be performed in this app include reservations for accommodation, rentals, tour packages, and guiding services. Meantime, payment processing can be customized to accept full or partial payments, either which helps increase customer’s commitment to the appointment.
One standout Checkfront feature that we like is the inclusion of business intelligence. A sales and marketing analytics helps you measure your operational data, for instance, see where the majority of customers come from and your best months outside the holiday season. Other features include a mobile-optimized platform, SSL security protocol, and customer accounts. Pricing starts at $49 per month for up to 1,200 bookings per year.
What is unique about Checkfront?
- It’s vertical, servicing the specific booking needs of the travel industry
- Highly integrated with other business processes like CRM, sales, marketing, and CMS
- Business analytics digs up strategic insights from your operational data
- Can be tweaked for full or partial payment processing
Conclusion
What if you could charge customers less, be more efficient in your business, and generate higher profits at the same time? Here we have thoroughly analyzed the best free and paid appointment software for businesses to determine how it can help you increase sales.