Top Calendly alternatives: Finding the perfect scheduling tool for your business

When you’re a small business owner, time is money—literally. Every minute spent going back and forth to schedule a meeting is time you could have spent closing a deal, serving a customer, or just breathing. That’s why having the online scheduling tool is crucial. Calendly is a big name in the game, but is it really the best fit for your business?

Calendly has earned its place in the market with a clean, user-friendly interface and straightforward functionality. But as your business grows and your needs evolve, you might find that Calendly’s offerings just don’t cut it anymore. Maybe you need more customization, better integration with your existing tools, or a pricing plan that doesn’t nickel and dime you for every additional feature. That’s where a Calendly alternative comes into play.

Why consider a Calendly alternative?

The decision to switch from Calendly often boils down to two main factors: price and value. 

While it’s is great for basic scheduling needs, its free version lacks several features that are really important for small businesses, like paid appointments, group events, and customizable notifications. If you’re running a business that relies on bookings to drive revenue, these missing features can quickly become a bottleneck.

Moreover, Calendly’s customization options are limited, which can be a dealbreaker if you want your booking page to reflect your brand. A generic booking experience can make your business seem impersonal, and in today’s competitive market, first impressions are everything. 

YouCanBookMe vs Calendly

YouCanBookMe offers a great alternative that lets you fully customize your booking page—from colrs and logos to custom URLs—so every interaction with your clients feels personalized and on-brand.

Let’s dive deeper into why YouCanBookMe stands out as a superior Calendly alternative for small businesses.

Made for (and by) small businesses

YouCanBookMe isn’t just another appointment management software; it’s a product born out of a deep understanding of small business needs. 

Our journey began in 2007, long before many of today’s big names in scheduling even existed. By 2012, we had invented the booking page with the calendar-like availability grid, a design that’s become the standard for online scheduling.

But we didn’t stop there. 

We’ve continued to innovate, driven by the feedback and needs of our users—many of whom are small business owners just like you. Today, YouCanBookMe processes over a million bookings each month, and we’ve recently celebrated our 100 millionth booking milestone! 🎉

Our focus has always been on making life easier for small businesses. We understand that your time is your most valuable asset, and every minute you save on scheduling is a minute you can reinvest into your business. 

That’s why we’ve packed YouCanBookMe with features that cater specifically to the needs of small business owners:

• Promotion codes & support for packages: Drive repeat business by offering special deals and packages directly through your booking page.
• Google & Apple Pay integration: Make it easy for clients to pay at the time of booking, reducing no-shows and streamlining your payment process.
• Spam protection: Keep your calendar clean and say goodbye to spam bookings with our robust anti-spam features.
• Custom booking notes: Add notes to bookings that can be exported and synced with your CRM or other third-party tools.
• Request-only bookings: Give yourself the flexibility to accept or reject bookings based on your availability or client needs.
• Multiple services on a single link: Combine services on one booking link, simplifying the booking process for your clients.

Our commitment to small businesses isn’t just lip service—it’s built into every feature of our product. YouCanBookMe is the result of years of feedback from our users, and we’re proud to say that some of our earliest adopters are still with us today.

As one of our long-time users, Gareth Marlow, an independent coach, puts it: “I've been a customer of YCBM for several years. Fantastic core product that really fits with my needs as an independent coach. It saves lots of time and effort for me and my clients when scheduling coaching and training sessions.”

Customization and branding 🎨

Your booking page is often the first interaction a client has with your business, so why settle for something that looks like everyone else’s? YouCanBookMe is designed to be the most customizable scheduling tool on the market, allowing you to create a booking experience that truly reflects your brand—even on our free plan.

With YouCanBookMe, you can:

• Add your own logo or photo: Make your booking page instantly recognizable by adding your business logo or a personal photo.
• Customize emails: Adjust the text and appearance of your emails to match your brand’s tone of voice. You can even add dynamic content to personalize every client interaction.
• Tailor the booking page text: Change the text and language of your booking page to better fit your audience. We support over 40 languages, including right-to-left scripts like Arabic and Cyrillic, so you can communicate with your clients in the language they’re most comfortable with.
• Create custom booking links: Put your name first in the URL, reinforcing your brand at every step of the booking process.

One of our users, Sheri Gazitt, founder of TeenWise, uses YouCanBookMe to manage her busy coaching schedule. 

“The booking form is awesome. In many cases, these are people I’ve never had an interaction with before. So I can ask questions at the time of booking that help me understand what they need, but that also get them thinking about the coaching journey and why they want to do it.” - Sheri Gazitt, TeenWise

Your clients come first

At YouCanBookMe, we know that your clients are everything to your business, and their experience matters. That’s why we’re dedicated to making the booking process smooth, intuitive, and easy—for both you and your clients.

One of the biggest frustrations with online booking systems is the back-and-forth: clients often have to juggle their own calendar with yours, leading to double bookings and headaches. We’ve designed YouCanBookMe to take that frustration off the table, ensuring that scheduling is simple and seamless.

YouCanBookMe solves this problem with our availability overlay feature, which allows clients to see their availability directly on the booking page. This means no more switching between tabs or devices—just a straightforward booking experience.

We also offer a variety of availability displays tailored to different meeting types. Whether you need to show a full month’s availability or just a day or two, YouCanBookMe has you covered.

And because not every client finds you online, YouCanBookMe makes it easy to share your booking link wherever you need it with QR codes. 

Get inspired - discover how others share their booking links IRL.

Top-rated by business owners just like you 🙌

Don’t just take our word for it—our users consistently rate YouCanBookMe as the top choice for small businesses. We’re proud to hold a 4.2-star “Great” rating on Trustpilot, based on reviews from business owners who rely on us to keep their schedules running smoothly.

Calendly? Not so much. While it’s a popular choice, many users find that it doesn’t quite meet their needs, particularly when it comes to customization and value.

If you’re looking for business scheduling tools that’s built with your business in mind, YouCanBookMe is the clear winner.

But don’t just take our word for it—see for yourself why YouCanBookMe is the best Calendly alternative out there. 

With our comprehensive feature set, deep customization options, and commitment to small business success, we’re confident that once you make the switch, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without us.

Top scheduling tools for small businesses

YouCanBookMe is obviously an incredible tool (and you can’t go wrong with it), but it’s not the only one out there. If you’re exploring other options, we’ve rounded up the best automated scheduling solutions on the market to help you find the perfect fit for your business.

1. YouCanBookMe
2. Calendly
3. Setmore
4. OnceHub

Best free Calendly alternatives

If you’re looking for a scheduling tool that doesn’t come with a hefty price tag, you’ve got options! These free alternatives to Calendly deliver robust features without breaking the bank.

1. YouCanBookMe
2. Setmore
3. SimplyBook.me
4. Doodle

Scheduling software comparison: Finding the right fit for your small business

We get it—choosing the right scheduling software is a lot to consider! To make things easier, here’s how each tool stacks up based on what you need:

YouCanBookMe

• Best for: Customization and small teams
• Pros: Highly customizable, easy time-zone management
• Cons: No mobile app, no iCloud integration

Calendly

• Best for: Larger teams needing workflow automation
• Pros: Intuitive, strong integrations
• Cons: Can get pricey, limited free features

Setmore

• Best for: Appointment-based services
• Pros: Mobile app, online payments included
• Cons: Limited integrations on the free plan

OnceHub

• Best for: Sales teams
• Pros: Advanced features, solid free plan
• Cons: No mobile app, limited booking records

Each tool has its strengths, so think about what matters most for your business when making your choice.

Your calendar booking tools might be bleeding money—here’s why

Let’s cut to the chase: your business scheduling tools needs to pull their weight. 

If no-shows keep piling up, you’re not just wasting time—you’re hemorrhaging money. 

A 35% no-show rate isn’t just an inconvenience; it’s a $4,748 hit per account executive each year. And if you’re shelling out for Calendly, you’re paying a premium without getting the ROI your small business deserves. The cost of missed opportunities

It's not just wasted time. Those missed appointments represent lost revenue. With a close rate of 35% and a lifetime client value of $51,000, missing out on 262 appointments a year could be costing you nearly $4 million in revenue!

Find out EXACTLY how much you’re losing by calculating your Cost Of No-Shows.

Better tools can stop the bleeding

But here’s the good news: it doesn’t have to be this way. The right calendar booking tools can drastically reduce no-shows, help you recapture lost revenue, and keep your business growing. But a good tool is only part of the equation—a great team behind that tool makes all the difference.

That’s why we’ve introduced EXPERT MODE—a set of strategies designed to tackle no-shows head-on and maximize your booking efficiency.

Expert Mode: Level up your booking game

1. Book meetings faster: Time is money. Streamline your booking process to make it as easy as possible for your clients to schedule appointments.
2. Remind them automatically: No one likes being ghosted. Automated reminders keep your clients on track and drastically reduce no-shows.
3. Cut admin time with automation: Free up your team to focus on what they do best—closing deals, not managing calendars.
4. Make your calendar integration software work for you: Customize your booking page to reflect your brand and weed out time-wasters.
5. Accept payments upfront: Want to make sure people show up? Put their money on the line.

When you reach Expert Mode, you don't have to worry about lost revenue from no-shows or the headaches of rescheduling. 

You don't have to stress over clients forgetting their appointments or wasting time on manual follow-ups. 

You get to relax, because you know you’ve got it handled. 

And if you're looking for the best tools to make that happen, you already know where to find us.

Upgrade your scheduling game with YouCanBookMe, the ultimate meeting scheduler alternative

Our updates? They’re smoother than butter, guaranteed not to crash your devices. 

Our integrations? Seamless, connecting with the tools you already love. 

Our support? Top-notch, with a team that’s always got your back. 

Trust your schedule to a proven leader in appointment scheduling apps

We’ve done the research, crunched the numbers, and perfected the formula. 

With millions of bookings under our belt and over a decade in the game, YouCanBookMe isn’t just the best of all the time management apps on the market—it’s the scheduling solution you’ve been searching for.

Ready to see the difference? Let’s get your bookings back on track.

The best Calendly alternative for your business? It’s YouCanBookMe.

Still looking for the best Calendly alternative? 

YouCanBookMe has been setting the standard for over a decade. With millions of bookings managed worldwide and a commitment to quality that’s second to none, we’re the partner your business needs. 

Ready to join the winning team?