- Pick it if you are:
- Service businesses taking payments (salons, spas, consultants); Squarespace website users
- Top complaint:
- Why is Acuity so expensive? No free plan and processor fees on top
- Price:
- From $20/mo
- Pick it if you are:
- Solo coaches and consultants; Freelancers replacing Calendly
- Top complaint:
- TidyCal calendar stops syncing and asks to reconnect
- Price:
- Free plan, paid from $12/mo
Score Comparison
Signals Comparison
Acuity Scheduling
- Exporting appointments is painful when you want to leave(7/10)
- Confusing UI requiring excessive steps(7/10)
- Forced move to Squarespace login(6/10)
- Product feels outdated compared to rest of Squarespace(5/10)
- Limited reporting and clunky client records(5/10)
TidyCal
- Availability shows wrong times because of Busy all-day events(6/10)
- Single currency and no auto-fill of open time(5/10)
Acuity Scheduling
- Why is Acuity so expensive? No free plan and processor fees on top(8/10)
- No free plan available(6/10)
- Acuity Premium price increase to $69/month(5/10)
TidyCal
- 1% platform fee on paid bookings unless you pay for Pro(4/10)
- Agency 'for teams' label is misleading(5/10)
- Pricing page inconsistent on Pro yearly price(4/10)
Acuity Scheduling
- Acuity double booking and calendar sync problems(8/10)
- Acuity reminders not reaching clients(7/10)
- Acuity outages: slow scheduler and checkout errors(7/10)
TidyCal
- TidyCal calendar stops syncing and asks to reconnect(8/10)
- Bookings show in TidyCal but no calendar event or confirmation email(7/10)
- Booking page stuck loading or showing 404 for clients(9/10)
- Overlapping meetings and double bookings(8/10)
- Free-plan background sync pauses after 90 days of inactivity(6/10)
Acuity Scheduling
- Email-only support with slow responses(6/10)
TidyCal
- Slow or silent support on a lifetime deal(7/10)
Acuity Scheduling
- Group class booking is inadequate(6/10)
TidyCal
- Limited booking page design and branding(5/10)
Acuity Scheduling
- Limited integrations compared to competitors(5/10)
TidyCal
- Thin integrations: Zapier and Airtable problems, no Exchange(6/10)
Pricing Comparison
Acuity Scheduling
Users: 1 calendar
Limits: No text reminders, waitlist, packages, memberships or gift certificates
Users: Up to 6 calendars
Limits: No HIPAA BAA, no API/CSS, Acuity branding stays
Users: Up to 36 calendars
Limits: 36-calendar cap; no phone support
Users: Unlimited calendars
Limits: No public pricing
TidyCal
Users: 1 user
Limits: No auto-created Zoom/Meet/Teams links, AI booking assistant, custom emails, analytics, round robin or collective meetings; one calendar connection
Users: 1 user
Limits: No round robin or team page, branding remains
Limits: No custom domain or white label
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Acuity Scheduling | TidyCal |
|---|---|---|
| Payments | ||
| Payment collection at booking Stripe, Square, PayPal, Venmo; processor fees apply | ||
| Paid bookings 1% fee unless Pro | ||
| Packages and memberships Growing plan and above | ||
| Booking | ||
| Unlimited booking types Free | ||
| Group class flexibility Limited for multi-week scheduling | ||
| Core | ||
| Calendar sync Has reliability issues reported | ||
| Time zone auto-adjustment | ||
| Data export (reliable) Large exports reported to fail; API needs Premium | ||
| Automation | ||
| Automatic reminders Email on all plans, SMS on Standard+ | ||
| Teams | ||
| Round robin Agency and Pro | ||
| Customization | ||
| Intake forms All plans | ||
| CSS customization Premium plan only | ||
| Branding | ||
| Custom domain Pro only | ||
| Reminders | ||
| SMS reminders Agency 10/mo, Pro unlimited | ||
| Security | ||
| HIPAA compliance Premium plan only ($69/mo) | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Microsoft Exchange Reported unsupported by third-party comparisons | ||
| Developer | ||
| Custom API access Premium plan only ($69/mo) | ||
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan No free tier, 7-day trial without card | ||
| Support | ||
| Phone support Email only | ||
| Mobile | ||
| Mobile app Exists but lacks desktop features | ||
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