Best 21 Appointment Setting Apps and Booking Software

When it comes to managing appointments for your business, an efficient and professional appointment scheduling app is a must-have. It can be a real time-saver, especially for busy entrepreneurs, as booking management tasks can consume valuable work hours.

Also, a survey has found that 56% of B2B companies use appointment software.

I’ve had the opportunity to use a variety of appointment schedulers over the years for scheduling discovery calls and client meetings. From my experience, there are many options to choose from, but not all of them are equal in terms of their more advanced features and functionality.

To identify the best appointment setting software, I took into consideration the key scheduling features that businesses need. These include the ability to handle last-minute cancellations and rescheduling, accept payments, and integrate with other software tools. After considering and testing numerous appointment booking apps, I was able to identify the ones that can help businesses save time and focus on their core work.

To understand better, learn more about Appointment Scheduling Apps and what they are used for.

What are Appointment setting Apps?

Appointment-scheduling apps are software programs that help businesses manage appointment scheduling with clients. These apps provide an online payment platform for clients to book, reschedule, or cancel appointments from a web interface, such as a business website or Facebook Page. 

The key features of best appointment scheduling apps include the following features:

1. Online Booking: Clients can easily book appointments at their convenience through the web interface.
2. Schedule Management: Business owners or administrators can set parameters for appointment scheduling, including business hours, available staff or resource times, and dates.
3. Prevention of Double-booking and Overbooking: The app prevents overlapping appointments, ensuring that no two clients can book the same time slot.
4. Time Blocking: The app allows the business owner to block off specific times when certain services may not be available.
5. Client Management: The appointment scheduling tool usually comes with client appointment management features that allow businesses to store client management, such as contact details and appointment history.
6. Notifications and Reminders: The app sends notifications and email reminders to clients about upcoming appointments, reducing the risk of no-shows.
7. Reporting and Analytics: Business owners can view data and analytics about appointments, helping them make informed decisions about scheduling and resource allocation.

What are the benefits of an online appointment scheduling app?

Appointment scheduling apps are numerous benefits, some of them are discussed below – 

• Customers can schedule services in a user-friendly environment

Making booking services available online provides a significant advantage for businesses in today’s digital age. With 94% of consumers preferring providers that offer online appointment scheduling apps over those that don’t, it’s essential to cater to customers’ expectations by providing an easy-to-use scheduling system on your website. 

This not only aligns with customers’ lifestyles but also helps them make informed decisions and purchase services more quickly.

• Appointments are immediately added to your schedule

The most effective online appointment systems are integrated with your calendar. This eliminates the need for manual scheduling by office staff. Customers booking appointments online will have the appointment added directly to their calendars, reducing the workload for your team. 

This allows them to focus on other administrative tasks and increases efficiency. Say goodbye to missed calls and endless phone tags. Online booking helps speed up the appointment process, leading to quicker job completion and prompt payment.

• Easy and quick for customers

Your online payment appointment system should be flexible and customizable to fit your business needs. You have control over which services are available for booking and can present them clearly and professionally, including pricing.

This not only helps your business but also provides a user-friendly experience for your customers. They can easily choose the service they need, select a date and time slot, and make payments, all in one place. 

The online payments appointment system provides all the necessary information for you while also being user-friendly for your customers.

• Enhances the customer appointment experience

It’s crucial to make the appointment booking process as smooth as possible for customers. Inconvenient scheduling methods like having to take time off work or wait on hold can drive customers to competitors. 

Providing online appointment scheduling allows customers to book appointments from any location with internet access rather than relying on staff availability. This convenience and time-saving benefit can increase both jobs and revenue for your business.

• Easily converts potential clients.

An intuitive booking system drives more conversions.

An online appointment platform helps business growth as it allows new customers to easily submit a form and have their information entered into your CRM. This makes acquiring new clients simpler, without the need for administrative involvement. Additionally, scheduling appointments happen quickly.

• Customers can attach relevant files.

It’s important to enhance customer service through available means. Visual aids such as images can effectively communicate a message, especially for service jobs.

A photo of the customer’s issue can provide valuable insight for the service provider. Some customers may not want to write out a long description of their problem, so offering the option to upload a photo not only saves them time but also helps the service provider prepare better.

• Decreases administrative time spent on booking tasks

Online appointment systems are a less stressful option for managing schedules. They relieve the workload of office staff, allowing them to focus on other important tasks. Additionally, the booking software eliminates potential errors and miscommunication, as customers directly input their information into the form, reducing the need for manual transcribing over the phone.

The 21 Best Appointment Scheduling apps on the market

Free Appointment Setting Apps

1. Calendly

With Calendly’s free account version, you can integrate a single calendar, schedule unlimited appointments, and generate a personalized link for scheduling. It is one of the best scheduling apps, be it for small businesses or fitness businesses. It automatically sends email notifications and email reminders to those who book time with you. 

The paid plans of Calendly offer additional features, including different types of appointments like individual, round-robin, group events, and team meetings. This option is ideal for teams, with features like team pages, metrics and reporting, and administrative tools for managing bookings. Additionally, there are several Calendly alternatives available to explore and test based on your specific needs.

2. HubSpot Meeting Tool

HubSpot Meetings is an appointment scheduling app that allows you to connect and synchronize your Google Calendar or Office 365 calendar, set your availability, and let prospects and clients schedule appointments with you. By adding form fields to the meeting page, you can gather important information such as name, phone number, email, and more. The meeting page can be shared via email or embedded on a website or landing page.

Once an appointment is booked, the time slot will be blocked off on your calendar, and a confirmation email will be sent to the client or prospect. This streamlines the scheduling process, allowing you to book more meetings in a shorter amount of time. The tool integrates with the CRM, enabling you to track your contacts and meetings. As prospects schedule appointments, HubSpot automatically creates records for new individuals.

3. Booksy

For companies in the beauty and personal grooming sector that require arranging numerous appointments and maintaining multiple services, Booksy is an appointment scheduling app that provides an economical booking software and reservation system. It’s an ideal choice for small to medium-sized businesses seeking to accept bookings, customer management, stock, and payments all in one place.

4. Calendar

Calendar is an appointment scheduling app that is a cutting-edge digital scheduling platform for individuals and teams that merges multiple calendars, including Google, Apple, and Outlook, into a single, user-friendly interface. With its AI capabilities, it can learn your schedule and automate the process of planning, inviting, and rescheduling meetings. 

The paid versions of Calendar come with added features such as meeting transcriptions and comprehensive analytics, allowing users to monitor and optimize their time spent in meetings and with colleagues.

5. Square Appointments

If you require a flexible solution for booking appointments and accepting payments, Square Appointments is an appointment scheduling app, and it also may be a good option. With Square Appointments, you can establish a free customer booking website, receive automated text and email appointment reminders, impose fees for missed appointments, and process payments all within the same platform.

6. Setmore

Setmore is also one of the best appointment schedulers, with a free plan for scheduling appointments and accepting payments. It is useful for small businesses and more. It features a public custom booking page and can accommodate up to 20 staff calendars, enabling your team to efficiently schedule one on one meetings. Automated appointment notifications are also sent to customers after bookings are made.

7. CalendarHero

CalendarHero provides the typical features of appointment scheduling software, including the ability to schedule meetings and internal group scheduling through links. However, what sets it apart is its strong integration with your technology systems and its advanced notification and time management features, ensuring you never miss or arrive late to another meeting.

8. Appointlet

This appointment scheduling software enables sales reps to tailor their schedule, establish appointment pages, and share them with prospects and clients. The booking page can be incorporated into a website, landing pages, and back-and-forth emails. Although there is a paid option for Appointlet, the free version is permanently free and includes unlimited appointments, bookings, meeting types, and form fields.

9. Doodle

With Doodle’s free scheduling software, you can create meeting polls, suggest meeting dates and times, and let meeting attendees vote on the best dates. The free version is sufficient for most individuals, but to remove ads from the polls, set a deadline for the poll, and gather contact information from guests, you’ll need to upgrade to the premium version. 

The paid version helps you find a mutually suitable meeting time by allowing the host to suggest times, inviting attendees to indicate their availability, and then selecting a final time. Once the time is set, a calendar event is added to the host’s and attendees’ calendars, and you can manage all your meetings on a dashboard.

10. Arrangr

Arrangr is a smart scheduling solution that makes booking a meeting quick and easy, taking less than 30 seconds. It helps eliminate any miscommunication by letting users find the best time, place and method of meeting within the platform. Additionally, Arrangr integrates with HubSpot, allowing users to launch and send invitations to contacts directly from the HubSpot platform.

11. Rallly

Rallly is a scheduling tool that allows groups to determine the best time for a meeting or event through voting. It has a polling feature and includes a chat/messaging feature for attendees to communicate about the meeting time.

12. ScheduleOnce

ScheduleOnce is a versatile scheduling tool that enables you to create a wide range of scheduling options. From group meetings to individual calls and in-person sessions, you can schedule everything through ScheduleOnce. The platform also integrates with your website, email, and payment system.

Say goodbye to endless back-and-forth and pick the scheduling software that fits your needs. Implementing scheduling software can significantly improve efficiency, freeing up time for important tasks.

13. Appointy

Appointy is a suitable choice for physical businesses that require maintaining social distance. It not only schedules appointments but also manages occupancy levels, making it ideal for booking appointments, consultations, classes or any other in-person event. With Appointy, you can be assured that your business complies with regulations for each appointment.

14. Visibook

Visibook provides a scheduling client management app that includes all the essential features like appointment reminders and calendar sync. It also has advanced features such as payment processing integration for accepting deposits or booking fees and the ability to chat with customers via email or text and keep all communication organized.

15. SimplyBook

SimplyBook is an online scheduling app created for service-based businesses. You can either connect it with your website or create a unique booking page within the platform, and also benefit from social media integrations that allow you to receive bookings directly from Instagram and Facebook business pages.

Paid Appointment Setting Apps

For those looking for additional features, consider these paid scheduling tools that offer the following:

• Collaborative meeting scheduling accessible by multiple users and administrators
• Different calendar views
• Collection of contact information from meeting bookers.

16. YouCanBook.me

Integrate your Google Calendar or iCloud calendar to establish your schedule, which will be used to create a booking schedule. This schedule can be shared through your website, Facebook, or email and can be customized with your branding. The booking system offers unlimited bookings and advanced tools for managing appointments.

17. Acuity Scheduling

Acuity Scheduling app is a convenient way to online scheduling of appointments with clients, prospects, and customers. The platform acts as an online assistant that displays real-time availability and allows them to book appointments themselves. It provides the ability to send personalized confirmation messages that reflect your brand and send email reminders and follow-up messages through email or text.

18. Bookeo Appointments

Bookeo Appointments is a tool that offers appointment scheduling and advanced tracking of contacts moving through the sales process. With real-time schedule updates for optimal booking and integration with HubSpot, it helps you keep track of your appointments and keep your contact list updated based on booking reservations.

19. HoneyBook

HoneyBook is a comprehensive booking management solution that covers the full sales cycle, from booking initial meetings with prospects to sending proposals, contracts, and invoices when ready. It streamlines client management and integrates with other tools like Gmail and Google Calendar.

20. Bookafy

Bookafy is a simple and easy-to-use scheduling app for various types of appointments, such as meetings, calls, sales demonstrations, and service appointments. It has a one-time setup process for quick onboarding. Bookafy offers the ability to create links for different meeting tools like Zoom, GoToMeeting, and others. Additionally, it features a skill-based scheduling app function that helps prioritize and schedule meetings efficiently.

21. Chili Piper

Chili Piper automates the entire process of scheduling meetings for sales teams, making it easier to connect with buyers at every stage of the customer journey. It excels at scheduling multi-person meetings and sending meeting invitations via email. 

Despite emails being an inefficient method for scheduling, Chili Piper’s scheduling app widget makes an exception. Instead of directing prospects to a separate calendar page, it provides easy-to-use buttons within the email for quick and effortless booking with just one click.

How to evaluate and test apps

Evaluating and testing appointment-scheduling apps involves several steps to ensure that the app meets the specific needs and requirements of the business. The following are some key considerations for evaluating and testing appointment-setting apps:

1. Define the Category: Define the category of the app, such as project management software or calendar apps.
2. Research Necessary Features: Research the necessary features for a booking app in that category, such as customization, the ability to share events and calendars, and availability across devices.
3. Research and Narrow Down: Research popular scheduling apps, referencing other respected sites and community sites where people are talking about scheduling apps in the category, to come up with a comprehensive list of apps to test.
4. In-depth Testing: Conduct in-depth testing on each booking app based on the criteria established in the beginning. Test each app as a regular user would, logging notes in a spreadsheet for comparison.
5. Integration with Other Tools: The app should integrate with other tools and platforms that the business uses, such as a calendar, email, or customer relationship management (CRM) system.
6. Contact Support: Contact available support resources if any issues arise during testing.
7. Security: The app should have robust security features to protect client app data and information.
8. Reliability and Uptime: The app should be reliable and have a high uptime, ensuring that clients can access the scheduling app whenever they need to book or reschedule appointments.
9. Customer Support: The app should come with excellent customer support, assisting when the business or clients need help with the scheduling app process.

What features should online scheduling software have?

The following are key features that online scheduling software should have:

1. User-friendly interface: An intuitive and easy-to-use interface is critical for both clients and staff.
2. Customizable appointment types: The ability to create and manage different appointment types, such as services, classes, and events.
3. Real-time availability: Real-time availability updates to prevent double and over-booking.
4. Automated notifications: Automated SMS and email reminders to clients and staff.
5. Payment processing: The ability to process payments directly through the platform.
6. Mobile compatibility: The ability to access the platform on mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets.
7. Reporting and analytics: The ability to track key performance indicators, such as appointment volume, client demographics, and staff performance.
8. Integrations: The ability to integrate with other business tools, such as calendars, email marketing platforms, and payment gateways.

Conclusion

Appointment-scheduling apps are essential for B2B sales as they streamline the process of scheduling meetings and managing client interactions. These tools provide a more organized and efficient way to connect with prospects and clients, freeing up time for sales representatives to focus on other important tasks.

With features such as automatic reminders, calendar integration, and customizable booking pages, the best appointment-scheduling apps help create a seamless and professional experience for clients. By using these apps, B2B sales teams can increase productivity, improve the customer experience, and ultimately drive more sales.

Fozzie is another great app where you can set up appointments with businesses, rather than using agencies or even hiring sales representatives, using this app you can book meetings directly with anybody.

Get started with Fozzie now to boost your appointment scheduling!