The 7 best appointment booking and scheduling apps

Online scheduling tools have become indispensable for businesses looking to automate appointment bookings, reduce manual intervention, and improve user experience. SuperSaaS is one of the prominent names in this space. But how does it fare against its top competitors? Let’s dive in!

Detailed Comparison:

• Pricing: While several platforms like Calendly, Doodle, and Setmore offer free basic versions, SuperSaaS provides nearly all advanced features as part of its free plan and offers more competitive pricing for paid plans. Each platform’s premium features differ, so it’s worth exploring based on your budget and requirements.
• Bookings per month: Providers vary in how their subscription models work. SuperSaaS limits the number of upcoming (so future) appointments for the first plan to 100 instead of per a number per month. Smaller companies may not actually reach this number while a maximum per month would be reached sooner. By the way, you don’t have to worry about clients suddenly not being able to complete a booking if you exceed the limit, you’ll be informed well in advance. Other providers choose to offer unlimited appointments but then limit the number of users or resources (such as a room or person).
• Maximum number of users: With Calendly, Doodle and Setmore the price per month is multiplied by the number of users, so this can become costly quite quickly if you’re not the only person in the company that needs to book appointments. At SuperSaaS there’s no limit to the number of users. And unlike most providers, there’s also no limit to the number of resources, so you can create a different schedule for each employee, location or resource (and combine these schedules when needed).
• Integration: Most platforms, including SuperSaaS, offer the ability to seamlessly and easily integrate your appointment schedule on your own website via a small JavaScript snippet. It’s also possible to integrate with other popular software tools such as WordPress. A different form of integration offered by all providers is the ability to automatically add a Zoom or Google Meet link to an appointment.
• Payment integration: Businesses that need to process payments for appointments will find SuperSaaS and most other providers accommodating. This feature can simplify the booking process and time you spend chasing payments.
• Custom branding: For businesses prioritizing a consistent brand experience, SuperSaaS and Setmore offer this out of the box, while all others provide it in their paid versions.
• Custom forms: Customizability is key for businesses that need to collect specific client details. SuperSaaS, Simplybook.me, Doodle, Bookeo, and Setmore allow for the creation of custom forms, enhancing the user experience and meeting specific business requirements.
• Reminders: Most providers offer SMS and email notifications, to help reduce appointment no-shows, using an SMS gateway of your choice. With some providers you pay extra per SMS sent, with SuperSaaS you just pay your SMS provider.
• Calendar synchronization: The ability to sync with major calendars like Google and Outlook is essential for many users. Fortunately, SuperSaaS, Simplybook.me, Calendly, Acuity Scheduling, Doodle, Bookeo, and Setmore all offer calendar synchronization features. This ensures that users can effortlessly view and manage all their commitments in one place.
• API access: If advanced integration is a priority, most providers offer API access to provide that. This feature is particularly important for businesses looking to tailor the tool to specific operational nuances. SuperSaaS offers the use of 3rd party integration tools like Make and Zapier to connect your favorite platforms including Slack, MailChimp, Twilio, etc.
• Access control: For businesses needing to regulate who can access and manage schedules, platforms like SuperSaaS, Simplybook.me, Acuity Scheduling, Bookeo, Setmore and the premium versions of Calendly, Doodle offer advanced access control features, like User Groups and IP filtering.
• Customer support: The nature and efficiency of customer support can vary. While most platforms offer email support, a number of providers also offer chat support, providing users with near immediate responses to their queries in selected regions. SuperSaaS typically responds to emails within minutes during business hours.
• Reporting: Understanding user behavior and scheduling trends is crucial for optimization. Platforms like SuperSaaS, Simplybook.me, Acuity Scheduling, Bookeo, and Setmore offer robust reporting tools that provide insights into various metrics.
• HIPAA compliance: Crucial for healthcare-related businesses, Simplybook.me, Acuity Scheduling and Setmore ensure that data protection standards align with HIPAA requirements for premium subscriptions.
• POS terminal support: For businesses that need an integrated point of sale solution, Simplybook.me stands out by supporting POS terminals, while Acuity Scheduling offers in-person card payments via Square. This feature can be especially beneficial for businesses that merge online booking with in-person payments.
• Supported languages: Catering to a global audience often requires platforms to support multiple languages. SuperSaaS leads the way with support together with Setmore and Bookeo, with support for 30+ languages. This broad language support ensures that businesses can provide a seamless user experience to clients from diverse linguistic backgrounds.

As you can see, all the software options in the table offer similar features. However, there are a few key differences if you dig deeper. For example, SuperSaaS is the only option that offers all features except calendar synchronization as part of its free plan for non-commercial use. Additionally, SuperSaaS is generally more affordable than its competitors, especially for businesses with a smaller number of appointments or larger number of users.

Here is a 1-on-1 comparison of SuperSaaS to its biggest competitors:

SuperSaaS vs SimplyBook.me

SimplyBook.me is a popular online appointment scheduling software that is known for its ease of use. It offers a variety of features, including online payment, integrations, customer management, and reporting. Choose SimplyBook.me if you’re looking for POS terminal integration or HIPAA compliance. However, SimplyBook.me is more expensive than SuperSaaS, especially for businesses with a smaller number of appointments or larger number of users.

SuperSaaS vs Calendly

Calendly is another popular online appointment scheduling software that is known for its simplicity. It offers a variety of features, including online payment, calendar management, and integrations with other software. However, Calendly does not offer the flexibility in complex scheduling scenarios as SuperSaaS and some other providers offer. This is difficult to express in a feature table, and often the best way to find out is to try it out. Additionally, Calendly is more expensive than SuperSaaS, especially for businesses with a smaller number of appointments or larger number of users.

SuperSaaS vs Acuity Scheduling

Acuity Scheduling is a popular online appointment scheduling software that is known for its powerful features. It offers a variety of features, including online payment, integrations, reporting, HIPAA compliance and excellent customer service. However, Acuity Scheduling is more expensive than SuperSaaS, especially for businesses with a smaller number of appointments or larger number of users.

SuperSaaS vs Doodle

Doodle is a popular online meeting scheduling software that is known for its simplicity. It offers similar features as the other providers and in addition has targeted features specifically for enterprise customers such as onboarding, user training and a dedicated success manager. However, Doodle does not appear to offer payment integration and working with a team of people or activity reporting isn’t part of the basic plan. Additionally, Doodle is more expensive than SuperSaaS, especially for businesses with a smaller number of appointments or larger number of users.

SuperSaaS vs Bookeo

Bookeo is a popular online appointment scheduling software that is designed for businesses of all sizes. It offers a variety of features, including custom branding, integration with Wix and Weebly, reporting, broad language support and payment processing. However, Bookeo is more expensive than SuperSaaS, especially for businesses with a smaller number of appointments or larger number of users.

SuperSaaS vs Setmore

Setmore is a popular online appointment scheduling software that is known for its affordability and ease of use. It offers a variety of features, including online payment, a desktop app, integration with Square, and booking via QR codes. However, Setmore is more expensive than SuperSaaS, especially for businesses with a smaller number of appointments or larger number of users.

Which appointment scheduling software is right for you?

The best appointment scheduling software for you will depend on your specific needs and budget. If you are looking for a free or affordable option with maximum flexibility in scheduling use cases and integration options, then SuperSaaS is a good choice. If you are looking for a specialized solution that offers, chat support, POS terminal support or is HIPAA Compliant (for healthcare providers), then one of the other software options in the table may be a better choice.

Here are some additional factors to consider when choosing an appointment scheduling solution:

• Features: What features are most important to you? Make a list of the features that you must have and the features that would be nice to have.
• Flexibility: Do you have specific needs for your business that the system needs to cater for? Sometimes trying a system out for yourself is the best way to find out.
• Pricing: How much are you willing to spend on appointment scheduling software? Be sure to compare the pricing plans of the different software options before making a decision.
• Ease of use: How easy is the software to use? If you are not tech-savvy, you may want to choose a software that is known for its ease of use.
• Customer support: Does the software offer good customer support? If you have any problems with the software, you want to be able to get help quickly and easily.

Once you have considered all of these factors, you can start to narrow down your choices and choose the best appointment scheduling software for your business.

Navigating the world of online scheduling tools might seem daunting, but understanding the specifics can greatly ease the decision-making process. SuperSaaS holds its ground against major competitors, but the best choice always boils down to individual business needs. Review the features, evaluate the pricing, and choose the platform that aligns best with your operational requirements.

Disclaimer: While we at SuperSaaS have endeavored to provide an objective and fair comparison of our platform with other leading scheduling tools, readers are encouraged to conduct their own research and directly consult the platforms in question. The information presented here is based on our understanding as of the publication date and may not reflect the latest updates or features of the mentioned platforms. Our intent is to provide an informative overview, and not to favor any one platform over another. If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch.