Acuity Scheduling alternatives: 4 free & open-source picks
Compare recorded free and open-source options, their capabilities and operating requirements. Source dates are shown below; licenses, hosted limits and project activity can change.
One staffer gets reminders, classes and Square checkout for 100 bookings a month; growth wakes the paywall.
licenseproprietary, free
runstheir cloud
installHosted signup
dataBooking, customer, service and staff records live in Appointy's cloud, with connected calendar and payment data also handled by their respective providers
setup✓ installs clean
the catch vs Acuity SchedulingThe 100-appointment cap and five-service limit arrive quickly, while advanced intake, packages, subscriptions and payment options are thinner than Acuity's.
facts verified 2026-08-10
Four staff, payments, classes and 200 monthly bookings; SMS, recurring appointments and two-way sync cost extra.
licenseproprietary, free
runstheir cloud
installHosted signup
dataBooking, customer and staff records live in Setmore's cloud, with calendar and payment records also passing through connected providers
setup✓ installs clean
the catch vs Acuity SchedulingThe free plan stops at 200 appointments and omits recurring appointments, SMS reminders, two-way sync and Acuity's advanced intake and package tools.
facts verified 2026-08-10
A serious free solo booking stack where Square operates; processing fees remain and the feature mix varies by country.
licenseproprietary, free
runstheir cloud
installCreate or use a Square seller account and enable Appointments
dataAppointment, customer, staff and transaction records live in Square's cloud
the catch vs Acuity SchedulingThe free plan is solo and country-dependent, ties payments to Square processing and leaves more advanced team and resource features paid.
setupA Square seller account and identity verification, and the service must be available in the user's country
facts verified 2026-08-10
Forms, Stripe payments, email reminders and group classes are free; teams are paid and zcal takes 3%.
licenseproprietary, free
runstheir cloud
installHosted signup
dataAccount and booking records live in zcal's cloud; Stripe processes and stores payment details for paid bookings
setup✓ installs clean
the catch vs Acuity SchedulingIt lacks Acuity's client records, packages, subscriptions and class administration; teams are paid and Stripe payments carry a 3% commission.
facts verified 2026-08-10
latest recorded source check 2026-08-10 · check current terms at the source
Easy!AppointmentsEveryone points here for open source; it has providers and reminders, but no built-in payments or class workflow.
Picktime FreeThe free plan handles classes and bookings, but reminders and custom intake fields are paid.
Reservio FreeFree means 40 bookings a month and no calendar sync; that is a demo-sized business, not a replacement.
| tool | license | running it | platforms | stars | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appointy Free | proprietary, free | they host it | web, ios, android | — | — |
| Setmore Free | proprietary, free | they host it | web, ios, android | — | — |
| Square Appointments Free | proprietary, free | they host it | web, ios, android | — | — |
| zcal Free | proprietary, free | they host it | web | — | — |
Acuity Scheduling: People pay because a booking tool must never double-book them, leak private events, or send the wrong time to a client. The recorded subscription totals $240 a year before any costs of an alternative.
Questions about these alternatives
Is there a free alternative to Acuity Scheduling?
Yes: Appointy Free, Setmore Free, Square Appointments Free and 1 more. These are recorded free or open-source options. Compare their feature limits, licenses, hosting costs and current availability before choosing.
Should I just build my own Acuity Scheduling?
Our verdict is KINDA. The visible appointment scheduling loop is buildable, but a credible replacement needs more than the first screen. Acuity Scheduling earns its keep through OAuth, calendar reliability, so expect a weekend or multi-day build and a narrower personal scope. Review the scope, implementation prompt and trade-offs in the Acuity Scheduling build guide.
