Ranked by a stated rule · 4 price files
Best free scheduling software, ranked by price
The short answer. Setmore, Calendly, Cal.com and Square Appointments each list a free scheduling plan on their own pricing page. The free plans differ most in users and event types: Setmore allows up to 4 users, Cal.com and Calendly cover 1. Ranked by the first paid step on 20 Oct 2026, Setmore was cheapest at $5 per user per month billed annually.
Every app below lists a free plan on its own pricing page, confirmed in a dated capture of that page. They are ranked by what it costs to outgrow the free plan, because a free scheduling app is only as useful as its limits.
How this list is ranked
Free plans, ordered by the first paid step. Only tools whose own pricing page lists a free plan are included, and the free plan is confirmed in the captured copy of that page. They are ordered by the price of the cheapest paid plan, as a monthly figure (a yearly price is divided by 12), lowest first, because that is what the free plan costs to outgrow. Per-user and flat prices are different units; the Billed column says which. No placement is paid for. A tool joins this list when its price file is published and leaves it if the file is not re-checked within 45 days.
The ranking
| # | Tool | Cheapest paid plan | Billed | Free plan | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Setmore | $5/user/mo (Pro) | billed annually | Yes | |
| Free for up to 4 users with unlimited appointments; reminders are email only and bookings carry Setmore branding. | |||||
| 2 | Calendly | $10/seat/mo (Standard) | billed yearly | Yes | |
| Free allows one event type and one calendar connection, with unlimited one-on-one meetings. | |||||
| 3 | Cal.com | $12/user/mo (Teams) | per user per month, billed yearly | Yes | |
| Free covers 1 user with unlimited event types and calendars; team scheduling starts on Teams. | |||||
| 4 | Square Appointments | $49/location/mo (Square Plus) | per month, per location | Yes | |
| Free is priced per location with unlimited staff calendars, but every card payment carries a processing fee. | |||||
Reading the ranking
The order is the price of the cheapest paid plan, not the size of the free plan, because both cannot be one ranking. A team should read the note under each row first: a free plan that covers 1 user is not free for a front desk of 3, whatever its first paid price. Square Appointments is priced per location rather than per user, so its first paid step is not a per person figure.
Acuity Scheduling is in the scheduling drawer but is not listed, because its pricing page lists no free plan, only a trial. Two of these apps are covered in more depth: is Calendly free and Calendly vs Acuity Scheduling.
Questions
- Which free scheduling app allows more than one user?
- On file, Setmore's free plan allows up to 4 users and Square Appointments' free plan includes unlimited staff calendars per location. Calendly's and Cal.com's free plans are for one person.
- What is the cheapest paid scheduling plan on file?
- On 20 Oct 2026, Setmore Pro at $5 per user per month billed annually, then Calendly Standard at $10 per seat per month billed yearly.
- How is this list ranked?
- By the price of each app's cheapest paid plan as a monthly figure, lowest first. Only apps whose pricing page lists a free plan are included. No placement is paid for.
Every price above is read from the price files when this page loads, so the ranking moves when a vendor's price does. Prices change without notice; check before buying.