Calendly

Looking for an online appointment scheduling software?

Look no further than Calendly.

It’s a tool that business owners can use to schedule calls with clients.

In this Calendly review, we’ll give you a full review of the software.

We’ll discuss what Calendly is, the pros and cons of using it, and how you can benefit from it.

We’ll also detail the problem that Calendly solves and its cost.

If you’re looking for a comprehensive review of Calendly, you’ve come to the right place.

Overview of Calendly

Let’s take a look at what Calendly is and how it began to better understand our Calendly review.

What Is Calendly?

Calendly is an online appointment scheduling software that business owners can use to schedule calls with clients.

The platform integrates with Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar, and Office 365, making it easy to keep track of appointments.

With Calendly, you can perform the following tasks.

• Share your availability
• Schedule appointments
• Track those appointments all in one place

You can also set up meeting types, integrate Calendly with your Google or Outlook Calendar, and send automatic reminders to both yourself and your invitees.

Calendly integrates with several other programs as well, making it a powerhouse when it comes to online appointment scheduling software.

Calendly History

Founded in 2013 by Tope Awotona, the company makes it easy to connect you with your clients.

Awotona, working as a software engineer at the time of Calendly’s founding, experienced trouble coordinating meeting times with his team.

The problem prompted him to create a tool to help him do just that. Today, the company services more than 10 million users.

Pros and Cons of Calendly

Let’s explore some of the advantages and disadvantages of using Calendly as your appointment scheduling software.

Pros:

• Custom notifications
• Open API
• Metrics and reporting
• Easy to use
• Affordable
• Integrates with many other programs

Cons:

• The app sometimes crashes
• The free account allows for a single time slot
• The free plan offers limited customer support
• Limited landing page features

Price

• Basic: Free
• Essentials: $10 per seat per month
• Professional: $15 per seat per month
• Teams: $20 per seat per month

Discounts Available

Annual payments for each plan result in minor savings over time.

Lifetime Plan

No.

How Much Does Calendly Cost?

Each Calendly pricing plan comes with a variety of features that will help you deliver your online courses effectively.

Here are the details.

Basic Plan

You’ll receive these features with the Basic plan.

• One calendar connection per person
• Access Calendly via cell phone and web
• Connect to iCloud, Outlook, Office 365, and Google
• Unlimited 1:1 events
• One active event type
• Unlimited meeting polls
• Unlimited one-off meetings
• Customized booking link
• Automated event notifications
• Add custom branding to the booking page
• Microsoft Teams, Webex, and Google Meet integrations
• Connect to Slack and Intercom
• Email support

Cost: Free

Essentials Plan

If you choose the Essentials plan, you’ll get the following features in addition to the Basic plan.

• Two calendar connections per person
• Unlimited active event types
• Create group events
• Send email reminders
• Send email follow-ups
• Update cancellation policy
• Add links to confirmation pages
• Reporting and metrics

Cost: $10 per seat per month ($8/mo when billed annually)

Professional Plan

All of the features from the Essentials plan, as well as the following additional capabilities, come with the Professional plan.

• Six calendar connections per person
• Collective one-offs
• Text meeting notifications
• Customized email reminders and notifications
• Automated workflows
• Redirect your invitees
• Create collective event types
• Create routing forms
• Manage team permissions and groups
• Create team events
• Eliminate Calendly branding
• Customize website colors when adding Calendly
• More than 700 Zapier integrations
• Connect to Mailchimp and HubSpot
• Collect Stripe and PayPal payments
• use Facebook Pixel and Google Analytics
• Integrate with Outlook and Gmail workflows

Cost: $15 per seat per month ($12/mo when billed annually)

Teams Plan

The Teams plan adds the following features to what you receive with the Professional Plan.

• Sync managed events across the team
• Create round-robin events
• Integrate with Salesforce
• Live chat support

Cost: $20 per seat per month ($16/mo when billed annually)

Enterprise Plan

All of the features from the Teams plan, as well as the following extra capabilities, come with the Enterprise Plus plan.

• Single sign-on (SSO)
• Data deletion API
• Priority support
• Legal and security reviews
• Adoption and outcome guidance
• Onboarding and implementation help
• Dedicated Calendly account manager

Cost: Contact the sales team for details

Is Calendly Worth the Cost?

Calendly is affordable for anyone, from solopreneurs to large companies.

It is worth the cost.

Why Calendly Is Worth the Cost

Calendly is worth the cost because it is an affordable, easy-to-use tool that helps you save time.

If you’ve previously dealt with the frustrations of managing your call booking calendar, then you’ll appreciate the way Calendly streamlines the process.

The Problem Calendly Solves

The biggest problem that Calendly solves is the hassle of back-and-forth emailing when trying to schedule a meeting or call.

Additionally, it takes the guesswork out of trying to schedule a meeting that works for everyone’s availability.

No longer will you need to send multiple emails to find a time that works for everyone.

Why Would Somebody Want To Use Calendly?

There are several reasons why somebody would want to use Calendly.

• Avoid the back-and-forth of scheduling meetings
• Include upcoming meetings in one place
• Find call times that work, based on their availability
• Avoid double-booking
• Present a more professional appearance

Who Is Calendly Best for?

Calendly works best for busy professionals who need to find meeting times that work for them and their clients.

Why Calendly Is Best for Busy Professionals

Busy professionals need a tool that helps them avoid wasting time when working to schedule an online meeting.

For example, someone running a coaching business can use Calendly to find times that work for both them and their clients.

Solopreneurs, for instance, might use Calendly to schedule convenient calls with potential partners.

Or, a busy corporate team can use the software to easily schedule impromptu team meetings.

Who Should NOT Use Calendly?

Calendly is not for people who do not need to schedule meeting times with others.

Why People Who Don’t Schedule Meetings Should Not Use Calendly

Some businesses don’t require scheduling daily or weekly meetings.

If you sell online courses exclusively, for instance, you wouldn’t need to use Calendly.

You will only end up considering your Calendly payment as a wasted monthly obligation.

What To Think About Before Buying Calendly

Here are five key things to think about before signing up for a Calendly account.

Cost

Before purchasing online appointment scheduling software like Calendly, it’s important to think about how much it will cost.

The software ranges in price from free for the most basic version to a few hundred dollars per month for larger teams.

Make sure the plan you need meets your budget.

Ease of Use

Think through whether your software solution includes simplicity.

Calendly is easy to use, even for those without tech-savvy skills.

The user interface is straightforward and intuitive.

Enter your availability and start booking appointments.

Who Can Benefit

Do you fit into the category of professionals catered to by Calendly?

The software works well for busy professionals who need to schedule a lot of appointments, such as salespeople, real estate agents, consultants, and more.

It’s also excellent for those who want to avoid the back-and-forth of scheduling appointments.

Features

When considering features, most people will want to know if the software they’re thinking about purchasing includes automation, the ability to set recurring appointments, and integrations.

All three of these features come with a Calendly subscription.

Integrations

Calendly integrates with many of the most popular productivity software solutions on the market, including Google Calendar, iCloud, and Outlook.

Features and Benefits of Calendly

Here are the features and benefits of utilizing Calendly.

Flexible Scheduling

One of the best features of Calendly is its flexible scheduling.

You can set your availability and allow invitees to choose a time that works for them.

Setting up meetings more quickly will improve your productivity and show your professionalism.

Avoiding the need to manually set appointments will keep your time free for more important tasks.

Automatic Reminders

Calendly sends automatic reminders to both you and your invitee before the meeting.

There’s no risk of forgetting or double-booking.

Depending on your plan, you can customize these reminders and set up specific times to send them.

Availability Preferences

You can set your availability preferences in Calendly.

It ensures that you’re only ever booking appointments when it’s convenient for you.

Use this feature to avoid overscheduling yourself and keep your work-life balance in check.

Team Scheduling

If you have a team, Calendly’s team scheduling feature will help you keep everyone on the same page.

You can see when team members are available and book appointments accordingly.

With Calendly’s Team Pages, you can show various meeting options in one area.

Team members can schedule themselves based on the nature of the meeting.

Optimized for All Devices

Calendly is available on all devices, including desktop, mobile, and tablets.

The interface looks good on each device so you can use it anywhere.

It makes it easy to schedule appointments on the go.

As well, your invitees will never feel frustrated no matter which device they use to open your invitations.

Routing Forms

With Calendly’s routing forms, you can collect information from invitees before confirming the meeting.

Screening potential clients about the meeting’s purpose will help to avoid unnecessary meetings.

Use the screening ability to route each client to the correct team member’s calendar.

Website Scheduling

You can add Calendly to your website so visitors can easily book appointments with you.

The widget is customizable and easy to install.

Using the aforementioned routing forms feature allows you to avoid the wrong people from booking appointments.

You can send people who don’t fit your parameters to a different and helpful resource.

Workflows

Calendly’s workflows can help to minimize cancellations or no-shows.

The feature will schedule the correct confirmations and event reminders that go out via text or email.

Automating the required messaging before and after meetings will save you and your team time.

Meeting Polls

Before each meeting, you can send a poll to attendees to help you prepare.

Use this feature to find out what topics people want to discuss or what format they prefer.  

Integrations with CRMs

Calendly integrates with some of the most popular CRMs on the market.

The integrations allow you to keep track of your sales pipeline and automate meeting scheduling.

Your sales and customer support teams can speed up their processes by eliminating the need for manual data entry.

Payments

Calendly’s paid plans allow you to collect payments for appointments.

The feature is only available on certain subscription levels.

However, if you need to take payments before showing up for a meeting, it’s an essential option to connect to your call booking process.

Clients can make their payments via Stripe or PayPal.

Calendly will send receipts automatically.  

Calendly for Web Browsers

Calendly is a web-based application.

There’s no need to download anything to use the software.

The only requirement is an internet connection and a modern web browser.

sing its web browser feature, you can also eliminate the need to email each time you’re setting up an appointment.

Instead, you can share your availability on social media with the click of a button from your browser.

For example, you can avoid missing out on opportunities to meet with contacts by sharing your availability when conducting conversations on Linkedin.

The feature lets you customize your availability as well.

Security and Compliance

Calendly takes security seriously. Using its single sign-on (SSO) feature, for instance, will help to keep your account safe.

SSO lets you connect your Calendly account to an identity provider like Okta, OneLogin, or Ping Identity.

As well, the software is compliant with GDPR, SOC II Type II, and PCI DSS Level I standards.

Admin Management

You can view all users from your organization inside one dashboard.

Using admin management, Calendly helps you to delegate to others while you save time doing your most important tasks.

Calendly Customer Service

You may need assistance from Calendly’s customer care team while working with your account.

For example, you’ll want to reach out if you get stuck trying to set up the integration with your Salesforce dashboard.

Does Calendly Offer Customer Service?

Calendly offers support to all its customers.

If you’re on a free account, you may become frustrated if you expect an instant response.

Leave time for the team to respond to you.

You will receive customer support times when using one of Calendly’s paid plans.

What Types of Customer Service Does Calendly Offer?

Calendly offers a ticketing email customer support system.

You can find a searchable knowledge base on their website if you enjoy troubleshooting issues first.

The company also provides video tutorials to take you through items such as account settings, connecting calendars, looking at organization analytics, and setting up event types.

Why Should You Trust Us?

We take your concerns regarding our Calendly advice seriously.

However, we’ve done a deep study into the software.

For example, we’ve conducted extensive research about what its users have to say following their usage of the service.

As well, we’ve used the service ourselves when setting up appointments.

What Calendly Users Are Saying

Customer testimonials can help you determine if Calendly is the right fit for your business.

“Calendly is one of the few software products that I’m happy to shell out cash for.

It cuts down on my time scheduling meetings, and I appreciate being able to customize and automate things.” – David B.

“Controlling your calendar is a top priority for anyone, and adding great integrations like Zoom only makes it better.

You can easily add a widget to any webpage.” – Chris H.

“I appreciate the ability to schedule meetings with the calendar and share it with others, so they can easily coordinate meeting times without having to use Outlook or Google Calendar.” – Ann S.

Calendly Alternatives

Consider these three Calendly rivals as you consider whether or not to use the service for your business.

Workflowy

Workflowy is an online tool that helps you organize your thoughts and get work done.

It works as a way to become more organized as you work to make your life easier.

Popular features include the ability to create nested lists, share your Workflowy list with others, and work offline.

How Does Workflowy Differ From Calendly?

Workflowy is a note-taking tool that helps you organize your thoughts.

Calendly is an appointment scheduling software that allows you to book appointments with clients.

Who Is Workflowy Best for?

Workflowy is best for people who need help getting organized.

It’s great for students, professionals, busy moms, and anyone who wants to declutter their lives.

Give Workflowy a try.

Asana

Asana is a project management software that helps teams track their work and get things done.

It’s popular with businesses of all sizes and has features like task dependencies, calendar sync, and email integration.

How Does Asana Differ From Calendly?

Asana works as a project management tool instead of as an appointment scheduling tool.

Asana can help you and your team track projects.

Use it to get tasks done more effectively and efficiently.

Use Calendly alongside team projects that require the scheduling of appointments.

While they are both great tools, they serve different purposes.

Who Is Asana Best for?

Asana is a tool for teams who need help staying organized and on track.

If you’re looking for a way to keep your team’s work flowing smoothly, Asana is a good choice.

Try Asana here.

ClickUp

ClickUp is a project management tool that helps businesses get organized and improve productivity.

It offers a free and paid subscription, with the paid subscription providing more features and support.

ClickUp is web-based and has a mobile app for iOS and Android devices.

It integrates with Google Calendar, Slack, Dropbox, Zapier, and other popular apps.

How Does ClickUp Differ From Calendly?

ClickUp helps businesses with task management, team collaboration, and document sharing.

It offers features such as to-do lists, kanban boards, Gantt charts, custom workflows, and more.

It doesn’t work as a calendar scheduling tool like Calendly does.

The two tools compliment one another.

You can use Calendly to schedule team meetings while using ClickUp to remain as productive as possible.

Who Is ClickUp Best for?

ClickUp is best for businesses that need help with task management and team collaboration.

If you have a lot of employees working on different tasks, then ClickUp can help you keep track of everyone’s progress.

Try ClickUp.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have additional questions regarding Calendly?

Here are the answers to two of the most frequently asked questions about the online appointment scheduling software.

Wrapping Up

Setting up online appointments becomes difficult when emailing back and forth with participants.

Scheduling these meetings manually often leads to no-shows and cancellations.

It becomes more frustrating when you consider the important tasks it keeps you away from.

Calendly overcomes these problems by giving you an automated way to schedule appointments.

It integrates with your email and calendar, so you can easily send invitations to participants.

You can also integrate with your customer relationship management software to help your customer support staff and sales team more effectively do their jobs.

Are you ready to give Calendly a try inside your business? Test out its free plan.

By Brett Helling

Brett has been starting, growing, and monetizing websites since 2014. While in college, he began to learn about digital marketing. After graduating, he continued to build a diverse portfolio of websites while working a full time job. After years of building the portfolio on the side, he made the jump to run his websites full time.