No free plan.
Acuity Scheduling does not offer a free tier. The lowest plan (Starter) costs $16/month billed annually or $20/month billed monthly. You get a 7-day free trial, but after that you pay from day one.
The Full Comparison
SimplyBook.me vs Acuity Scheduling
Comparing SimplyBook.me vs Acuity Scheduling for your business? Both platforms help service businesses manage appointments online, but they differ in pricing model, payment flexibility, and how much you get before hitting a paywall.
Why Businesses Look for an Acuity Scheduling Alternative
If you have been using Acuity Scheduling, you may have run into some of these common limitations:
Only three payment gateways.
Acuity supports Stripe, Square, and PayPal. If your business operates in a market where those three do not have strong coverage, or you need a regional gateway like Mollie, Adyen, or Alipay, you will need a workaround.
HIPAA compliance is expensive.
Acuity requires the Premium plan ($39/month annual, $49/month monthly) to sign a BAA for HIPAA compliance. For healthcare providers on a budget, that is a steep entry point for a basic compliance requirement.
Key features locked behind higher plans.
SMS reminders, packages, memberships, and gift certificates all require the Standard plan at $27/month or above. On the Starter plan, you get email reminders only.
SimplyBook.me addresses each of these gaps with a free plan, 40+ payment gateways, and HIPAA compliance starting on the Standard plan at €24.90/month (billed annually).
SimplyBook.me vs Acuity Scheduling: Feature-by-Feature Breakdown
Here is how the two platforms compare across the features that matter most for service businesses.
*Scroll the table sideways to compare all plans
| Feature | SimplyBook |
Acuity Scheduling |
|---|---|---|
|
Free plan
|
Yes (1 provider, 50 bookings/month) | No (7-day trial only) |
|
Online booking page
|
Fully customizable with branding, custom fields, and intake forms | Customizable with branding and intake forms |
|
Booking channels
|
Website, Instagram, Facebook, Google Reserve, Booking.page, AI Voice | Website, Squarespace, Instagram, Facebook |
|
Payment gateways
|
40+ including: Stripe, PayPal, Square, Mollie, Adyen, Alipay, Worldpay | Stripe, Square, PayPal (3 total) |
|
Deposits
|
Yes | Yes |
|
Memberships & subscriptions
|
Yes | Standard plan and above ($17+/mo) |
|
Packages (multi-session)
|
Yes | Standard plan and above ($17+/mo) |
|
Gift cards
|
Yes | Standard plan and above ($17+/mo) |
|
Loyalty program
|
Yes | Not listed |
|
Point of Sales system
|
Yes | Listed (scope unconfirmed) |
|
Intake forms
|
Yes | Yes, all plans |
|
SMS reminders
|
Yes | Standard plan and above ($17+/mo) |
|
Branded client app
|
Yes | Not listed |
|
HIPAA compliance
|
Yes | Premium only ($199/mo annual) |
|
SAML SSO
|
Yes | Not listed |
|
ISO 27001 certified
|
Yes | Not listed |
|
API access
|
Yes | Premium only ($199/mo annual) |
|
White label option
|
Yes | Premium (remove branding only) |
|
Multi-location management
|
Yes | Multiple calendars (up to 36 on Premium) |
|
Waiting list
|
Yes | Not listed |
|
AI Voice Booking
|
Yes | Not listed |
|
Google Reserve
|
Yes | Not listed |
|
Invoicing
|
Yes | Built-in |
|
Video conferencing
|
Zoom, Google Meet, & more | Zoom, Google Meet, GoToMeeting, Joinme |
|
Zapier integrations
|
Yes | 500+ apps, all plans |
|
Group bookings / classes
|
Yes | Yes, all plans |
|
Unlimited bookings
|
Capped per plan (50 to 2,000+) | Yes, all plans |
|
Email marketing integrations
|
Yes | Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, ConvertKit, AWeber, Drip, Constant Contact |
Disclaimer:
Feature data verified as of March 2026. Sources: acuityscheduling.com/signup, acuityscheduling.com/features, acuityscheduling.com/integrations, simplybook.me/en/pricing, simplybook.me/en/booking-system-features.
Pricing Comparison: Booking-Based vs Calendar-Based
The biggest structural difference between these two platforms is how they charge. Acuity charges by the number of calendars (staff). SimplyBook.me charges by the number of bookings per month, which means you can add your whole team without multiplying your bill.
Acuity Scheduling Pricing (as of March 2026)
| Plan | Monthly | Annual (per month) | Calendars | Bookings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $20 | $16 | 1 | Unlimited |
| Standard | $34 | $27 | Up to 6 | Unlimited |
| Premium | $61 | $49 | Up to 36 | Unlimited |
No free plan. 7-day free trial only.
SimplyBook.me Pricing (as of March 2026)
| Plan | Monthly | Annual (per month) | Providers | Bookings | Custom Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | €0 | €0 | 1 | 50/month | 1 |
| Basic | €13.90 | €11.90 | 5 | 100/month | 3 |
| Standard | €29.90 | €24.90 | 15 | 500/month | 8 |
| Premium | €59.90 | €49.90 | 30 | 2,000/month | Unlimited |
Free plan with no credit card required. 14-day free trial on paid plans.
What This Means for a Growing Team
Consider a salon or clinic with 6 staff members. On Acuity, you need the Standard plan at $27/month (annual) to get 6 calendars. On SimplyBook.me, the Basic plan at €11.90/month (annual) supports up to 5 providers, and the Standard plan at €24.90/month supports up to 15.
Acuity does offer unlimited bookings on every plan, which is a real advantage if your volume is high and predictable. SimplyBook.me caps bookings per plan, but gives you more features at each tier and a significantly lower entry point.
Accept Payments From Clients Worldwide
Acuity Scheduling integrates with three payment processors: Stripe, Square, and PayPal. For businesses in the US, UK, or EU where those processors dominate, that may be enough.
SimplyBook.me integrates with over 40 payment gateways, including Stripe, PayPal, Square, Mollie, Adyen, Worldpay, Authorize.net, Skrill, Alipay, CCAvenue, HitPay, and dozens of regional options across Latin America, Asia-Pacific, and Europe.
Both platforms support deposits at booking time. SimplyBook.me also includes a built-in POS system for in-person payments on the Basic plan and above.
HIPAA Compliance at a Lower Price Point
For healthcare providers, compliance is a requirement, not a feature. Both platforms support HIPAA, but at very different price points.
- Acuity: Requires the Premium plan ($39/month annual) for BAA.
- SimplyBook.me: HIPAA with BAA on the Standard plan (€24.90/month annual).
SimplyBook.me includes encrypted SOAP notes, SAML SSO, and ISO 27001 certification.
If HIPAA is a factor in your decision, SimplyBook.me provides it at a lower cost with additional compliance and security features included.
Get Found Where Your Clients Search
SimplyBook.me connects your business to booking channels that Acuity does not offer:
Google Reserve
Clients book directly from Google search results. Acuity does not list this integration.
Booking.page marketplace
An additional discovery channel at no extra cost.
AI Voice Booking
Clients schedule through a natural voice conversation. Available as an add-on.
About the featureBranded client app
Publish a client-facing mobile app under your own brand, available on the Standard plan and above.
Acuity does offer strong integrations in other areas, including Zoom, Google Meet, GoToMeeting, and native connections to Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, ConvertKit, and other email marketing tools.
How to Switch From Acuity Scheduling to SimplyBook.me
Our team will handle the entire migration for you. Book a call and we’ll take care of the rest.
What Business Owners Say
"This company is incredible! We switched over from Acuity and SimplyBook’s range of options and offerings is absolutely amazing. At first it’s a bit overwhelming with so many options but once you understand it’s much easier. Their tech support is absolutely the best I’ve ever came across. You can live chat and almost instantly someone is there to help you with any problem you are encountering."
Mark L
Trust Pilot Review
"I have a cleaning business, we tried acuity, setmore and although these are fantastic softwares and very innovative they would not work for this business model, simplybook.me has a lot more customisation available to help it fit your business model"
Ghizlane C
Multi-Location Wellness Studio
Third-Party Review Scores (as of March 2026)
| Plan | SimplyBook.me | Acuity Scheduling |
|---|---|---|
| Capterra | 4.6/5 (1,280 reviews) | 4.8/5 (5,728 reviews) |
| Trustpilot | 4.4/5 (764 reviews) | 3.7/5 (432 reviews) |
| G2 | 4.4/5 | 4.1/5 |
Sources: capterra.com, trustpilot.com, g2.com. Note: Acuity G2 review count could not be confirmed via direct fetch.
Compliance and Security That Acuity Scheduling Does Not Advertise
HIPAA compliance with BAA on the Standard plan (€24.90/month annual). Acuity requires the Premium plan ($39/month annual).
ISO 27001 certification for enterprise-grade data security. Acuity does not list ISO 27001 certification.
GDPR compliance with EU-hosted data options. Acuity does not explicitly list GDPR compliance on its features or pricing pages.
SAML SSO on the Standard plan and above. Acuity does not list SSO on any plan.
Encrypted SOAP notes for clinical documentation. Acuity does not list SOAP notes.
If your industry requires specific data handling or security certifications, verify that your chosen platform meets those requirements before committing.
Ready to Try a More Flexible Booking System?
Your business needs a platform that fits your budget, your payment methods, and your growth plans. SimplyBook.me gives you a free starting point, 40+ payment gateways, built-in compliance features, and a branded client app, at a price that scales with your bookings instead of your headcount.