Nowadays, appointment scheduling software is much more than a program for online booking that allows you to track, manage, use calendars and schedules. Even free solutions make you look more professional to your clients, save your time, money, and efforts.
Meetings and appointments will always be the crucial weapons of the business (small and large). Not to mention that the Web-based World and the Cloud constantly increase clients’ expectations.
So, what is the best free appointment scheduling software?
If you are a startup or have a limited budget, there are still wide options you can use.
On this page, we will list the most popular and most powerful free systems to schedule and book appointments online.
Before that let’s see some definitions and benefits of using such kind of systems.
Table of Contents
What is Appointment Scheduling Software? Benefits.
Let’s define it.
Appointment scheduling software (also called appointment booking software or online booking software) is a computer program that allows businesses and professionals to schedule appointments and bookings.
The main goal of this software is to automate scheduling tasks. You can arrange meetings and appointments with ease.
There are two categories: desktop tools and applications and web-based programs (widely known as SAAS).
The systems have 2 type of features: basic and advanced. Basic features include appointment scheduling, printing schedules, appointment reminders and calendar viewing.
Advanced solutions might include automated emails, online payment for services, mobile compatibility, revenue processing, custom profiles, calendar integration and more.
The best appointment scheduling software can be used to serve the needs of a range of industries including: education, financial services, health and wellness professionals, salon and beauty professionals, auto maintenance and many many others.
Key benefits of appointment scheduling software:
- Increase your efficiency
- Save money, time and efforts
- Helps you to attract and retain customers
- Make you look more professional to your clients
- Help you to generate more revenue by servicing more customers
- Helps businesses to better utilize their employee time and others.
7 Best Free Appointment Scheduling Software Solutions
- 10to8
10to8 is a really classy solution and one of the best free appointment scheduling software out there.
Your appointment scheduling needs are totally covered: you can sending personalised emails and SMS reminders, taking payments, allowing your clients to book slots directly from your calendar, room booking, tracking no-shows and much more.
In addition to that its interface is quite intuitive and very easily to navigate.
It’s highly flexible features help you a lot in automating your daily activities and provide your business with a professional look and good performance.
The software syncs with Microsoft Outlook 365, Microsoft Exchange, Google Calendar and Apple iCal.
10to8 comes with a free and paid plan. Notably, its free plan is very generous to those with modest scheduling needs.
Its free plan is free forever and includes:
- 2 staff logins
- Community & online support
- 100 appts / month
- Adding and managing multiple rooms
- Multiple calendar views
- Calendar sync
- Notifications
- Appointments history
- Flexible working and opening hours
- Customers can manage their own appointments
- Book now button
- Safely store customer data
- Data export and import and much more.
If you are a small business with simple scheduling needs, give it a try and I think you will find it very useful. Can’t believe it’s free.
Website: https://10to8.com/features/
Timify
Timify is a cloud-based free appointment scheduling software that really adapts to your business needs. Customers are able to book an appointment in no time, and their booking drops straight into your online calendar.
The software is designed for service providers such as hairdressers, tutors, health practitioners, consultants, mechanics, and more.
It is a user-friendly booking appointment software for small businesses that allows clients to book 24/7 through the website, Facebook page, or the TIMIFY mobile app. All bookings are updated in real time on your Timify calendar.
Multiple employees can be added, with different working times.
It provides 2 plans: Free Classic and Premium Plan. The great part of the Free plan is that there are no data restrictions and you can add as many services and employees as you want!
Free Classic Plan features and benefits:
- Available online as a web app
- Automatically updated appointments in your calendar in real time.
- Services management – add unlimited services.
- On & offline booking options.
- Add unlimited employees
- Independent accounts for employees
- Customer management – Never forget clients’ details e.g. birthdays
- Display your company and booking profile.
- Optimised for mobile devices
Timify is a very useful tool for freelancers, mid-size and small business that worth to consider. It’s totally free, available worldwide, and you need a couple of minutes to set up.
Website: https://www.timify.com/
Setmore
Setmore provides a decent set of customizations to meet your business needs. It is an easy scheduling tool for your clients and a good administrative platform for your staff.
Despite the fact that Setmore is not completely intuitive, it is a very powerful free scheduling tool that allows your clients to simply schedule appointments. It is a very popular system with users all over the globe.
You can manage appointments, customers, staff, schedules and more – 100% free and online!
Setmore offers two plans: a free and a standard plan.
The free account includes:
- Unlimited Appointments
- Up to 20 Staff Members
- Unlimited Services
- Unlimited customers.
Setmore is a very good free solution for small businesses with up to 20 employees. Its clean and well organized administrative platform has all features that an online appointment scheduling system should provide.
Website: https://www.setmore.com/
Smoothbook
Smoothbook is 100% free online booking software with very intuitive and easy to use interface. This system also allows you to seamlessly take payments online.
It provides integration with Paypal, different payment options to your customers, discounts, gift certificates and more. In addition, it has Mailchimp and Google analytics integration.
Smoothbook handles thousands of appointments per day. The system is used from a wide range of businesses worldwide, ranging from Doctors and consultants to pilates teachers, online language instructors, and salon owners and more.
It comes with free and premium plans. The free plan provides you with a complete use of the system up to 5,000 appointments per month (this is a lot!)
Free Plan features and benefits:
- Up to 5,000 appointments per month
- Unlimited use of the system
- Limited advertising on your booking calendar (paid versions have no advertising)
- Mobile friendly
- Seamless, flexible payment and deposit taking
- Mailchimp and Facebook integration
Smoothbook is in use by many individual operators and small businesses (especially for managing classes ) but it is also can be used by mid-sized and large organizations.
Website: https://www.smoothbook.co/
Simplybook.me
SimplyBook.me is a very popular paid and free online booking system with a lot of positive reviews and a high rate of customer satisfaction.
It serves all service-providing industries. Among its users are industries such as financial advisers, salons, spas, gyms, pet services, universities, child care providers, restaurants, repair shops, dentists, medical clinics, government agencies and much more.
The system is accessible from mobile devices or desktop PCs and allows your clients to make booking 24/7.
Also, it enables businesses to schedule appointments via custom online booking pages, a website, and Facebook page. You will love their automated email reminders and the variety of other features to choose from.
SimplyBook.me offers a free package and other several pricing plans for businesses to choose from.
The free package includes:
- Included bookings per month – 50
- Unlimited number of staff
- Easy and accessible online booking calendar
- Booking website in client’s time zone
- Feature client reviews on your booking website
- Bookings via Facebook Page
- Booking widget
- Automatic reminder emails
- Multiple languages and much more
SimplyBook.me is used worldwide as a Web-based software and you can use it through all operating systems (mobile apps for Google Android, Apple iOS and more).
Website: https://simplybook.me/
Yocale
If you need more than a booking system but also a program that operates in the role of an email marketing kit, take a look on this one.
Yocale is a very popular online free appointment scheduling software and a cloud-based CRM with super-customizable features.
This is a very powerful tool that provides managing of open local appointments, user-friendly notifications, online scheduling, client relationship management tools, reporting, and more.
It is a mobile friendly solution that is displayed correctly on any device allowing making appointments while on the go.
Yocale comes with a free plan suitable for individual users and small business, but charges businesses for pre-established pricing scheme.
The free plan includes:
- Up to 5 Service Providers
- Business Management Software
- Unlimited online bookings for appointments & classes
- Google Optimized Business Listing
- Encrypted Cloud Client Data Storage
- Super Flexible Calendar (Viewing Customization)
- Marketing features such as marketplace listing, SEO friendly mini website, customer reviews and more.
- Staff SEO-Optimized Profile Pages
- Tech support and more.
Yocale is not only a free online appointment scheduling software but also a business marketing solution that help you to be discovered & booked by new clients.
Website: https://business.yocale.com/
Planfy
Planfy is a new kind of online booking platform that includes a range of marketing features, customer management and appointment scheduling & reminders.
With signing on Plant platform, your business receives a professional online profile. It contains the key information about your business and provides a range of user-friendly tools.
Planfy booking software allows customers to book your services (24/7) via your company profile. The booking process is simple and works great on mobile and tablet devices.
If you have a website, you can add their widget that shows your customers that you accept online bookings.
Also, Planfy allows customers to book your services directly via Facebook.
Planfy comes with a free version for small businesses and paid for large companies.
Free version features include:
- Up to 5 Staff Accounts
- 200 Monthly Bookings
- 2,000 Customers
- 50 Services
- Bookings via Facebook & Your Website
- Business Profile Page
Planfy has all essential online booking system features absolutely free. In addition, it provides interesting marketing features to help you promote your business.
Website: https://www.planfy.com
Conclusion
Embracing online appointment scheduling software provides your business with a number of values.
This system not only gives leap to your business but also make you look more professional and reliable.
Fortunately, there are a lot of good free appointment scheduling software solutions that can support your small business performance.
Before choosing your best online booking solution, make sure it provides at least these basic features: real-time automated scheduling, online booking, calendar management, automatic reminders, customer scheduling.
If you need other free business software solutions, our posts: best free document management software and free business plan software can help.
What do you think? Which is the best free appointment booking solution you have tried? Share your experience in the comments above.