When it comes to online appointment scheduling for your business, you’ll need an application that’s as lively or professional as. It doesn’t matter if you’re a fitness facility scheduling classes or a solo enterprise owner making calls remotely and makeup appointments; all of the administration tasks can quickly take up your time.
I’ve used several appointment-scheduling apps to book discovery calls and client meetings. There are many ways to do this; however, they all add up to a few. Concentrate on the community rather than on the scheduling. Automate your scheduling.
The best appointment-scheduling software can handle short-notice cancellations, reschedule requests, take payments, and integrate with your tech stack. I tried dozens of booking applications to determine the ones that can allow you to focus on what is essential. Let’s get started.
Table of Contents
What is a Scheduling Software?
The scheduling software is a cloud-based or local computer program application that automatizes specific processes for scheduling employees, such as scheduling work hours, employees’ communication, work schedule management, and time monitoring. Let’s have a look.
What are the Benefits of Scheduling Software?
Companies can reap multiple benefits from the use of a scheduling system which include:
- Increased efficiency of staff: Service professionals often requires help handling clients’ work orders during peak hours. With the appropriate software, they can avoid double booking service requests. Scheduling software makes it easy to schedule as well as single-touch rescheduling. It also gives the capability for confirmation of service requests with clients.
- Centralized information: Organizations with workers across multiple locations often require assistance communicating their job schedules to employees. Scheduling software centralizes information in one place and keeps it updated in real-time, ensuring that everyone has access to exact details and automatically sends alerts when scheduling overlap occurs.
- Improved Accountability and visibility: Scheduling software helps improve transparency by automatically generating optimized schedules. The software also clarifies by allowing employees to pick their shifts as often as possible.
Top 5 Scheduling Software Apps in 2023
Acuity Scheduling
Our list starts with Acuity Scheduling. The Squarespace Scheduling cloud-based appointment-scheduling software that allows entrepreneurs to manage their schedules online. It caters to the requirements of mid-sized and small-sized businesses and individuals.
Squarespace Scheduling allows users to automate appointment bookings by enabling them to view their scheduled time. It will automatically update calendars based on the users’ time zones. It can also send periodic reminders and alerts to users about their scheduled appointments.
Squarespace Scheduling’s feature set for scheduling includes intake forms that can be customized and calendars that embed, as well as third-party calendar synchronization and group scheduling for workshops.
- Deployment – Cloud, SaaS, Web-Based.
- Platform – Android, iPhone, iPad.
- Top Features – API, Accounting Integration, Activities Booking, Alerts/Notifications, Appointment Management, Appointment Scheduling, Attendance Management, Attendance Tracking, Automated Scheduling, Availability Indicator, Availability Management, Billing & Invoicing, Booking Notes, Branch Optimization, Business Coaching, CRM, Calendar Management, Calendar Sync, Calendar/Reminder System, Capacity Management, Class Management, Class Scheduling, Client Database, Client Management.
- Free Trial Available.
- Prize – $15.00 /month.
- Best for – Client Portal, Client Profiles, Communication Management, Confirmation/Reminders, Consent Management, Contact Database, Credit Card Processing, Customer Database, Customizable Branding, Customizable Fields, Customizable Forms, Customizable Templates, Data Import/Export, Discount Management, Document Management, Driver Scheduling.
- Support – Email/Help Desk, FAQs/Forum, Knowledge Base, Chat.
- Overall Rating – 5/5 Stars
Skedda
The second that comes on the list is Skedda. Skedda is the world’s most popular web-based booking platform and scheduler. This platform can be infinitely customized to allow companies to automatize complex and time-consuming booking processes.
Skedda eliminates the burden of manually managing booking policies, rules, limits, and payments. It doesn’t matter if you’re a small business that governs the use of shared offices for thousands of employees or a local community centre; Skedda removes the logistical hassle. Accessible from any device and mobile, Skedda is loved by thousands of businesses across the world. Discover the Award-winning Skedda experience today.
- Deployment – Cloud, SaaS, Web-Based.
- Platform – Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, iPhone, iPad.
- Top Features – Access Controls/Permissions, Active Directory Integration, Activity Dashboard, Activity Tracking, Alerts/Notifications, Automated Scheduling, Availability Indicator, Availability Management, Billing & Invoicing, Booking Management, Calendar Management, Calendar Sync, Car Park Monitoring, Categorization/Grouping, Class Management, Class Scheduling, Contact Management, Contact Tracing, Credit Card Processing, Customer Database, Customer History, Customer Management.
- Free Trial Available
- Prize – Price not provided by the vendor.
- Best for – Customizable Branding, Customizable Fields, Customizable Forms, Customizable Reports, Data Import/Export, Desk Availability Schedule, Desk Reservation, Drag & Drop, Electronic Payments, Email Management, Email Reminders, and Employee Directory.
- Support – Email/Help Desk, FAQs/Forum, Knowledge Base, Phone Support, 24/7 (Live Rep), Chat.
- Overall Rating – 4.8/5 Stars
Wix
Wix is third on the list. Wix is a web-based building and publishing service that can help users build professional websites precisely as they would like, using the ability to build websites using drag-and-drop, templates designed by designers, and much more.
Wix gives users various options to design their website using Wix Artificial Design Intelligence (ADI), Wix Editor, and Wix Code based on whether the user is building an online presence initially or as a professional.
Wix ADI allows users to create a unique website using professional images, text and more. Wix Editor gives users design flexibility with advanced functions and a simple drag-and-drop. Wix Code lets users develop top-of-the-line websites and applications.
Site design is managed by users using templates and an image editor: high-resolution stock photos, video backgrounds, and many more.
- Deployment – Cloud, SaaS, Web-Based.
- Platform – Android, iPhone.
- Top Features – API, Activity Dashboard, Activity Tracking, Alerts/Notifications, Appointment Management, Attendance Management, Attendance Tracking, Attendee Management, Availability Management, Backlink Monitoring, Billing & Invoicing, Booking Management, Calendar Management, Campaign Management, Catalog Creation, Cataloging/Categorization, Categorization/Grouping, Chat/Messaging, Class Management, Class Scheduling, Collaboration Tools, Commenting/Notes, Communication Management.
- Free Version Available
- Prize – $16.00/Per-Month.
- Best for – Confirmation/Reminders, Contact Management, Content Management, Content Publishing Options, Content Sharing, Credit Card Processing, Customer Accounts, Customer History, and Customizable Branding.
- Support – Email/Help Desk, FAQs/Forum, Knowledge Base, Phone Support, Chat.
- Overall Rating – 4.7/5 Stars
Vagaro
Vagaro is a website-based service for fitness and salon owners to market their services and interact with customers via the Vagaro.Com website and the Vagaro mobile application. It’s a B2C platform on which salons, spas, studios and salons can sign up and create profiles to advertise their brand and events and make appointments/classes for clients.
With Vagaro, businesses can build a custom website containing all the details about their location and staff bios, services, and working hours.
Salons can show the available booking slots for each day, week or month and let clients make an appointment at a convenient time. Vagaro allows users to send emails and texts to customers, who will confirm the work and send reminders and alerts to meetings scheduled.
- Deployment – Cloud, SaaS, Web-Based.
- Platform – Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, iPhone, iPad.
- Top Features – Access Controls/Permissions, Activity Dashboard, Activity Tracking, Address Book, Alerts/Notifications, Application Management, Appointment Management, Appointment Scheduling, Attendance Management, Attendance Tracking, Automated Scheduling, Availability Indicator, Availability Management, Barcode/Ticket Scanning, Before & After Pictures.
- Free Trial & Version Available
- Prize – $25.00 /month.
- Best for – Billing & Invoicing, Booking Management, Booth Rental Management, Business Coaching, Calendar Management, Calendar Sync, Calendar/Reminder System, Capacity Management, and Charting.
- Support – Email/Help Desk, FAQs/Forum, Knowledge Base, Phone Support, 24/7 (Live Rep), Chat.
- Overall Rating – 4.7/5 Stars
7shifts
Get rid of your restaurant’s scheduling problems with 7shifts. This powerful platform allows establishments of all sizes to reduce labour costs, keep staff, and remain in compliance with an extensive toolbox. Address issues with employee scheduling, communication with labour compliance, and engagement efficiently and cost-effectively. This platform helps solve costly problems, cuts costs, and helps save time.
- Deployment – Cloud, SaaS, Web-Based.
- Platform – Android, iPhone, iPad.
- Top Features – API, Access Controls/Permissions, Accounting Integration, Activity Dashboard, Activity Tracking, Alerts/Notifications, Assignment Management, Attendance Management, Attendance Tracking, Audit Trail, Automated Scheduling, Availability Management, Benchmarking, Budgeting/Forecasting, Calendar Management, Calendar Sync, Chat/Messaging, Clock In/Out, Collaboration Tools, Compliance Management, Contractor Management, Cost Tracking, Customizable Templates, Data Import/Export, Drag & Drop, Email Management.
- Free Trial Available
- Prize – $34.99/Per-Month.
- Best for – Employee Database, Employee Management, Employee Portal, Employee Recognition, Employee Scheduling, Employee Self, Service Employee, Time Tracking, Event Calendar.
- Support – Email/Help Desk, FAQs/Forum, Knowledge Base, Phone Support, Chat.
- Overall Rating – 4.4/5 Stars
Conclusion
When looking for a scheduling application, ensuring it’s easy for you and your client to use is essential. For many, it is the greater the number of times the app can sync and work with automated workflows more valuable it is.
While many scheduling apps provide the option of a free version, many users would like the option to purchase a premium version with additional features to help in booking appointments or scheduling resources more efficiently. This is why looking at the alternatives to free versions is essential to determine if the paid versions have the required features to run your company.
