5 Best SavvyCal Alternatives in 2024 [Free & Paid]

SavvyCal is a new contender in the calendar scheduling niche, being founded in 2020, and quickly gaining popularity for its unique approach to scheduling.

In this article, we dive deep into everything you need to know about SavvyCal, plus the top free and paid SavvyCal alternatives.

Let’s get started!

What makes SavvyCal Unique?

The traditional layout of booking a meeting with someone is the booker being presented with a list of available slots to book time. You choose the slot that is convenient to you and book the meeting.

The issue is that you have to double-check if your availability is in line with the availability you’re presented with by the booking app. This involves you having to open your calendar/s and cross-match the availabilities to make sure you’re also free at the time you’re trying to book time with the other person.

SavvyCal came with another approach to this flow, by allowing the booker to overlay his calendar on top of the calendar of the person you’re trying to book time with.

You’re presented with a Calendar, where you can see available slots for both you and the person you’re trying to book time with.

This saves so much time and mental gymnastics, and users love it.

Why do Users Look for Alternatives to SavvyCal?

• Limited Free Plan: The free plan offered by SavvyCal is extremely limiting. You can only play around with the features offered by SavvyCal, but you can’t share a booking link or anything else.
• Not the cheapest scheduling solution: SavvyCal is not cheap, to use it, you have to opt into one of the paid plans, which starts at $12 per user per month. Scheduling solutions like OneCal start at $4 per user per month.
• Limited integrations: Even though SavvyCal offers the most common integrations, it still lacks the variety of integrations offered by Calendly or Cal.com.

5 Best SavvyCal Alternatives You Should Consider

1. OneCal

OneCal is a calendar automation platform that allows users to sync their calendars, share booking links, view all calendars in one place, and more.

What differentiates OneCal from SavvyCal?

While SavvyCal is entirely focused on appointment scheduling, OneCal is a mix of a calendar automation platform and a scheduling platform.

The majority of calendar users who use a scheduling solution, also have to sync their calendars, as their scheduling links are primarily used to schedule external meetings (outside their work organization). Having multiple calendars is a nightmare when having to schedule internal meetings through Google Calendar or Outlook.

OneCal makes it easy for the availability to be cloned across multiple calendars, leading to fewer meeting conflicts.

Additional features that differentiate OneCal from SavvyCal:

• Automatic Calendar Sync:
  - OneCal offers the most reliable and easy-to-set-up calendar sync solution in the industry, allowing users to sync multiple calendars in real-time, automatically. The whole setup takes a few minutes at most, and users don’t have to worry about copying events from one calendar to another.

  

  
  
  -SavvyCal doesn’t offer a calendar sync feature.

• Calendar View:
  - Working with multiple calendars (Outlook, Google Calendar, or both) is challenging, as you have to juggle between both clients to see the meetings you have to attend. Most users pay for a scheduling platform, a calendar view platform, and a calendar sync platform. OneCal offers all these features with no extra cost or mental fatigue of opening multiple providers for each calendar problem you have.

  

  
  
  - SavvyCal doesn’t offer a Calendar View feature

• Scheduling Links:
  - OneCal offers multi-use scheduling links and team scheduling links. The scheduling links are very easy to set up and use, and offer everything you’ll need in a scheduling app.

What do OneCal and SavvyCal have in common

• Easy-to-use platforms: Both OneCal and SavvyCal are well thought out and easy to use. You can sign up and get started in minutes.
• Timezone management: OneCal and SavvyCal automatically detect the user's timezone, adjust it, and allow the user to change the timezone.
• Advanced booking link settings: OneCal and SavvyCal offer everything you’ll ever need in a scheduling solution, such as Buffer time, confirmations, custom emails, multiple calendar availability, and more.
• Email notifications: Both platforms send automated emails to the meeting organizer and participants. The emails vary, starting from the time a booker requests a meeting, to when the meeting organizer approves the booking.
• Custom Availability: Both OneCal and SavvyCal offer custom availability, allowing you to set certain dates as unavailable, or define the availability range for each day.
• Minimum notice period, Buffer times, and more: OneCal and SavvyCal offer the ability to set limits on how often you can be booked and prevent back-to-back meetings.
• Team scheduling links: OneCal and SavvyCal offer team scheduling links. In OneCal, you can invite your team members in one click, pay for them, and create team scheduling links with ease.

OneCal pricing

OneCal offers a 14-day free trial, no credit card required. After your trial finishes, you’ll have to purchase one of the paid plans to continue using the service. The plans are:

• Starter: $4/user/month
• Essential: $8.3/user/month
• Premium: $25/user/month
• Custom/Enterprise Plans

2. Calendly

Calendly is the OG of appointment scheduling, being around since 2013 and serving millions of professionals around the world. It needs to be said that Calendly has driven the scheduling niche forward, inspiring tens of upcoming solutions to get outside of the comfort zone to become a better scheduling platform.

What differentiates Calendly from SavvyCal?

• SavvyCal Calendar Overlay: As mentioned at the beginning of the article, the special thing about SavvyCal is its Calendar Overlay feature, which Calendly doesn’t have (yet). Calendly still overs the good old pick-a-time and schedule.
• Calendly has more integrations: Don’t get me wrong, SavvyCal has the essential integrations, but it’s nowhere near the 100s of integrations offered by Calendly.
  
• Integration with Multiple Calendars: SavvyCal allows users to integrate and overlay multiple calendars to check availability, whereas Calendly focuses more on managing availability within its platform.
• User Interface: SavvyCal typically offers a more flexible user interface, enabling more customization in how available times are displayed, compared to Calendly's more structured interface
• Personalization: SavvyCal provides options for more personalized links, making it easier for recipients to choose times without much back-and-forth, whereas Calendly focuses on streamlined, efficient scheduling processes.

What do Calendly and SavvyCal have in common?

• Plenty of integrations: Calendly and SavvyCal offer lots of integrations (Calendly offers more). The average user should be able to find all the integrations needed on both platforms.
• Team scheduling: Calendly and SavvyCal offer team scheduling, allowing the creation of scheduling links involving availability from multiple people.
• Customizable Meeting Types: SavvyCal and Calendly offer users the ability to set up different types of meetings or appointments.
• Time Zone Support: Both automatically detect and handle time zone conversions.

Calendly Pricing

Calendly has a free plan that offers unlimited meetings with one event type, compared to the extremely limited free plan offered by SavvyCal. Calendly is also cheaper compared to SavvyCal. Calendly has these plans:

• Free
• Standard: $10 per seat, per month
• Teams: $16 per seat, per month
• Enterprise: Contact for pricing

3. Cal.com

Cal.com is an Open Source appointment scheduling solution founded in 2021, aiming to revolutionize the appointment scheduling niche.

The platform has grown in popularity these last two years because of its free individual plan, allowing individuals to use the platform for free.

What differentiates Cal.com from SavvyCal?

• Cal.com is Open Source: Compared to SavvyCal, Cal.com is Open Source, allowing users to see through the source code, run it on their local machine, host it, and more.
• Limited Free Plan: The fee plan offered by SavvyCal is very limited, as it only allows you to play with the setup, but not use any of the booking links. Cal.com on the other hand has a free plan for individuals, which has the same features offered by the paid plans of SavvyCal. If you want to use team scheduling on Cal.com, you’ll have to upgrade to one of their paid plans.
• Different UI: Even though SavvyCal and Cal.com have very modern UI and refined UX, the interface provided by SavvyCal feels more colorful and flashy.
  
• Pricing Structure: Cal.com offers a unique pricing model due to its open-source nature, which can be more appealing to those looking for customizable or self-hosted solutions.
• Customization and Development: Compared to SavvyCal, Cal.com being open-source, it offers more flexibility for developers to modify and extend the software according to specific needs.
• Cal.com has more integrations: Even though both SavvyCal and Cal.com have plenty of integrations, Cal.com has managed to integrate more services and solutions into the platform.
  

What do Cal.com and SavvyCal have in common?

• Team Scheduling: Cal.com and SavvyCal offer team scheduling, allowing you to invite team members and create scheduling links involving multiple people. On both platforms, you have to pay for this feature.
• Multi-use booking links: Both platforms offer multi-use booking links which allow users to share scheduling links for a variety of reasons.
• Buffer Times: SavvyCal and Cal.com offer buffer times, allowing users to set buffers between meetings.
• Customizable Availability: Users can customize their availability for different meeting types.
• Calendar Integrations: Cal.com and SavvyCal integrate with popular calendar services like Google Calendar, Outlook, and others.
• Calendar Overlay: Both SavvyCal and Cal.com offer a Calendar Overlay feature. Cal.com recently added the Calendar Overlay feature, very similar to what SavvyCal offers. In the user settings, you can set the default layout of the booking link, along with the option to allow Calendar Overlay or not.

Cal.com Pricing

• Free for individuals
• Standard: $10 per seat, per month
• Teams: $16 per seat, per month
• Enterprise: Contact for pricing

4. Google Calendar Appointment Scheduler

Google Calendar Appointment Scheduler is the official scheduling solution offered by Google, integrated into Google Calendar. This tool was launched in 2023, and it’s available to all Google Workspace users.

What differentiates Google Calendar Appointment Scheduler from SavvyCal?

• Integrated into Google Calendar: Google Calendar Appointment Scheduler is integrated into Google Calendar by default. If you’re a Google Calendar user and you pay for Google Workspace, this is a huge benefit as you won’t need to create an account on a second platform or pay for another platform.
• Compatible with Google Workspace: If you pay for Google Workspace, it’s quite convenient to use Google Calendar Appointment Scheduler for free.
• Only Google Calendar Support: If you use other Calendars aside from Google Calendar, Google Calendar Appointment Scheduler might not be for you. Adding Outlook calendars into Google Appointment Scheduler is not that straightforward. To truly make it work, you have to use a Calendar Sync tool like OneCal.
• Basic Customization: While there is some ability to customize appointment details, it's relatively basic compared to the customization options offered by SavvyCal.
• SavvyCal has a more modern UI: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but one thing is certain: The SavvyCal UI feels more modern. Google Calendar Appointment Scheduler has to keep the same look and feel as other Google products, so that’s understandable.

What do Google Calendar Appointment Scheduler and SavvyCal have in common?

• Different Event Types: SavvyCal and Google Calendar Appointment Scheduler allow the creation of multi-use event types, setting different durations for each meeting type, and more.
• Notifications: SavvyCal and Google Calendar Appointment Scheduler send automated notifications on each phase of the booking, making the experience seamless.
• Personal and Team Scheduling: Both platforms can manage personal appointments as well as support team scheduling scenarios.
• Customizable Time Slots: SavvyCal and Google Calendar Appointment Scheduler allow users to define and customize their availability, setting specific time slots for appointments, which helps in managing schedules more efficiently and according to personal preferences.
• Time Zone Handling: Both tools automatically adjust for different time zones, ensuring that meeting times are accurately synchronized for participants in various locations worldwide.

Google Calendar Appointment Scheduler Pricing

Same as SavvyCal, Google Appointment Scheduler doesn’t have a free plan. To use it, you’ll have to subscribe to Google Workspace Individual, which costs $10 per month.

5. Microsoft Bookings

Microsoft offers its appointment scheduling solution, called Microsoft Bookings, as part of the Microsoft 365 suite. It allows businesses to create booking calendars and share them with customers, enabling clients to schedule, reschedule, or cancel appointments online. The service integrates with Microsoft's ecosystem, including Outlook, for seamless calendar synchronization.

What differentiates Microsoft Bookings from SavvyCal?

• Integration with Microsoft 365: Microsoft Bookings is part of the Microsoft 365 suite, offering deep integration with other Microsoft tools like Outlook. SavvyCal, however, is a standalone tool that works independently of any specific suite.
• Target Audience: Microsoft Bookings is tailored towards businesses needing a comprehensive appointment scheduling system integrated with their Microsoft ecosystem, while SavvyCal caters to a broader audience, including individual professionals and teams.
• User Interface: Microsoft Bookings provides a more traditional, business-oriented interface, whereas SavvyCal offers a modern, user-friendly interface focused on ease of scheduling.
• Customization and Flexibility: SavvyCal emphasizes personalization in scheduling links and calendar overlays, offering more flexibility in presentation and scheduling mechanics. Microsoft Bookings focuses on a standardized booking page and process.
• Feature Set: Microsoft Bookings is designed for service-based businesses needing features like customer management and automated reminders, while SavvyCal's strengths lie in its interactive scheduling and calendar overlay features.
• SavvyCal Calendar Overlay: Microsoft Bookings follows the traditional approach for scheduling a meeting with someone, that is you have to select a time from the available times. SavvyCal on the other hand offers a Calendar Overlay, where you can overlay your availability on top of the availability of the person you’re trying to book time with.

What do Microsoft Bookings and SavvyCal have in common?

• Online Appointment Scheduling: Both enable users to schedule appointments online, offering a digital platform for booking meetings.
• Calendar Integration: They integrate with calendar systems for real-time availability updates, preventing scheduling conflicts.
• Customizable Availability: Users can customize their available times for appointments, providing flexibility in managing their schedules.
• Automated Notifications: Both services send automated notifications for appointments, such as confirmations and reminders, to users and clients.
• User-Friendly Interface: Designed to be accessible and easy to use, both platforms focus on simplifying the scheduling process for both the service provider and the client.

Microsoft Bookings Pricing

Microsoft Bookings is included in certain Microsoft 365 subscriptions, particularly those aimed at businesses. There is no separate pricing for Bookings; its availability depends on your Microsoft 365 plan

Business Plans:

• Basic: $6 per user per month
• Standard: $10.62 per user per month
• Premium: $22 per user per month

Enterprise Plans:

• Microsoft 365 E3: $36 per user per month
• Microsoft 365 E5: $57 per user per month
• Microsoft 365 F3: $8 per user per month

Which SavvyCal alternative is the best for your scheduling needs?

We laid out the differences and the common features offered by each SavvyCal alternative, so the decision is up to you.

If you book internal and external meetings, OneCal is the choice to go, as it offers Calendar Sync and Booking Links at the same price point as other solutions only offer Booking Links.

If you need specific integrations, Calendly is the obvious choice.

If you’re a fan of Open Source Solutions, Cal.com is a strong contender.

If you already pay for Google Suite, you might as well use Google Calendar Appointment scheduler.

If you already pay for Microsoft 365, you can consider using Microsoft Bookings.

Schedule Meetings Seamlessly Using OneCal

OneCal is a platform built to help calendar users save time, be more productive, and avoid meeting conflicts.

If you use scheduling links for external meetings, and Google Calendar or Outlook to schedule internal meetings with your team, OneCal is a lifesaver.

Sign up for a 14-day free trial, no credit card required, to get started in a couple of minutes. Experience Scheduling links, Calendar Sync, and Calendar View in a single platform.