Top 6 Acuity Scheduling Alternatives: A Complete Guide  

Introduction 

Are you looking for a robust alternative to Acuity Scheduling? Well, it’s only natural for you as a business owner to want a scheduling software that meets all your scheduling needs without burning a hole in your pocket. With a plethora of Acuity Scheduling alternatives out there in the market, you get to choose what really works for you. In such a case, you need not invest in software that follows a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. All you need is an appointment scheduling platform that ideally aligns with your requirements and helps you accomplish your personal business goals. Are you ready to explore the top Acuity Scheduling competitors that are ruling the current scheduling space? Gear up for some detailed insights! 

Top 6 Acuity Scheduling Alternatives: A Quick Comparison  

1. Emitrr 
2. Simplybook. me 
3. Setmore 
4. Vagaro 
5. Fresha 
6. Appointy 

Key highlights: 

• Emitrr is the only appointment scheduling software that is rated 5 stars for its customer support. Emitrr offers support across a variety of channels including 24X7 live rep. 
• Emitrr is the only Acuity scheduling competitor that is rated the highest in the value of money category. Simplybook.me is the lowest as compared to other alternatives to Acuity Scheduling. 
• All appointment scheduling platforms are reasonably priced. However, the pricing plans offered by Fresha are complicated. 
• Emitrr tops the Capterra ratings in the Features caoegory, followed by Fresha. Setmore is rated the lowest. 
• Fresha is rated the highest in the ease of use category, followed by Emitrr. Simplybook.me is rated the lowest in comparison to other Acuity scheduling alternatives. 

Why should you be searching for an Acuity Scheduling alternative anyway? This section will help you understand the problems faced by current Acuity customers. 

Why Should You Look For An Acuity Scheduling Alternative?

Here are some key reasons that you should consider before you seal the deal with Acuity. 

Comparatively expensive for small businesses 

If you’re a small business owner and are looking for an affordable appointment scheduling software that encompasses all the basic features, then you might want to consider an Acuity Scheduling alternative that isn’t heavy on the pocket. Acuity users have repeatedly mentioned that the price is on the higher end if you’re looking to add some more key features. Here’s an example: 

Source: Capterra 

Source: Capterra 

Difficult to set up and use 

Acuity Scheduling users face difficulties setting up the software and find the overall navigation challenging. For any appointment scheduling software, ease of use is an important factor to consider as if you’re facing challenges with the interface itself, you’re going to end up spending a lot of time just figuring things out. There are multiple Acuity Scheduling alternatives available that have a fairly easy interface, with no learning curve involved. 

Source: Capterra 

Limited customization options 

An appointment scheduling software should offer you the flexibility to tailor it to your needs. However, Acuity users are looking for alternatives as the software offers very limited customization options. Here’s what users have to say on the customization aspect of Acuity Scheduling: 

Source: Capterra 

No live support is available 

Acuity customers often complain about the lack of support available whenever they run into any issues using the software. For any scheduling software, support is the most important thing. The absence of live support is making users switch to better Acuity Scheduling alternatives. 

Source: Capterra 

Features To Look For In An Acuity Scheduling Alternative

Now that you know the potential issues you might face with Acuity, it is important to have a checklist in place while looking for the right scheduling software that aligns with your needs. 

Here are some core functionalities you must look for while comparing Acuity Scheduling competitors: 

One-click self-scheduling 

Your ideal Acuity Scheduling alternative must offer seamless one-click scheduling for your clients. If your clients have to follow a series of steps to book appointments, they will get frustrated and leave you for a business that allows easy appointment booking. Look for scheduling software that is intuitive and straightforward for business owners. 

Third-party calendar synchronization

The online scheduling software should allow integration with the Google Calendar and other calendars, ensuring smooth appointment and calendar management. Such integration can help you manage your entire schedule in one centralized dashboard, eliminating the need and hassle of switching between calendars every now and then.  

Schedule customization

The Acuity Scheduling competitor must be easy to use and not have any learning curve involved when it comes to creating and customizing your own schedule. You should be able to do this by yourself, without having to take assistance from a developer. Right from creating the appointment type to setting the time slots and availability of your staff; you should be able to do all basic customizations required to ensure smooth operations. 

Group booking

If you’re into beauty or wellness, therapy, education, or events; you need group appointment scheduling to be able to schedule virtual group sessions, group appointments, group classes and workshops, and other group-based activities for your clients. Make sure to invest in an appointment booking app that offers group scheduling. 

Integration with existing tools 

Being able to manage your workflows seamlessly is something that should be on top of your priority as a business. If you want to ensure operational efficiency with respect to appointment booking and management, you need to have it integrated into your existing tools so that you do not need to switch context and can have access to all data on a single platform. Your chosen appointment scheduling software must offer flexibility and diversity with third-party integrations. 

Appointment reminders

The Acuity Scheduling alternative that you pick must offer automated SMS appointment reminders as a core functionality. That is because 90 percent of customers don’t show up to appointments simply because they forgot. This is when appointment reminders come in handy. With the help of appointment booking software, you can set up automated SMS reminders and also set the cadence of those reminders. You can schedule appointment reminders two days before the appointment, a day before the appointment, two hours before the appointment, and so on. 

Autoresponders 

Instant communication is a quality that clients appreciate because sometimes they might have some doubts or queries about their appointments and other service-related things. If you want to improve client experience and satisfaction, you must respond to them in real time. Your chosen appointment booking software should offer autoresponders as the capability to handle general queries about appointment booking, rescheduling, and cancellation.  

Live support 

The software you choose must offer round-the-clock, real-time support so that you can reach out to the support team if you encounter any issues or have some queries. A lot of scheduling softwares offer support only through email or phone. You should be able to reach out to the team for immediate assistance, so look for a scheduling platform that offers such kind of support. 

Reporting and analytics 

The appointment scheduling software that you choose should be able to offer you detailed insights into key metrics like booked appointments, no-shows, revenue, and client attendance rates. This will help you address the required parameters and take appropriate measures. 

Top 6 Acuity Scheduling Alternatives: A Detailed Analysis 

Emitrr

Emitrr is the best Acuity Scheduling alternative for you, irrespective of the type or size of your business. Emitrr offers all the aforementioned features, is not heavy on the pocket as you only pay for what you use, and offers ample customization options to tailor your schedules as per your requirements. The software doesn’t have a learning curve and is quite easy to set up and use. 

Emitrr Features 

• User-friendly interface to self-schedule appointments
• Send automated appointment confirmations as soon as the client books an appointment
• Integrate the scheduling software with your EHR/EMR  
• Send automated appointment reminders and set the cadence of the reminders 
• Send autoresponders for appointment booking, rescheduling, and cancellation
• Track metrics such as meetings booked, conversion rates, etc 
• Integrate with your calendars to have a centralized view of all appointments 
• Customize appointments based on visit type, location, provider

Emitrr Pros

• Easy-to-use software 
• Great value for money 
• 24X7 customer support 
• Diverse features for seamless scheduling 
• Seamless integration with other tools 
• Advanced texting capabilities to complement scheduling 

Emitrr Cons 

• More scheduling capabilities are coming soon 

Emitrr Support 

• Phone Support
• Email/Help Desk
• 24/7 (Live rep)
• Chat
• FAQs/Forum
• Knowledge Base

Emitrr Reviews  

Simplybook.me 

Simplybook.me is a popular Acuity Scheduling alternative that allows you to easily book and manage appointments and ensure seamless booking experience for your clients. 

Simplybook.me Features 

• Self-scheduling of appointments
• Send automated appointment reminders 
• Manage bookings seamlessly by integrating existing tools 
• Sync with calendar to streamline workflows 

Simplybook.me Pros

• Easy to setup and use 
• Diverse features

Simplybook.me Cons 

• Limited customization options 
• Average customer support 

Simplybook.me Support 

• Phone Support
• Email/Help Desk
• Chat
• FAQs/Forum
• Knowledge Base

Simplybook.me Reviews  

Setmore 

Setmore is also a good alternative to Acuity Scheduling that offers seamless online appointment scheduling through a range of features. It allows you to manage all appointments through one simple, sleek calendar system. 

Setmore Features 

• Schedule and manage appointments  
• Sync with third party calendars
• Sync with existing tools 
• Send automated SMS reminders 
• Send automated SMS appointment confirmations 

Setmore Pros

• Easy to schedule appointments

Setmore Cons 

• Average customer support 

Setmore Support 

• Phone Support
• Email/Help Desk
• 24/7 (Live rep)
• Chat
• FAQs/Forum
• Knowledge Base

Setmore Reviews  

Vagaro 

Vagaro is a popular Acuity Scheduling alternative that is best suited for beauty and wellness businesses. This wellness appointment scheduling app allows easy online booking, secure payments, and seamless schedule management. 

Vagaro Features 

• Self-scheduling of appointments 
• Automated appointment confirmations  
• Automated SMS reminders 
• Calendar sync and management 
• Customizable templates 
• Integration with existing tools 

Vagaro Pros

• Easy to setup and use 
• Multiple integration options available

Vagaro Cons 

• Average customer support 

Vagaro Support 

• Phone Support
• Email/Help Desk
• 24/7 (Live rep)
• Chat
• FAQs/Forum
• Knowledge Base

Vagaro Reviews  

Fresha 

Fresha is an appointment scheduling service that is used by beauty and wellness businesses. This Acuity Scheduling alternative offers seamless appointment scheduling and management and doesn’t have a learning curve. 

Fresha Features 

• Activity Dashboard to manage appointments
• Seamless one click appointment Scheduling
• Send automated SMS reminders 
• Send automated SMS confirmations 
• Calendar integration and management

Fresha Pros

• User-friendly interface

Fresha Cons 

• Avwerage customer support 

Fresha Support 

• Email/Help Desk
• 24/7 (Live rep)
• Chat
• FAQs/Forum
• Knowledge Base

Fresha Reviews  

Appointy 

Appointy is an appointment scheduling service offering real-time scheduling and seamless calendar management. This Acuity Scheduling competitor is suitable for large enterprises. 

Appointy Features 

• Real-time online appointment scheduling 
• Integration with their party calendars 
• Sync with existing tools 
• Send SMS appointment reminders and confirmations 
• SMS alerts and notifications 

Appointy Pros

• Easy to use software 

Appointy Cons 

• Limited integration options 

Appointy Support 

• Phone Support
• Email/Help Desk
• 24/7 (Live rep)
• Chat
• FAQs/Forum
• Knowledge Base

Appointy Reviews  

Why is Emitrr the best Acuity Scheduling Alternative? 

When it comes to finalizing the perfect alternative to Acuity Scheduling, we would be biased when we say that Emitrr is the best Acuity Scheduling alternative. However, we have strong reasons to back this bias. Not only does Emitrr offer all the features you need to ensure smooth appointment scheduling, but also offer end to end support so that customer communication and engagement can go on without any interruptions. Here are some reasons that make it the ideal Acuity Scheduling alternative, irrespective of the type and size of your business. 

One-click scheduling 

You would never want your customers to get stuck on the very first step of their journey: appointment scheduling. With Emitrr, you can ensure smooth appointment scheduling. All your customers need to do is go to the scheduling link, add in their details, pick their slot, and click on confirm. If they’re existing customers, they need not enter their details again, as those details would be automatically filled on their behalf. Emitrr’s online scheduling capability has been designed to make scheduling as seamless as possible.  

Seamless calendar synchronization

Emitrr seamlessly integrates with your Google calendar and other calendars, ensuring smooth appointment and calendar management. When you integrate calendars with Emitrr, you can easily manage your entire schedule in one centralized dashboard, without having to switch between tabs or enter schedule details manually. 

Easy integration with existing tools 

Emitrr integrates with 1000+ EMRs/EHRs, PMS, and CRM and also provides end-to-end support to set up these integrations. With such integrations, you can bring all tasks under one dashboard and manage everything smoothly. 

Ample schedule customization options 

With Emitrr, you get the freedom to customize your schedule as per your requirements. You can add your business logo, create and edit the appointment type, set the availability of your staff, and further set the messages that you want to send once a customer confirms an appointment, makes a payment, or misses an appointment. You can do everything on your own; you need not hire a developer for the same. 

Flexible pricing plans 

The pricing plans at Emitrr are quite flexible; you only pay for what you use. In the case of scheduling, you can select all features you require with basic scheduling; and the support team will provide you with a quote as well as the service offerings that best suit your business needs.  

Round-the-clock support 

Support is a key area that Emitrr takes pride in. The support is available in all forms, such as phone, chat, and most importantly 24X7 live rep. This scheduling software is rated 5 stars across various review platforms for its customer service.  

Advanced texting features to support scheduling  

What’s good an appointment scheduling software that doesn’t offer texting capabilities to make communications easier? In addition to providing a great scheduling tool, Emitrr also encompasses excellent texting features that you can use to further boost client communication and engagement. From sending automated appointment reminders to setting up autoresponders, from implementing schedule-based texting to having one-on-one conversations with clients; you can make the most of text messaging for your business while also ensuring smooth appointment management along the way. 

Frequently Asked Questions  

Conclusion 

Have you figured out the best Acuity Scheduling alternative that best fits your needs? Well, if you want your schedule to be more streamlined and want to improve customer communication and engagement; you need a robust appointment scheduling software that offers you the best of scheduling, without compromising on other important factors such as value for money and support. Did Emitrr’s offerings capture your attention? If yes, do not hesitate and book a quick call here to explore what this scheduling software has in store for you!