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Choosing the right scheduling software has a direct impact on how smoothly you run appointments, get paid, and keep clients coming back. SimplyBook.me and Acuity Scheduling are two of the best-known names in online booking, and both have changed a lot over the past two years — new AI features, new integrations, and updated pricing on both sides.
This is a refreshed, fully sourced comparison for 2026. We look at the key features, pricing, integrations, compliance, and recent updates of each platform so you can decide which one actually fits your business — whether you’re starting from scratch or thinking about switching.
Key Takeaways
- SimplyBook.me offers a free plan, 77 custom features you switch on as needed, 30+ payment gateways, and newer AI tools such as AI Voice Booking — making it a strong fit for service businesses that want depth and room to grow. (SimplyBook.me pricing)
- Acuity Scheduling (a Squarespace company) is known for its clean, fast setup and tight Squarespace integration, with flat per-account pricing across three paid tiers and no free plan. (Acuity pricing)
Both are strong, well-established platforms — the rest of this guide breaks down where each one stands out.
Overview of SimplyBook.me
SimplyBook.me is a comprehensive online booking system built for service-based businesses across beauty, wellness, healthcare, fitness, education, and professional services. Rather than bundling everything into rigid tiers, it uses a modular “custom features” model — there are 77 custom features you can switch on according to your needs, from intake forms and memberships to a point-of-sale system. SimplyBook.me is part of team.blue and is ISO 27001 certified.
Key Features of SimplyBook.me
- Customisable booking pages and website: Choose from booking website templates or embed a widget on your own site via iframe, with bookings in the client’s time zone.
- Wide integration range: Google Calendar and Outlook sync, video meetings (Zoom and others), a Zapier connector, N8N automation, and accounting tools including QuickBooks, FreshBooks, and Xero on the Premium plan.
- Payment processing: Support for 30+ payment gateways, plus deposits, tips, a POS system, and — on Premium — Payments PRO with refunds, payment links, and vaulted cards.
- Marketing and retention tools: A promotion system, loyalty system, custom email marketing, and a Social Media & Ads add-on.
- AI-powered booking: The new AI Voice Booking feature lets clients book by speaking or typing in natural conversation, across your booking page, your own website, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger.
Related reading: Effective Marketing Strategies with SimplyBook.me
Pricing snapshot
SimplyBook.me offers a Free plan ($0, 50 bookings/month, 1 provider, 1 custom feature), then Basic ($11.90/month billed annually, $13.90 monthly), Standard ($24.90 / $29.90), Premium ($49.90 / $59.90), and a custom Enterprise tier. Plans are billed by booking volume, custom features, and providers count. A 14-day free trial is available with no credit card.
Overview of Acuity Scheduling
Acuity Scheduling is a popular appointment tool, now part of Squarespace, widely used by freelancers, consultants, coaches, and small to medium-sized service businesses. It’s known for a streamlined, fast booking experience, flexible availability rules, and especially smooth integration for businesses already on a Squarespace website.
Key Features of Acuity
- Clean, quick setup: An intuitive interface that’s fast to configure, with client self-scheduling and automatic time-zone conversion on every plan.
- Custom intake forms: Collect client details, terms, and conditions before appointments — included on all tiers.
- Payment processing: Accept payments and deposits via Stripe, Square, or PayPal.
- Reminders: Email reminders on all plans; automated SMS/text reminders from the Standard plan upward.
- Integrations: Native integration with Squarespace, plus Google Meet, Zoom, and GoToMeeting for online meetings, with calendar sync.
Pricing snapshot
Acuity has no free plan — only a 7-day free trial with no credit card required. Paid tiers are Starter ($16/month billed annually, $20 monthly), Standard ($27 / $34), and Premium ($49 / $61), with a custom Enterprise option. Prices are charged per account (not per user), and annual billing saves about 20%. HIPAA compliance (via a signed BAA) and removal of the “Powered by Acuity” footer are available only on the Premium plan.
What’s New in 2024–2026
Both tools have evolved since this comparison was first published. The biggest changes on the SimplyBook.me side are AI-driven:
- AI Voice Booking. Clients can now book by speaking or typing in a natural conversation. The assistant checks live availability, asks follow-up questions, collects client details, and creates the booking automatically — and it works on your SimplyBook.me booking page, your own website, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger. Sessions are logged under Reports → AI Booking, and the feature runs on purchasable credits (with free trial credits to start). (SimplyBook.me announcement and feature page)
- Expanded automation and integrations. Alongside its Zapier connector (which sends triggers for new, changed, and cancelled bookings, new clients, new offers, and new invoices), SimplyBook.me has added N8N automation and newer payment and website integrations such as Duda, HitPay, and SumUp.
- Social Media & Ads add-on. A dashboard add-on for scheduling posts and managing ads across major social platforms.
On the Acuity side, development under Squarespace ownership has focused on deepening the Squarespace website-builder integration and refining its core scheduling, payments, and availability tools. Acuity continues to offer Stripe, Square, and PayPal payments and Google Meet, Zoom, and GoToMeeting integrations across its plans.
Key Features to Look for in a Scheduling Tool
When you’re comparing scheduling software, weigh these factors against how your business actually runs:
- Customisation — Can you match the tool to your brand, services, and booking rules?
- Integrations — Does it connect to your calendar, payment, marketing, and accounting tools?
- Ease of use — How quickly can you (and your clients) get going?
- Scalability — Will it handle more staff, locations, and bookings as you grow?
- Pricing model — Is it charged per user, per account, or by booking volume? Is there a free option?
- Security and compliance — How is client data handled, and does it meet standards like GDPR, HIPAA, or ISO 27001 if you need them?
SimplyBook.me vs. Acuity: Feature Comparison at a Glance
The table below compares the most popular features. All entries verified on each company’s official site — see the SimplyBook.me pricing page and Acuity pricing page.
| Feature | SimplyBook.me | Acuity Scheduling |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes (50 bookings/month) | No (7-day trial only) |
| Online booking page & widget | Yes | Yes |
| Custom intake forms | Yes | Yes |
| Email reminders | Yes (all plans) | Yes (all plans) |
| SMS/text reminders | Yes (paid add-on credits) | Yes (from Standard plan) |
| Accept payments & deposits | Yes (30+ gateways) | Yes (Stripe, Square, PayPal) |
| Memberships & packages | Yes | Yes (from Standard plan) |
| Calendar sync (Google/Outlook) | Yes | Yes |
| AI conversational/voice booking | Yes (AI Voice Booking) | Not listed |
| HIPAA compliance option | Yes (from Standard plan) | Yes (Premium plan only) |
Pricing model note: SimplyBook.me charges by booking volume and provider count; Acuity charges a flat fee per account regardless of the number of users. (verified 2 June 2026)
In-Depth Comparison: SimplyBook.me vs. Acuity
1. Customisation
SimplyBook.me’s modular model lets you build a highly tailored booking experience by switching on only the features you need from its 77-feature library, with branded booking websites and detailed service and provider rules. Acuity offers solid customisation too — branded booking pages, custom intake forms, and flexible availability — with custom API and CSS available on its Premium plan. If maximum configurability matters most, SimplyBook.me’s feature library goes deeper; if you value speed and simplicity, Acuity’s approach is appealing.
2. Integrations
SimplyBook.me supports Google Calendar and Outlook sync, video meetings, a Zapier connector, N8N automation, and accounting tools (QuickBooks, FreshBooks, Xero on Premium), plus a growing list of regional payment integrations. Acuity integrates natively with Squarespace and connects to Google Meet, Zoom, and GoToMeeting, with calendar sync across plans. Businesses already on Squarespace will find Acuity especially seamless; businesses wanting a broader automation and payments ecosystem may prefer SimplyBook.me.
3. Payment Processing
SimplyBook.me supports 30+ payment gateways, deposits, tips, and a POS system, with Payments PRO (refunds, payment links, vaulted cards) on Premium. Acuity processes payments and deposits through Stripe, Square, and PayPal on every plan. Both handle upfront payment and deposits well; SimplyBook.me offers more gateway choice, which helps if you operate internationally.
Related reading: The Ultimate Guide to SimplyBook.me Payments: Features, Setup, & Benefits
4. Ease of Use
Acuity is widely recognised for its intuitive interface and fast setup, which suits freelancers and small teams that want to be live quickly. SimplyBook.me is more feature-rich, so there can be a steeper initial learning curve as you configure features — but that depth pays off once it’s set up. For teams that want help, SimplyBook.me offers a paid setup service.
5. Scalability
SimplyBook.me scales from a solo provider on the free plan up to 30 providers on Premium, with a custom Enterprise tier offering multi-location cluster access, an account manager, and a high-load API. Acuity scales by number of calendars — 1 on Starter, up to 6 on Standard, and up to 36 on Premium — plus a custom Enterprise option. Both can grow with you; the right fit depends on whether you think in terms of providers and booking volume (SimplyBook.me) or calendars (Acuity).
6. Pricing
This is where the models differ most. SimplyBook.me has a free plan and bills by booking volume, providers and custom features, so a small operation can stay free or low-cost and pay more only as volume grows. Acuity has no free plan (a 7-day trial only) but charges a flat per-account fee, so adding team members doesn’t increase the price. SimplyBook.me’s free entry point lowers the barrier to start, while its volume-based model and custom Enterprise tier mean the same platform scales with you as bookings, providers, and locations grow. Acuity’s flat per-account fee keeps costs predictable as you add team members.
7. Data Security
SimplyBook.me is ISO 27001 certified, offers GDPR compliance and a Data Processing Agreement, and provides HIPAA as a feature from the Standard plan, with selectable data location (UK, US, AU, and others) on Enterprise. Acuity offers HIPAA compliance via a signed Business Associate Agreement on its Premium plan and follows Squarespace’s privacy and terms. If healthcare compliance or formal certifications are a priority, check which tier delivers what you need.
Conclusion: Which Tool Is Right for You?
Both SimplyBook.me and Acuity are capable, well-rated scheduling platforms — the better choice depends on your priorities. SimplyBook.me stands out if you want a free starting point, deep customisation, a wide range of payments and integrations ecosystem, and newer AI booking tools like AI Voice Booking, with room to scale to multi-location enterprise use. Acuity is a great fit if you value a clean, fast setup, predictable flat per-account pricing, and especially if you already run your website on Squarespace. Map your must-have features and your budget against the sourced details above, and try each system’s free option (SimplyBook.me’s 14-day trial or Acuity’s 7-day trial) before committing.
Start with SimplyBook.me’s free plan →
FAQ: SimplyBook.me vs. Acuity
SimplyBook.me offers a 14-day trial without a credit card and a free plan available (50 bookings/month, 1 provider, 1 non-free custom feature). Acuity does not offer a free plan — it provides a 7-day free trial with no credit card required.
SimplyBook.me bills by booking volume, number of providers and custom features, with paid plans from €11.90/month (Basic, billed annually) to €49.90/month (Premium, billed annually), plus custom Enterprise. Acuity charges a flat fee per account from $16/month (Starter, billed annually) to $49/month (Premium, billed annually), plus custom Enterprise.
Yes. SimplyBook.me supports 30+ payment gateways with deposits and tips; Acuity supports Stripe, Square, and PayPal with payments and deposits.
Both can. SimplyBook.me offers HIPAA as a feature from the Standard plan; Acuity offers it via a signed Business Associate Agreement on the Premium plan.
SimplyBook.me offers AI Voice Booking, which lets clients book by voice or text across the booking page, your website, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger. Acuity does not list a comparable AI booking feature on its pricing page.
Acuity is generally faster to set up thanks to its streamlined interface, while SimplyBook.me offers more features and customisation, which can take a little longer to configure.
This page is published by SimplyBook.me. All product names, logos, and brands are the property of their respective owners. Use of these names does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by those companies. All pricing and feature details were verified on the official SimplyBook.me and Acuity Scheduling websites as of 2 June 2026 and are subject to change; please confirm current details on each provider’s website before making a decision.