(650) 332-8623The 9 Best Appointment Software for Small Business for 2025
Looking for appointment software for your small construction business? We’ve reviewed 9 of the best apps on the market to help you choose!
Between replying to email inquiries, checking calendars for available time slots, and sending text reminders to clients for upcoming bookings, manual appointment scheduling can easily take too much time away from your business.
But it doesn’t need to be so troublesome when you’ve got appointment scheduling software.
The best appointment software for small business simplifies your client appointment scheduling and eliminates unnecessary back-and-forth communication. When you spend less time on admin work, you’ll have more time to focus on the more important aspects of your business.
We’ve narrowed down your options for the best appointment booking software for your construction business. Check them out below.
Top Picks
Below, you’ll find a summary of each app we’ve reviewed, with our scores, each app’s ideal use cases, its pricing, the availability of any free trials or free tiers, and the platforms on which the app is available. Each app has been thoroughly investigated and analyzed for users like you, with pros and cons, key features, integrations, and real user reviews.
Let’s take a look…
9.1 
14-day free trial with no credit card required
7.7
30-day free trial with no credit card required
8.1
14-day free trial of Teams Plan
7.9
14-day trial with no credit card required
8.0
30-day free trial with no credit card required
8.2
14-day free trial with no credit card required
7.8
7-day free trial with no credit card required
7.2
14-day trial with no credit card required
7.8
14-day free trial with no credit card required
EDITOR’S NOTE: We created Workyard – the first app reviewed here – to address issues we encountered while struggling to track and manage construction payrolls for over 700 workers in over 50 construction businesses. We built the Workyard app from the ground up to support construction companies like yours, with industry-essential features like the industry’s most accurate time clock app with GPS and geofencing, intuitive contractor scheduling, construction cost tracking tools, and more.
Learn more about how Workyard works on our main website, or sign up for a 14-day free trial today to see what Workyard can do for your business.
Workyard
Scoring
Key Features
-
Shared digital team calendar for task and job scheduling
-
Schedule organization by employee or job
-
Convenient map view with real-time locations
-
Integrated mobile calendar
-
Task completion tracking
-
Instant communication and updates
-
Accurate GPS time clock
-
Integrations with CRM, invoicing, payroll, and accounting software
Custom labels for better work and schedule organization
Step-by-step checklists on tasks or jobs
Scheduling capability for any type of work
No custom booking page for self-service bookings
GPS tracking can drain phone batteries faster
Highlights
Workyard is a leading workforce management software for construction, property maintenance, and home services companies.
Its tools are designed for managing field service teams, but its scheduling and time tracking functionalities can also help small service businesses in other industries.3.400+
Drag-and-Drop Scheduling
You can assign work as soon as new appointment requests or jobs come in using Workyard’s powerful digital team calendar. Its drag-and-drop scheduler means less time spent on manual scheduling while reducing scheduling errors.
Workyard allows you to schedule all types of work, from recurring appointments and emergency tasks to work orders and longer-running projects.
Assign tasks by employee and project on the Workyard mobile app or by logging in to the web dashboard through Workyard.com. You can view all work organized by employees and what tasks they’re working on. You can also break down the tasks into checklist items.
Once you’re done with scheduling, you can push the schedules to your employees, and they will be alerted instantly on their mobile devices. All job details will also be updated in the integrated mobile calendar.
Workyard’s scheduling tool also has built-in labor compliance to ensure employees will take their mandatory meal breaks.
Ensuring labor compliance is crucial for companies working in high-cost areas. For state-specific requirements, refer to our labor laws guides below:
- Texas Labor Laws
- Arizona Labor Laws
- Massachusetts Labor Laws
- Mississippi Labor Laws
- Kansas Labor Laws
- New York Labor Laws
Job Tracking
Whether you’re in the office or in the field, you can oversee everything and receive important task updates on the go via the Workyard mobile app.
Capture everyone’s progress when your employees are in the field. Workyard helps you monitor activities in real time, from arrivals at appointments and quick store runs to meal breaks and departures from job locations.
Workyard’s project activity feed lets you view all new notifications on tasks, like when someone adds a note or photo attachment or tags a task as completed.
When there are multiple tasks being monitored, you can also filter task activities for a more organized view.
GPS Time Clock
With Worykard’s capable scheduling software in your arsenal, why not a powerful and accurate employee time clock, too? In the service business, it’s essential to arrive at appointments or job sites on time.
Workyard’s GPS-enabled time clock lets you see when your teams arrive at or leave from their appointed jobs. You can restrict clock-ins to geofences and set automatic clock-ins when they arrive at their appointments.
The time clock also automatically detects when workers forget to punch out and trims their time card to the last job site they visited.
Workyard also captures mileage and travel times to workers’ appointments throughout the day. You can view this information on their time cards.
Time and Project Data
Workyard’s reporting features also help you identify and rectify attendance issues, track job costs and labor expenses, support your billing processes, and improve your future project estimates.
Get a detailed breakdown or a summary view of your employee, progress, task, and project reports. You can also customize your Workyard dashboard to display and organize the most relevant data for your business.
Reviews
Workyard may not have thousands of reviews, but its high ratings on Capterra, the App Store, and the Play Store are a good indication of its strengths as a scheduling and tracking tool.
See what Workyard users have to say below.
iOS user mmg2010sf shared how there were no complaints from their crew after using Workyard, a clear sign it’s a good product.
iOS Review:
App really saves me time – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I wasn’t going to write a review, but after not hearing any complaints from my crew, I took that has a pretty big sign that this is a good product. The last app we used caused me so much frustration I eventually deleted it. We spent hours trying to troubleshoot through all the glitches, but eventually, we gave up. I was able to get everyone set up and using Workyard within a day and we’re now about to pass the time card data into our payroll system. Let’s just say I’m getting to bed earlier. The big surprise with Workyard is all the reporting it’s capable of. I’m getting reports now showing me how much our work time is costing us on each job. I even added cost codes for specific tasks, and the app creates reports off of that. Really glad we found it and looking forward to seeing what’s next.”
Android user Jacob Law has tried other products that glitched and froze whenever he took breaks or logged off from work. But there’s no problem like that with Workyard.
Google Play Review:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tried other apps like TSheets and had glitches and frozen screens when I tried to take breaks or finish work. Haven’t had the problem with Workyard.”
Nikki W., owner of a transportation company, gave it a five-star rating because it shows where everyone is clocking in and out. But comparing the hours worked by employees on the same job can be easier.
Capterra Review:
This was much needed!! – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Loving it a lot!! Should have done it a long time ago. Pros: the GPS shows where they clock in and out of. I liked what I was told and even more how it worked. But it’s hard to compare times with employees on the same job.”
Pricing
Free Trial?
14-day trial with no credit card required
Time Tracking
Annual: $6 / mo. per user + $50 base fee
Monthly: $8 / mo. per user + $50 base fee
Workforce
Management
Annual: $13 / mo. per user + $50 base fee
Monthly: $16 / mo. per user + $50 base fee
Save time with Workyard’s drag-and-drop appointment scheduler
See how it works
Bookeo
Scoring
Key Features
-
24/7 online appointment booking on any device
-
Customizable booking page
-
Website-integrated or standalone scheduling system
-
Customized and automated client communications
-
In-store and phone appointment payments
-
Automatic sync with Office 365, Google, Outlook, and iCal
-
Booking confirmation emails and SMS
Zoom integration
Integrated intake forms
One-click recurring bookings
Integrated booking carts for bulk scheduling
User interface looks dated
Not easy to use in-store
Tutorials will be more effective in video form
Highlights
Bookeo’s appointment scheduling software allows clients to book from any device 24/7. They can check your availability in real time, book a slot, and pay for the appointment online or in-store.
You can embed Bookeo’s widget into your existing website or use the standalone page you can customize for your business, complete with a booking URL, business cards, and email signatures.
Your booking page can be customized with your brand colors and preferred style and layout. Bookeo also allows you to color-code your services to easily track what customers are booking.
You and your team can view the appointment calendar, rosters, and payments. With your Bookeo reports, you can track appointment attendance, cancellations, and no-shows.
Reviews
Bookeo does not have a mobile app. It automatically detects your mobile device and shows a specifically designed interface for its screen size and capabilities.
But if you check user reviews on Capterra, you’ll see it received a decent rating of 4.3 from 95 reviews. We shared some of these reviews below.
Christina R., who owns an alternative medicine business, likes Bookeo’s customizations and add-ons. But she mentioned some cons, like the lack of an option to add waivers during registration and the inability to use it in-store.
Capterra Reviews:
Great for scheduling sports classes – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Very good experience. Its ability to customize everything made it very useful and customers found it easy to schedule and manage classes. We used this to schedule archery classes. It was very easy to use, and I loved how customizable everything was. Being able to create private classes and send out the link for payment was very nice. I also liked the ability to ask if the customer wanted to buy add-ons at the time of registration. Bookeo is amazing as an online scheduler but a little more difficult to use in-store. I wish there was an option to add waivers.”
For Jennifer W., a paranormal tour guide for an entertainment company, Bookeo is an easy-to-use booking tool. However, the lack of customer support affected her user experience.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
The product looked great and was easy to use from a customer perspective. Openings were clearly shown, and paying for the booking was easy. I got an email confirmation and receipt. I actually used Bookeo to purchase a ticket myself before using it for my own business. The product went from easy-to-use to not-at-all-easy. The customer service department is of little help, and it put a negative spin on my experience.
Greg G., a health, wellness, and fitness company owner, gave it a five-star rating for its flexible and robust features.
Bookeo is the most flexible and robust software and an excellent value – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Simply put, I’m so pleased that I have found Bookeo. I highly recommend it. There are other software that are specifically created for the counseling industry, and I still find that Bookeo is the best value for its extensive capabilities. I could expand my business to several new locations without having to change software. I think that speaks volumes for the software’s capabilities.”
Pricing
Free Trial?
30-day free trial with no credit card required
Solo
$14.95 per month (1 user)
Small
$29.95 per month (3 users)
Standard
$39.95 per month (20 users)
Large
$79.95 per month (40 users)
Calendly
Scoring
Key Features
-
One-click shareable scheduling links
-
Customizable/pre-defined availability preferences
-
Automated multi-person scheduling
-
Accurate, real-time scheduling
-
Native integrations with over 70 apps
-
Secure data with enterprise-grade admin management
-
Real-time website scheduling for high-value customers and leads
-
Integrations with Google, Outlook, iCloud, and Microsoft Exchange
Offers a free plan
Mobile and browser apps
Automatic time zone detection
No email reminders for free plan
Calendly branding only removable on paid plans
Limited meeting analytics
Highlights
Calendly allows you to share your calendar availability and open time slots so clients can pick a convenient time for meetings, appointments, and events, eliminating time-consuming back-and-forth emails.
After scheduling a time slot, they will receive a calendar invitation, which adds the appointment to their calendars, or an email confirmation with a link to create their calendar event.
It integrates with Google, Outlook, Microsoft 365, and iCloud calendars and displays only the open time slots on your booking site, preventing double bookings. You can also block off time during work hours or between meetings and set additional rules for your availability, such as minimum notice conditions, to avoid last-minute bookings.
Calendly detects time zones for you and your invitee, so you don’t need to manually adjust your time on your device, especially when meeting people from different parts of the world.
Reviews
As a popular appointment booking software, it’s not surprising to find thousands of reviews on the App Store, Play Store, and Capterra. It has consistently good scores across three platforms, registering its highest rating of 4.9 for its iOS app from over 44,000 users.
But it’s not a perfect product, as some users have shared below.
It’s a five-star rating for iOS user dlw-whis, who likes how easy it is to set, reschedule, and confirm appointments.
iOS Review:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Since I started using this scheduling application, it has helped me to organize my working schedule and plan ahead of time for work schedules and special projects. The link makes it easier for clients to set appointments for each of the different services I provide, giving them the ability to re-schedule and/or cancel the established appointment. I like the option that as soon as the appointment is set, it sends confirmations to both parties, as well as reminders about scheduled appointments. I highly recommend this app to anyone who works with clients and wants to organize and streamline workflow efficiently.”
Android user Jim Linik had some issues setting Calendly up and wondered if a feature for setting tentative availability will be offered in the future.
Google Play Review:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Not straightforward and intuitive to set up. Need a way to say I may be available at a certain time, please click here to reserve a tentative time. I manually set it up by putting a note on Calendy, but it should be an option. Developer, is something like that possible?”
Karan P., a business development representative for a computer software company, gave it five stars for its simple user interface and time-saving features. However, she thinks the prices and limited analytics are not worth upgrading her current plan.
Capterra Review:
Cannot imagine my work routine without Calendly! – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Minimizes the hassle of setting up a conversation and has saved me a lot of time and mental bandwidth! Simple UI/UX. Been using the tool for 4+ years now. Customizable workflows are a great value add. But the pricing plans are not enticing enough to upgrade. Limited analytics offered (click-through rates, meeting frequency, day-to-day time spent, etc., can be shared with the user).”
Pricing
Free Trial?
14-day free trial of Teams Plan
Free
$0
Standard
$12 / user per month
Teams
$20 / user per month
Enterprise
Starts at $15,000 / year
SimplyBook.me
Scoring
Key Features
-
24/7 online bookings on multiple channels
-
Booking website with custom domain name, pages, and links
-
Personalized schedule reminders
-
Customized intake forms for client information gathering
-
Two-way sync with Google and Outlook calendars
-
Professional-looking email with customizable branding
-
Group and multiple bookings
-
Direct bookings from search results via Reserve with Google
-
Client and admin mobile app
Available in multiple languages
Waiting list option for fully booked days
“Make me look busy” feature when you have few bookings
SMS reminders come at an extra charge
Charging for extra features can be confusing
Issues with changing time slots
Highlights
SimplyBook.me is appointment software for small business in any industry. Its features focus on attracting new clients and nurturing existing ones while helping you manage your business more effectively.
It offers 24/7 multiple booking channels on your website, Facebook, and Instagram with a “Book Now” button. Clients can also find your business easily on Google and book an appointment via Reserve with Google.
SimplyBook.me sends personalized reminders before a client’s scheduled appointment. To avoid last-minute cancellations, clients are charged a deposit when booking. It also syncs with your personal calendar, so you can avoid double booking your time.
You can create a personalized client app through SimplyBook.me, where clients can book, view, and manage appointments and view their booking history and invoices.
Meanwhile, the admin app helps you manage your daily business activities on the go, gives you access to your most-used functions, and alerts you to new bookings, cancellations, and schedule changes.
If you’re comparing scheduling tools, consider reading our Contractor Foreman Review for more insights.
Reviews
SimplyBook.me has earned solid ratings across three review platforms, with its highest score of 4.6 achieved on Capterra from over 1,000 user reviews. See what users like and don’t like about it below.
iOS user GR Golden Eagle thinks it’s a good app, except for the request glitches when setting future appointments.
iOS Review:
Glitch – ⭐⭐⭐
This is a wonderful app, but there is a glitch setting requests for future day appointments. Allows only for same-day appointments. I asked for help, but all I had was to waste one hour of my valuable after-work time at my home. For all this hassle, we are going to cancel the subscription.”
KatNBoots 138 likes its customization features and how it can work in different countries.
Google Play Review:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I love that it’s international, customizable, and comes with free and purchasable options to expand what you offer and how you interact with clients. I recommend it to others all the time. I’ve used it for approximately a year now.”
Thomas W., a technology director of a construction company, gave it a five-star rating for its ease of use and flexibility.
Capterra Review:
Ease of use ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Easy to configure and very flexible. The CMS is easy to navigate, and the custom wording/translations are a great feature to enable the product to be adaptable to any market.”
Pricing
Free Trial?
14-day trial with no credit card required
Free
$0
Basic
$9.90 per month
Standard
$29.90 per month
Premium
$59.90 per month
Square
Scoring
Key Features
-
Free customer booking website
-
Multiple service bookings with various online providers
-
Mobile app for managing appointments on the go
-
Automated SMS and email reminders via Square Assistant
-
Waitlists for scheduling gaps
-
Google and Instagram integrations
-
Class bookings and recurring appointments
-
Google Calendar sync
-
Multiple locations and time zone synchronization
-
Integrations with Square products and other third-party apps
User-friendly interface
Free plan available
Cancellation or no-show fee
Client portal
Expensive for small businesses and independent contractors
Some core features only available in paid plans
Blocked time on the app doesn’t appear in Google Calendar
Highlights
Square Appointments is an integrated point-of-sale system with online scheduling and payment processing capabilities. It’s designed to help individuals and businesses running on appointments stay organized.
It gives you the option to show your availability (or make it appear you’re fully booked) by blocking time on the app settings. On the paid plans, you can sync Square with your Google Calendar, and any personal appointments will reflect on your Square calendar.
Every plan offers a free, customizable booking page using the Square Online website builder. Square Appointments also sends clients automated SMS and email notifications and confirmations regarding their booked appointments to reduce no-shows or allow them to reschedule.
On the Square Go mobile app, clients can check availability, book a slot, and reschedule appointments. All activities on the mobile app sync automatically to Square Appointments.
Reviews
Square Appointments has thousands of reviews on the App Store and Play Store, earning overall scores of 4.9 and 4.7, respectively. This may be because of its free-forever plan, which provides good basic features. It also has a satisfactory rating of 4.4 on Capterra from nearly 200 reviews.
It’s a four-star rating for Square from iOS user aimee.elise because of its ease of use, 24/7 availability, and ability to respond to auto-texts.
iOS Review:
New business and loving this application/service! ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I’m a new business owner in charge of my own scheduling completely and wasn’t sure what to use to book appointments. I wanted something that offered a text service to remind clients and offer a way for clients to book online if they choose (I’m a late-night shopper, so I’ve always appreciated the 24/7 aspect of doing anything online), and this app has not disappointed! My clients love the ability to click a link to add the appointment to their digital calendar, a link to set them up to GPS to my studio, and the ability for clients to respond back to the auto-texts and me being able to respond back.”
It’s not such a sweet experience for Android user Crystal Hollinsworth as she couldn’t open client profiles and reply to client texts unless she purchased a messaging add-on.
Google Play Review:
⭐⭐⭐
Continually takes away my ability to open client profiles from appointments. Clients I’ve never communicated with any other way than texting, suddenly, I can’t text them anymore. And then, it tries to push me to purchase messaging. I thought that was what we were already paying for. But no, now it’s a whole new add-on you have to purchase.”
Lisa S., director of customer development for a technology services company, likes using Square because of its time-saving, automatic reminders.
Capterra Review:
Appointment scheduling made easy! – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I absolutely love this app. I can keep track of my appointments and allow my clients to make or change an appointment. It’s so easy to use! Plus, the reminders are automatic, so I do not have to take time to send these out manually. Huge time saver!”
Pricing
Free Trial?
30-day free trial
Free
$0 / month for one location
Plus
$29 / month per location
Premium
$69 / month per location
Connecteam
Scoring
Key Features
-
Easy schedule building with auto-scheduling and templates
-
Complete visibility into employees’ availability and preferences
-
Quick schedule distribution and access via mobile app
-
Schedule synchronization with personal calendars
-
Automated reminders to avoid no-shows
-
Team mobile access for updates and chat communications
Offers a free plan
Customizable and user-friendly
Option to accept to reject shift or schedule
Can be expensive for small teams
Needs upgrades to access more features
Can be laggy and prone to freezing
Highlights
Although more popularly known as an employee management tool offering operations, communications, and HR and skills solutions, Connecteam has a scheduling feature bundled in its Operations plan.
Connecteam’s scheduler integrates with your personal Google, Outlook, and Apple calendars.
If your business offers on-call services or home visits, you can use Connecteam to schedule appointments at specific locations and include the client’s name, address, contact details, and service requests or job specifications.
Connecteam also lets you set recurring appointments or schedules to help you better manage your availability or block off time slots in advance.
For more streamlined task management, explore our recommended punch list software.
Reviews
Connecteam ranks high across three review platforms, receiving a 4.8 rating on the App Store and Capterra and a 4.7 rating on the Play Store. Still, there are reviews from unhappy customers, like the one we’ve highlighted below.
For WenM1ll, it’s an easy five-star rating because it is easy for everyone, even the non-tech-savvy ones. They’re looking forward to exploring and using more of its features.
iOS Review:
Love this app! – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I spent numerous hours trying to find something that would work for my small businesses, one being a hotel and the other being apartments, and this app is the best by far! Easy for me to use, but also easy for the employees to use whether they are tech-savvy or not. I’m super impressed with this app, and I’ve only been using it about a year. I expect to learn so much more that this app can do for me that I’m beyond excited! I can’t say enough good things about this app, and look forward to being able to expand my knowledge using this platform. I’m a tech geek, so this app is like tech porn for me.”
Android user Brett Webb gave it one star, saying it worked fine for a while. But now, there are just too many bugs and scheduling issues.
Google Play Review:
⭐
I’ve been using the app for my company for a few years, and it worked fine for a bit, but now it has constant issues. My team has reached out to customer service multiple times, and issues never get resolved. Shifts get deleted, hours change, and shifts get double booked. Customer service is incompetent. I’d look elsewhere for a scheduling app. There are too many bugs/issues.”
For Ben S., an office administrator at a non-profit, Connecteam is a comprehensive and versatile tool for managing tasks and schedules. The customer support was also quick and responsive.
Capterra Review:
Comprehensive and versatile ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
We can now keep the team connected and accountable. Staff loves the communication. Admin loves the tools available to manage the staff tasks and schedules. As new users, we’re just learning to implement the features. It is well-designed with tremendous support. The team support is incredible. Quick, thorough, and well-trained. But would like to use more features of the other blocks. Also, cost is an issue.”
Pricing
Free Trial?
14-day free trial with no credit card required
Small Business Plan
$0
Basic
$29 per month for the first 30 users
Advanced
$49 per month for the first 30 users
Expert
$99 per month for the first 30 users
Acuity Scheduling
Scoring
Key Features
-
Client self-scheduling
-
Calendar sync with Google, iCloud, Outlook, and more
-
Branded scheduling page
-
Automated appointment booking from multiple locations and time zones
-
Customized intake forms
-
Automatic appointment booking confirmations and reminders
-
Cancellation policies and terms for clients
-
Appointment packages with payment plans
-
Client payment integrations (PayPal, Stripe, and Square)
Real-time availability on scheduler
Appointment follow-ups via email or text
Coupons, subscriptions, and discounts to build customer loyalty
Blocking off times can be confusing
Hard to get customer support
Booking form could be more visually appealing
Highlights
Acuity Scheduling is online appointment scheduling software for service-based businesses. It allows clients to book and manage appointments. It offers flexible scheduling, workflow automation, and secure payment processing.
You can personalize how your clients book appointments with you. You can also block off time slots for personal time and manage recurring appointments and schedules for multiple locations and time zones.
Clients can easily reschedule or cancel appointments, and the system will send automated confirmations and reminder notifications to keep clients informed and updated.
With Acuity Scheduling, you can set a maximum daily appointment limit to avoid appointment overload. You can also limit the number of times a client books and cancels their appointments. To protect you from no-shows, you can keep a card on file you can charge for payments.
Reviews
You can find Acuity Scheduling’s highest ratings on the App Store and Captera, where it received a 4.8 score from over 26,700 iOS users and 5,000 Capterra reviewers. It also has a solid Play Store rating of 4.1 from over 4,000 reviews.
Read more about what users have to say below.
SkyyDuVwashere has been using it for years and likes its easy-to-navigate interface and payment integrations.
iOS Review:
Trust no other booking site – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Been using it for years. Easy interface to navigate. I love that you can make links private and public. The price point is everything. Easy square integration to accept payments. I love that you can collapse service offerings and display the categories you have grouped them in. The only issue I have had is that it gives you the option to set a different deposit for each service, but it glitches while trying to set up the different deposits. The ability to add coupon codes, add-ons, and offer subscription plans is genius. Acuity keeps up with your client list and it’s a great way to build an email list as well.”
Megan McNeill thinks it’s a good app, but she expressed frustration with the navigation bar, which takes up most of the screen.
Google Play Review:
⭐⭐⭐
It’s okay, but I don’t love it. There are certain features that can only be accessed via the website, and the navigation just seems like it could be more intuitive. There are simple fixes that could make it more visually comfortable when looking at the week in landscape mode. The navigation bar on top and the dates take up almost 1/3 of the screen. I have my calendar synced to Google, and I find myself switching between the two apps a lot in order to reference my schedule.”
Retail store owner Kiri G. is happy with Acuity Scheduling because of its consistency and reliability.
Capterra Review:
Reliable software ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall, I’m very happy with Acuity Scheduling. The software works consistently and reliably. It’s reassuring to know that customers are receiving the correct information and we are aware of any changes in real time. Being able to ban problem customers is essential for us. The forms allow us to create click-wrap agreements with our clients.”
Pricing
Free Trial?
7-day free trial with no credit card required
Emerging
$20 per month
Growing
$34 per month
Powerhouse
$61 per month
Enterprise
Custom pricing
Book Like a Boss
Scoring
Key Features
-
Personalized booking page with a unique web address
-
Unlimited bookings and booking pages
-
Upcoming and past bookings on dashboard
-
Client list creation from customer information in bookings
-
Custom availability, time off, and vacation settings
-
Two-way sync with Google, Microsoft, and Apple calendars
-
Booking confirmation and reminder emails
-
Integrations with popular tools and services
-
GDPR and HIPAA compliance
Available in 6+ languages
Optimized for mobile
Sync more than one calendar
Can be confusing to set up
Limited integrations
Few page design options
Highlights
Book Like A Boss is a web-based appointment booking platform for solopreneurs, businesses, and service providers. It provides booking pages you can customize to your brand.
You can add your own fonts and photos, select your brand colors, and set a custom web address to make the booking page your own.
With its unlimited booking pages for services, products, and more, Book Like A Boss allows you to accept as many bookings as you like. It also syncs appointments on multiple platforms and with your personal calendars on Google, Microsoft, Apple, and more.
When clients book a schedule, they will receive booking confirmation emails and email and text reminders for their upcoming appointments with your personalized message.
Although it doesn’t have a mobile app you and your clients can use to manage bookings on the go, your appointment booking page is optimized for mobiles, so clients can navigate and load your site with no issues.
Reviews
Book Like A Boss does not have an iOS or Android app. If you check user reviews on Capterra, you will find it has a high overall rating of 4.7 from over 300 reviews. Here’s what some users think about this appointment scheduling software.
Capterra Reviews:
Paul E., a marketing director for a marketing and advertising company, credits his five-star rating to its customizable booking pages for various purposes or packages. But the page designs currently offered are quite limited.
Book like a coach – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Great product. The company listens to feedback and feature requests. I’m a few years in, and they’ve continued to improve the product and add new features. Pros: the ability to set appointment scheduling rules so clients can book appointments or purchase coaching packages which fit your work week. Plus, you can create different booking pages for different packages or purposes. The page designs are limited, but you can always design a page in WordPress or others and then embed the booking function in the page.”
For e-learning coach Avery R., Book Like A Boss can do what other more popular appointment booking software can. But its interface could use an overhaul to make it look more modern.
Does exactly what I need it to – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I got into BLAB during their launch, so I’m grandfathered in with a good rate. BLAB does everything the more well-known scheduling platforms do. I can tweak settings to exactly how I want them. But the interface is still so old-looking. They just updated their booking interface for customers, and it is still uglier than Calendly and the like. The one thing I wish BLAB would do is hire someone who knows how to design good-looking interfaces. Also, after all these years, they still haven’t created a mobile UI for my dashboard. Weird!”
Sherri R. is the owner of a marketing and advertising business and finds the customer service team very responsive. Setting up and onboarding were also smooth.
Such a great tool! – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The team is very responsive. Usually, within 24 hours, and most of the time, within an hour or two, you will have help. The onboarding is great. Pros: ease of setup and use for my contacts. But the client side needs an overhaul. It would be great to have clients remembered instead of them being listed 19 times (for example, after 19 bookings) in the dashboard. I’m not asking for a full-blown CRM, but this is definitely what I like least.”
Pricing
Free Trial?
14-day trial with no credit card required
Freelancers
Espresso – $10 per month
Mocha – $12 per month
Cappucino – $20 per month
Latte – $30 per month
Teams
Starts at $35 per month for three users
Enterprise
Contact sales for pricing
Save time with Workyard’s drag-and-drop appointment scheduler
See how it works
ClockShark
Scoring
Key Features
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Calendar sync with Google, Outlook, Apple, and more
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Easy drag-and-drop scheduler
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Time and task tracking
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Real-time schedule notifications on mobile and email
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Job details in schedules
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Customer records in one location
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Short questionnaire after job completion or clock-outs
Who’s Working Now screen
Ease of use
Good customer support
Buggy mobile app
Strong internet connection required
Limited integrations
Highlights
ClockShark is a work scheduling app that provides time clock, calendar, and job manager features. You can use the schedules page on your ClockShark dashboard to schedule your staff for a specific job at the appointed time and date.
The drag-and-drop editor in the work calendar allows you to quickly add a new appointment or shift. Your staff will be notified automatically on their smartphones. They can view all the job details right on their device.
Any changes made will also send affected team members real-time notifications on their smartphones and emails.
ClockShark also allows you to organize clients’ contact information, notes, files, and conversations and access them from the office or the field. The app has features to streamline the setup of recurring appointments on the web dashboard and mobile app or to select people for tasks, complete with their start and end times.
Reviews
Although its App Store and Play Store ratings are only 2.9 and 3.7, respectively, ClockShare received its highest rating of 4.7 on Capterra from over 1,000 reviews.
One of the chief complaints of iOS and Android users is the app’s inconsistency and unresponsiveness.
iOS user Awesumopossum gave the app a three-star rating because of how it can be frustrating to use, especially when she must manually modify the data she enters every day.
iOS Review:
Convenient but frustrating to use – ⭐⭐⭐
I use ClockShark to enter daily time sheet info. The data I enter is consistent from day to day: time in, time out, job, and task. It takes me up to 20 screen presses to enter that info when it could be a two-screen press entry. One press to duplicate consistent info from previous days but with the current date and time filled in, and one press to confirm and submit. I don’t like being in this app and having to manually modify data that is consistent from day to day.”
Elizabeth Incitti’s three-star rating is because of the app not updating or refreshing automatically and having to force-stop the app to correct it.
Google Play Review:
⭐⭐⭐
This app does not update when you clock back in from lunch. There is a disconnect somewhere, and it has to be force-stopped to correct it. It’s a little annoying when on lunch, checking time, and it is still on break from the day before. Thank goodness it only affects the phone app and not the actual timesheet. Developers need to look into this.”
But it’s five stars for John W., an engineer for a security and investigations company. He likes ClockShark’s paperless way of tracking hours and filing overtime.
Capterra Review:
Great way to keep track of hours – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
What I like most about ClockShark is it tracks your hours down and sends them to employers and don’t need to fill out paperwork anymore for overtime. Which is far better for the planet.”
Pricing
Free Trial?
14-day free trial with no credit card required
Standard
$8 / user per month + $40 base fee per month
Pro
$8 / user per month + $60 base fee per month
Final Thoughts
Businesses have unique needs and goals, so there’s no one-size-fits-all appointment booking solution. These sophisticated booking software options may cater to most industries, but there are also specially designed, tried-and-tested software to ensure smooth day-to-day operations.
Workyard is a great option for small construction business owners looking for something to be their eyes and ears on the ground.
It allows you to build schedules for your team in only a few clicks and send it to everyone instantly. You can also track your employee activities from the time they arrive at an appointment to the time they complete their tasks.
Aside from eliminating the hassle of manual scheduling, Workyard helps ensure you stay on target with project timelines and costs while providing efficient client service.
If you want to know how Workyard can help improve your appointment and work scheduling, sign up for a free Workyard trial today!
Our Scoring System Explained
Our 8-part scoring system was created to help you understand the potential value of any software we review simply and fairly.
We created it after reviewing dozens of software products, which we covered in depth, but without providing a direct and simple way for readers to compare products on their merits – without spending a lot of time looking through our articles for the information they needed to make an informed decision.
Every app we review will include Customer Support and Company scores, which we’ll explain in more detail below. Many of the factors reviewed in this article will also be consistent across most (or all) of our software reviews, with some differences:
The 8 factors assessed and their contribution to a product’s overall score may differ slightly from product to product based on various factors, such as the use case we’re reviewing for, the type of business these products are tailored to, and other considerations. However, all reviews will feature an 8-part score, weighted and combined to calculate each product’s overall score.
How We Score Software
All factors in our reviews are scored on a 10-point scale – technically 11 points – from 0-10. However, we only give products a score of 0 if it does not include an essential feature at all, and we try to avoid giving out 0 scores if a product can demonstrate any functionality in line with the specific factor being reviewed.
In general, the 0-10 range translates as:
- 9.0 – 10 – One of the absolute best in its category (amazing).
- 7.5 – 8.9 – Very good, but with some minor issues (very good).
- 6.0 – 7.4 – Mediocre performance with notable shortcomings (average).
- 3.0 – 5.9 – This feature is not ready for prime time (borderline).
- 1.0 – 2.9 – This feature actually makes its product worse (unacceptable).
- 0 – The product doesn’t include this important feature at all.
How We Calculate Overall Scores
The 8 factors reviewed are weighted based on an overall total of 100%:
- Ease of Use: 20%
- Time Tracking Accuracy: 20%
- Scheduling Features: 15%
- Job Tracking: 15%
- Integrations: 10%
- Customer Support: 15%
- Company: 5%
Methodology for Each Factor
Ease of Use
We evaluate a product’s ease of use based on three main considerations:
- How easy is it to set up this app?
- How easy is it for managers to use the backend dashboard?
- How easy is it for frontline workers to use the (mobile) app?
These three considerations cover the main ways you and your team would use the software being reviewed – when you first obtain it, when someone (a manager, executive, team leader, or similar role) needs to use it to manage people, money, data, and other things, and when workers you’re tracking use the app (usually a mobile version of the software designed for frontline and/or field team members) to clock in, clock out, record time worked, or address other day-to-day needs.
Time Tracking Accuracy
Every minute matters when you’re trying to control payroll costs. This factor accounts for various features and common needs in time-tracking apps, such as…
- How accurate or precise is its GPS tracking capability?
- How accurate – and how customizable – is its geofencing feature?
- How accurate is its travel and mileage tracking (if available)?
- Can it automatically clock workers in and out based on the above?
- Can you set and/or restrict rules for clocking in and out?
- Can the app continue tracking workers while offline?
- How easy is its mobile app and/or kiosk for frontline workers?
Scheduling Features
Many construction businesses prefer to manage as many aspects of employee labor activity as possible in a single app, which is why many time-tracking apps also include worker scheduling as a core feature.
When we consider a product’s scheduling features, we look at:
- Its dashboard customizability (daily, weekly, or monthly views).
- Its project-based scheduling and visibility.
- Its real-time updates and notifications for workers.
- Its real-time map views of worker locations for best-fit scheduling.
- Its recurring schedule (copies to subsequent weeks, etc.) functionality.
Job Tracking
This factor helps you understand if the software can also provide insight into specific projects, which is particularly handy when your business deals with many customers or clients who generally need shorter-term work. Effective job tracking typically also includes accurate job costing functionality for construction companies.
We assess several things when calculating a product’s job tracking score:
- Its project-based tracking for multiple projects per day/week/etc.
- Its ability to track multiple / many projects simultaneously.
- Its use of (and your ability to customize) construction cost codes.
- Any built-in job costing views.
- Any integrations for cost coding (QuickBooks etc.)
Integrations
No business can operate on a single app, which is why integrations with other apps and tools are such important aspects of modern business software.
To calculate a product’s integration score, we’ll examine:
- How many native integrations (the simplest connection) does it offer?
- How effective and easy-to-use are its integrations with payroll software?
- Does it have robust data import and export features?
Customer Support
Learning how to use a new app can be frustrating, even if it’s meant to be the most user-friendly app around. That’s why great customer support is so essential when considering which time-tracking app to use.
Customer support scores are calculated based on:
- Live support channels available (phone, email, chat, etc.).
- Live support hours (business hours only, 24/7, etc.).
- The strength of the product’s online help center and/or FAQs.
- What other users say about support in online reviews.
Company
A great company with a highly customer-friendly approach can often make up for shortcomings in their software products – at least up to a point.
When assessing this score, we’ll examine:
- Transparency (easy-to-find pricing, etc.)
- Trial period (duration, feature availability, credit card requirements, etc.).
- Subscription flexibility (contracts, required durations, etc.).
- Ease of cancellation or pausing subscriptions.
- Customer perceptions (online product reviews).
- Website (a minor consideration, but great companies tend to have great websites).
Any questions about our scoring system? Have any suggestions on how we could make it even better? Click here to send us your feedback – we’d love to hear from you!
Appointment scheduling software, also known as appointment booking software or online booking software, allows businesses and professionals to manage and organize appointments and bookings.
It helps companies attract and retain customers by providing a convenient booking experience while improving efficiency through automated reminders and conflict detection features.
The key features include:
- Online availability 24/7 for clients to book appointments
- Integration with customer relationship management (CRM) systems
- Ability to monitor booking statistics
- Schedule access control
- Accepting online payments
- Automated reminders and notifications via email/SMS
- Booking of meeting rooms or equipment
Here’s a summary of the top free appointment scheduling software options for small businesses:
- Leadmonk – A mobile-first scheduling platform offering flexible booking options, automated reminders, and promotional landing pages. It allows customers to book appointments using their mobile number or email address without back-and-forth communication.
- Calendly – A popular appointment scheduling app that allows clients to book meetings directly on your calendar. It offers automated event scheduling, calendar integrations, and payment processing.
- YouCanBookMe – A free scheduling software that helps small businesses reduce scheduling conflicts, send automated appointment reminders, and accept online payments. It integrates with various calendars and has a user-friendly interface.
- Setmore – A free appointment scheduling software enabling online booking, calendar syncing, and automated reminders. It caters to various industries and has a mobile app for on-the-go management.
- SimplyBook.me – A global appointment scheduling solution that supports bookings in 14 languages. It offers features like online payments, customizable booking pages, and integrations with social media platforms.
- Doodle – A free scheduling tool that helps coordinate meeting times with multiple people. It allows users to create polls to find the best time for everyone.
- CalendarHero – A free scheduling app that provides features like automated scheduling, calendar syncing, and video conferencing integrations
Essential features of appointment software for small business include:
- User-friendly interface: An intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface allows staff and customers to manage appointments efficiently without extensive training.
- Online booking capability: Customers should be able to book appointments 24/7 through the business’s website or a dedicated booking portal, eliminating the need for phone calls or in-person bookings. This improves convenience and frees up staff time.
- Automated reminders and notifications: The software should automatically send timely reminders and notifications to customers and staff about upcoming appointments, reducing no-shows and keeping everyone organized.
- Calendar integration and synchronization: The software should seamlessly integrate with existing calendar systems, allowing staff to view and manage appointments alongside other commitments. This improves productivity and reduces scheduling conflicts.
- Customizable appointment settings: It should also offer flexibility to define time slots, durations, and booking rules to meet the business’s unique needs. This enables personalized and efficient service.
- Customer database and contact management: It should centralize customer information, enabling personalized service, automated communication, and improved customer relationships.
- Reporting and analytics: The software should provide detailed reports and insights into appointment trends, customer behavior, and business performance, allowing data-driven decision-making.
- Integration with other business tools: The software should integrate with different tools, such as CRM, email marketing, and payment gateways, to streamline operations and create a unified workflow.
- Mobile accessibility: The software should offer a mobile app or mobile-responsive interface, allowing staff to manage appointments on the go. This is especially important for mobile service businesses.
Appointment software simplifies scheduling, reduces administrative tasks, and improves customer service. With automated reminders, self-service booking, and real-time availability updates, you’ll spend less time on back-and-forth communications. Some tools also offer features like online payments, analytics, and customer management, making it easier to track performance and grow your business.
Free appointment software can work well for small businesses with basic scheduling needs. Tools like Calendly and Setmore offer free plans with essential features such as online booking and automated notifications. However, free versions may lack advanced capabilities like payment processing or team management, which could be vital as your business grows.
Yes, appointment software can significantly reduce no-shows by sending automated reminders via email or SMS. Some tools allow clients to reschedule easily, reducing last-minute cancellations. Features like upfront payments or no-show penalties also encourage customers to honor their appointments, improving your overall attendance rate.
