Key Takeaways
- Acuity Scheduling has three paid plans: Starter at $16/month, Standard at $27/month, and Premium at $49/month (all billed annually)
- There is no free plan: only a 7-day trial
- Once you add video conferencing, AI notes, and a CRM, the true cost reaches $91 to $161/month
- meetergo includes video, CRM, and AI transcription from €0/month with EU/GDPR-compliant hosting
Acuity Scheduling pricing advertises three affordable-looking plans, but the sticker price hides a stack of mandatory add-ons most service businesses end up buying. This breakdown covers every plan, every hidden cost, and when meetergo is the smarter total-cost choice.
How Much Does Acuity Scheduling Cost?
Acuity Scheduling (owned by Squarespace since 2019) offers three paid tiers and a custom Enterprise option. Pricing is flat-rate, not per user, and calendar count is the main differentiator between plans. Annual billing is roughly 20% cheaper than month-to-month. There is no free plan; a 7-day trial is available on all paid tiers.
See Acuity's pricing page for current rates.
| Plan | Annual Price | Monthly Price | Calendars | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Starter | $16/month | $20/month | 1 | Solo practitioners |
PlanStarter Annual Price$16/month Monthly Price$20/month Calendars1 Best ForSolo practitioners | ||||
Standard | $27/month | $34/month | 6 | Small teams, coaches |
PlanStandard Annual Price$27/month Monthly Price$34/month Calendars6 Best ForSmall teams, coaches | ||||
Premium | $49/month | $61/month | 36 | Healthcare (HIPAA), large teams |
PlanPremium Annual Price$49/month Monthly Price$61/month Calendars36 Best ForHealthcare (HIPAA), large teams | ||||
Enterprise | Custom | Custom | 100+ | Large organizations |
PlanEnterprise Annual PriceCustom Monthly PriceCustom Calendars100+ Best ForLarge organizations | ||||
The Starter plan covers the basics for a solo operator. The gap between Starter and Standard is mainly SMS reminders and the ability to remove Acuity branding. Premium unlocks HIPAA compliance, which matters for healthcare providers but adds cost to everyone else who doesn't need it.
meetergo: A More Complete Alternative
For businesses outside the US, or any team that needs video, CRM, and AI in one tool, meetergo's online appointment scheduling is worth checking before committing to Acuity.
- Free plan available, no credit card needed
- Built-in video conferencing at no extra cost
- Servers in Frankfurt, Germany. ISO 27001 certified, GDPR-compliant by default
| Acuity Starter | meetergo Basic | |
|---|---|---|
Monthly cost | $16 | €0 |
Monthly cost Acuity Starter$16 meetergo Basic€0 | ||
Built-in video | No (Zoom: +$13/mo) | Yes |
Built-in video Acuity StarterNo (Zoom: +$13/mo) meetergo BasicYes | ||
GDPR / EU servers | No | Yes (Frankfurt) |
GDPR / EU servers Acuity StarterNo meetergo BasicYes (Frankfurt) | ||
AI transcription | No (+$17/mo) | Yes (free) |
AI transcription Acuity StarterNo (+$17/mo) meetergo BasicYes (free) | ||
Try meetergo free: Free plan includes video, AI transcription, and GDPR-compliant EU hosting. No credit card required.
Acuity Scheduling Pricing Plans Explained
Starter Plan: $16/month (annual)
The Starter plan gives you one calendar, unlimited appointment types, and access to Acuity's intake forms and payment collection via Stripe, Square, or PayPal. It's a workable setup for a solo freelancer or consultant who books one-on-one sessions.
What's missing: SMS reminders are not included. You can't sell packages or memberships. The "Powered by Acuity Scheduling" branding appears on your booking page. If any of those matter to your business, you'll need Standard.
Standard Plan: $27/month (annual)
Standard adds SMS text reminders, the ability to sell packages and memberships, group scheduling, and branding removal. It supports up to six calendars, which covers most small teams.
This is the most popular tier for coaching practices, personal trainers, and multi-staff salons. The jump from $16 to $27 is worthwhile if you rely on SMS to reduce no-shows or if you need to sell session bundles.
Premium Plan: $49/month (annual)
Premium is primarily positioned for healthcare providers who need HIPAA compliance. It includes a Business Associate Agreement (BAA), up to 36 calendars, custom API access, custom CSS, white-label options, and multi-timezone support.
One genuine weakness at this tier: API access is gated behind the most expensive plan. If you want to build custom integrations on a tighter budget, that's a hard constraint. meetergo's teams plan exposes API access at lower price points.
Enterprise Plan
Enterprise pricing is custom-quoted. It supports 100+ calendars and adds a dedicated account manager. This tier suits large healthcare networks or franchise businesses with high booking volume.
Hidden Costs of Acuity Scheduling
The plan price is only the starting point. Most teams that use Acuity end up paying for at least two or three additional tools.
Video Conferencing: +$13 to $17/month
Acuity doesn't include video natively. It integrates with Zoom and Google Meet, but you pay for those separately. Zoom Pro runs $13.33 to $16.99/month depending on your billing cycle (see Zoom Pro pricing).
meetergo connect is built in. There's no separate subscription, no third-party account to manage. For EU businesses already worried about GDPR data transfers with Zoom, this gap matters.
AI Meeting Notes: +$17 to $19/month
Acuity records nothing and transcribes nothing. If you want AI-generated meeting notes or summaries, you're adding Otter.ai at $16.99/month (see Otter.ai's pricing) or Fireflies.ai at roughly $18/month.
meetergo Log handles transcription locally. It's included in paid plans at no extra cost, and the data stays in the EU.
CRM: +$15 to $50/month
Acuity stores client profiles and appointment history. That's useful for looking up a client, but it's not a sales CRM. There's no pipeline view, no deal tracking, no lead scoring.
Teams that use scheduling as part of a sales workflow typically bolt on HubSpot Starter at $20/month (see HubSpot's pricing) or a comparable tool. meetergo's built-in sales CRM covers this without an extra subscription.
API Access: Premium Plan Only
Custom integrations require the $49/month Premium plan. If you're on Starter or Standard and need to connect a custom workflow or internal tool, you're either upgrading or using workarounds through Zapier.
The Real Cost of Acuity Scheduling
Add up the tools most teams actually use and the monthly number changes quickly.
| Tool | Solo Starter | Growing Practice | Full Stack |
|---|---|---|---|
Acuity plan | $16 | $27 | $49 |
ToolAcuity plan Solo Starter$16 Growing Practice$27 Full Stack$49 | |||
Zoom Pro | $13.33 | $13.33 | $13.33 |
ToolZoom Pro Solo Starter$13.33 Growing Practice$13.33 Full Stack$13.33 | |||
AI Notes (Otter.ai) | N/A | $16.99 | $16.99 |
ToolAI Notes (Otter.ai) Solo StarterN/A Growing Practice$16.99 Full Stack$16.99 | |||
CRM (HubSpot) | N/A | N/A | $20 |
ToolCRM (HubSpot) Solo StarterN/A Growing PracticeN/A Full Stack$20 | |||
Total / month | ~$29 | ~$57 | ~$99 |
ToolTotal / month Solo Starter~$29 Growing Practice~$57 Full Stack~$99 | |||
A solo practitioner who needs video ends up spending nearly double the advertised price. A growing practice with video and AI notes crosses $57/month. A full-stack setup with CRM reaches $99/month or more.
Acuity Scheduling Pros and Cons
Where Acuity Shines
- Mature, reliable platform: over 15 million appointments booked per month per Acuity's own figures
- Strong verticalization for service businesses: salons, fitness studios, healthcare
- HIPAA compliance on Premium with a proper BAA
- Native Squarespace integration is frictionless for users already on that platform
- Flat-rate pricing makes costs predictable for multi-staff service teams (corroborated across G2 reviews)
Where It Falls Short
- No free plan: G2 reviewers cite this regularly as a barrier to entry
- No built-in video: every meeting requires a separate Zoom or Meet account
- No native CRM or sales pipeline
- US-based hosting creates GDPR compliance liability for EU businesses handling client data
GDPR note: If your clients are based in Germany, France, or anywhere else in the EU, Acuity's US servers create a data residency problem you can't solve with a Terms of Service update. You need a processor with EU infrastructure or a Data Processing Agreement with verified EU hosting.
Who Is Acuity Scheduling Best For?
Acuity is a strong fit for US-based service businesses that book appointments in-person or by phone and already use Squarespace for their website. Healthcare providers who need HIPAA compliance get genuine value from the Premium plan. Salons, spas, fitness studios, and multi-staff practices benefit from the flat-rate calendar pricing.
It's a poor fit for EU businesses with data residency obligations. It's also a poor fit for B2B sales teams who need scheduling as part of a CRM workflow, or any team that wants video, AI transcription, and scheduling in a single tool without layering on subscriptions.
meetergo vs Acuity Scheduling: Full Feature Comparison
| Feature | Acuity Scheduling | meetergo |
|---|---|---|
Free plan | No (7-day trial) | Yes (Basic, forever) |
FeatureFree plan Acuity SchedulingNo (7-day trial) meetergoYes (Basic, forever) | ||
Paid plans from | $16/month | €7/month |
FeaturePaid plans from Acuity Scheduling$16/month meetergo€7/month | ||
Built-in video | No | Yes |
FeatureBuilt-in video Acuity SchedulingNo meetergoYes | ||
AI transcription | No | Yes (meetergo Log) |
FeatureAI transcription Acuity SchedulingNo meetergoYes (meetergo Log) | ||
Built-in CRM | No | Yes |
FeatureBuilt-in CRM Acuity SchedulingNo meetergoYes | ||
HIPAA compliance | Premium only | Contact meetergo |
FeatureHIPAA compliance Acuity SchedulingPremium only meetergoContact meetergo | ||
GDPR / EU hosting | No | Yes (Frankfurt) |
FeatureGDPR / EU hosting Acuity SchedulingNo meetergoYes (Frankfurt) | ||
API access | Premium only | Lower-tier plans |
FeatureAPI access Acuity SchedulingPremium only meetergoLower-tier plans | ||
Round-robin scheduling | Yes | Yes |
FeatureRound-robin scheduling Acuity SchedulingYes meetergoYes | ||
Collective scheduling | Yes | Yes |
FeatureCollective scheduling Acuity SchedulingYes meetergoYes | ||
E-signatures | No | Yes |
FeatureE-signatures Acuity SchedulingNo meetergoYes | ||
AI booking assistant | No | Yes (Calgent) |
FeatureAI booking assistant Acuity SchedulingNo meetergoYes (Calgent) | ||
Workflows / automation | Limited | Yes |
FeatureWorkflows / automation Acuity SchedulingLimited meetergoYes | ||
Squarespace integration | Native | Third-party |
FeatureSquarespace integration Acuity SchedulingNative meetergoThird-party | ||
The main honest limitation on meetergo's side: the Squarespace ecosystem. Acuity's native Squarespace widget is polished and well-documented. If your entire website runs on Squarespace and that integration matters, Acuity has the edge there.
meetergo Basic is free forever. Essentials starts at €7/month (yearly), Growth at €13/month per user, Teams at €25/month per user, with a 7-day trial on all paid plans.
meetergo's round-robin scheduling, collective meetings, workflow automation, e-signatures, and AI booking agent Calgent are all available without the feature fragmentation Acuity requires at higher plan tiers.
Other Acuity Alternatives Worth Considering
If neither Acuity nor meetergo fits your needs, three other tools are worth a look. For a broader list, see our guide to Acuity Scheduling alternatives.
Cal.com
Cal.com is open source and self-hostable, which makes it popular with engineering teams and privacy-focused organizations. The hosted version has a free tier and paid plans. The trade-off is that setup requires more technical involvement than Acuity or meetergo, and the self-hosted path means you own your own infrastructure and maintenance.
Pros: Open source, highly customizable, active community
Cons: Setup overhead, self-hosted version requires technical resources
For EU teams exploring open-source scheduling, see our Cal.com alternatives comparison.
SimplyBook.me
SimplyBook.me targets service businesses with a broad feature set including loyalty programs, point-of-sale, and a marketplace listing. EU hosting is available. It has a free plan with limited bookings per month.
Pros: Deep service-business features, EU data options available, free tier
Cons: Interface complexity, feature breadth can create a steep learning curve
Teams considering SimplyBook.me for EU compliance should review our SimplyBook.me GDPR alternative guide.
Setmore
Setmore offers a free plan for up to four staff and covers basic appointment scheduling, automated reminders, and Zoom integration. It's a solid option for small teams with tight budgets who don't need advanced features.
Pros: Free plan, simple interface, good for small teams on a tight budget
Cons: Limited automation, no built-in video (Zoom integration required), thinner CRM capabilities
How to Choose the Right Scheduling Tool
Are you primarily a service business or a B2B sales team?
Service businesses booking in-person appointments (healthcare, fitness, beauty) are Acuity's core use case. The calendar-based flat-rate pricing fits multi-staff service models well. B2B sales teams that need scheduling to trigger pipeline actions, log calls, and move deals forward need a CRM-adjacent tool. Acuity isn't that. meetergo's sales CRM integration and individual scheduling features are built for this workflow.
Do you have EU clients or EU data obligations?
If you process appointment data for EU residents, GDPR applies regardless of where your business is based. Acuity stores data on US servers, which creates a compliance obligation you'd need to address separately. meetergo runs on ISO 27001-certified servers in Frankfurt and is built to GDPR requirements. For a deeper look, see our guide to GDPR compliance strategies. If yes to EU data obligations, Acuity is a compliance risk and meetergo is the lower-friction path.
Do you need video, CRM, or AI, or only scheduling?
If you need scheduling only and you're US-based, Acuity's Starter plan at $16/month is a reasonable tool. If you need any combination of video, transcription, or CRM, the cost math shifts fast. meetergo's free Basic plan includes video and AI transcription without any add-on subscriptions. If you need all three, meetergo's Growth plan at €13/month per user is considerably cheaper than stacking Acuity plus Zoom plus Otter.ai.
Everything Calendly does — plus video, CRM, and GDPR.
Everything Calendly does — plus video, CRM, and GDPR.
Verdict: Is Acuity Scheduling Worth the Price?
For US-based service businesses with a Squarespace website, Acuity is a mature and reliable choice. The flat-rate pricing works well for salons or fitness studios with several staff, and HIPAA compliance on Premium is legitimate.
For anyone else, the math breaks down. The $16 entry price requires a Zoom subscription almost immediately, and teams that need AI notes or CRM functionality cross $60 to $99/month before long. meetergo covers those use cases in one plan, at a lower total cost, with EU data hosting included.
Try meetergo free. No credit card needed. Free plan includes video, AI transcription, and GDPR-compliant hosting in Frankfurt.
FAQ
Does Acuity Scheduling have a free plan?
No. Acuity doesn't offer a permanent free plan. You can start a 7-day free trial on any paid plan, and the trial requires no credit card. After seven days, you must subscribe or lose access. If you need a free scheduling tool, meetergo's Basic plan is free indefinitely.
What is the cheapest Acuity Scheduling plan?
The Starter plan at $16/month (billed annually) is the cheapest paid option. Billed monthly, it costs $20/month. It includes one calendar and basic scheduling features, but lacks SMS reminders, packages, and branding removal.
Is Acuity Scheduling HIPAA compliant?
Yes, but only on the Premium plan at $49/month (annual). HIPAA compliance on Premium includes a Business Associate Agreement (BAA). The Starter and Standard plans are not HIPAA-compliant.
How does Acuity Scheduling compare to meetergo?
Acuity is stronger for US-based service businesses on Squarespace and for healthcare teams that need HIPAA compliance. meetergo covers more of the stack in one tool: built-in video via meetergo connect, AI transcription via meetergo Log, a built-in CRM, and EU/GDPR-compliant hosting in Frankfurt. meetergo's Basic plan is also free, while Acuity has no free tier.
Can I switch from Acuity to meetergo?
Yes. meetergo's online appointment scheduling supports the same core workflows: booking pages, availability rules, intake forms, and payment collection. You can set up meetergo on the free Basic plan to test it before canceling Acuity. Data migration for existing client records would need to be done manually or via API.
Is Acuity Scheduling worth it in 2026?
For a solo US-based practitioner who needs one calendar and books through Squarespace, the Starter plan at $16/month is a fair deal. For anyone who needs video, AI transcription, or a CRM, the add-on costs make Acuity expensive relative to alternatives. At $29 to $99/month once add-ons are included, meetergo's Growth plan at €13/month per user covers the same ground at a fraction of the total cost.
