10 Best Scheduling Software for Service Business
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Are you looking for scheduling software for service business to boost your company’s profits and automate the core processes? If so, our selection of the 10 best scheduling solutions will help you pick the one that meets your needs. Besides, working with any of these apps will make routine tasks less stressful and time-consuming. With them, you’ll be able to easily concentrate on your job, effectively manage appointments without planning everything manually, and get the best result from your business and employees.
Here are our top 3 scheduling apps we’d like to recommend right away before starting our overview:
| Name | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Appointment Booking | from $79/year | 4.5 |
| Acuity Scheduling | from $16/mo | 4.8 |
| Setmore | free or from $5/user/mo | 4.6 |
What is Scheduling Software?
To better understand how the scheduling software for service business can help you, we need to find out more about it first. An online scheduling app is a solution that allows your clients to book services or appointments with you and your employees by filling out a form located on your website. As a business owner, you get access to advanced appointment scheduling tools that help with appointment management and the services your business provides. Appointments can be easily rescheduled without manually contacting your client. Besides, there are other great features the scheduling software for small business has:
- Appointment calendar;
- Email & text message reminders;
- Support of online payment gateways;
- Coupons & discount codes;
- Multiple location support;
- Employee profiles.
Such software may be available as an app that’s manually installed on your device (PC or mobile) as well as be available solely online. Additionally, numerous WordPress plugins provide scheduling functionality and can integrate their features into your existing website. Most of these solutions are available via a subscription fee. They may be premium-only apps with a free trial option or a free version that can be downloaded and installed without extra payments.
Top 10 Scheduling Software for Small Business
As you see, service scheduling software for small business can be quite varied but perfectly deal with all appointment management and planning tasks. Whether WordPress plugins or software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions, these apps are a great way to manage your appointment and schedule services. Due to their flexibility and ease of use, the best scheduling software for service business doesn’t require you always to access a separately installed app. For example, it can be accessed via a tab in your browser. Moreover, some apps provide various third-party integrations and mobile solutions to help you manage your appointments on the go.
Appointment Booking
We begin our overview of scheduling software for service business with the Appointment Booking plugin by MotoPress.
Additionally, this tool has a free version that provides the essential functionality necessary for any small business. One of the best features is probably the library of appointment designs powered by this scheduling plugin to get you started easily.
Furthermore, if you want to build a schedule of events or workshops, such as a yoga club lessons, and present them in the calendar or list format, you can use another suitable plugin, WordPress events calendar from the same provider, bundling it with Appointment Booking.
Key features:
- Step-by-step booking wizard;
- Flexible schedules for employees;
- Multiple booking services;
- Group bookings for businesses like yoga classes or tours;
- Booking status notifications;
- Many pre-made designs: Lawyer WordPress theme, Online courses WP theme, and more;
- Support for many payment gateways, including Stripe and Square;
- Google Analytics & WooCommerce Payments paid add-ons.
| Name | Developer | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointment Booking | MotoPress | from $79/year | 4.5 |
Calendly
Calendly is the best scheduling software for service business that provides diverse appointment management options. Whether you are a service industry professional or looking for something to get started with, this app can be a perfect first step into the world of automated scheduling. Thanks to its flexible pricing options including both free and paid plans, Calendly allows anyone to choose the right option for their business. With team-based scheduling and multiple integrations, this scheduling software service industry app can help your company thrive and deliver services at the right time.
Key features:
- Diverse bookable events;
- Multiple calendars for scheduling;
- Mobile app & browser extension;
- Support of numerous integrations;
- Powerful analytics system.
| Name | Developer | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calendly | Calendly | free or from $10/seat/mo | 4.7 |
Acuity Scheduling
Acuity Scheduling is arguably one of the most known options for scheduling software for service business. A perfect choice for fitness studios, beauty salons, and any service-based company, this app provides simple, efficient, and automated appointment scheduling tools. With a self-scheduling option for clients and easy-to-configure confirmations, you can provide your regular and first-time customers with a reliable way of ordering services on your website.
Key features:
- Unlimited appointments & services;
- Confirmation & reminder e-mails;
- Online payment gateway support (Stripe, Square, and PayPal);
- Automatic time zone conversion;
- Optional tipping.
| Name | Developer | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acuity Scheduling | Squarespace | from $16/mo | 4.8 |
Square Appointments
Another widely known solution and highly-rated service scheduling software is Square Appointments. It offers a range of useful advantages alongside unique features designed for service providers. As a result, this solution empowers you and your employees with top-notch scheduling software for cleaning business. Besides, you get to design a dedicated booking website without hiring a web developer. This alone provides you with a powerful way of connecting with your customers, making Square Appointments a preferable choice for any service-oriented business
Key features:
- Free online booking website;
- Customizable & automated SMS and e-mail reminders;
- Point-of-sale system;
- Customer profiles for simplified client management;
- Multiple integrations (Wix, JotForm, QuickBooks).
| Name | Developer | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square Appointments | Block, Inc. | free or from $29/mo | 4.4 |
Thryv
Next on our list of scheduling software for service business is Thryv. It is a complete solution for small businesses with tools for not just booking & appointment management. It also helps with customer & employee communication, online marketing, and invoices. Scheduling functionality is a part of its Business Center package. It is great for creating and managing your team’s schedules with shared online calendars and collaboration support. Moreover, there are numerous options for engaging your customers and simplifying the service booking process for them.
Key features:
- Easy-to-manage calendar and appointments;
- Fully secure client portal;
- Access to local online listings;
- Estimates, invoices, and payment processing;
- Integrated CRM system.
| Name | Developer | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thryv | Thryv, Inc. | from $228/mo | 4.2 |
Setmore
Setmore is the right choice if you are looking for a free yet flexible and well-optimized scheduling software for service technicians. Like many popular solutions, it is aimed at improving and automating the booking process for your customers and managing related aspects of your business. With free scheduling apps available for Android and iOS, you can control all your bookings just by using your smartphone. While the essentials of Setmore are free to use, you can always upgrade later when your business needs to grow and get more tasks done at once.
Key features:
- Flexible booking form & page;
- Recurring appointment support;
- Review showcase option;
- Automatic appointment confirmations & reminders;
- Secure online payments.
| Name | Developer | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setmore | Setmore Appointments | free or from $5/user/mo | 4.6 |
SimplyBook.me
As a multipurpose booking management tool and scheduling software for service business, SimplyBook.me is worth trying out. It is a flexible and easy-to-use solution that allows for diverse integration with third-party services as well as support of secure payments & tipping. Moreover, you can accept bookings via your social pages and connect them to your SimplyBook.me account or the included website.
Key features:
- Simple & secure payments via payment gateways (Stripe, PayPal, Mollie);
- Powerful business management app;
- Personalized communication via SMS & e-mail;
- Integrated website builder with pre-made templates;
- Dedicated API & support of third-party platforms.
| Name | Developer | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| SimplyBook.me | SimplyBook.me Ltd. | free or from €8.25/mo | 4.6 |
Trafft
If you’re looking for a comprehensive yet easy-to-use solution in terms of booking management, Trafft may be the right choice. This service scheduling software for small business comes with a wide selection of advantages and features to help you power up your business. From an integrated form builder to customer profiles and shareable appointments, the app has a lot to offer. No wonder that Trafft is often the #1 choice for small businesses, especially due to its flexible pricing plans.
Key features:
- Embeddable & customizable booking form;
- Automatic time zone detection;
- Built-in chatbot;
- Multiple languages supported;
- Dashboard with detailed analytics.
| Name | Developer | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trafft | Trafft | free or from $23.2/mo | 5.0 |
Appointy
Appointy is a simple and effective scheduling software for service business built to help you convert website visitors into customers. With built-in email marketing & communication tools, this solution provides a way to advertise your services and consult customers without referring to any costly third-party apps. As with any professionally designed booking solution, Appointy helps not only manage bookings. It also reduces no-shows by enabling deposit payments and email reminders. Besides, it can be your best scheduling software for cleaning business.
Key features:
- Unlimited services & appointments;
- Automated reminders;
- Easy to integrate with your website;
- Zapier integration;
- Separate accounts for you and your employees.
| Name | Developer | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointy | Appointy | free or from $19.99/mo | 4.6 |
Google Calendar
This list wouldn’t be complete without one of the most common scheduling solutions – Google Calendar. As a popular scheduling software for service business, it comes loaded with various features for improved planning and easier time management. Often used for internal business scheduling, Google Calendar provides a booking page for appointments that can be shared with your potential customers. This allows you to get started with service scheduling right away using a friendly design and UI especially if you have never used other planning apps before.
Key features:
- Easy appointment scheduling;
- Efficient task management for business owners and employees;
- Customizable working location & hours;
- One-click sync with other calendar platforms;
- Group calendar support.
| Name | Developer | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Calendar | from $5.40 | 4.8 |
Conclusion: How to Choose Service Scheduling Software?
We hope this overview of popular & top-rated service scheduling software provided you with a better understanding of how to find the one that fits your business. Regardless of what you choose, bear in mind that such solutions not only need to be easy to use and flexible. They also need to fit other criteria to make sure your first-time clients will become regulars:
- Easy & straightforward booking procedure: No one needs an overcomplicated booking since it decreases your chances of converting your visitors into guaranteed clients. That’s why having a simple yet informative and well-designed booking form is the first step to success;
- Payments: Whether it’s on-site or online payments, having an efficient and secure system of accepting them and tracking your clients’ transactions can help you create a trustworthy relationship with your customers.
- Responsiveness: Since most users tend to browse websites using smartphones and other mobile gadgets, it is necessary to have a flexible and mobile-ready way of presenting your booking forms to customers. This is true for every part of your website, too.
- Analytics: For any service business owner, it is important to track the success of their bookings. Luckily, all modern solutions allow you to do it without referring to third-party tools. Besides, some scheduling apps even support integrations with renowned analytical tools like Google Analytics.
