Happy Valley

SimplyBook.me vs TidyCal

SimplyBook.me and TidyCal are both scheduling & calendar tools. SimplyBook.me is aimed at small businesses and freelancers, while TidyCal is aimed at freelancers. Both have a free plan.

SimplyBook.me

Online booking system with payments and POS for service businesses

TidyCal

Lifetime-deal scheduling from AppSumo

PricingFreemiumFreemium · $12
Starting priceNot published$12/mo
Free planYesYes
Free trial14 days—
Built forSmall businesses, FreelancersFreelancers
Platformsweb, ios, androidweb
CountryCY · 2009US · 2021
Rating——

Choose SimplyBook.me if

Small and mid-sized appointment-based service businesses that want booking, payments, memberships and light POS in one tool.

  • Very broad feature set for a booking tool at this price
  • Free plan is permanent, not just a trial
  • Payments, POS and memberships remove the need for separate tools

Look elsewhere if: Knowledge workers who only need a meeting link or solo users who want the simplest setup (Calendly, Acuity Scheduling).

Choose TidyCal if

Freelancers wanting cheap scheduling.

  • Free plan or pay once
  • Simple
  • Paid bookings included

Look elsewhere if: Teams needing routing.

SimplyBook.me vs TidyCal pricing

SimplyBook.me

  • Free€050 bookings/mo, 1 provider, 1 custom feature
  • Basic€13.9/mo€11.9/mo billed annually; 100 bookings, 5 providers
  • Standard€29.9/mo€24.9/mo billed annually; 500 bookings, 15 providers
  • Premium€59.9/mo€49.9/mo billed annually; 2,000 bookings, 30 providers
  • EnterpriseCustomCustom booking volume and providers; contact sales

TidyCal

  • Free$0Unlimited bookings and booking types
  • Individual Lifetime$29/one-timeVia AppSumo; Zoom/Meet links, 10 calendar connections
  • Agency Lifetime$79/one-timeVia AppSumo; round robin, team features
  • Pro$12/mo$99/yr ($8.25/mo billed annually); all features

SimplyBook.me · Key features

  • Mobile-optimised booking website plus embeddable widget for your own site
  • Multi-provider and multi-location calendars with service-level rules
  • Online payments via Stripe, PayPal, Square, Apple Pay and Google Pay
  • Point-of-sale module with Tap to Pay, QR codes and payment links
  • Booking through Google, Facebook, Instagram and a branded client app
  • Packages, memberships, gift cards, coupons and loyalty as add-on features

Cons

  • Admin panel is cluttered and has a learning curve
  • Monthly booking caps force upgrades for busy businesses
  • SMS credits, custom domain and SMS gateway cost extra

TidyCal · Key features

  • Booking pages
  • Calendar sync
  • Paid bookings
  • Group events
  • Reminders
  • Free plan plus lifetime deals

Cons

  • Limited team features
  • Fewer integrations
  • Basic customization

SimplyBook.me vs TidyCal: FAQ

Do SimplyBook.me and TidyCal have a free plan?

Yes, both SimplyBook.me and TidyCal have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.

Which is better for small businesses, SimplyBook.me or TidyCal?

SimplyBook.me lists small businesses as a core audience, while TidyCal is aimed more at freelancers.

Not sure yet?