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Picktime® vs Acuity Scheduling: Which Fits Your Scheduling Needs?

Picktime vs Acuity Scheduling comes down to what your business needs to book. Picktime’s scheduling software is free with no end date, covering rooms, equipment, and classes. Acuity charges by calendar, with no free plan. The real difference shows after the trial.

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At a glance

The first difference appears when the trial ends, and it is not the last.

Picktime and Acuity Scheduling compared on free plans, the unit of pricing, resources, waitlists, locations, branding, phone answering and payments
 PicktimeAcuity
Free with no end dateFree forever, no card requiredNo free plan. Start with a seven-day trial
What your plan charges forPlans are based on team members, with different limits for resources, locations, and classes.Starter gets 1. Standard gets 6. Premium gets 36.
Rooms and equipment are bookable resources, with no overlapping bookings.Yes, Independent or Staff-AssignedAcuity can reserve a room or resource and block conflicting bookings.
What Happens When a Booked Spot Opens Up?Picktime Pro supports waitlists that can automatically fill available class spots when a booking is canceled.Acuity’s Standard and Premium plans notify waitlisted customers when appointment slots become available.
Multiple locations, each with its own hoursManage two locations on Free and unlimited locations on Pro, with staff availability and bookings organized in one scheduling platform.Manages multiple locations, each with its own hours. Standard: 6 calendars. Premium: 36.
Booking page brandingRemove Picktime branding on paid plans (Starter or Pro)Hide its logo on Premium, at $49/month billed annually.
An AI receptionist that turns calls into bookingsYes, available 24/7Not listed
A room display that shows when it’s availableYes, Picktime Rooms shows whether the room is free.Not listed
Accept Online Payments Without UpgradingPayPal on Free, with Stripe and Square on paid plans.Accept Stripe, Square, PayPal, and Venmo on Starter

Checked September 1, 2026 against Picktime’s free booking and Acuity’s pricing pages. Every cell reflects what each vendor publishes. “Not listed” means the feature is not shown in its plan comparison, not that the product cannot do it.

Where each one wins

Picktime vs Acuity: Choice between business-wide scheduling and calendar-based pricing.

Both Picktime and Acuity help businesses manage appointments, but Picktime offers a Free Forever plan for classes, rooms, equipment, and multiple locations. Acuity focuses on appointment scheduling, with customizable booking pages and client intake tools, but requires a paid plan after its seven-day trial.

Where Picktime wins

If you want to stay free, or you book more than people

  • A Free Plan That Doesn’t Expire. Picktime lets you manage unlimited appointments, three team members, three resources, two locations, and two classes without paying a subscription fee. Picktime’s Free plan has no end date, so you can continue using its included scheduling features without upgrading.
  • Manage Rooms, Equipment, and Classes Together. Schedule appointments that require both a team member and a resource, manage class capacity, and keep track of shared equipment availability. Picktime includes three bookable resources and two classes on Free, while Pro adds waitlists that can automatically fill available class spots after cancellations. Capacity and waitlists.
  • Priced around people and places, not calendars. Picktime’s free scheduling app prices around team members and locations, so multiple locations can share one calendar while keeping their own hours. Multiple locations.
  • Customize your Picktime booking page with your business details, logo, colors, and services. Customers can view availability and book appointments, classes, or resources online. Removing Picktime branding from your booking page and customer emails requires a paid Starter or Pro plan.
  • AI Receptionist for Customer Calls. Picktime also offers an AI Receptionist that can answer calls, respond to common questions, check availability, and help customers book appointments, including outside business hours The AI receptionist.

Where Acuity Scheduling wins

Choose Acuity for Advanced Client Intake and Paid Scheduling Tools

  • Multiple Payment Options From Starter. Acuity supports Stripe, Square, PayPal, and Venmo, starting with its Starter plan at $16 per month when billed annually. You can collect payments or deposits when clients book, although payment processing fees still apply. Acuity also offers a seven-day free trial, but you’ll need a paid subscription to continue using the platform afterward.
  • Sell packages, memberships, and gift certificates with Standard at $27/month billed annually. You can sell session bundles or gift vouchers without moving to Premium.
  • Acuity states that Premium includes a Business Associate Agreement for HIPAA compliance. When compliance affects procurement, having a published answer helps, but vendors should still confirm requirements in writing.
  • Premium supports up to 36 calendars, with staff time zones, custom CSS, and API access. For larger practices, that combination reflects years of refinement and established scheduling workflows.

Two things, one booking: In Picktime the treatment room and the therapist using it can be held by the same booking, and neither can be given to anybody else while it stands. A room is a bookable thing in its own right here, not a note on an appointment.

Cost

Free Forever vs. Free for a Week: Which Gives Your Business More Value?

Picktime gives businesses more than just a free appointment booking page. Its Free Forever plan includes three team members, three bookable resources, two locations, two classes, and unlimited appointments, with no trial deadline or subscription fee. Customers can book appointments online, while calendar integrations with Google, Outlook, iCloud, and Exchange help keep schedules organized. You can also send booking confirmation emails, accept payments or deposits through PayPal, and access 8+ integrations without upgrading. As your business grows, Starter adds automated reminders and two-way calendar sync, while Pro includes round-robin scheduling and waitlists.

Acuity Scheduling offers a customizable booking experience, calendar management, automated confirmations and reminders, and integrations with payment providers and video conferencing tools. However, the Acuity Scheduling free trial lasts just 7 days, after which a paid subscription is required to continue using the service.

Among Acuity Scheduling alternatives, Picktime stands out by offering a free plan that doesn’t expire, along with scheduling features that go beyond basic appointments. You can manage team members, book rooms and equipment, schedule classes, and accept unlimited appointments without paying a subscription fee. Unlike Acuity, where continued use requires a paid plan after seven days, Picktime lets freelancers and small businesses keep using its free scheduling features for as long as they need. It’s a practical choice for businesses that want to manage everyday bookings without committing to a monthly subscription.

See Picktime pricing
Before you commit

Acuity Scheduling Pricing: What You Get With Each Plan

Acuity Scheduling offers three standard paid plans, but the price you pay depends on how many calendars you need and whether you choose monthly or annual billing. Here’s what to consider before choosing a plan, especially if you plan to add team members or locations.

Acuity Scheduling leaves a gap between one calendar and six

Starter plan gives you one calendar for $16/month billed annually. Add a second calendar for another person, and you jump to Standard at $27/month. But that does not mean you are overpaying; there is no middle plan. A solo practitioner adding just one associate moves straight to the higher tier.

Need More Than 36 Calendars? Acuity Requires Custom Pricing

Premium covers up to 36 calendars. If you need more, Acuity offers an enterprise option with unlimited calendars by request. That means larger clinics and multi-site groups need a custom quote instead of a published price. It is worth knowing before planning around the listed tiers.

The prices you see first are annual-billing prices

Acuity’s advertised prices of $16 for Starter, $27 for Standard, and $49 for Premium are monthly rates with annual billing. Choose month-to-month billing, and those prices increase to $20, $34, and $61, respectively, before applicable taxes. If you’re starting a business or testing a new service, compare the billing options before committing. Picktime also offers paid upgrades, but its Free plan lets you continue managing appointments without a subscription.

Picktime sets class capacity for free, and waitlists are on Pro.

Picktime’s Free plan lets you set a class capacity, so bookings stop when the class is full. However, Pro adds the waitlist, which lets another customer take a spot when someone cancels. Although they sound like one feature, they are not priced the same.

Switching

Switching From Acuity to Picktime? Set Up Your Bookings Before You Move.

01

Rebuild your appointment types and availability

Start by recreating your Acuity appointment types as services in Picktime. Add each service’s duration, price, assigned team members, and working hours so customers can book the right appointment. If you use custom questions, recreate them using Picktime’s Intake Forms, which are available on the Free plan. These details won’t transfer automatically from Acuity.

02

Export your clients before you lose access

This is the one step you cannot undo easily. So, before the Acuity subscription ends, export your client list because you may lose access afterward. Your existing appointments will not automatically move to Picktime’s free scheduler app. So keep Acuity active until those appointments are finished.

03

Set Up Your Rooms, Equipment, and Classes in Picktime

Acuity supports rooms, shared equipment, and group classes, but those settings don’t automatically transfer to Picktime. Set up your bookable resources, class capacities, and locations in Picktime, then check their availability before switching your booking link.

Deciding

Picktime vs. Acuity: Which One Fits Your Business Better?

  • Choose Picktime if…

  • The one that usually decides it You want a Free Forever plan with unlimited appointments and no monthly subscription fee.

    Choose Picktime

  • You need to schedule team members alongside rooms, chairs, or equipment, with three bookable resources included on Free.

    Choose Picktime

  • You run group classes and need to manage participant limits, with two classes included on Free and automated waitlists available on Pro.

    Choose Picktime

  • You manage multiple locations and want to organize staff schedules and appointments without paying for an additional bookable calendar for each location.

    Choose Picktime
  • Choose Acuity Scheduling if…

  • You’re comfortable paying for scheduling software after the seven-day trial and want to accept online payments or deposits through Stripe, Square, or PayPal on the Starter plan.

    Choose Acuity Scheduling

  • You sell appointment packages, memberships, or gift certificates and want to manage them through Acuity’s Standard or Premium plan.

    Choose Acuity Scheduling

  • Your healthcare practice needs a scheduling platform that offers a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) and HIPAA-related account settings through its Premium plan.

    Choose Acuity Scheduling
Questions

FAQs for Picktime vs. Acuity Scheduling

Does Acuity Scheduling have a free plan?

No, Acuity Scheduling does not offer a free plan. It provides a seven-day trial for standalone accounts and a 14-day trial when added to a Squarespace website. After the trial, you need a paid subscription to continue accepting bookings. Acuity Scheduling pricing starts at $16 per month when billed annually.

Is Picktime a free alternative to Acuity Scheduling?

Yes, Picktime is a free Acuity Scheduling alternative with no trial deadline. Its Free plan includes unlimited appointments, three team members, three resources, two locations, and two classes. You can continue using these scheduling features without paying a subscription fee. For the latest plan features and limits, see Picktime pricing.

Can I book rooms and equipment with Picktime or Acuity Scheduling?

Yes, both platforms support room and equipment scheduling, but they handle resources differently. Picktime lets you book rooms and equipment individually or assign them to services, while Acuity uses resource limits to prevent overlapping bookings across calendars. Picktime is particularly useful when customers need to book physical spaces or equipment directly.

Can Picktime and Acuity Scheduling manage classes and waitlists?

Yes, both platforms support group classes, participant limits, and waitlists. Picktime includes two classes on its free plan, with waitlists available on Pro. Acuity supports group classes and offers waitlists on Standard and Premium. When an opening becomes available, Acuity sends eligible waitlisted clients a text message with a booking link.

Can Picktime and Acuity Scheduling manage teams across multiple locations?

Yes, both platforms support staff scheduling across multiple business locations. Picktime’s Free plan includes three team members and two locations, while Pro supports unlimited locations. Acuity uses calendars for separate staff or location schedules, with one calendar on Starter, up to six on Standard, and up to 36 on Premium.

Can I accept online payments and deposits with Picktime or Acuity Scheduling?

Yes, both Picktime and Acuity Scheduling let businesses collect payments or deposits when customers book appointments. Picktime supports PayPal on Free and adds Stripe and Square on Starter and Pro. Acuity supports Stripe, Square, PayPal, and Venmo starting with its paid Starter plan. Payment processor fees apply separately.

Does Picktime offer a mobile scheduling app like the Acuity Scheduling app?

Yes, Picktime and Acuity Scheduling both offer mobile apps for iOS and Android. Picktime’s mobile app lets businesses manage appointments, review schedules, and track booking activity from their phones, including on the free plan. The Acuity Scheduling Admin app also supports calendar management, appointment changes, and client information, with additional in-person payment tools.

Can I switch from Acuity Scheduling to Picktime?

Yes, you can switch from Acuity Scheduling to Picktime. Export your client list from Acuity as a CSV file and import those contacts into Picktime. Then set up your services, team availability, resources, and classes. Export your existing appointments for reference and recreate the bookings you need to carry forward before directing customers to your new Picktime Booking Page.

Picktime against the rest

vs Calendlyvs Setmorevs Square Appointmentsvs SimplyBook.mevs YouCanBook.mevs Zoho Bookingsvs Google Calendarvs Appointy

Rounded up elsewhere

Calendly alternativesSetmore alternativesAcuity Scheduling alternativesBest free appointment schedulingBest free scheduling softwareBest appointment scheduling softwareBest scheduling appsBest online booking systemsBest for small businessBest class scheduling software

Your Bookings Shouldn’t Come With an Expiration Date

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