TLDR (Summary)
Plutio ($19/month) is the strongest pick because booking pages link directly to client records, projects, invoices, and contracts, so the meeting feeds into billable work without switching tools. Calendly offers booking pages and calendar sync but has no invoicing, no proposals, and no project management. HoneyBook includes scheduling but only on the Essentials plan at $32/month and drops time tracking entirely.
Below, 8 tools compared on booking customization, calendar sync, payment collection, and which schedulers connect to the rest of the business versus booking alone.
Essential features in freelance scheduling software
Freelance scheduling software needs to do more than block time on a calendar. The right scheduler gives clients a self-service booking page that connects to the freelancer's workflow, so the meeting becomes the first step of a billable project instead of an isolated calendar event.
Booking pages and client self-scheduling
A booking page lets clients pick a time without back-and-forth emails. Most scheduling tools offer this, but the difference is what happens after the booking. Some create a calendar event and stop. Others attach the booking to a client record, trigger an intake form, or start a project automatically. Freelancers who run 10-20 client calls a month save hours by eliminating the "when works for you?" email chain, as covered in the client management guide.
Calendar sync and conflict prevention
Two-way calendar sync pulls availability from Google Calendar, Outlook, or iCal and pushes new bookings back. Without two-way sync, double-bookings happen when a client books a slot that's already taken on another calendar. Every tool on this list supports Google Calendar sync at minimum, but the number of connected calendars varies by plan and price.
What happens after the meeting
Booking a call is step one. What separates a useful scheduler from a calendar widget is what happens next. Can the booking create a project? Does it link to an invoice? Can the freelancer log time against the meeting and bill for the session? Standalone schedulers handle booking well but push everything else to email, separate apps, or manual entry. All-in-one platforms carry the meeting forward into the project lifecycle.
Pricing model
Per-seat pricing charges for every user who logs in, including the freelancer, contractors, and virtual assistants. Flat-rate pricing charges one price regardless of team size. For solo freelancers, per-seat costs stay low. But freelancers who bring on a subcontractor or VA see costs double overnight on per-seat plans. A scheduler's monthly cost matters less than what happens after the booking: whether the meeting connects to a project, an invoice, and a client record, or just sits on a calendar with no next step.
All-in-one freelance platforms with scheduling
All-in-one platforms bundle scheduling with invoicing, project management, and proposals, so the booking feeds into the same data the freelancer works in daily. The entry price is higher than standalone schedulers because billing, PM, and contracts come packaged alongside the booking page.
Plutio ($19/month)
Best for: freelancers who need booking pages connected to projects, invoices, and contracts in one platform | Capterra: 4.6/5 | G2: 4.6/5
Plutio's scheduling gives each freelancer a booking page where clients pick a time slot based on real-time availability. Every booking links to a client record, so the meeting shows up in the client's project history alongside proposals, contracts, and invoices. Calendar sync with Google Calendar and Outlook prevents double-bookings. Tracked hours from time tracking feed into invoice line items, so a consultation call turns into a billable entry without manual data transfer. Flat pricing means adding a subcontractor or VA doesn't change the monthly bill.
- Booking pages linked to client records, projects, and invoices
- Calendar sync with Google Calendar and Outlook
- Tracked hours from meetings flow into invoice line items
- Flat-rate pricing ($19/month Core, $49/month Pro) with no per-seat fees
- No free plan, 14-day trial gives full access to test scheduling
- Advanced booking customization (buffer times, intake forms) requires setup
HoneyBook ($16/month, annual billing)
Best for: creative freelancers who combine scheduling with branded proposals and contracts | Capterra: 4.7/5 | G2: 4.5/5
HoneyBook includes a meeting scheduler, but only on the Essentials plan at $32/month (annual billing). The Starter plan at $16/month covers proposals, contracts, and invoicing but has no scheduling. When scheduling is active, clients book through a branded page and the booking ties into HoneyBook's Smart Files, which combine proposals, contracts, and payment requests in one client-facing document. No project management tools, no time tracking, and no task boards on any plan. A recent price increase of up to 89% raised costs across all tiers, a jump the Plutio vs HoneyBook comparison breaks down alongside the full feature gap.
- Scheduling integrated with proposals, contracts, and invoicing
- Branded booking pages with Smart File workflows
- Calendar sync with Google Calendar and Outlook
- Scheduling only on Essentials plan ($32/month annual), not Starter ($16/month)
- No time tracking on any plan
- No project management (no task boards, Gantt charts, or dependencies)
Bonsai ($9/month, annual billing)
Best for: freelancers who need scheduling bundled with attorney-reviewed contracts at a low entry price | Capterra: 4.6/5 | G2: 4.3/5
Bonsai includes scheduling on paid plans where clients book through a self-service page linked to the freelancer's availability. Attorney-reviewed contract templates come bundled at every tier alongside invoicing and proposals, so contracts go out without needing a separate tool. The scheduler covers the basics (booking page, calendar sync, confirmations) but lacks intake forms, payment collection at booking, and multi-calendar conflict detection, gaps the Plutio vs Bonsai comparison covers alongside per-member team pricing.
- Scheduling included on all paid plans
- Attorney-reviewed contracts and invoicing bundled at $9/month (annual)
- Booking pages with calendar sync
- No intake forms or payment collection at the booking step
- Per-member pricing on team plans adds cost
- Payment processing delays reported by multiple Capterra reviewers
Moxie ($12/month)
Best for: freelancers who want CRM and invoicing first, with scheduling included from day one | Trustpilot: 4.8/5 (520 reviews)
Moxie (formerly Hectic) puts a meeting scheduler on all plans from $12/month, so clients book through a scheduling page tied to the freelancer's calendar from day one. CRM, invoicing, and proposals come bundled at every tier. The client portal, where clients track projects, review deliverables, and download files, unlocks at the Pro tier ($25/month). The Teams plan caps at 5 members, and most user reviews live on Trustpilot and AppSumo rather than G2 or Capterra, a distinction the Plutio vs Moxie comparison covers when weighing review depth.
- Meeting scheduler included on all plans from $12/month
- CRM, invoicing, and proposals bundled at every tier
- Flat-rate pricing with no per-seat fees
- Client portal requires Pro plan ($25/month), not included on Starter
- Teams plan caps at 5 members
- Limited G2 and Capterra presence for review verification
All four platforms include invoicing alongside scheduling, but only Plutio carries a booking from calendar event through project delivery to paid invoice in one client record. HoneyBook gates scheduling behind the $32/month tier. Bonsai bundles contracts at $9/month but limits the scheduler to basic booking without intake forms. Moxie includes scheduling from day one but locks the client portal behind a $25/month upgrade.
Dedicated scheduling tools
Dedicated scheduling tools focus on the booking experience: meeting types, availability rules, reminders, and integrations with video conferencing. The booking layer gets more configuration options than bundled schedulers typically offer, but invoicing, proposals, contracts, and project management need separate tools to fill the gap.
Calendly (Free / $10/user/month, annual billing)
Best for: freelancers who need a free booking page with one event type and unlimited one-on-one meetings | Capterra: 4.7/5 | G2: 4.7/5
Calendly's free plan includes one event type with unlimited one-on-one bookings and Google Calendar sync. The Standard plan at $10/user/month adds multiple event types, automated reminders, and integrations with Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams. The Teams plan at $16/user/month adds round-robin scheduling and collective availability for group bookings. No invoicing, no proposals, no contracts, and no project management on any plan, so every post-meeting action needs a separate tool. Per-seat pricing means adding a VA or subcontractor doubles the bill, a cost structure the Plutio vs Calendly comparison breaks down.
- Free plan with 1 event type and unlimited one-on-one meetings
- Automated reminders reduce no-shows on Standard plan ($10/user/month)
- Integrations with Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams
- No invoicing, proposals, contracts, or project management
- Per-seat pricing adds cost for every team member
- Free plan limited to 1 event type and no reminder emails
Acuity Scheduling ($16/month, annual billing)
Best for: freelancers who need payment collection and intake forms at the booking step | Capterra: 4.8/5
Acuity Scheduling (owned by Squarespace) collects payments through Stripe, Square, or PayPal at the moment of booking, so consultation fees are settled before the meeting starts. Custom intake forms and questionnaires attach to each booking type, which lets freelancers gather project details, scope requirements, or health forms ahead of the call. The Emerging plan at $16/month (annual) covers one staff member. The Growing plan at $27/month adds text message reminders and removes Acuity branding. No invoicing, no proposals, and no project management, so billing beyond the initial payment still needs a separate app, a gap the Plutio vs Acuity comparison covers alongside the per-staff pricing structure.
- Payment collection at booking through Stripe, Square, or PayPal
- Custom intake forms and questionnaires per booking type
- Calendar sync with Google, Outlook, and iCal
- No invoicing beyond payment at booking
- No proposals, contracts, or project management
- Acuity branding on Emerging plan ($16/month), removal requires Growing ($27/month)
Setmore (Free / $5/user/month)
Best for: freelancers who want the lowest-cost paid scheduler with payment processing | Capterra: 4.7/5
Setmore's free plan supports up to 4 users and 200 appointments per month with a basic booking page and Google Calendar sync. The Pro plan at $5/user/month adds payment processing through Stripe and Square, recurring appointments, and two-way calendar sync. The interface targets appointment-based businesses (salons, consultants, tutors) rather than project-based freelancers. Turning a meeting into a project, sending an invoice, or managing deliverables all happen outside Setmore, in separate apps the freelancer stitches together manually.
- Free plan with up to 4 users and 200 appointments per month
- Pro plan at $5/user/month, lowest paid tier on this list
- Payment processing through Stripe and Square on Pro
- No invoicing, proposals, or project management
- 200-appointment cap on free plan
- Interface targets appointment-based businesses, not project-based freelancers
Cal.com (Free self-hosted / $12/user/month)
Best for: freelancers who want open-source scheduling with full control over the codebase | Capterra: N/A
Cal.com is open-source scheduling software that freelancers can self-host for free or use the managed cloud version at $12/user/month. The API-first architecture gives developers full control over the booking layer, including custom integrations, webhook triggers, and codebase modifications that cloud-only tools don't allow. Team plans run $18/user/month. Self-hosting requires server management and technical knowledge that most freelancers don't have, which limits the free option to developers. Billing, proposals, CRM, and project management have no built-in equivalent on any Cal.com plan.
- Open-source with free self-hosting option
- API-first approach for full scheduling customization
- Calendar sync with Google, Outlook, and Apple Calendar
- Self-hosting requires server management and technical knowledge
- No invoicing, CRM, proposals, or project management
- Per-seat pricing on cloud plans ($12/user/month)
Dedicated schedulers handle booking pages and calendar management with more depth than all-in-one platforms, but none of them send invoices, manage projects, or connect the meeting to the work that follows. Calendly's free plan covers basic booking. Acuity collects payment at the door. Setmore costs the least at $5/user/month. Cal.com gives full code control. Every one of them stops at the calendar event, leaving the freelancer to bridge the gap between "meeting booked" and "project started" manually.
Feature comparison at a glance
All 8 tools compared on pricing, booking pages, calendar sync, payment collection, invoicing, and per-seat costs.
| Tool | Price (solo) | Booking pages | Calendar sync | Payments | Invoicing | Per-seat? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plutio | $19/mo flat | Included | Google, Outlook | Stripe, PayPal | Included | No |
| HoneyBook | $32/mo (annual) | Essentials only | Google, Outlook | Included | Included | No |
| Bonsai | $9/mo (annual) | Included | Limited | Included | Team plans | |
| Moxie | $12/mo | Included | Google, Outlook | Included | Included | No |
| Calendly | Free / $10/user | 1 type (free) | Google, Outlook | Standard only | No | Yes |
| Acuity | $16/mo (annual) | Included | Google, Outlook, iCal | Stripe, Square, PayPal | No | Per staff |
| Setmore | Free / $5/user | Included | Pro only | No | Yes | |
| Cal.com | Free / $12/user | Included | Google, Outlook, Apple | No | No | Yes |
Plutio is the only tool on this list where scheduling, invoicing, proposals, contracts, time tracking, and project management all live in one workspace at $19/month flat. Calendly and Acuity handle booking depth, but every post-meeting action needs a separate app. Moxie bundles scheduling with invoicing at $12/month but locks the client portal behind a $25 upgrade. HoneyBook gates scheduling behind the $32/month Essentials tier.
Picking the right scheduling tool
The right scheduling tool depends less on the booking page itself and more on what needs to happen after the meeting. A standalone scheduler covers client self-booking, but invoicing, project management, and proposals still need separate tools.
If billing and project management need to live alongside scheduling
Plutio bundles scheduling with invoicing, project management, contracts, and proposals at $19/month flat. Moxie includes scheduling and invoicing at $12/month but locks the client portal behind the $25/month Pro plan. Both charge a flat rate, so adding a subcontractor or VA doesn't increase the monthly bill.
If payment collection at booking matters most
Acuity Scheduling collects payments through Stripe, Square, or PayPal at the moment of booking, starting at $16/month (annual). Calendly adds payment collection on the Standard plan at $10/user/month. Plutio processes payments through Stripe and PayPal, with the added benefit of the payment linking to an invoice and client record automatically.
If budget is the main constraint
Calendly's free plan handles one event type with unlimited one-on-one meetings. Setmore's free plan supports up to 4 users and 200 appointments per month. Cal.com is free for self-hosting if the freelancer has the technical setup. Bonsai starts at $9/month (annual) with scheduling, contracts, and invoicing bundled. For a comparison of invoicing across platforms, see the freelance invoicing guide.
If intake forms and pre-meeting questionnaires drive the decision
Acuity stands out for custom intake forms that attach to each booking type, so project details arrive before the call. HoneyBook includes questionnaires through Smart Files on the Essentials plan ($32/month). Plutio handles intake through custom forms tied to each client record. Calendly adds routing forms on the Teams plan at $16/user/month.
Freelancers who need scheduling to do more than block calendar time, who want the booking to create a project, link to an invoice, and live inside the same workspace as proposals and contracts, get the most value from all-in-one platforms where the meeting is the first step of billable work instead of the last step of calendar management.
Common scheduling mistakes freelancers make
The most common scheduling mistake is treating the booking page as the finish line instead of the starting point. A booking confirms a time slot, but without a connection to invoicing, projects, or client records, every post-meeting action still happens manually.
Paying for scheduling and invoicing separately
Calendly Standard ($10/month) plus FreshBooks Lite ($17/month) plus a project management tool ($10/month) adds up to $37/month for three separate tools that don't share data. Plutio puts scheduling, invoicing, projects, and contracts at $19/month flat, with bookings, invoices, and tasks all reading from the same client record. Freelancers who start with a free scheduler often spend more once they add the invoicing and PM tools the scheduler doesn't include.
Using per-seat tools as a solo freelancer who plans to grow
Per-seat pricing works when the team size is fixed. Freelancers who bring on a subcontractor for a large project or hire a VA see costs double on tools like Calendly ($10/user/month becomes $20/month for two users) or Cal.com ($12/user/month becomes $24/month). Flat-rate tools like Plutio ($19/month) and Moxie ($12/month) charge the same whether one person or five log in.
Skipping reminders and confirmation emails
Zipdo research reports that automated reminders reduce no-shows by up to 29%. Calendly includes reminders on the Standard plan but not the free tier. Acuity includes email reminders on all plans and text reminders starting at $27/month. Plutio sends confirmation and reminder emails automatically through the scheduling workflow. Freelancers on free plans without reminders lose billable hours to missed appointments.
Not collecting payment or project details at booking
A booking page that only confirms a time slot means the freelancer still needs to send a separate intake form, collect project details over email, and chase a deposit invoice after the call. Connecting payment collection and intake forms to the booking page turns one step (scheduling) into three (scheduling, intake, and payment), which cuts the back-and-forth between booking and the paid project that follows.
