Scheduling AI
SimplyBook.me
What it does: SimplyBook.me is a powerful online booking platform built for service-based businesses. It lets you take bookings 24/7, accept payments, send reminders, manage staff calendars, and sync with Google or Outlook.
Best for: Salons, health clinics, consultants, tutors, and fitness professionals looking for a fully-branded, feature-rich scheduling solution.
Example use cases: A physiotherapy clinic wants to accept online bookings with pre-session forms and automatic SMS reminders; and a nail salon wants to offer client loyalty programs and gift cards alongside bookings as well as collect payments via Stripe.
Paid plans: Basic Plan: £10.90/month. Standard Plan: £20.80/month. Premium Plan: £45.80/month.
Pro tip: Enable the Facebook and Instagram booking plugin to let clients book directly from your social media pages - perfect for boosting conversion without ads.
Setmore
What it does: Setmore is a clean, beginner-friendly appointment booking system which offers calendar sync, video integrations (Zoom/Google Meet), and team scheduling. Its freemium model makes it ideal for startups and small teams.
Best for: Coaches, therapists, growing teams, and agencies looking for flexible, modern booking tools with video call integration.
Example use cases: A fitness coach wants to enable clients to schedule 1:1 Zoom sessions with auto-reminders; and a beauty clinic wants to co-ordinates multiple staff calendars across two branches.
Paid plan: Pro Plan: $5/user/month (1-2 users). Teams Plan: $5 per user per month (unlimited users). (Can be accessed by UK businesses)
Pro tip: Use Setmore’s built-in reviews feature to automatically collect testimonials after each appointment — helping you build trust and credibility on autopilot.
Doodle (best free plan)
What it does: Doodle’s free plan is an online scheduling tool which lets you set your available times, share booking links, and collect responses — making it easy for others to book meetings or appointments without endless email back-and-forth. It supports simple polls for group meeting coordination, automated reminders, and integration with calendars such as Google or Outlook. AI-powered smart suggestions enhance scheduling by highlighting optimal meeting times.
Best for: Small businesses aiming to reduce appointment administration.
Example use cases: A healthcare clinic wanting to enable patients to schedule initial consultations via a user-friendly booking link; and a lifestyle coach wanting to allow clients to select a preferred time slot for discovery calls or sessions.
Paid plan: Pro Plan: $6.95/user/month. Teams Plan: $8.95/user/month. (Can be accessed by UK businesses)
Pro tip: Integrate Doodle with your main calendar (Google, Outlook, etc.) to automatically prevent double bookings and keep your schedule up-to-date. Take advantage of Doodle’s smart group poll feature for scheduling meetings with multiple participants—this significantly reduces coordination time and makes finding common availability a breeze.
