Calendly vs Acuity vs SavvyCal: Best Patient Scheduling for New MedSpa & Private Practices
For private healthcare providers like nurse practitioners, functional medicine doctors, and physical therapists, wasted time on booking appointments means less time with patients or managing your practice. An online scheduling tool turns back-and-forth emails into direct patient bookings for your medspa or clinic. Calendly is a well-known option for simple bookings, Acuity Scheduling excels for practices needing detailed intake forms and treatment packages, and SavvyCal focuses on an easier experience for your patients.
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Quick Answer
For initial screening calls or quick follow-ups, Calendly Free works well for simple one-on-one patient consultations. If your medspa or private practice needs to collect detailed patient intake forms, offer treatment packages (like a series of lymphatic drainage sessions or aesthetic treatments), and process patient payments, Acuity Scheduling is a stronger choice. Choose SavvyCal when patient experience is key, making it easier for them to book follow-up appointments without hassle, especially for high-value patients or referring doctors.
How They Compare
Calendly's free plan allows one type of appointment, like a 15-minute introductory call for potential patients. Its $10/month Standard plan lets you set up various appointment types, like "initial consultation," "follow-up visit," or "Botox touch-up," and sends automated reminders to cut down on missed appointments. Acuity Scheduling, starting at $16/month, includes robust features for private practices: online scheduling, secure patient payment collection (Stripe/PayPal), customizable patient intake forms, and the ability to sell treatment packages or memberships (e.g., a 6-session physical therapy plan). SavvyCal, at $12/month, focuses on ease of use for the patient, showing their calendar alongside yours for faster booking of follow-up visits or partner meetings.
When to Choose Calendly
Choose Calendly for your medspa or private practice if you primarily need to book initial patient consultations, discovery calls for new services, or quick follow-ups. Its free plan is dependable for basic one-on-one bookings. Patients often recognize Calendly links, making them more comfortable clicking to schedule. This trust can increase your booking conversion rate for new patient inquiries. Upgrade to Calendly Standard ($10/month) when you need to offer different appointment types (e.g., specific aesthetic treatment consultations vs. general intake) or want automated patient reminders to significantly reduce no-shows, which is crucial for managing clinic revenue.
When to Choose Acuity
Acuity Scheduling is the top choice for private healthcare practices like medspas, functional medicine clinics, or physical therapy practices where patients need to book, pay for services, and complete health intake forms in one smooth process. This includes services such as IV drips, acupuncture sessions, weight loss programs, or physical therapy evaluations. Acuity's patient payment integration is strong, handling credit card processing via Stripe or PayPal directly. Its native feature for selling multi-session treatment packages (e.g., a 3-session microneedling package or a 10-session PT bundle) and monthly wellness memberships is superior to add-ons. If your practice uses a Squarespace website, Acuity integrates very smoothly, offering a professional patient booking experience.
When to Choose SavvyCal
SavvyCal offers the smoothest booking experience for your patients, especially for follow-up appointments, or when scheduling with referring physicians or strategic partners. Its unique overlay feature shows your available times alongside the patient's or partner's own calendar, making it much easier to quickly find a mutual time without back-and-forth. If your private practice regularly schedules with busy VIP patients, specialists for collaborative care, or medical sales reps, SavvyCal's $12/month cost is a valuable investment. It reduces friction and builds goodwill, which can be critical for patient retention and professional relationships.
The Verdict
Begin with Calendly Free for basic patient inquiry calls. If your private practice requires collecting detailed patient intake forms, processing payments for services, or selling treatment packages, upgrade to Acuity Scheduling ($16/month). If providing an exceptionally smooth booking experience for VIP patients or professional partners is a priority, consider SavvyCal ($12/month). All three tools offer free trials, allowing you to test which best fits your medspa, functional medicine clinic, or physical therapy practice's needs.
RECOMMENDED TOOLS
Calendly
Free 1-event-type plan, Standard from $10/month
Acuity Scheduling
Service business scheduling with payments, from $16/month
SavvyCal
Overlay scheduling, best invitee experience, from $12/month
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is Calendly free?
Yes. Calendly's free plan supports one event type and one calendar integration with unlimited bookings. It is sufficient for founders who need to schedule one type of meeting (e.g., a 30-minute discovery call).
Can Calendly collect payments?
Yes, Calendly supports Stripe and PayPal payment collection on the Standard plan and above. For more advanced payment features (packages, subscriptions, deposits), Acuity Scheduling is a better fit.
What is the best scheduling tool for a solo consultant?
Calendly Standard ($10/month) covers most solo consultant use cases: multiple meeting types, automated reminders, Zoom/Google Meet integration, and basic payment collection. If you sell session packages, upgrade to Acuity Scheduling.
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