Calendly vs Acuity vs SavvyCal: Best Scheduling Tool for Your Cleaning Business
A solid scheduling link saves your cleaning business hours each week. No more back-and-forth texts or calls about when you can fit in a deep clean or if the Airbnb is ready for turnover. Calendly, Acuity, and SavvyCal each handle booking differently. These differences matter if you manage recurring residential cleans, complex Airbnb turnovers with specific instructions, or bid on large commercial cleaning contracts.
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The Quick Answer
Choose Calendly for the simplest setup for initial client calls or quick estimates for a solo cleaning operator. Choose Acuity Scheduling if you run a cleaning business that needs to manage recurring appointments, offer different service packages (like deep cleans or move-out cleans), collect payments, use detailed intake forms (e.g., pet instructions, access codes), and manage multiple cleaning teams. Choose SavvyCal if you're a business owner or manager making high-volume sales calls for commercial contracts or coordinating with property managers, where a collaborative calendar overlay is preferred over a cold booking form.
Side-by-Side Breakdown
Calendly: free plan (1 event type) is sufficient for a solo owner to book initial 'Estimate Request' calls. Paid plans are $10-16/user/month. It's basic and excels at quick link sharing for simple bookings. Acuity: $16-61/month. This is a full operations hub for a cleaning business. It offers robust payment processing for one-time or recurring residential services, packages like 'Standard Clean' or 'Deep Clean', subscriptions for weekly/bi-weekly services, and crucial intake forms to gather details like 'Entry instructions (key, code, lockbox)?', 'Are there pets?', 'Allergy alerts?', or 'Specific areas to focus on (e.g., stainless steel appliances)?'. It's best for managing client notes, team assignments, and rescheduling workflows common in cleaning. SavvyCal: $12-20/month. Best for high-level sales meetings with commercial clients or real estate agents, not for booking the actual cleaning jobs. It aims for a warmer, more collaborative scheduling feel, which is less critical for direct service bookings.
When to Choose Calendly
You are a new, solo cleaning business owner just starting out and need a simple way for potential clients to book a free initial consultation or quote walkthrough for their home. You mostly get clients via direct referrals and only need a basic scheduling link in your email signature for follow-ups or initial calls. You use a separate, simple system (like a spreadsheet) for managing client details, recurring services, and processing payments. Calendly's free plan often works for this basic need.
When to Choose Acuity Scheduling
You run a growing residential cleaning service, manage multiple Airbnb properties, or handle commercial cleaning contracts. You need to offer different cleaning packages (e.g., 2-hour basic clean, 4-hour deep clean, move-in/move-out clean) with clear pricing and duration. You must collect specific client information before arrival, such as entry codes, pet details, preferred cleaning products, or areas to avoid in their home. You want to process payments or deposits directly when clients book their cleaning service. You manage a team of cleaners and need to assign appointments based on their availability, specific skills (e.g., a cleaner experienced with commercial kitchens), or optimize cleaning routes. You want automated reminders for both clients and staff about upcoming cleaning appointments or specific instructions for an Airbnb turnover.
When to Choose SavvyCal
You're the owner of a cleaning company focused on landing new commercial contracts or managing relationships with multiple realtors for Airbnb properties. You make high-volume sales calls and want to offer a smoother, less transactional way to schedule follow-up meetings or site visits for large bids. This tool is for coordinating with business partners, not for directly booking a residential house cleaning or assigning a team to a job site.
The Verdict
For the vast majority of cleaning businesses—whether residential, Airbnb, or small commercial—Acuity Scheduling is the clear winner. It's built for service businesses that need to manage detailed appointments, handle payments, collect specific client intake information, and manage teams effectively. Calendly can work as a starting point for a solo cleaner looking only to book initial consultations. SavvyCal serves a niche for owners and managers dealing with high-volume business development meetings, not day-to-day service bookings. Start with Acuity's free trial. Its features for client intake, recurring services, payment processing, and team management will quickly prove their worth in streamlining your cleaning operations.
How to Get Started
Calendly: Sign up free at calendly.com, connect your Google or Outlook calendar, create an event type like 'Free Cleaning Estimate Call' or 'Residential Walkthrough', and add the link to your email signature. Acuity: Start a free trial at acuityscheduling.com. Set up your service offerings (e.g., 'Standard Residential Clean (2hr)', 'Deep Clean (3hr)', 'Airbnb Turnover'). Design custom intake forms for essential client details (access codes, pet info, special requests). Connect Stripe or Square for payments. Share your booking page link with clients or embed it on your cleaning business website. SavvyCal: Sign up at savvycal.com, connect your calendar, create a scheduling link for 'Commercial Bid Review' or 'Property Manager Check-in' and use it in your high-level business communications.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can Calendly accept payments?
Yes, on the Professional plan ($16/month). Calendly integrates with Stripe and PayPal to collect payment at booking. For full service business appointment management including packages, Acuity is more capable.
Does Acuity work for group classes?
Yes. Acuity supports group classes with capacity limits, waitlists, and package purchases. This makes it popular among fitness instructors, yoga studios, and workshop facilitators.
What is the Calendly free plan limit?
Calendly Free allows one active event type — for example, a 30-minute call. If you need multiple event types (15-minute intro, 60-minute deep dive, group session), you need the Standard plan at $10/month.