Calendly vs Cal.com for freelancers and small businesses (2026)
Comparison · updated 2026-10-29
Short answer
Both have free plans, but Cal.com's free plan is more generous: unlimited event types, plus Stripe and PayPal payments, for one user. Calendly's free plan has one event type and one calendar connection; Standard is $10 per seat a month billed yearly. For teams, Cal.com is $12 per user a month billed yearly and Calendly Teams is $16 per seat. Pick Calendly for the most familiar booking experience; pick Cal.com for more free features and open source.
Both tools let clients book time with you from a link. The facts below come from each vendor's own pricing page: Calendly read on 21 October 2026 and Cal.com on 29 October 2026. We have not run hands-on tests, and plans change, so check the current pages before you subscribe. How we review tools.
| Cal.com | Calendly | |
|---|---|---|
| What it says it does | A fully customizable scheduling software for individuals, businesses taking calls and developers building scheduling platforms where users meet users. | Calendly connects and simplifies all of the work around meetings, from scheduling, payments, and meeting prep to notetaking, contact management, and follow-up. |
| Free plan | 1 user, unlimited event types and calendars. | One event type, one calendar connection. |
| Payments on free plan | Accept Stripe and PayPal payments. | Not listed on the free plan here. |
| Entry paid plan | Teams $12/user/mo billed yearly (14-day trial). | Standard $10/seat/mo billed yearly. |
| Teams | Teams $12/user/mo; Organizations $28/user/mo billed yearly. | Teams $16/seat/mo billed yearly. |
| Enterprise | Custom. | From $15k a year. |
| Open source | Yes, with a public API and embeds. | No. |
| Pricing | Individuals free forever (1 user, unlimited event types and calendars, Stripe and PayPal payments); Teams $12/user/mo billed yearly (14-day trial); Organizations $28/user/mo billed yearly; Enterprise custom (official) | Free plan (one event type, one calendar connection); Standard $10/seat/mo and Teams $16/seat/mo billed yearly; Enterprise from $15k/yr; Notetaker and Callie (AI assistant) are add-ons (official) |
| Website | https://cal.com/ | https://calendly.com/ |
Which to use
Cal.com wins when you want a generous free plan with paid bookings and unlimited event types. Calendly wins when bookings are the bottleneck: a free booking page, Stripe or PayPal payments on Standard, and optional AI notetaking.
- Choose Cal.com if you want unlimited event types and paid bookings for free, or prefer open-source software.
- Choose Calendly if you want the booking page most clients already recognize and are happy with one event type or a $10 plan.
This is an editorial fit note from each vendor's public site and docs, not a sponsored ranking and not a price quote. Descriptions in the table come from those sites. Confirm current prices there. How we review tools.
FAQ
Which is better for freelancers on a budget?
Cal.com. Its free plan includes unlimited event types and Stripe or PayPal payments for one user. Calendly's free plan is limited to one event type.
Can I move from Calendly to Cal.com?
Yes. Cal.com's free plan lists a one-click import of Calendly events.
Which is cheaper for a team?
On listed yearly prices, Cal.com Teams is $12 per user a month and Calendly Teams is $16 per seat. Check what each team plan includes before you switch.
How did you compare them?
We read each tool's official pricing page (Calendly on 21 October, Cal.com on 29 October 2026). We have not run hands-on tests, and placements are not for sale.
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