Acuity Scheduling (by Squarespace) is a mature, feature-heavy booking tool with no free tier. Tymeslot is the leaner, open-source alternative - a real free plan, EU hosting, first-class CalDAV, and the option to self-host.
Updated September 15, 2026
Acuity Scheduling is a long-established, deeply featured booking tool (intake forms, packages, memberships, classes, gift certificates), now part of Squarespace. It suits established service businesses that want all of that in one place and don't mind paying from day one (there's no free tier, only a trial) on staff-count-based plans. Tymeslot covers the core scheduling job (booking pages, two-way calendar sync, automatic video links, reminders, payments) with a real free plan, flat pricing, EU hosting, first-class CalDAV and an open-source, self-hostable core.
The differences that tend to matter when you're choosing between them.
Tymeslot's free plan includes unlimited event types and calendar connections. Acuity has no free tier at all - only a 7-day trial, after which a paid plan is required to keep booking.
Tymeslot's core is open source under the GNU AGPLv3 and self-hostable end to end. Acuity is closed SaaS owned by Squarespace, with no self-hosting; data leaves through CSV exports or, on Premium, the API.
Tymeslot syncs two-way with any CalDAV server as a first-class provider. Acuity syncs with Google, Outlook and iCloud but offers no generic CalDAV support.
Tymeslot is built and hosted in the EU, or self-host it anywhere. Acuity stores data in US data centres, with no EU data residency option.
Tymeslot Pro is a flat €9/month. Acuity's price climbs as you add staff or calendars, and key features (SMS, branding removal) sit on higher tiers.
Tymeslot booking pages carry no advertising pixels or third-party analytics: visits are counted by our own self-hosted, cookieless analytics, and connected calendars expose only busy/free - well suited to healthcare and wellness practices.
Acuity earned its reputation: it's a mature, deeply featured booking system, and for an established salon, clinic or studio that needs intake forms, packages, memberships and classes in one place, it's a capable choice.
The friction is cost and openness. There's no free plan, only a 7-day trial, and the paid tiers are priced by staff and calendar count, with common needs like SMS reminders and branding removal pushed to higher tiers. And because it's closed, US-hosted SaaS, there's no self-hosting, no EU data residency, and no generic CalDAV.
Tymeslot is the leaner, open alternative: a real free plan, flat pricing that doesn't punish you for adding people, EU hosting (or self-host anywhere), first-class CalDAV and booking pages without third-party trackers. If you don't need Acuity's heavier all-in-one feature set, Tymeslot covers the core scheduling job for far less, or nothing.
No tool wins for everyone. Here's how they split.
Choose Tymeslot if…
Choose Acuity Scheduling if…
Acuity pricing in USD, excluding tax. Tiers are priced by calendar count; Enterprise, for more than 36 calendars, is quoted by sales. Prices checked on September 15, 2026. Tymeslot prices in EUR; VAT may apply. See Acuity Scheduling's current pricing
Tymeslot has a genuinely free plan - not just a trial - with unlimited event types and calendar connections. Acuity offers only a 7-day trial, after which a paid plan is required to keep taking bookings.
Yes. Connect Stripe and any event type can require a fixed fee before the slot is confirmed - useful as a deposit or full pre-payment. On the managed cloud this is a Pro feature; when self-hosting, it's included for free.
Yes - Tymeslot is built by an EU company in Estonia and hosted in Germany, and you can self-host it on infrastructure you control. Acuity is US-hosted with no EU data residency option.
Yes - Tymeslot treats CalDAV as a first-class provider (Nextcloud, Radicale, Baïkal, Zimbra, mailbox.org and more), alongside Google and Outlook. Acuity syncs with Google, Outlook and iCloud but has no generic CalDAV support.
Acuity is a heavier all-in-one tool with mature intake forms, packages, memberships, class scheduling and gift certificates. If your business depends on that full suite, Acuity may fit better. Tymeslot focuses on doing core scheduling - booking, sync, reminders, payments - cleanly, for free or a flat fee.
I put out the first version of Tymeslot two days ago. I built it because the scheduling tools I tried were either dated or too heavy to run myself.
Luka Breitig
January 04, 2026 · 3 min read
Free plan available. No credit card required. Setup in 5 minutes.