CalendX
CalendX is a dedicated booking platform built specifically for service professionals — featuring a complete storefront with photos, pricing, and your own deposit/payment link sent to clients automatically at booking, with no third-party integrations needed.
Acuity Scheduling is a Squarespace-owned appointment scheduling tool with robust intake forms and membership features, primarily designed for health and wellness practitioners who need detailed client questionnaires before appointments. Visit acuityscheduling.com ↗
Every feature compared — honestly.
CalendX lets you build your availability from scratch — choose which days, hours, and services are open, and block off any time you're not available. Acuity works by blocking time off an existing calendar instead of building your schedule from the ground up.
Skip paying for a Squarespace site with a booking system bolted on. Your CalendX profile shows your services, photos, prices, social media, and client reviews — all in one link, included in every plan.
Attach your own Stripe, PayPal, or other payment link to any service. CalendX emails it to the client automatically when they book, for a deposit or full payment — you mark it paid once it clears.
Send every client a private note the moment they reserve — a video meeting link, address, or prep instructions. No manual follow-up emails.
Every CalendX plan includes the CalendX TAG — a physical QR card for your desk, window, or pocket. Walk-in clients scan and book instantly. No competitor at this price offers this.
CalendX lets you build your availability from scratch. You choose which days are open, which services are bookable on which days, and exactly which hours you accept appointments — and you can block off any time you're not available, for a holiday, a personal commitment, or just a lunch break. Unlike tools that just read your existing calendar and expose free gaps to clients, CalendX gives you full architectural control over your schedule. A personal trainer who only trains Tuesday and Thursday mornings, or a barber who takes walk-ins Monday but appointments-only on Wednesday, can configure this precisely. Your schedule is your product — CalendX treats it that way.
Clients who land on your CalendX profile see your full business: service catalog with photos, descriptions, durations, prices, and policies. They can compare your services, read your cancellation terms, and book in one flow — without calling, emailing, or DMing you. No other booking tool at this price gives service professionals a public-facing storefront this complete.
You don't need a Squarespace site or a developer-built page with a private reservation system bolted on. Your CalendX profile is a single link that shows your services, prices, and photos alongside your social media accounts and client reviews — everything a prospective client needs to decide and book, all in one place, included in every plan.
Every CalendX plan includes a physical QR code card (CalendX TAG) that links directly to your booking page. Place it at your reception desk, hand it to walk-in clients, or stick it in your window. It converts offline foot traffic into digital bookings instantly. No competitor at this price point offers this.
Attach a Stripe, PayPal, Wise, or bank transfer link to any service. When a client books, CalendX automatically emails them that link to pay a deposit or the full amount before the appointment. You mark the booking as paid once you see the payment land — full control over your own payment provider, no platform cut, no waiting on someone else's payout schedule.
Send each client a private note automatically when they reserve — your video meeting link, your address and parking instructions, or what to bring. No manual follow-up email, no forgetting the details that make the appointment run smoothly.
CalendX works out of the box for beauty, fitness, health, tutoring, home maintenance, consulting, events, and field services. Setup: create profile, add services with photos and prices, share your link or QR code. Done. No technical skills needed.
Acuity excels at collecting detailed client information before appointments. Customizable intake forms with conditional logic allow therapists, counselors, and health practitioners to gather medical history, consent forms, and screening questionnaires. This is critical for practices that need documentation before the first session.
Acuity offers robust support for selling session packages, monthly memberships, and gift certificates directly through the booking flow. This is valuable for wellness businesses that rely on recurring revenue models or want to offer prepaid packages at a discount.
For businesses already using Squarespace for their website, Acuity provides seamless embedding and styling consistency. The integration means your booking widget matches your site's look and feel without custom CSS, and visitors never feel like they're leaving your domain.
Common questions about CalendX vs Acuity Scheduling
CalendX starts at $14.99 per month compared to Acuity's $16 per month for the Emerging plan. At the Professional level, CalendX is $29.99 versus Acuity's Growing plan at $27. The Enterprise/Powerhouse tiers are similar at around $49-55 per month. Where CalendX delivers more value is in what's included: every plan gets the physical QR code (CalendX TAG), 7-language support, and deposit/payment link tools. Acuity requires higher-tier plans for advanced features, and some capabilities like the QR code simply don't exist in their platform.
Yes, migrating from Acuity to CalendX is straightforward. You can export your client list and service information from Acuity and import it into CalendX. The service catalog setup in CalendX is actually simpler — just add service names, descriptions, photos, durations, and prices. CalendX's custom availability builder may feel different at first since it gives you full control rather than blocking times, but most users find it more intuitive within a few days. The 14-day free trial lets you run both systems parallel before committing.
Yes, CalendX offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required — longer than Acuity's 7-day trial. During the CalendX trial, you get full access to all features including the branded booking page, service catalog with photos and pricing, deposit/payment link tools, client CRM, email reminders, and the CalendX TAG physical QR code. You can create your profile, add up to 5 services, and start accepting real bookings immediately. After the trial, you can choose to subscribe or your account automatically pauses. This no-commitment approach lets you fully evaluate the platform.
Absolutely. CalendX provides a custom availability builder that gives you full control over your schedule — something Acuity doesn't offer in the same way. You choose which days are open, which hours you accept appointments, which services are available on which days, and you can block off any time you're not available. Acuity works by setting regular hours and then blocking times off, while CalendX lets you architect your schedule from the ground up. For example, a fitness trainer can set Tuesday and Thursday mornings for personal training, Wednesday afternoons for group classes, and keep other times closed — regardless of what their Google Calendar shows. Your schedule is treated as your product, not just a reflection of your free time.
CalendX doesn't process payments itself. Instead, you add your own payment link — from Stripe, PayPal, or any provider you already use — to a service, either for a deposit or the full amount. When a client reserves, CalendX automatically emails them that link so they can pay directly through your provider. You then track and mark the booking as paid yourself once you see the payment come in. Acuity, by contrast, processes payments natively through its own paid-plan integrations — CalendX instead gives you full control over whichever payment provider you already use, at no extra platform cost.
Yes. CalendX lets you send every client a private message automatically the moment they reserve — for example a video call link, your address and parking instructions, or anything they need to prepare. Acuity offers customizable confirmation email templates but not a dedicated per-booking private message field in the same way.
CalendX includes several unique features Acuity lacks: the CalendX TAG — a physical QR code card included with every subscription for converting offline traffic into bookings; a true custom availability builder with time blocking for choosing exact open days and hours; a private message sent to each client the moment they book; a single profile link that combines your storefront, social media, and reviews with no separate website needed; 7-language support on all plans versus Acuity's English focus; and specialized industry support for 21 service categories with dedicated onboarding flows. Additionally, CalendX is a dedicated booking platform while Acuity is now a secondary product within Squarespace's ecosystem, meaning CalendX's roadmap is entirely focused on appointment booking innovation.
Ready to try CalendX?
14-day free trial. No credit card required.
