Scheduling Pricing Comparison — 2026
Every scheduling tool compared by price, pricing model, and what you actually pay at different usage levels. Real numbers, updated regularly.
Scheduling Tools
| Tool | Cheapest Plan | Pricing Model | Free Tier | Pain Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FairCal | $0.10-0.25/booking | Pay per use (per booking made) | Free actions on signup | FAIR |
| Cal.com | $12-25/user/mo | Per-seat monthly (cloud) or self-hosted (free) | Self-hosted is free; cloud has free tier | LOW |
| TidyCal | $29 lifetime | One-time payment (AppSumo deal) | Free plan available | LOW |
| SavvyCal | $12-20/user/mo | Per-seat monthly | Free tier with basic features | MODERATE |
| Acuity Scheduling | $16-49/mo | Monthly subscription | 7-day trial | MODERATE |
| Calendly | $10-16/user/mo | Per-seat monthly | 1 event type | HIGH |
What it actually costs to run
The infrastructure cost for scheduling — servers, APIs, storage, delivery — is roughly $0.03/booking. Cal.com charges $12-25/user/mo.
Fair charges $0.10-0.25/booking — cost plus a small margin.
How pricing models compare
Most scheduling tools use one of three models: per-seat (you pay per team member), per-tier (you pay for a bundle of features), or per-usage (you pay for what you use). Each has trade-offs.
Per-seat pricing
You pay for every team member whether they use the tool daily or once a month. Idle seats cost the same as active ones.
Common with: Zendesk, Salesforce, Calendly
Per-tier pricing
You pick a plan that bundles features and limits. Need one feature from a higher tier? Upgrade the whole plan.
Common with: Hootsuite, Mailchimp, SurveyMonkey
Per-use pricing (Fair)
You pay for what you use. Full features from the first use. Light month = small bill. Quiet month = $0.
One pricing model across all Fair tools
Related comparisons
Fair is the anti-subscription. 13 tools, one account, pay for what you use.