Offer only the hours you can keep

Set your hours for each weekday, up to four ranges a day, in your time zone. A meeting gets a set length. A site visit gets an arrival window, since nobody arrives at 2:00 sharp.

  • Leave a buffer before and after each booking for travel and setup.
  • Set a minimum notice, so nobody books the 8:00 slot at 7:45.
  • Decide how far ahead people can book, and cap the bookings in a day.

Ask for what changes how you prepare. You get up to ten questions of your own, plus a built-in 'What would you like to discuss in this meeting?'

An address and a line about the job usually cover it. You probably don't need the customer's life story before a twenty-minute call.

Decide now what happens after they book

After booking, the customer sees a confirmation with add-to-Google, add-to-Outlook, a downloadable invite and a Manage link. The Manage link lets them reschedule or cancel on their own, up to the change cutoff you set.

They also get e-mails along the way. A confirmation, then reminders at the times you choose, one day and one hour before if you like, and a note if the booking is moved or canceled.

On your side, every booking, move and cancellation reaches you by e-mail and a message inside the workspace, or a task on your board if you prefer. An ordinary task or renewal date on the calendar doesn't e-mail anyone.

Calendar scheduling software that reads the calendar you already keep

Before a time is offered, Bookings checks your BizzyBot calendar, the busy time from any Google calendars you've imported, and the bookings already taken. A job that lives only in your head is still yours to block out.

Turn on the Guest follow-up switch and each guest gets a customer record, with the appointment on your calendar. With Google Calendar connected, the appointment is copied to Google too, and an online meeting can carry a Google Meet link.

Signing in with Google doesn't connect the calendar; that is a separate connection with its own permission screen. After connecting, make a test booking and check where it lands.

What scheduling software for small business should cost

Appointment scheduling software for small business should cost a price you can read before you sign up, with nothing added each time a customer books. Here, the price is the workspace. Bookings comes with it: $12 a month for the owner, $6 for each teammate who edits and $0 for light users, with nothing charged per booking.

There's one tier, so the booking page and its confirmation and reminder e-mails aren't held back for a pricier plan. The table compares five other scheduling programs for small business, each sold on its own. The vendors listed these prices on 30 September 2026, promotional rates excluded.

ToolFree optionLowest paid pricePayments at bookingWhat you get it with
CalendlyYes: one event type, one-on-one only$10 a seat a month, or 17% less billed yearly (Standard)From Standard, through Stripe or PayPalA separate scheduling subscription
Square AppointmentsYes: $0 a month for solo use, processing fees applyNot establishedBuilt in; no-show fees on PlusSquare's payments and point of sale
Acuity SchedulingNo: a 7-day trial, no card$20 a month, or $16 a month billed yearly (Starter)Yes, on every planA separate scheduling subscription
SetmoreYes: up to 4 users$12 a user a month, or $5 a user a month billed yearly (Pro)Yes on both plans; deposits on ProA separate scheduling subscription
Zoho BookingsYes: one user$8 a user a month, or $6 a user a month billed yearly (Basic)Payment integrations on PremiumA separate scheduling subscription
Bizzy BookingsNo: a one-hour trial with no card, shown as a preview$12 a month for the owner, $6 per editing teammateNo payments or depositsThe BizzyBot workspace: projects, tasks, calendar, customers and crew shifts
Scroll the table horizontally on a smaller screen.

Moving from a booking plugin on your website? Make one meeting type, run both for two weeks, and switch the plugin off once the new bookings land where you expect. Bookings has no widget to embed, so your website links to the booking page instead.

Sources

Questions & answers

Does my customer have to create an account?

No. They open the link, pick a time and book. The link never opens your projects, customer records or anything else in the workspace.

Can I leave time between appointments?

Yes. Set a buffer before and after each booking, a minimum notice, how far ahead people can book and a cap on bookings per day.

Can customers cancel or reschedule?

Yes. The Manage link on their confirmation lets them reschedule or cancel on their own until the change cutoff you set, and you hear about it each time.

Can I collect a deposit with the booking?

No. Bookings takes no payments and no deposits. It settles the time; keep your existing process for the money.

Does it send text message reminders?

No. There are no text reminders; Bookings sends e-mail only. The customer gets a confirmation, reminders at the times you choose, and a note if the booking moves or is canceled.

What if my customer is in another time zone?

The times on the page show in the customer's own time zone, detected from their browser, and they can pick another from a dropdown. Your hours stay in yours.

How much does booking software cost per month?

In BizzyBot, $12 a month for the owner, with $6 for each teammate who edits. Bookings is part of that workspace, so there's no separate scheduling plan and no charge per booking. The table above lists five other tools' prices, read on 30 September 2026.

Does booking software have hidden fees?

Yes, sometimes the headline price isn't the whole bill. On 30 September 2026, Square Appointments listed processing fees on top of its $0 option, and SimplyBook.me listed text-message packages as a paid add-on. Bookings adds nothing to BizzyBot's $12 a month for the owner and $6 per editing teammate, before tax. It takes no payments, so it brings no processing fees.

Is there a free version of Bookings?

No. The one-hour trial needs no card and shows Bookings as a preview. Taking a real booking needs the paid workspace, from $12 a month.

Does it work with Outlook?

Partly. After booking, your guest gets an Add to Outlook button and a downloadable .ics invite, but your own busy time comes from BizzyBot and connected Google calendars only. If your week lives in Outlook, compare Microsoft Bookings with Calendly first.

Who is this for?

Are you a builder, a baker, a candlestick maker? Got a pulse and a small-business dream? Pull up a chair.

A few businesses that can use BizzyBot:

  • Shop owners
  • Consultants and designers
  • Builders and tradespeople
  • Repair shops and salons
  • Cleaning and landscaping businesses

Starting out or already juggling customers, jobs and a calendar that won't sit still? Keep the details together so your head doesn't have to hold every last one.

Business examples from 2025 U.S. Census application data

What's the difference between owners, teammates and light users?

Owner: $12/month. The person who runs the business workspace, manages billing and decides who gets access.

Teammates: $6 per person, per month. They create or change projects, tasks, schedules and events, and use the calendars. Their permissions decide what they can change.

Light users: $0 per person, per month. They can view schedules and the jobs they're assigned to in the owner's workspace. People who edit that work need a teammate seat.