Acuity Scheduling Review (Jan 2023)

About Acuity Scheduling

Acuity Scheduling is a powerful and user-friendly online scheduling software that allows businesses and individuals to easily manage their appointments and bookings. The platform is designed to streamline the scheduling process and help users save time and increase productivity. It is perfect for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and freelancers who want to automate their scheduling and make it easier for their clients to book appointments with them.

Acuity Scheduling was established in 2006 and is based in New York City, New York. The company has a team of dedicated employees who are committed to providing top-notch service and support to their clients.

One of the key features of Acuity Scheduling is its flexibility. The platform offers a wide range of scheduling options, including one-on-one appointments, group classes, and recurring appointments. This allows businesses and individuals to easily accommodate the unique needs of their clients and schedule appointments in a way that works best for them.

Another great feature of Acuity Scheduling is its integration capabilities. The platform can be easily integrated with a variety of other tools and platforms, including email marketing software, payment processors, and CRM systems. This allows businesses to easily manage all aspects of their scheduling and appointments in one place.

Acuity Scheduling also offers a range of customization options. Users can customize the look and feel of their scheduling pages to match their brand, and can also create custom forms to collect information from clients during the booking process.

Finally, Acuity Scheduling’s reporting and analytics capabilities allow users to track key metrics such as appointment volume, revenue, and customer satisfaction. This helps businesses and individuals make data-driven decisions and improve the performance of their scheduling operations.

In conclusion, Acuity Scheduling is a comprehensive and user-friendly online scheduling software that is perfect for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and freelancers who want to streamline their scheduling operations and make it easier for their clients to book appointments with them. With its flexibility, integration capabilities, customization options, and reporting and analytics features, Acuity Scheduling is an ideal tool for managing appointments, bookings, and more.

Who Uses it?

Acuity Scheduling is used by a wide range of businesses and industries, including but not limited to:

• Health and wellness providers such as massage therapists, personal trainers, and chiropractors
• Service-based businesses such as hair salons, spas, and photography studios
• Creative professionals such as graphic designers and writers
• Coaching and consulting businesses such as life coaches and business consultants
• Education and training providers such as language schools and cooking classes

Some examples of companies that use Acuity Scheduling include:

• MindBody, an online wellness platform that connects people with fitness, wellness, and beauty services
• YogaWorks, a yoga studio with locations across the United States
• American Massage Therapy Association, a professional association for massage therapists
• Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa, a wellness chain with over 500 locations across the US and Canada
• The Little Gym, a children’s fitness center with locations across the US and internationally.

Acuity Scheduling is also used by many independent professionals, such as photographers, therapists, and personal trainers. These customers use the platform to schedule appointments with their clients, set up recurring appointments, and manage their calendars.

Acuity Scheduling’s customer base also includes small to medium-sized businesses, as well as large enterprise clients. The platform is designed to be highly customizable and can be configured to meet the unique needs of each customer.

In summary, Acuity Scheduling is used by a wide range of businesses and industries, from health and wellness providers to service-based businesses, creative professionals, coaching and consulting businesses, and education and training providers. Some notable customers include MindBody, YogaWorks, American Massage Therapy Association, Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa, and The Little Gym.

How it can help your practice?

Acuity Scheduling can help your business in several ways:

1. Streamline your scheduling process: Acuity Scheduling can automate your scheduling process, allowing you to easily manage appointments, bookings, and class schedules. This can save you time and increase productivity, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your business.
2. Increase customer convenience: Acuity Scheduling allows your customers to easily book appointments online, at any time of the day. This can increase customer satisfaction and loyalty, as they will appreciate the convenience and flexibility of being able to schedule appointments on their own.
3. Increase revenue: Acuity Scheduling can help you increase revenue by allowing you to upsell and cross-sell services to your customers. The platform also allows you to set up recurring appointments and subscriptions, which can help you increase your recurring revenue.
4. Improve communication with customers: Acuity Scheduling allows you to send automated email and text message reminders to your customers, reducing no-shows and helping you keep in touch with your customers.
5. Customization and integration: Acuity Scheduling is highly customizable, you can match the look and feel of the platform to your brand, and also create custom forms to collect information from your customers during the booking process. It can also integrate with other tools and platforms, such as email marketing software, payment processors, and CRM systems.
6. Analytics and reporting: Acuity Scheduling provides analytics and reporting features that allow you to track key metrics such as appointment volume, revenue, and customer satisfaction. This can help you make data-driven decisions and improve the performance of your scheduling operations.

Overall, Acuity Scheduling is a powerful tool that can help you streamline your scheduling process, increase customer convenience, increase revenue, improve communication with customers, customize and integrate with other tools, and track analytics. All of this can help you to improve your business operations and grow your business.

Acuity Scheduling Vs Competitors

Here are five alternatives to Acuity Scheduling and a comparison of their differences and similarities in terms of features, prices, vendor size, customer type, and cost of implementation:

1. Calendly: Calendly is a simple and easy-to-use scheduling software that allows businesses and individuals to schedule meetings and appointments with their clients. It offers a free plan, as well as paid plans that start at $8 per month. Calendly is a smaller vendor than Acuity Scheduling and is geared toward small businesses, entrepreneurs, and freelancers. Calendly has a similar pricing model to Acuity Scheduling, but its features are less comprehensive.
2. Appointy: Appointy is an online scheduling software that allows businesses to manage their appointments and bookings. It offers a range of features, including appointment reminders, recurring appointments, and custom forms. Appointy is a smaller vendor than Acuity Scheduling and is geared toward small businesses and individuals. Appointy’s pricing is more affordable than Acuity Scheduling, with plans starting at $9 per month.
3. Book Like a Boss: Book Like a Boss is an online scheduling software that allows businesses to manage their appointments and bookings. It offers a range of features, including appointment reminders, recurring appointments, and custom forms. Book Like a Boss is a smaller vendor than Acuity Scheduling and is geared toward small businesses and entrepreneurs. Book Like a Boss’s pricing is more affordable than Acuity Scheduling, with plans starting at $9 per month.
4. TimeTrade: TimeTrade is an enterprise-level scheduling software that offers advanced features such as appointment scheduling, appointment reminders, recurring appointments, and custom forms. TimeTrade is a larger vendor than Acuity Scheduling and is geared toward larger businesses and organizations. TimeTrade’s pricing is more expensive than Acuity Scheduling, with plans starting at $50 per month.
5. Setmore: Setmore is a scheduling software that allows businesses to manage their appointments and bookings. It offers a range of features, including appointment reminders, recurring appointments, and custom forms. Setmore is a smaller vendor than Acuity Scheduling and is geared toward small businesses and entrepreneurs. Setmore’s pricing is more affordable than Acuity Scheduling, with plans starting at $10 per month.

In summary, Acuity Scheduling is a comprehensive scheduling software that offers a wide range of features and is geared toward small businesses, entrepreneurs, and freelancers. However, there are alternative options available such as Calendly, Appointy, Book Like a Boss, TimeTrade, and Setmore, that offer similar features but with different pricing models, vendor sizes, and target customers.

Acuity Scheduling Pricing in 2023

Acuity Scheduling is a top-rated cloud-based appointment scheduling tool used in healthcare facilities. It has three pricing plans; Emerging, Growing, and Powerhouse. All three plans have a 7-day trial period.

• Emerging: The Emerging pricing plan costs $15 per month if you opt for the monthly payment scheme. However, if you opt for the annual payment scheme, you can save 6% yearly, and the monthly cost would drop to $14 per month.
• Growing: The Growing pricing plan costs $25 per month under the monthly payment option. However, the annual payment scheme can help you save 8% annually, with the monthly cost dropping to $23 per month.
• Powerhouse: This is the ultimate package with a price of $50 per month under the monthly payment scheme. However, under the annual payment scheme, the monthly cost drops to $45 per month, saving 10% annually.

Acuity Scheduling – Cost of Implementation

The cost of implementation for Acuity Scheduling is relatively low, as the platform is easy to set up and use. The platform is also cloud-based, so there is no need for expensive hardware or IT infrastructure.

The main cost for implementing Acuity Scheduling is the subscription fee for the chosen pricing plan. The Emerging plan starts at $15 per month, the Growing plan starts at $25 per month, the Powerhouse plan starts at $50 per month and the Enterprise plan is custom.

It’s worth noting that Acuity Scheduling offers a free trial for 7 days for all plans which will allow you to test the platform and its features before subscribing.

Acuity Scheduling Pros

1. Customizable booking forms: Acuity Scheduling allows users to create custom booking forms that can be tailored to their specific business needs.
2. Automated appointment reminders: Acuity Scheduling sends automated appointment reminders to clients, reducing the chance of missed appointments.
3. Integrations with other tools: Acuity Scheduling integrates with a wide range of other tools, such as payment processors, email marketing platforms, and calendars, making it easy to manage appointments and client information.

Acuity Scheduling Cons

1. Limited free plan options: Acuity Scheduling offers a limited free plan with limited features compared to some of its competitors.
2. Higher pricing: Acuity Scheduling’s pricing plans are higher than some of its competitors, which may not be affordable for small businesses or individual users.
3. Limited customization options: While Acuity Scheduling offers some customization options, it may not be as flexible as some of its competitors in terms of design and branding.

How To Use Acuity Scheduling

Here is a tutorial on how to use some of its key features:

1. Setting up an account: To get started with Acuity Scheduling, you’ll first need to sign up for an account. You can do this by visiting the Acuity Scheduling website and clicking on the “Sign Up” button. You’ll be prompted to enter your email address and create a password.
2. Creating a new appointment: Once you’ve logged into your account, you can create a new appointment by clicking on the “New Appointment” button. You’ll be prompted to enter the details of the appointment, such as the date, time, and duration. You can also add notes and any special instructions for the appointment.
3. Managing clients: Acuity Scheduling allows you to easily manage your clients by creating client profiles. To create a new client profile, click on the “Clients” tab and then click on the “New Client” button. You’ll be prompted to enter the client’s name, contact information, and any notes or special instructions.
4. Setting up booking forms: Acuity Scheduling allows you to create custom booking forms that can be tailored to your specific business needs. To set up a booking form, click on the “Booking Forms” tab and then click on the “New Form” button. You’ll be prompted to enter the details of the form, such as the services offered, the duration of the appointment, and any special instructions.
5. Sending appointment reminders: Acuity Scheduling sends automated appointment reminders to clients, reducing the chance of missed appointments. To set up appointment reminders, click on the “Reminders” tab and then click on the “New Reminder” button. You’ll be prompted to enter the details of the reminder, such as the date and time of the appointment and the type of reminder (email or text message).
6. Integrations: Acuity Scheduling integrates with a wide range of other tools, such as payment processors, email marketing platforms, and calendars. To set up an integration, click on the “Integrations” tab and then select the tool you want to integrate with. You’ll be prompted to enter the details of the integration, such as your account information and any special instructions.

By following these steps, you’ll be able to effectively use Acuity Scheduling to manage your appointments and clients. If you have any questions about specific features or need more help, you can always refer to the Acuity Scheduling help center or contact their support team for assistance.

How it Integrates with Other Software

Acuity Scheduling has a variety of integration capabilities with other healthcare technologies. Some examples include:

1. Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems: Acuity Scheduling can integrate with EHR systems such as Cerner, Epic and Athenahealth to allow patients to view and schedule appointments directly from their patient portal. This integration also allows for the sharing of patient information between Acuity Scheduling and the EHR, streamlining the process for both the patient and the healthcare provider.
2. Telemedicine platforms: Acuity Scheduling can integrate with telemedicine platforms such as Zoom, Doxy.me, and GoToMeeting to facilitate virtual consultations between patients and healthcare providers. This integration allows patients to schedule, join and receive reminders for their virtual appointments directly from Acuity Scheduling.
3. Billing and practice management software: Acuity Scheduling can integrate with billing and practice management software such as Kareo, Office Ally, and AdvancedMD. This integration enables the scheduling of appointments to be linked to a patient’s billing information, allowing for streamlined billing and appointment scheduling.
4. Electronic Prescription Management Systems: Acuity Scheduling can integrate with electronic prescription management systems such as Surescripts, which allows the healthcare providers to send e-prescriptions for the patient’s medications directly from Acuity Scheduling, after the appointment.
5. SMS and Email Marketing Platforms: Acuity Scheduling can integrate with SMS and Email marketing platforms such as MailChimp and Twilio, to send automated appointment reminders, confirmations and follow-ups to patients.

It’s important to note that while Acuity Scheduling offers a variety of integrations, not all integrations are available in all plans, and availability may depend on your location and the specifics of your practice.

Free Alternatives to Acuity Scheduling

Acuity Scheduling is a popular scheduling tool that offers a wide range of features, but it may not be suitable or affordable for all businesses. There are several free alternatives to Acuity Scheduling that offer similar features and capabilities. Here are a few examples:

1. Doodle: Doodle is another free scheduling tool that allows businesses and individuals to schedule appointments and meetings. Doodle offers similar features to Acuity Scheduling, including calendar integrations and custom booking forms, but unlike Acuity Scheduling, Doodle doesn’t offer automated appointment reminders. Doodle’s free plan has some limitations, such as the number of polls per month, and the number of participants per poll.
2. Book Like a Boss: Book Like a Boss is a free scheduling tool that allows businesses and individuals to schedule appointments and meetings with clients and colleagues. Book Like a Boss offers similar features to Acuity Scheduling, including automated appointment reminders, custom booking forms, and calendar integrations. However, Book Like a Boss’s free plan has some limitations, such as the number of appointments per month, and the number of attendees per event.
3. ScheduleOnce: ScheduleOnce is a free scheduling tool that allows businesses and individuals to schedule appointments and meetings with clients and colleagues. ScheduleOnce offers similar features to Acuity Scheduling, including automated appointment reminders, custom booking forms, and calendar integrations. However, ScheduleOnce’s free plan has some limitations, such as the number of events per month, and the number of attendees per event.

Alternative for Small Practice

There are several alternatives to Acuity Scheduling that offer similar features and capabilities, but with a more affordable pricing plan for small businesses. Here are a few examples:

1. SimplyBook.me: SimplyBook.me is a scheduling tool that is designed specifically for small businesses. It offers similar features to Acuity Scheduling, including automated appointment reminders, custom booking forms, and calendar integrations. However, SimplyBook.me’s pricing plans are more affordable for small businesses, with plans starting as low as $9 per month. One of the main differences between SimplyBook.me and Acuity Scheduling is that SimplyBook.me does not offer a free plan, but it does offer a free trial.
2. Setmore: Setmore is a scheduling tool that is designed for small businesses. It offers similar features to Acuity Scheduling, including automated appointment reminders, custom booking forms, and calendar integrations. Setmore’s pricing plans are more affordable for small businesses, with plans starting as low as $25 per month. One of the main differences between Setmore and Acuity Scheduling is that Setmore offers a free plan with limited features.
3. Bookeo: Bookeo is a scheduling tool that is designed for small businesses. It offers similar features to Acuity Scheduling, including automated appointment reminders, custom booking forms, and calendar integrations. Bookeo’s pricing plans are more affordable for small businesses, with plans starting as low as $20 per month. One of the main differences between Bookeo and Acuity Scheduling is that Bookeo offers a 14-day free trial, but it does not offer a free plan.

Each of these alternatives offers a range of features and capabilities, so it’s important to evaluate which one is the best fit for your specific needs and business. They are more affordable for small businesses, with plans starting as low as $9 per month, which can be a better fit for small businesses looking to keep their costs down. They also offer similar features to Acuity Scheduling, making it easy for small businesses to manage their appointments and clients.

Alternative for Large Practice

1. vCita: vCita is a scheduling tool that is designed specifically for large businesses. It offers similar features to Acuity Scheduling, including automated appointment reminders, custom booking forms, and calendar integrations. However, vCita’s pricing plans are designed for large businesses, with plans starting as low as $49 per month. One of the main differences between vCita and Acuity Scheduling is that vCita offers more advanced features such as client management, invoicing, and advanced analytics.
2. TimeTrade: TimeTrade is a scheduling tool that is designed for large businesses. It offers similar features to Acuity Scheduling, including automated appointment reminders, custom booking forms, and calendar integrations. TimeTrade’s pricing plans are designed for large businesses, with plans starting at $75 per month. One of the main differences between TimeTrade and Acuity Scheduling is that TimeTrade offers more advanced features such as real-time scheduling and resource management.
3. Appointy: Appointy is a scheduling tool that is designed for large businesses. It offers similar features to Acuity Scheduling, including automated appointment reminders, custom booking forms, and calendar integrations. Appointy’s pricing plans are designed for large businesses, with plans starting at $49 per month. One of the main differences between Appointy and Acuity Scheduling is that Appointy offers more advanced features such as employee management and appointment package management.

Each of these alternatives offers a range of features and capabilities, so it’s important to evaluate which one is the best fit for your specific needs and business. They are designed for large businesses and therefore offer more advanced features such as client management, invoicing, analytics, real-time scheduling and resource management. They also offer more scalability, with plans starting at $49 per month, which can be a better fit for large businesses who need more advanced features and scalability. Additionally, they also offer free trials to test the features before purchasing the plan.

Some Surprising Facts About Acuity Scheduling

1. Acuity Scheduling was founded in 2008 by Gavin Zuchlinski, and since then it has grown rapidly, becoming one of the most popular scheduling tools on the market.
2. Acuity Scheduling has been recognized as one of the best scheduling tools by various publications such as Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Inc.
3. Acuity Scheduling is not just a scheduling software, it also offers a variety of other features such as client management, appointment reminders, invoicing, and online payments, making it a complete solution for businesses.
4. Acuity Scheduling offers integration with over 100 other tools, including payment processors, calendars, and email marketing platforms, which allows businesses to manage appointments and client information more efficiently.
5. Acuity Scheduling has been used by a wide range of businesses and professionals, from individual therapists and personal trainers to large corporations and government agencies.
6. Acuity Scheduling has a mobile app, which allows businesses and professionals to manage their appointments and clients on the go.
7. Acuity Scheduling also offers a feature for businesses to create a custom booking page for clients, which allows for a more personalized experience for the client, and also can help to increase brand awareness and visibility.
8. Acuity Scheduling has a feature for group appointments, which allows businesses to schedule appointments for multiple attendees at the same time, which is particularly useful for workshops, classes, and other group events.
9. Acuity Scheduling offers a feature for recurring appointments, which allows businesses to schedule appointments that repeat at regular intervals, which is particularly useful for clients who need regular appointments such as therapy or coaching sessions.
10. Acuity Scheduling also offers a feature for virtual appointments, which allows businesses to schedule and conduct appointments online, which is particularly useful in the current climate where virtual consultations are in high demand.