Acuity vs Calendly for Therapists: Which Scheduler Is Better?

TL;DR

• Calendly: Simpler, cleaner. Best for quick meetings.
• Acuity: More customizable. Better for complex practices.
• Neither: Built specifically for therapy privacy needs.
• Alternative: OnlyCaly offers privacy-first scheduling at lower cost.

You've probably heard of both Calendly and Acuity. They're the two biggest names in online scheduling. But if you're a therapist trying to decide between them, generic reviews won't help much.

Let's break down what actually matters for mental health practices.

Quick Comparison Table

Calendly: The Simple Option

Pros

Clean Interface Calendly's booking pages are beautiful. Clients find them intuitive. Setup takes about 10 minutes.

Great Integrations Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, Stripe, PayPal—Calendly connects to almost everything.

Team Features If you're in a group practice, Calendly's round-robin and collective scheduling work well.

Cons for Therapists

No HIPAA on Affordable Plans Calendly only offers a BAA (Business Associate Agreement) on enterprise plans. That's $15,000+ per year. For solo practitioners, that's not realistic.

Basic Intake Forms You can add form fields, but nothing approaching proper intake questionnaires. No conditional logic, no consent signatures.

Privacy Defaults Event names show up in calendar invitations. "Therapy Session with Dr. Sarah" might not be what your client wants their spouse to see on a shared calendar.

Payment on Paid Plans Only Want clients to prepay? That's $10/month minimum.

Acuity: The Customizable Option

Pros

Powerful Forms Acuity lets you build detailed intake forms with multiple question types. This is its biggest advantage for therapists.

Package Selling You can sell bundles of sessions (e.g., "8 sessions for price of 7") directly through booking.

Flexible Scheduling Complex availability rules, multiple calendars, different durations for different clients—Acuity handles it.

More Affordable HIPAA Acuity offers a BAA on their Powerhouse plan ($45/month). Still expensive, but accessible for solo practitioners.

Cons for Therapists

Dated Interface Let's be honest: Acuity looks like it was designed in 2015. It still works, but it doesn't feel modern.

Complexity More features means more settings. New users often feel overwhelmed.

Privacy Requires Configuration Discreet calendar titles are possible but not default. You have to configure them manually.

Squarespace Acquisition Acuity was acquired by Squarespace. Some features are being sunset or changed.

What Both Are Missing

Here's the thing: neither Calendly nor Acuity were built for therapy.

No default privacy mode. You have to configure discreet settings manually.

No therapy-specific templates. Intake forms, cancellation policies, consent—you build from scratch.

General-purpose design. They're built for consultants, salespeople, and coaches. Mental health is an afterthought.

The Privacy-First Alternative: OnlyCaly

OnlyCaly was built specifically for therapists and wellness professionals. Here's what's different:

Privacy by Default

Calendar invitations show neutral titles like "Appointment" or "Medical" by default. No client has to explain their therapy session to a curious partner.

Therapy-Focused Intake

Pre-built intake questions designed for mental health. Collecting session goals, emergency contacts, and consent is built in.

Affordable Payment Collection

Stripe integration on Starter plan (€6.99/month). Require full payment, deposits, or pay-later.

EU Data Hosting

For GDPR-conscious practices, data can be hosted in the EU.

Simple Pricing

Free tier for testing. Paid plans from €6.99/month—no enterprise pricing walls.

Decision Framework

Choose Calendly if:

• You need dead-simple scheduling
• HIPAA isn't a requirement
• You're in a group practice with team scheduling needs
• You don't collect payments at booking

Choose Acuity if:

• You need complex intake forms
• You sell session packages
• You can afford $45/month for HIPAA
• You don't mind a learning curve

Choose OnlyCaly if:

• Privacy is a priority
• You want therapy-focused features
• You need affordable payment collection
• You value modern, clean design
• You're EU-based with GDPR concerns

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Calendly HIPAA compliant?

Only on enterprise plans with a custom BAA. For solo therapists, this is usually cost-prohibitive.

Can I use Acuity for telehealth?

Acuity integrates with Zoom and can auto-generate links, but it doesn't include telehealth itself. You'll need a separate video platform.

Which has better reminders?

Acuity allows more customization. Calendly's reminders are simpler but effective. OnlyCaly offers 2-3 customizable reminders with SMS option on Pro.

Can I migrate between tools?

Yes. All three allow data export. Switching typically takes an afternoon of setup.

The Bottom Line

Calendly and Acuity are both solid tools. Millions of professionals use them successfully.

But if you're a therapist, you're working with sensitive information and vulnerable clients. You deserve tools built for what you actually do.

• For simplicity: Calendly
• For customization: Acuity
• For privacy-first therapy practices: OnlyCaly

Try the free versions. See what feels right. Your clients will notice the difference.

Try OnlyCaly Free →