Top 5 website builders that include an appointment booking system

In this article, I've personally compared the top 5 website builders with a built-in appointment booking system to help you schedule sessions and classes with your clients.

You're in the right place if you're

• A consultant/freelancer/coach looking for alternatives to schedule appointments for clients.
• Teachers/trainers trying to set up classes for your students
• A professional service business starting up a new site.
• Small business owners looking to set up an appointment system

We'll specifically compare:

• Their key appointment management and scheduling features.
• The cost and pricing plan.
• Limitations you should be aware of.
• And how to decide if you should use the platform.

Let's dive right in.

1. Hubspot Free CMS and Scheduling

You can create a free website on Hubspot using their free CMS (Bonus: They even allow you to add a custom domain for free!). They also have a meeting scheduler you can use to book appointments with your clients.

It's specifically designed so you can avoid the hassle of back-and-forth emails (we've all been there) trying to find the right time to meet.

✅ Key features (TL;DR):

• Set up one-on-one, group, or round robin meetings.
• Schedule an appointment in advance
• Accepts payment via Stripe (Paid feature, details below)
• Integrates with Zoom for video conferencing
• Syncs with Google Calendar, Outlook, and Office 365
• Auto-generated cancel & reschedule links in the event description.
• Allow customers to choose meeting duration (15 mins, 30 mins, 1 hour, etc)
• Availability window — Set a custom period when customers can schedule a meeting.
• Send confirmation reminder emails for

So what can you do with Hubspot's meeting scheduler?

1. Prospect-Driven Booking: Allows prospects to book meetings at mutually convenient times, integrating with your calendar to display real-time availability​​​​​​.
2. Round Robin and Group Links: Provides options for scheduling with multiple team members, with automatic updates to the HubSpot contacts database​​.
3. Calendar Embedding: Enables embedding the calendar on your website or including the link in emails for easy appointment scheduling​​.
4. Sales Process Automation: Helps in managing high quotas by automating appointment scheduling, allowing prospects to book directly on your available calendar​​.

💻 Integration and Setup:

• The tool integrates with Google Calendar, Outlook, and Office 365, to synchronize availability​​​​.
• Setting up the calendar booking link is pretty straightforward. You will first be required to connect your Hubspot account with your Calendar (any of the above) via the settings page, and you can create a meeting under Sales ⮕ Meeting.

💸 Cost and Customization:

HubSpot's meeting scheduler is free to start with, but offers a premium version with advanced features like accepting payment in advance for the meeting. The premium Hubspot account starts from $18/month.

🕒 Time Zone and Availability Handling:

• ​​It adjusts for different time zones, showing available times in the visitor's local time zone.
• The tool displays all open slots on your calendar marked as free, while busy slots are not bookable​​.

Free plan limitations you should know

❌ Accept payment is a premium features (starting at $18/month)

❌ Includes Hubspot branding on your booking page

❌ One personal meeting link only

Hubspot verdict

If you're a B2B or small business owner looking to set up an appointment booking system, Hubspot is a good place to start.

It offers many appointment features for free (that you'd otherwise pay in other platforms), but the features aren't as powerful as a dedicated appointment platform.

You can make the most of HubSpot's free website and marketing tools (while they last). Considering all their features, you can go a long way without spending a dime.

Learn more about Hubspot's free meeting scheduler

2.Square (Free)

Square lets you set up a free booking website for your classes. You can even accept payment for free! Although credit card and processing fees apply.

✅ Key features (TL;DR):

• Booking for single or recurring classes
• Comes with a mobile app for iOS and Android
• Built-in assistant to help you reschedule or cancel client's sessions
• Automated email and SMS reminder for class
• Embed the calendar on your own website (Squarespace, Wix, and Wordpress)
• Recurring appointments (Premium)
• Charge cancellation fee (Premium)
• Google Calendar Sync (premium)

💻 Use Cases

Square Appointments is great for service-oriented businesses like salons, spas, fitness centers, and professional services, providing streamlined booking, payment, and customer management.

💸 Cost & Pricing

1. Free Plan: Offers basic features for single-location businesses at no cost. Accepting payments online comes with a transaction fee of 2.6% + 30¢.
2. Plus Plan: At $29/month, it includes advanced features like booking for multiple locations, recurring classes and payments, and calendar sync.
3. Premium Plan: Priced at $69/month per location, catering to complex booking and staff management needs​​.

Unique Features

Square is the only platform that allows in-person payment and booking, which is suitable for local businesses that need a physical booking system. It accepts in-person credit card payments, pay with a tap on phone, even Afterpay, and will generate invoices for your clients.

Limitations on the free plan

The free plan is suitable for a basic booking system, but keep in mind of these limitations:

❌ The default website has a basic design and you can't customize it much.

❌ No calendar sync

❌ Comes with Square branding

❌ Can't schedule a class or appointment in advance

Should you use Square?

Square has amazing tools and appointment features, even for businesses looking to scale. But the free plan is limited so you may spend a few bucks to get a decent booking system going.

Learn more about Square appointments

3.Squarespace scheduling (Paid)

Squarespace acquired Acuity Scheduling back in 2019 and has rebranded it to become Squarespace's default appointment management and scheduling tool.

Note: Squarespace Scheduling is NOT included in any of the Squarespace subscription plan, you have to purchase it separately as an add on, more details below.

Related: Here are examples of businesses that use Squarespace scheduling to book clients.

✅ Key features (TL;DR):

1. 24/7 Scheduling Availability: Clients can view your availability and book appointments or classes anytime. The system also supports online payments and easy rescheduling​​.
2. Integration with Google Services: You can share available hours, allowing clients to book and reschedule appointments through Google Search and Maps​​.
3. Calendar Synchronization: The tool syncs with popular calendars like Google, Outlook, iCloud, or Office 365, keeping you updated on new appointments​​​​.
4. Customizable Communications: Send branded and personalized confirmations, reminders, and follow-ups, matching your business's style​​.
5. Payment Processing Integration: Squarespace Scheduling integrates with payment processors for easy billing before or after appointments​​.
6. Video Conferencing Options: Integration with platforms like GoToMeeting, Zoom, and JoinMe to facilitate face-to-face client interactions​​.
7. Custom Intake Forms: Understand new and returning clients better with customized intake forms​​.
8. Professional Invoicing: Manage and send invoices, allowing secure online payments​​.

Use Cases and recommendations

Squarespace Scheduling is ideal for a variety of businesses, including:

• Service-based businesses needing a robust appointment booking system.
• Professionals who require calendar synchronization to manage a busy schedule.
• Businesses looking for a streamlined way to handle payments and invoicing.
• Organizations needing to offer video conferencing options to clients.

💸 Cost & Pricing

Squarespace Scheduling starts at $20/month — best for solopreneurs like consultants and small business owners.

They have high tiered plans for growing businesses and enterprise as well. I wrote an article detailing the price breakdowns and its comparison with other competitors.

Limitations and things you should know

❌ No Free plan

❌ HIPAA compliant security is only available at the highest tiered plan

❌ Custom coding (HTML & CSS) needed to customize your branding.

Squarespace Verdict

Squarespace is for business owners who'd choose convenience over price.

I like Squarespace Scheduling and its ability to sync with popular calendars and payment systems, alongside customizable communication options, makes it a versatile choice for a variety of business types.

However, Squarespace Scheduling is more expensive than its competitors. If price is a concern, there are other cheaper and free versions of appointment scheduling tools.

Learn more about Squarespace Scheduling

4.Booking Koala (Paid)

BookingKoala founders, Filip and Vivek, are the only ones on this list who have started a professional service business, making them the perfect team to build an online booking software.

With Booking Koala, they've built an all-in-one platform specifically to grow a service businesses — from a website builder with dedicated templates for service businesses to automating the entire customer appointment workflow.

✅ Key features (TL;DR):

1. Theme Builder: Drag-and-drop website builder with dedicated service business themes.
2. Booking Forms: Booking form that accept payments (credit card, cash/check), charges sales tax, and set different price based on location or time zone support.
3. Smart Scheduling: Recurring appointments, real-time availability, and more.
4. Mobile Apps for Android and Iphone
5. Referral & Rating System: Coupons, daily discounts, ratings for your staff service.
6. Hiring Module*: The only platform dedicated to hiring for service business. This feature allows for automating the hiring process, including form creation for prospect collection, onboarding funnels, scheduling interviews, contracts, quizzes, and reporting.
7. Dedicated accounts for customers and service staff: For customers to manage their appointments, and for staff to clock in, pick up jobs, etc.

Use Cases & Who Should Use Them:

BookingKoala was designed specifically for service businesses, with dedicated features tailored to their needs. Granted, Filip and Vivek started in the cleaning indistry, which is why the majority of Booking Koala customers are in the same industry.

Here are some examples:

• Premier Choice Cleaners — Cleaner service based in Phoenix, Arizona
• 321 Maids — Local cleaning service based in Florida
• Elevated Cleaning — Premium cleaning service agency based in Lauderdale and Broward County, Florida

💸 Cost & Pricing

Starter Plan: $27/month - All the key features mentioned above for up to 5 staffs.

Growing Plan: $57/month - Everything in Starter plan for up to 15 staff plus automation features.

Premium Plan: $197/month - For 50 staffs and beyond + advanced marketing features.

Limitations

❌ No free plan, but 14 days free trial available

❌ Limited native integrations — For example, there's no native integration with Google Calendar (or any other calendar for that matter). You will have to use a third party tool like Zapier to integrate which may incur extra cost.

Verdict on Booking Koala:

If you're in the service business and need the best in class platform to manage your customer's appointments and staff's schedule, then Booking Koala is the tool for it.

It is a premium platform (which the price reflects) and the cost will scale as your business does.

Learn more about Booking Koala's appointment/booking features

5. Wix booking (Paid)

Unlike Hubspot and Square, you will need a premium account to accept bookings and payments on your Wix site.

That said, Wix's booking/scheduling app offers an integrated solution for managing bookings, payments, staff, clients, and reminders, all from one platform.

Check out some of the businesses and consultants who've used Wix Booking to set up client appointments.

✅ Key features (TL;DR):

1. Let clients book 1-on-1 appointments, intro calls, group sessions, classes, and workshops.
2. Accept payment online via credit card (Stripe), Paypal, or Wix payments.
3. Online Scheduling: Customize your site from over 500 templates, display services, and send booking reminders.
4. SMS + email reminders
5. Syncs with Apple and Google, as well as Office 365.
6. Staff work schedule and calendar to manage when and where staff members are available for the week.
7. Offer membership (with recurring charges) or package (e.g., 10 session pack) for customers to redeem.
8. Staff Management: Assign roles, manage schedules, and track performance.
9. Mobile App on Android and iPhone to manage sessions, payments, and all client interactions.

Use Cases and Target Audience

Wix Booking is suitable for professional service businesses like fitness centers, educational institutions, or even indenpendent service providers.

The use cases are wide ranging as Wix offers 1-on-1 appointments to group classes and sessions. It even comes with client and staff management features, making it easy for businesses to streamline operations.

💸 Cost & Pricing

You will need a Business account that starts at $17/month to use the Wix Booking app.

Upgrading your Wix account to a business plan essentially unlocks all Wix Booking features mentioned above.

Note that you can still create a website for free and set up the appointment calendar, but accepting bookings or payments will prompt you to upgrade to a business account.

Limitations

❌ Hard to customize — Generally, Wix Booking comes with a lot of pre-made templates and features that are hard to customize. For example, if you're creating a service booking page, the description only allows 2500 characters (about 300 words) and you can't attach a link either.

❌ No Add-on service — This is a minor issue, but you can't include any add-on service or option for customers.

Verdict on Wix Booking

Wix's scheduling/booking platform offers a wide range of features for service-based businesses. Although, upon further test,ng, the user experience of creating the booking page can be quite clunky and some of the features are quite limiting if you plan to scale your service.

Despite all that, there are plenty of successful businesses that've used Wix Booking to secure clients.

Learn more about Wix Booking

FAQ about creating a website with an appointment booking system

What are the common key features in an appointment booking system?

Typical appointment scheduling software should include:

• Booking system for one-off or recurring sessions
• App for iOS and Android for easy access
• Calendar integration for real-time availability.
• Customizable booking forms to gather relevant information.
• Automated reminders for both businesses and clients.

But there are booking platforms like Booking Koala that are specifically built for businesses that will include specific features that will help service businesses, like creating a whole automated workflow for hiring and getting referrals.

Can I integrate an appointment booking system with an existing website instead?

Yes, all the appointment scheduling platform also comes with options to integrate with your existing website, whether it's built on Wordpress, Webflow or any custom platform.

Usually you can integrate them either via embedding a booking form on your website, or a URL that will redirect your clients to the custom booking page.

What payment options are typically supported by these platforms?

The most common payment methods are credit card via Stripe, followed by Paypal. Some platforms have their dedicated payment system as well, such as Wix and Square payment.

Do these website builders offer mobile responsiveness for appointment booking?

Some of the abovementioned platforms like Square, Wix, and Booking Koala offer mobile app for Android or iPhone to help you manage bookings on the go. Others will optimize their website for mobile responsiveness instead.

Are there any additional costs associated with using the appointment booking feature?

Most appointment booking features are included in the free or paid plan, with the exception of Squarespace, which you have to purchase as a separate add on.

Apart from that, there are usually credit card charges you should be aware of.

Related articles

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• Top lead generation website builders for small businesses
• Website examples for small businesses
• Wix landing page website examples
• Free Landing page builders you can use to accept payment

David Nge

David is the founder of MakingThatWebsite.com and started making websites for businesses back in 2014. He's a keen learner and wants to share his journey and knowledge with other business owners and freelancers. He launched MakingThatWebsite.com in 2021 to make website building more approachable and scalable for businesses.

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