Scheduling apps have changed the way people book meetings. Gone are the days of endless back-and-forth emails and phone tag — now, you can find a time that works for you and your invitee in just a few clicks.
Many appointment scheduling apps are designed for one-on-one bookings. What happens when you need to get more than two people together? Suddenly, you’re juggling competing priorities, calculating five different time zones, and navigating reply-all email threads.
That’s where group scheduling apps come into play.
At its most basic, a group scheduling app should make it easy to find a time that works for all attendees. The best scheduling platforms go beyond that — they make all the admin tasks surrounding meetings easier. You save time, delight your clients or customers, and connect with the right combo of people, at a time that works for everyone.
In this article, you’ll learn how to choose the right group scheduling app for your team. We’ll also walk through seven of the top scheduling tools on the market right now.
(We’re going to focus on apps for professional teams — but several options offer free versions that are great for getting groups together outside of work, too!)
As you consider your options, keep these questions in mind:
Is it easy to use? The more intuitive the software, the sooner you’ll have a meeting on the books. Your scheduling tool should be easy to set up and navigate for internal teammates and customers alike, so everyone has a great experience. Platforms with mobile apps and browser extensions make it extra simple to book meetings whenever and wherever your team needs.
Does it work across groups and meeting types? Some scheduling software only works for internal meetings, while others are hyper-focused on a single use case, like one-on-one appointments or group classes. If you need internal and external scheduling — team meetings, sales calls, interviews, collaboration with agencies or partners, client meetings, or a combo of all of the above — look for one platform that works across departments.
How customizable is it? Can you customize your booking page and event communications to match your brand? With customization options, you can create a consistent, on-brand experience for attendees and teammates.
How much control do I have over my schedule? Scheduling software should give you more control over your calendar, not less. Look for a tool that lets you set parameters, like the number of meetings per day, which holidays are blocked off, how close together meetings can be, and how far in advance meetings must be scheduled.
What can I automate? Does the tool send automatic appointment confirmations, reminders, and other notifications via SMS and email, so you can stop worrying about no-shows? What about follow-up communications? Different apps offer different levels of automation, from simple reminders to more advanced workflows.
Does it integrate with the tools my team already uses? Your team can have top-notch software, but if your tools don’t play well together, you’ll miss out on opportunities to keep info organized and get more done. Integrations include the basics, like the calendars you can sync and the video conferencing tools you use — but they can also include your entire tech stack, including email marketing, CRMs, and even payment processing.
Does it fit my budget? The apps in this guide have a range of pricing options, from free-forever plans to enterprise custom pricing. If you’re not sure about taking the plunge with a paid plan up front, many tools offer a free trial of paid plan features, so you can get a feel for the software before committing to a subscription.
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7 top group scheduling apps in 2024
1. Calendly
Calendly is an easy-to-use, web-based scheduling platform for teams of all sizes across industries. Users connect their calendar(s) and share their booking link, and invitees can instantly choose from available times. Real-time availability means you never have to worry about double bookings.
When it comes to team scheduling options, Calendly offers much more than just a scheduling link — whether you’re booking sales calls with inbound prospects, internal team brainstorms, product demos, vendor and partner meetings, or all of the above.
Key features
Meeting Polls: Find the best time for one-off meetings with up to 40 people. Your invitees vote on preferred times, so you can easily accommodate personal preferences and time zones. Once everyone votes, you choose the best time. Calendly schedules the meeting for you, then automatically sends calendar invites and meeting details to everyone who voted.
Round Robin scheduling: Automatically distribute new meetings to team members based on availability, team member priorities, or equal meeting distribution. This feature lets you respond to customers faster and offer them more available meeting times.
Collective events: Let multiple team members co-host a meeting at a time that works for everyone. Collective events pool the availability of everyone in a group, so the invitee can only select meeting times that are open on every host’s calendar. For example, a sales engineer and account executive can co-host a demo for a prospect.
Group events: Let multiple people sign up to meet with you at once. Group events are a great option for webinars, Q&A sessions, or training sessions. Offer multiple time slots, so people can get the information they need at a time that fits their schedule.
Calendly Routing: Instantly route website visitors to the right person or team’s booking page based on the visitor’s form responses.
Customizable booking pages: Use your brand colors, add your logo, and create booking pages for every custom meeting type. You can even embed your booking page right on your website.
Control over your calendar: Automatically block off holidays, avoid back-to-back bookings with buffers, prevent last-minute bookings, and set custom schedules. Connect professional and personal calendars so meetings don’t get booked over family obligations (or vacations!).
Flexible scheduling: Invitees can reschedule or cancel meetings right from the calendar invite or email notification.
Workflows: Automate and customize communications before and after events, including templates for event reminders, thank-you emails, follow-up meeting requests, and more.
Chrome, Firefox and LinkedIn extensions and mobile apps for iOS and Android: Use Calendly wherever you work. Easily share scheduling links and meeting availability in emails, LinkedIn messages, and more.
“Managing more than 20 projects at a time, Calendly makes herding cats and linking calendars a breeze. Not only does [Meeting Polls] allow you to invite guests to pick dates and times that work best for them, it also fully integrates into your calendar, holding place markers for the times that work best for you.”
Thomas Rodriguez-Shucker
Senior Vice President of Client Services at Collaborative Research
Who is it for?
Teams of all sizes use Calendly to bring together …
Sales, marketing, and customer success collaborating on a deal
Recruiting, HR, and hiring panels interviewing candidates to fill roles
Customer success, IT, and engineering teams resolving customer issues
… just to name a few! (For more Calendly use cases, check out these customer stories.)
Integrations
Calendly integrates with many of the tools you use every day, so you can add it to your processes without reinventing the wheel. Some of the 100+ available integrations include:
Calendars (Google Calendar, Outlook, Exchange, Office 365)
Sales automation and CRMs (Salesforce, Gong, Microsoft Dynamics 365)
Video conferencing (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet) — automatically add a video link to meeting invites
Recruiting software and ATSs (Greenhouse, JazzHR, LinkedIn Messaging)
Marketing automation (HubSpot, Marketo, ActiveCampaign)
Payment processing (Stripe and PayPal)
Workflow automation (Zapier and Outfunnel)
Calendly pricing
Calendly has four pricing tiers:
Free: Includes one connected calendar, unlimited event scheduling, Meeting Polls, and automated event notifications
Standard: $10 per user per month (billed annually)
Teams: $16 per user per month (billed annually)
Enterprise: Custom pricing for larger organizations that need advanced security, control, and customer support
Explore Calendly’s Teams features with a 14-day free trial.
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2. Microsoft 365 (formerly Microsoft Office)
Microsoft 365 is a suite of business tools, including Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Bookings, and Outlook email and calendar. There’s no out-of-the-box group scheduling functionality included, but if you’re working with a Microsoft-only tech stack, there are a few ways to schedule group meetings.
Key features
Microsoft Teams channel calendars: If everyone you need to meet with is in the same Teams channel, channel calendars offer a shared calendar for team events and project deadlines. This option works best for small, internal-only teams.
Microsoft Teams Scheduling Assistant: When booking an internal meeting via Teams, use Scheduling Assistant to see attendees' time zones, schedules, and availability during different time slots, so you can pick a time when everyone’s free.
Microsoft Bookings: Create an online booking page where customers and clients can schedule appointments in just a few clicks. Your scheduling page shows availability based on your Outlook calendar. For multi-person meetings like webinars or group fitness classes, you can open events to multiple attendees. You can also assign multiple employees to a single event.
Scheduling Poll: In Outlook, send a poll to teammates inviting them to vote on potential meeting times. Scheduling Poll looks through internal attendees' Microsoft 365 calendars and suggests a list of suitable meeting times.
Who is it for?
Many businesses — especially enterprise organizations — use the Microsoft ecosystem for everything, including team meetings and appointment booking. When it comes to booking group meetings, the features listed above are solid, but it can still be tricky to book with a combination of internal and external invitees.
Consider adding a third-party scheduling app to make the most of your Microsoft 365 calendar. Calendly syncs with your Outlook calendar, offers an Outlook add-in for email, and integrates with Microsoft Teams for video conferencing. Plus, your availability isn’t limited to your work calendar — sync with Google Calendar, too.
Microsoft 365 pricing
Microsoft 365 for business offers three pricing tiers:
Microsoft 365 Business Basic: $6 per user per month (billed annually)
Microsoft 365 Business Standard: $12.50 per user per month (billed annually)
Microsoft 365 Business Premium: $22 per user per month (billed annually)
All plans include a one-month free trial.
3. Doodle
Doodle started as a simple polling tool for groups to vote on a meeting time. Now, Doodle has evolved to include appointment scheduling. Users share a customized link to their booking page, and invitees can choose from available meeting times.
Features
Group polls: Find a time that works for internal and/or external invitees by sending out a group poll. Invitees vote on the times that work best for them,
Co-host meetings with up to five hosts per booking page
1:1s: Book one-on-one meetings by sending invitees a one-off scheduling link with pre-selected time slots
Customize your booking page to match your brand
Avoid no-shows with automatic email reminders
Sync your availability from Google Calendar, Microsoft Office 365, and Microsoft Exchange calendars
Connect to Zoom, Google Meet, or Webex to automatically add a video link to every online meeting
Who is it for?
Doodle works best for individual users looking to book one-on-one meetings or send out scheduling polls. Group polls, 1:1s, and booking pages are all standalone features. For example, you can send out a survey to determine the best meeting time for your group, but Doodle won’t automatically turn that time into a calendar invite.
Busy teams using Doodle can end up with a manual, time-consuming scheduling process — especially compared to apps designed with professional group scheduling in mind.
(See how Doodle compares to Calendly.)
Doodle pricing
Doodle offers a 14-day free trial and four pricing plans:
Free plan (with ads for users and invitees)
Pro: $6.95 per user per month (billed annually)
Team: $8.95 per user per month (billed annually)
Enterprise: Custom pricing
4. Google Calendar
Google Calendar is part of Google Workspace, making it the go-to calendar app for individuals and teams using Gmail, Google Meet, and Google Drive. When booking a group meeting with Google Calendar, it’s easy to see everyone’s availability side-by-side — if all invitees are in the same workspace.
Key features
Create group calendars to keep teammates on the same page about upcoming events
See internal invitees’ availability side-by-side to find time slots that work for everyone
Set up recurring group meetings for ongoing projects and regular get-togethers
Email all event invitees right from your calendar
Automatically add Google Meet or Zoom video conferencing details to virtual events
Integrate with the organization and communication tools you use every day, like Slack, Trello, ClickUp, and Asana
Who is it for?
Google Calendar works best for booking internal group meetings. When you need to meet with people outside of your org, like customers or vendors, finding a time gets a little more tricky.
Google recently added basic appointment scheduling features designed for one-on-one bookings. If you need to add multiple hosts or attendees to an appointment, you’ll need this manual workaround: Once you receive an email notifying you of a new booking, you can edit the event to add additional guests to the calendar event. You still have to reach out to additional attendees to ask for their availability, which can make group scheduling a hassle.
If you want to make group scheduling with Google Calendar easier, consider adding Calendly to the mix. It’s easier to share your Google Calendar availability, book multi-person meetings with any combination of attendees, and automate scheduling admin tasks.
(See how Google Calendar compares to Calendly.)
Google Calendar Pricing
You can create a single booking page to let invitees schedule unlimited appointments on your calendar for free. To access all of Google Calendar’s appointment scheduling options, your org needs a Google Workspace subscription. (All plans require a one-year commitment.)
Business Starter: $6 per user per month
Business Standard: $12 per user per month
Business Plus: $18 per user per month
Enterprise: Custom pricing
5. Zoho Calendar and Zoho Bookings
Zoho offers a wide range of business apps, including CRMs, marketing tools, HR platforms, and team collaboration software. When it comes to scheduling, Zoho has two tools on the roster: Zoho Calendar and Zoho Bookings.
Zoho Calendar is an online business calendar that works best for internal team meetings. The tool works similarly to Google Calendar.
Zoho Bookings is an appointment scheduling platform that lets customers and prospects book appointments from your booking page.
Key features (Zoho Calendar)
See teammates’ availability when booking a meeting, so you can find times that work for everyone
Create shared calendars to keep teammates on the same page about upcoming events and projects
Sync with other calendars using the native Google Calendar integration or a HTTP-based protocol called CalDAV (Apple Calendar, Thunderbird Calendar, Outlook, etc.)
Key features (Zoho Bookings)
Collective Booking Services: Pool the availability of multiple staff members for a many-to-one appointment.
Group Bookings: Let multiple attendees sign up for the same time slot (one-time or recurring events, like classes or workshops)
Customize your booking page to match your brand (or embed it on your website)
Send automated SMS and/or email reminders
Prevent overbooking and last-minute changes with buffers, scheduling windows, set office hours, and time limits for cancellation and rescheduling
Integrate with calendars, CRMs, online meeting tools, and payment processing platforms
Who is it for?
Zoho’s scheduling tools work best for teams already using Zoho’s suite of business apps, especially Zoho One, which includes Zoho Bookings. Zoho is designed for businesses with 500 employees or fewer — enterprise organizations might find the platform limiting.
Zoho Calendar and Zoho Bookings aren’t the only options for Zoho users — Zoho Recruit integrates directly with Calendly, and you can connect Zoho CRM to Calendly via Zapier.
Zoho Pricing
Zoho Calendar is available for free.
The Premium plan of Zoho Bookings is included in the Zoho One app suite.
Zoho Bookings offers four pricing plans:
Free (One-on-one, online meetings only)
Basic: $6 per user per month (billed annually)
Premium: $9 per user per month
FLEX Plan: Custom pricing
6. HubSpot meeting scheduler (formerly HubSpot Meetings)
HubSpot’s meeting scheduler is part of their Sales Hub CRM software. As prospects schedule meetings, they’ll automatically be added to your HubSpot contacts database, so your sales team stays organized.
Key features
Group Availability: Let prospects book time with multiple team members
Round Robin Availability: Automatically schedule prospects with the first available sales rep
Automatically trigger sales emails before and after meetings
Embed your calendar on your website
Sync your availability with Google Calendar and Office 365
Integrate with Zoom, Google Meet, and UberConference for online meetings
Who is it for?
HubSpot's meeting scheduler works well for teams that (1) already use HubSpot CRM and (2) only need group scheduling for sales use cases. The app is designed for prospects to book appointments with a sales rep or team.
If you need scheduling functionality for other teams, consider choosing a tool you can integrate with HubSpot CRM and use across departments. For example, sales and customer success teams use Calendly to schedule and collaborate on sales handoffs and customer onboarding — without having to pay for HubSpot seats for the whole CS team.
(See how HubSpot’s meeting scheduler compares to Calendly.)
HubSpot meeting scheduler pricing
HubSpot’s meeting scheduler is included for Sales Hub users. There are four Sales Hub pricing plans. (All paid plans require a one-year commitment.)
Free Tools (One personal meeting link)
Starter: $18 per month, billed annually (Includes two users; $9 per user per month for additional users)
Professional: $450 per month, billed annually (Includes five users; $90 per user per month for additional users)
Enterprise: $1,500 per month, billed annually (Includes 10 users; $150 per user per month for additional users)
7. YouCanBookMe
YouCanBookMe is a simple online scheduling tool. Users connect their calendar and share their booking link, and invitees choose the available time that works best for them.
Key features
Team booking pages: Let invitees choose which team member they’d like to schedule a meeting with
Pooled availability: Show all available times across the team, so invitees have more options
Mutual availability: Only show times when all co-hosts are available
Embed your booking page on your website
Customize email and SMS notifications
Automatically create virtual meeting links with Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams
Sync availability with Google Calendar and Office 365
Who is it for?
YouCanBookMe is popular with individuals and small teams, especially educators. Teachers use the app to schedule time with students and parents, and to manage schedules for spaces like laboratories and art studios. YouCanBookMe’s limited integrations and bare-bones UX make it less suited to large teams with more complex group scheduling needs.
(See how YouCanBookMe compares to Calendly.)
YouCanBookMe pricing
YouCanBookMe offers two pricing plans:
Free: Includes one linked calendar
Paid: $10.80 per calendar per month (billed annually)
Free users can activate a 14-day free trial of the paid plan.
Easier group scheduling for your best meetings ever
Whether you're hosting sales calls, panel interviews, or customer success trainings, the right group scheduling app makes booking meetings easier and faster for everyone involved. Take Calendly, for example: A study conducted by Forrester Consulting found that Calendly saved a composite organization more than 9,000 hours over three years.
That efficiency means spending less time on admin tasks — and more time collaborating, connecting, and hosting better meetings.
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