Acuity Scheduling
paid
$20/month
Free trial
Scheduling & Booking · Comparison
Acuity Scheduling
Calendly (HIPAA Plan)
Acuity Scheduling vs Calendly (HIPAA Plan) for therapists
Editorially reviewedUpdated May 2026
The short answer
Both platforms offer HIPAA-compliant scheduling but at different price points and tier requirements. Acuity Scheduling has an accessible HIPAA tier (Powerhouse, ~$50/mo) with BAA. Calendly's HIPAA support is only available on the Enterprise tier, which prices most solo therapists out. For solo therapists, Acuity is the practical choice. For larger orgs already on Calendly, the Enterprise tier may make sense.
Skip both if
Skip both if your EHR has bundled scheduling (SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, Upheal all include it). Critical: never use free Calendly or lower Acuity tiers for therapy clients only the HIPAA-eligible tiers are BAA-compliant.
At a glance
The differences that matter
Side-by-side facts. Rows where the two tools differ meaningfully are highlighted.
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing from | $20 / mo | $12 / mo |
| Pricing modelSame | paid | paid |
| HIPAASame | Yes | Yes |
| Free trialSame | Yes | Yes |
| Target users |
|
|
| Key features |
|
|
| Integrations |
|
|
Acuity Scheduling
- Pricing from
- $20 / mo
- Pricing model
- paid
- HIPAA
- Yes
- Free trial
- Yes
- Target users
- Therapists wanting strong scheduling UX
- Solo therapists not using EHR scheduling
- Practices needing complex booking rules
- Key features
- Online booking
- Multiple appointment types
- Reminders (email/SMS)
- Payment collection (Stripe/Square)
- Integrations
- Squarespace (sibling product)
- Stripe, Square
- Google/Outlook calendars
- Zoom
Calendly (HIPAA Plan)
- Pricing from
- $12 / mo
- Pricing model
- paid
- HIPAA
- Yes
- Free trial
- Yes
- Target users
- Therapists in larger orgs with Enterprise budget
- Practices already using Calendly elsewhere
- Key features
- Familiar scheduling UX
- Calendar sync
- Reminders
- Team scheduling
- Integrations
- Google/Outlook calendars
- Zoom
- Stripe
- Most CRMs
Pricing
What you actually pay
Starting prices and what they include. The cheaper tool is not always the better value.
Calendly (HIPAA Plan)
paid
$12/month
Free trial$8/mo less than the other
Honest assessment
Where each tool wins and loses
Based on hands-on testing. Both tools have real weaknesses worth knowing before you commit.
Acuity Scheduling
What works well
- Strong scheduling UX
- HIPAA-tier BAA available
- Wide integrations
- Squarespace ecosystem
Where it falls short
- HIPAA requires specific tier (verify which plan)
- Lower tiers are not HIPAA
- Overlaps with EHR scheduling
Calendly (HIPAA Plan)
What works well
- Most familiar to clients
- Strong feature set
- Familiar interface lowers client friction
Where it falls short
- HIPAA only on Enterprise (expensive)
- Free and lower paid tiers are NOT HIPAA
- Solo therapists usually priced out of HIPAA tier
In depth
The longer breakdown
The scheduling HIPAA gotcha is the most common compliance mistake in solo therapy. Both Calendly and Acuity have free or low-cost tiers that look appropriate but are NOT HIPAA-compliant only specific paid tiers carry a BAA.
Acuity Scheduling is owned by Squarespace and offers HIPAA compliance on the Powerhouse tier (or via the healthcare add-on at certain levels). 2026 pricing starts at $20/mo for the Emerging tier, $34/mo for Growing, and the HIPAA Powerhouse tier runs ~$50/mo. BAA is signed on the HIPAA-eligible plan. Integrations include Squarespace websites, Stripe, Square, Zoom, Google/Outlook calendars.
Calendly is the more familiar scheduling platform but HIPAA compliance is only available on Enterprise. Enterprise tier pricing is custom and typically starts at $12+/seat with significant minimum-seat requirements most solo therapists are priced out. The free and Standard ($12/seat) tiers are NOT HIPAA-compliant and using them for clinical scheduling creates real liability.
On the BAA verification: this is non-negotiable. Both vendors require you to be on the correct tier to receive a BAA. Acuity's Powerhouse tier explicitly advertises HIPAA support. Calendly's Enterprise BAA requires a contract with their sales team. If a vendor won't sign a BAA, they're not HIPAA-compliant for your use, regardless of marketing language.
On feature depth: Acuity has more clinical-workflow features. Intake forms with conditional logic, multiple appointment types per practitioner, recurring appointments, payment collection through Stripe or Square. Calendly is broader (works across sales, HR, and other contexts) but shallower on the clinical-scheduling specifics.
On the EHR overlap: if you're using SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, or any therapy-built EHR with bundled scheduling, you usually don't need a separate scheduling tool. The cases where you do: you want a more polished booking page, you offer services your EHR doesn't model well (coaching, consultation, group sign-ups), or you need integrations your EHR doesn't support.
Recommendations
Pick by what your practice looks like
Different practices need different tools. Here is how the choice changes based on your situation.
Solo practice
Acuity Scheduling. The Powerhouse tier with HIPAA BAA is accessible at solo practitioner pricing Calendly's Enterprise HIPAA tier is significantly more expensive.
Group practice
Acuity for small group practices. For larger orgs (50+ users) already paying for Calendly Enterprise across other departments, adding the HIPAA add-on may be cheaper than introducing a second platform.
Specialty focus
Acuity. Multiple appointment types, complex booking rules, intake forms, and payment collection make it the stronger pick for specialty practitioners (couples, groups, longer assessments).
Take it for a spin
Try them
Both tools offer free trials. The fastest way to confirm a fit is to run one real session through each.
Scheduling platform with HIPAA-compliant tier for healthcare.
Try Acuity Scheduling
From $20/moFree trialHIPAA-compliant
Visit Acuity SchedulingPopular scheduling tool with HIPAA-compliant enterprise tier.
Try Calendly (HIPAA Plan)
From $12/moFree trialHIPAA-compliant
Visit Calendly (HIPAA Plan)About this comparison
Editorially reviewed
This comparison was hands-on tested by our editorial team. Both tools were used on real workflows for a minimum of two weeks before this comparison was published.
- Last verified
- May 26, 2026Re-verified quarterly
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Some listings on Mytherapist Tools are paid placements, clearly labeled. Paid placement does not buy editorial recommendation. Our top picks are chosen on merit.