The best appointment scheduling app allows customers to schedule appointments with their favorite small business from their desktops or mobile devices, 24/7.

But is this tool right for your business?

It might be, if your customers value convenience. With many of the popular apps, customers can book appointments on your business's website, on your app, or through their social media accounts without ever calling into your workplace. That means that appointments can be booked round the clock.

This feature is a huge benefit for businesses, too, mainly because they help lighten their employees’ workload. The apps can drastically reduce the number of calls coming into an office and automate an essential task.

Another convenience: most help businesses bypass the need for reminder calls. Lots of these apps have add-on features, such as alerts and service updates, that keep your customers informed.

And, on both ends, the apps are simple to use, update, and sync to calendars.

Which one is right for your business?

In this guide, we’ll help you explore three popular appointment setting applications and find a great option.

AppointEze

This best in class appointment scheduling app gives your customers real-time insight into your small business calendar. This allows them to find and select appointment times that meet their needs whenever it’s convenient for them.

AppointEze’s online booking software is feature-rich. It offers calendar integrations, time zone detection, online payment and tipping capabilities, and event management options. Importantly, this tool can also serve as a CRM solution to help you track and manage each customer’s experience with your business and work on converting your leads into loyal customers.

Lots of owners opt for AppointEze because it integrates seamlessly with programs they’re already using in their business. These program integrations include Facebook, Weebly, WordPress, Constant Contact, Stripe, PayPal, and many more.

Pricing starts at $99/user per month for the premium package, but a free basic package is available for users who want to explore some of the service’s essential features. There is also an economy package priced at $49/user per month, but it lacks some of the integrations and reporting features that make this option a clear winner.

To learn more about AppointEze, visit their website.

Appointy

Appointy is another great solution for automating the customer appointment-setting process. This service provides a widget you can integrate into your website or Facebook page to allow customers to select appointments that work within their schedules.

Some of the features that make Appointy a great option include its ability to create custom time-slot intervals and align the working hours of your staff with business needs. Your clients will also appreciate the ability to lock in recurring booking options, receive email reminders of appointments, and have opportunities to take advantage of last-minute deals you create within the program.

One feature we like is that you can request full or partial prepayment for appointments, which may dramatically reduce your number of no-shows.

Free packages are available, but most owners opt for either the Growth package, which starts at around $30/month, or the Professional package, which starts at around $60/month. Some discounts are available for owners who choose to pay for a full year of service rather than going month-to-month.

Learn more by visiting their website.

Zoho Bookings

Zoho Bookings is an outstanding solution that integrates well with other Zoho apps, including Zoho CRM and Zoho Meetings.

If your business is already built on Zoho, this pick is a no-brainer. Plus, it integrates well with other systems your business may already be using, including Google calendar, Outlook, MailChimp, Zoom, GoToMeeting, and Zapier.

What’s great about Zoho Bookings is its customization options. You can customize fields, styles, colors, confirmation options, reminders, and cancelation emails to suit the needs of your business.

Zoho Bookings starts at $8/user per month for their Basic program, which lacks the option to sync to Zoho CRM. Because of this, many owners prefer their Premium program, which increases the price to $12/user per month. Here, again, discounts are available for owners who choose to pay for a full year rather than a month at a time.

Ready to explore this option? Visit Zoho Bookings and sign up for their 15-day free trial.

Zoho One

If you're considering Zoho Bookings, look into Zoho One, an all-in-one solution that includes Bookings, a full CRM, accounting software, marketing tools, and much more. The full list of programs you can access through Zoho One is available on Zoho's website.

Pricing, charged monthly, starts at $45/employee, and it reduces to around $37/employee on the yearly plan.

You can learn more about this robust option here.

We hope this guide has helped you find the best appointment scheduling app for your small business.

Interested in other small business solutions? Let us help you find the right systems. Then, log into your owner’s portal for more articles and advice tailored to your business’s needs.