Microsoft 365 is a massive suite of tools ranging from household names like Word and PowerPoint to more obscure apps (ever heard of Clipchamp?). Microsoft Bookings, which is included with Microsoft 365, is an alternative to better-known meeting scheduler apps like Calendly.
Let’s get this out of the way: you probably haven’t seen Microsoft Bookings on many best meeting scheduler lists. Rather than competing directly against powerful apps like Calendly, its raison d’être has more to do with offering essential features to get users to stay within the Microsoft ecosystem.
But Microsoft 365 has hundreds of millions of paid users, and if you’re comparing Microsoft Bookings to Calendly, you’re probably one of them. So here’s the big question: is it worth it to pay for Calendly, or can Microsoft Bookings meet your needs at no extra cost?
I’ve used Calendly for years, and recently tested Microsoft Bookings to compare the two products head-to-head. In this article, I’ll help you sort out which option makes sense for you.
Microsoft Bookings vs. Calendly at a glance
Here’s a quick overview of what makes these two scheduling tools different:
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Microsoft Bookings is best for Microsoft 365 users on a budget. If you’re looking for a basic scheduling solution for booking one-off meetings with colleagues and clients, you’ll be satisfied with Bookings.
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Calendly is best for solopreneurs and teams, especially if you rely on advanced scheduling features like workflows, automation, and paid bookings. It’s easy to use and integrates well with tools outside of the Microsoft ecosystem (like Zoom and Google Calendar).
Microsoft Bookings |
Calendly |
|
---|---|---|
Pricing |
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Bookings is included in Microsoft 365, which costs as low as $6/user/month and comes with dozens of apps |
⭐⭐⭐ Calendly’s cost of $12/month is reasonable, but its per-user pricing adds up fast for teams; its free plan can meet basic scheduling needs |
Ease of use |
⭐⭐⭐ Setup is easy for Microsoft 365 users, but the user experience is relatively clunky, and there’s no mobile app |
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A reliable and polished user interface full of time-saving features, plus a convenient mobile app |
Advanced features |
⭐⭐ Bookings is a much more basic tool than Calendly; it’s missing features essential for many users, like paid bookings |
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Calendly’s workflows, automations, routing forms, and paid bookings make it a serious productivity tool |
Features for teams |
⭐⭐⭐ No groundbreaking features, but big companies using Microsoft 365 can use Bookings to easily schedule meetings (especially internally) |
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Calendly offers team-friendly features like round robin events, cross-organizational analytics, and custom event types |
Integrations |
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Only integrates with other Microsoft tools natively; integrates with thousands of apps via Zapier |
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 118 integrations; integrates with thousands more apps via Zapier |
Microsoft Bookings is more affordable
Picking software isn’t just a matter of choosing the lowest-cost option. (If it were, we’d all just do some quick math and be done with it, rather than scrolling through comparisons like this one.) But price is a big factor, and here’s what the math says: Microsoft Bookings is a lot cheaper than Calendly.
For Microsoft Bookings, you’ll pay as little as $6/month per user. This fee also includes access to the rest of the Microsoft 365 family of apps, like Teams, OneDrive, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and dozens more. Calendly costs $12/month, or $20/month per user for teams. That means a 20-person team will pay $400/month to use Calendly, while the same team using Microsoft Bookings will pay as little as $120/month—while getting access to a broader set of Microsoft tools.
Having said that, Calendly does have a robust free plan, while Microsoft Bookings (via Microsoft 365) only offers a one-month free trial. But if you’re already using Microsoft tools, then Bookings is free too.
Calendly is easier to use
Microsoft Bookings is a much more basic tool than Calendly, and you’d think its smaller feature set would give it a usability advantage. But in most cases, Calendly is the easier-to-use tool.
Let’s start with an area of strength for Microsoft Bookings: integration with other Microsoft products. If you already have a Microsoft 365 subscription and rely on Outlook for your email and calendar, Bookings works seamlessly. As a simple way to book meetings with colleagues and customers, it’s a solid solution.
Setting up Bookings is easy if you’re already a part of the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. If you’re not, good luck: it’s a clunky process. You’ll need to sign up for Microsoft 365; once you’ve done so, it’s entirely unclear how to get to Bookings. (Eventually, I found out that clicking the unlabeled dots in the top left corner brought me to a list of Microsoft apps).
Once you make it to Bookings, you’ll see a simple welcome screen. It’s got the basics—a short onboarding checklist and a way to create multiple meeting types—but overall, you’re on your own.