Pricing
free trial
Best For
Therapists and counselors who need HIPAA-compliant scheduling with intake forms
Rating
8.4/10
Last Updated
Mar 2026
TL;DR
Acuity is the scheduling tool that service businesses swear by. Squarespace acquired it in 2019, and it's maintained its identity as the most customizable booking platform around. Intake forms, packages, gift certificates, HIPAA compliance — it handles the complexity that Calendly can't. The trade-off is a steeper learning curve and no free plan. Starts at $20/month.
What is Acuity Scheduling?
The Scheduling Tool Built for Service Businesses
Acuity Scheduling has been around since 2006 — long before scheduling links were trendy. Squarespace bought it in 2019 but wisely kept it as a standalone product. It powers bookings for thousands of therapists, salons, photographers, coaches, and consultants who need more than a simple meeting link.
What Makes Acuity Different
Three words: intake forms and payments. Before a client books, you can require them to fill out detailed questionnaires, sign waivers, and pay upfront. That alone saves service providers hours of pre-appointment admin work. You can sell packages (buy 5 sessions, get 1 free), offer gift certificates, and set up subscription billing. The booking page is fully customizable — your domain, your colors, your branding. Clients see your professional page, not Acuity's.
The Complexity Tax
Acuity's power comes at a cost: setup time. Where Calendly takes 5 minutes, Acuity might take an afternoon to configure properly. The interface feels dated compared to newer tools. Squarespace hasn't invested much in modernizing the UX. And while it integrates with Zoom, Stripe, and QuickBooks, the integration library is smaller than Calendly's. No native Salesforce connection, which kills it for sales teams.
Who Gets the Most Value
Therapists and counselors love the HIPAA compliance ($52/month plan). Salons and spas need the multi-staff, multi-service booking. Photographers use intake forms to collect shot lists before sessions. Anyone selling packages or requiring prepayment will find Acuity's payment features far superior to the competition.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Intake forms and waivers collect critical info before appointments — saves hours of admin
- Payment processing is deeply integrated with packages, gift certificates, and subscriptions
- Full booking page customization: your domain, branding, and layout, not theirs
- HIPAA compliance on the Powerhouse plan makes it legitimate for healthcare providers
- Multi-service booking lets clients book haircut + color + blowout in one flow
Cons
- No free plan — the cheapest option is $20/month, which is steep for solopreneurs just starting
- Interface feels dated and cluttered compared to the clean design of newer competitors
- No native Salesforce or HubSpot integration — kills it for B2B sales teams
- Setup takes significantly longer than Calendly due to all the configuration options
- Squarespace ownership has meant slow feature development and minimal UX updates since 2019
Acuity Scheduling Pricing
Emerging
- Unlimited services & appointments
- Calendar sync
- Intake forms
- Stripe & Square payments
- Automated reminders
- Self-service rescheduling
Growing
- Everything in Emerging
- 6 staff calendars
- Packages & gift certificates
- Subscriptions
- Text message reminders
- Custom API & CSS
Powerhouse
- Everything in Growing
- 36 staff calendars
- HIPAA compliance
- Custom branding removal
- Multiple time zones
- Priority support
Pricing last verified: March 25, 2026
Who is Acuity Scheduling Best For?
- Therapists and counselors who need HIPAA-compliant scheduling with intake forms
- Salons, spas, and wellness businesses managing multiple staff and services
- Photographers and creatives who want branded booking with prepayment
- Service businesses selling packages, subscriptions, or gift certificates
Technical Details
The Bottom Line
Acuity Scheduling scores 8.4/10. It stands out for intake forms and waivers collect critical info before appointments — saves hours of admin. Best suited for therapists and counselors who need hipaa-compliant scheduling with intake forms. Keep in mind that no free plan — the cheapest option is $20/month, which is steep for solopreneurs just starting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on editorial analysis