# Acuity Scheduling vs zcal Free (2026): Free Alternative to Acuity Scheduling

Canonical: https://caniforkit.com/vs/acuity-scheduling-vs-zcal-free
Last updated: 2026-08-10

Compare Acuity Scheduling ($20/mo) vs zcal Free ($0/mo free alternative to Acuity Scheduling). Side-by-side breakdown of pricing, self-hosting setup, data storage, and practical trade-offs.

## Side-by-Side Comparison Matrix

| Feature / Metric | Acuity Scheduling | zcal Free |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $20/mo | $0.00 / month |
| 1-Seat Annual Cost | $240/yr | $0.00 / year |
| 5-Person Team Annual Cost | $1,200/yr | $0.00 / year |
| 10-Person Team Annual Cost | $2,400/yr | $0.00 / year |
| License Model | Proprietary Commercial SaaS | proprietary, free |
| Hosting / Runtime | Vendor Cloud | Hosted |
| Data Ownership | Stored on vendor servers | Account and booking records live in zcal's cloud; Stripe processes and stores payment details for paid bookings |
| GitHub Stars | Closed Source | ★ $0 forever |
| Code Repository | None | — |
| The Catch / Trade-off | Recurring subscription cost | It lacks Acuity's client records, packages, subscriptions and class administration; teams are paid and Stripe payments carry a 3% commission. |

## About zcal Free
Forms, Stripe payments, email reminders and group classes are free; teams are paid and zcal takes 3%.

- **Installation**: Hosted signup
- **Data Storage**: Account and booking records live in zcal's cloud; Stripe processes and stores payment details for paid bookings
- **Supported Platforms**: web, they host it
- **The Catch vs Acuity Scheduling**: It lacks Acuity's client records, packages, subscriptions and class administration; teams are paid and Stripe payments carry a 3% commission.

## Cost Savings Breakdown
Switching from Acuity Scheduling to zcal Free eliminates ongoing per-seat subscriptions:
- **Solo / 1-seat**: Save **$240/year**
- **5-person team**: Save **$1,200/year**
- **10-person team**: Save **$2,400/year**

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Is zcal Free a good free alternative to Acuity Scheduling?
Yes. zcal Free is a verified free replacement for Acuity Scheduling. Forms, Stripe payments, email reminders and group classes are free; teams are paid and zcal takes 3%.

### What is the catch when switching from Acuity Scheduling to zcal Free?
It lacks Acuity's client records, packages, subscriptions and class administration; teams are paid and Stripe payments carry a 3% commission.

## Related

- [All Acuity Scheduling Alternatives](https://caniforkit.com/acuity-scheduling)
- [zcal Free Full Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/zcal-free)
- [scheduling Category Hub](https://caniforkit.com/category/scheduling)
- [All Paid SaaS Alternatives Index](https://caniforkit.com/alternatives)