Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

MakePlans VS Cal.com

Compare MakePlans VS Cal.com and see what are their differences

MakePlans logo MakePlans

Online appointment booking - MakePlans

Cal.com logo Cal.com

Cal.com (formerly Calendso) is the open source Calendly alternative.
  • MakePlans Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-07-12

ย  makeplans.netSoftware by MakePlans

  • Cal.com Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-08

MakePlans features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    MakePlans offers an intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface, making it simple for users to set up and manage their bookings and appointments.
  • Customization
    The platform allows for a high degree of customization, enabling businesses to tailor the scheduling process to their specific needs and branding.
  • Integration
    MakePlans supports integration with popular calendar and management tools, which enhances its functionality and ease of use within existing workflows.
  • Automated Reminders
    Automated reminders for appointments help reduce no-shows and keep clients informed about their upcoming bookings.
  • Analytics and Reports
    The platform provides detailed analytics and reporting features, which assist businesses in monitoring performance and optimizing scheduling systems.

Possible disadvantages of MakePlans

  • Limited Features in Lower Plans
    Some advanced features are only available in higher-priced plans, which may not be affordable for small businesses or startups.
  • Complexity for Large Organizations
    The platform may become complex or less scalable for significantly larger organizations with more intricate scheduling needs and workflows.
  • Learning Curve for New Users
    Despite its user-friendly design, new users may still experience a learning curve, particularly when customizing or integrating more advanced features.
  • Dependency on Internet Connectivity
    As a cloud-based service, users are dependent on a stable internet connection, which could pose an issue in areas with unreliable connectivity.
  • Customer Support
    Some users have reported that customer support response times can be slow, affecting the resolution of issues or inquiries.

Cal.com features and specs

  • Customizable
    Cal.com allows extensive customization to fit various branding and scheduling needs, which makes it adaptable for different types of users including businesses and individuals.
  • Open-source
    Being an open-source platform, Cal.com provides the flexibility for developers to modify and extend the software as per their specific needs, fostering a collaborative development environment.
  • Integrations
    Cal.com offers a wide range of integrations with other software tools like Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, and Zoom, enhancing its functionality and making it easier to fit into existing workflows.
  • User-friendly Interface
    Cal.com has an intuitive and clean interface that makes it easy for users of all technical skill levels to set up and manage their scheduling.
  • Privacy-focused
    Cal.com emphasizes data privacy, ensuring user information is handled securely, which is crucial for users who need to comply with regulations like GDPR.

Possible disadvantages of Cal.com

  • Learning Curve
    Although it is highly customizable, the plethora of options and features may result in a steeper learning curve for new users who are not familiar with such scheduling tools.
  • Limited Free Version
    The free version of Cal.com comes with limitations that may not be sufficient for growing businesses or advanced users who require more comprehensive features.
  • Dependency on Integrations
    Cal.com's effectiveness heavily depends on its integrations. Without these integrations, some users might find the tool less useful or incomplete, especially if their primary tools are not supported.
  • Support
    While open-source has many benefits, it may also mean that immediate, personalized support could be limited compared to fully commercial solutions. This might pose a challenge for users needing quick resolutions.
  • Performance
    As an open-source platform, the performance might vary depending on how it is hosted and managed. Suboptimal configurations could lead to slower performance or downtimes.

Analysis of MakePlans

Overall verdict

  • MakePlans is considered a good solution for businesses seeking a robust and flexible scheduling platform. It is generally well-reviewed for its ease of use and comprehensive feature set, though some users may experience a learning curve depending on their specific needs and technical proficiency.

Why this product is good

  • MakePlans is a booking system that offers a user-friendly interface and a variety of features designed to streamline appointment scheduling and management. It integrates with various calendar applications, supports online payments, and provides customizable booking pages. Additionally, it offers analytics and reporting tools to help businesses track and optimize their scheduling processes.

Recommended for

    MakePlans is recommended for small to medium-sized businesses that require efficient appointment scheduling capabilities. It is particularly suited for service-based industries like healthcare, salons, and professional services where managing appointments and client bookings is a critical part of the business operation.

Analysis of Cal.com

Overall verdict

  • Cal.com is generally considered a good option for scheduling and calendar management.

Why this product is good

  • Cal.com is praised for its open-source nature, allowing for greater customization and integration flexibility. It offers a user-friendly interface and supports various calendar integrations, making it a versatile tool for individuals and businesses alike.

Recommended for

  • Freelancers who need a simple yet effective scheduling tool.
  • Small businesses looking for a customizable scheduling solution.
  • Developers who appreciate open-source software and need a tool they can modify.
  • Businesses seeking a platform that can integrate with existing tools and workflows.

MakePlans videos

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Cal.com videos

What can you do with Cal? | Cal.com Version 1.1 Launch | 10 new languages

More videos:

  • Review - Cal.com Version 1.0 Launch Event

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to MakePlans and Cal.com)
Business & Commerce
100 100%
0% 0
Appointments and Scheduling
Calendar And Scheduling
0 0%
100% 100
Online Services
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare MakePlans and Cal.com

MakePlans Reviews

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Cal.com Reviews

Acuity Scheduling alternatives for businesses outgrowing it
The honest read: if you're leaving Acuity because your business outgrew simple scheduling โ€” you need deposits, add-ons, multiple staff and locations, and ideally a booking site you own โ€” Opencals is built for exactly that transition, and pay-as-you-go means it costs nothing until you're earning. If you're leaving for a narrower reason, match it precisely: SimplyBook.me for...
Source: opencals.com
I've poked around a while ago at some Calendly alternatives (specifically was lo... | Hacker News
I tried using https://cal.com for a bit but ended up just switching over to https://zcal.co and it has been great so far. All these other scheduling tools end up trying to do too much and always seem to end up a bit clunky and charge absurd amounts for it

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Cal.com seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 60 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

MakePlans mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of MakePlans yet. Tracking of MakePlans recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Cal.com mentions (60)

  • "You Wouldnโ€™t Steal a DIV": How I Built My Portfolio
    Then for the component library, I was really into coss ui. I stumbled upon it randomly one day and loved it so much. My Nathan's AI project already had a UI heavily inspired by cal.com: send button, message suggestions... So when I saw they had a shadcn/ui library with that kind of style, it was perfect for what I needed. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • AI Almost Sold Me a Subscription I Didn't Need
    I keep coming back to what would have happened if I didn't have a strong technical understanding of how calendar technology works โ€” the difference between local and cloud calendars, what an ICS feed is, why enterprise auth blocks third-party integrations. If this was many years ago before I gained all this experience, I would have stopped at the first confident answer from my search tool, installed one of those... - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • Introducing Quackback: Open-Source Feedback Platform with a Built-in MCP Server
    Plausible brought open source to web analytics. Cal.com did it for scheduling. Formbricks did it for surveys. PostHog did it for product analytics. Quackback does it for feedback collection. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • ๐Ÿค Learn Front-End by Doing: Contribute to Cal.com's Open Source...๐Ÿš€
    In this tutorial, we'll be focusing on Cal.com:. - Source: dev.to / 12 months ago
  • 5 Side Project Ideas for Developers to Monetize as Micro-SaaS in 2025
    Take Cal.com (https://cal.com/), formerly known as Calendso. It started as an open source alternative to Calendly which offers a free, self-hostable version for users. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing MakePlans and Cal.com, you can also consider the following products

Dudle - Dudle is an online scheduling application, which is free and open source.

Calendly - Say goodbye to phone and email tag for finding the perfect meeting time with Calendly. It's 100% free, super easy to use and you'll love our customer service.

Pulse 24/7 - Booking & scheduling mobile app for service providers

TidyCal - Optimize your schedule with custom booking pages and calendar integrations

Time Slot Booking Calendar PHP - Time Slots Booking Calendar PHP for online appointment booking and class scheduling.

Acuity Scheduling - Automate your client bookings, cancellations, reminders & payments using the worlds friendliest online scheduling software.