4appointments — alternative to Acuity Scheduling
Short answer
4appointments is an online booking system: each business gets its own booking page (your name, logo and colour), calendars and schedules per provider, and requests that your team confirms manually in the panel. Acuity Scheduling (part of Squarespace) is very flexible and mature, with detailed booking-flow options; 4appointments is simpler and does not integrate with Squarespace or other tools. Today it does not send automatic e-mails or SMS to clients, does not take online payments and has no Google or Outlook sync (calendar import and export use ICS only).
4appointments advantages
- A booking page with your own name, logo and colour — one link to share, plus a separate link per provider.
- Guests book 24/7 without an account, or choose “Anyone available”.
- Services with duration, price and a pause between bookings; each provider has a weekly schedule, exceptions and days off.
- Team calendar (day, week, month, list) with roles and permissions per member and per section.
- Clients can cancel or reschedule from the management link on their confirmation screen; recurring bookings are created by staff.
- Reports on confirmed, cancelled and pending bookings, by day, service and provider; the bookings list exports to CSV, XML or PDF.
Limitations to consider
- No automatic confirmation or reminder e-mails or SMS to clients; bookings are confirmed manually by your team.
- No online payments or deposits, no Google/Outlook sync (ICS only), and no integrations or invoicing link.
- Acuity has very detailed booking-flow customisation options.
- Native Squarespace integration is a plus if your site is on Squarespace; Acuity has a large integration ecosystem.
Comparison table: 4appointments vs Acuity Scheduling
| Feature | 4appointments | Acuity Scheduling |
|---|---|---|
| Interface language | Panel in English; the language of the public page depends on the link | See the provider’s site |
| Subscription | Prices in euro; first 12 months free, no card | See the provider’s site |
| Automatic e-mail reminders | No (no e-mails are sent to clients today) | E-mail yes; SMS usually at extra cost |
| Payment / deposit at booking | Not today (a deposit is arranged outside the tool) | Yes, on paid plans |
| Google + Outlook sync | No; ICS import/export only | Yes, two-way |
| Multi-location | No (the locations list is informational only) | Yes (depends on the plan) |
| Integrated invoicing | No | — |
| Booking confirmation | Manual: the request stays pending until your team confirms it | Automatic by default |
| Free plan | No permanent free plan; the first 12 months are free | Trial period only |
Note: third-party features and pricing may change — check the official site before deciding. Data reflects public information as of mid-2026.
Quick verdict
Choose 4appointments if you want a simple, branded booking page and manual confirmation for a small team. Choose Acuity if you already use Squarespace or need payments, notifications, calendar sync or detailed booking-flow customisation.
Frequently asked questions
Acuity or 4appointments for a small business?
4appointments offers a branded booking page, a calendar per provider and a team panel, with manual confirmation. Acuity is more flexible and mature, with payments, notifications and integrations depending on the plan. Check its site for current plans.
Does Acuity include SMS reminders?
On Acuity, SMS reminders usually depend on the plan or carry an extra cost — check its site. 4appointments does not send reminders by e-mail or SMS today.
Does Acuity have a free plan?
Acuity usually offers a trial rather than a permanent free plan. 4appointments has no permanent free plan either, but the first 12 months are free on every plan, with no card required.
Can I invoice the client automatically after the appointment?
No. 4appointments has no invoicing and no link to invoicing tools, so invoices are issued outside the tool.