Helix Module

Appointment Scheduling Without Monthly Fees

Calendly charges $12–$20/user/month. Acuity charges $20–$34/month. Helix Scheduler connects to your CRM, invoicing, and payment collection — $279 once. Deposits at booking. No monthly fees.

Bottom line: Calendly Standard costs $144/yr per user. Acuity Growing is $408/yr. Neither includes invoicing, CRM, or accounting — you'll need those separately. Helix is $279 once for scheduling + CRM + invoicing + accounting + deposit collection at booking. Over 2 years, Calendly alone costs $288. Helix costs $279 and does everything.

Key Numbers

Interactive Cost Comparison

Compare scheduling tools by cost over time.

Pricing verified March 2026.

The Scheduling Alternatives (Reviewed)

1. Calendly

$12-$20/user/mo · $144-$240/yr per user

Calendly is the scheduling default. Clean booking links, calendar sync, automated reminders. But it's scheduling-only. No invoicing, no CRM, no deposit collection without third-party integrations. And it's per-user pricing.

Pros

  • Clean, professional booking pages
  • Google/Outlook calendar sync
  • Automated reminders
  • Good team scheduling features

Cons

  • $144-$240/yr per user
  • No invoicing, CRM, or accounting
  • No deposit collection without add-ons
  • 50% price increase in recent years

2. Acuity Scheduling

$20-$34/mo · $240-$408/yr

Acuity (owned by Squarespace) is stronger than Calendly for service businesses — payment collection, intake forms, packages. But $240-$408/yr for scheduling alone is steep when you still need invoicing, CRM, and accounting.

Pros

  • Payment collection at booking
  • Client intake forms
  • Package and subscription scheduling
  • Good for service businesses

Cons

  • $240-$408/yr for scheduling alone
  • No invoicing, CRM, or accounting
  • Owned by Squarespace (ecosystem lock-in)
  • Interface feels dated

3. Setmore

Free-$12/user/mo · $0-$144/yr per user

Setmore has a free tier with basic scheduling. Premium adds payment processing and custom branding. Good value if scheduling is all you need. But you'll need separate tools for invoicing, CRM, and accounting.

Pros

  • Free tier available
  • Clean booking interface
  • Square/Stripe payment integration
  • Staff scheduling on paid plans

Cons

  • Free tier is very limited
  • No invoicing, CRM, or accounting
  • Per-user pricing on premium
  • Limited customization

The Built-In Alternative: Helix Scheduler

$279 once — scheduling connected to CRM, invoicing, and deposits

Helix Scheduler is built into the business suite. Client books an appointment, pays a deposit, gets automatic reminders — and the appointment is linked to their CRM record, past invoices, and notes. When the job is done, one click generates the invoice. No separate tools.

Pros

  • $279 once — no per-user, no monthly
  • Deposit collection at booking
  • Connected to CRM, invoicing, accounting
  • Automated reminders reduce no-shows

Cons

  • No team scheduling or routing rules
  • No Zoom/Teams auto-creation
  • Desktop-first (cloud sync optional)
  • Newer product, smaller community

Standalone Cost vs Helix (Built-In)

The Math

Calendly Standard: $12/mo = $144/yr
+ CRM: HubSpot Starter = $20/mo = $240/yr
+ Invoicing: FreshBooks = $17/mo = $204/yr
+ Accounting: QuickBooks = $38/mo = $456/yr
Total standalone stack: $1,044/yr

Helix (scheduling + CRM + invoicing + accounting + deposits): $279 once

Break-even: ~3 months. Then it's free forever.
Tool (Scheduling only)Year 1Year 3Year 5
Acuity Growing$408$1,224$2,040
Calendly Teams$240$720$1,200
Calendly Standard$144$432$720
Setmore Premium$144$432$720
Helix (scheduling + everything)$279$279$279

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Calendly cost per year?

Calendly Standard: $12/user/mo ($144/yr per user). Teams: $20/user/mo ($240/yr per user). Even for one user, that's $144-$240/yr for scheduling alone. Helix is $279 once for scheduling + CRM + invoicing + accounting.

Can I collect deposits when clients book appointments?

Yes. Helix scheduling includes deposit collection at booking time. Clients pay upfront, reducing no-shows and securing your time. Calendly requires third-party integrations for payments.

What's the cheapest scheduling software with no monthly fee?

Calendly and Setmore have free tiers with limited features. For full scheduling connected to CRM, invoicing, and deposits with no monthly fee, Helix is $279 once.

Does Helix Scheduler send appointment reminders?

Yes. Automated email reminders, customizable using your email templates. Auto-populated with client name, appointment details, and notes. Reduces no-shows without a separate service.

Can Helix replace Calendly for a service business?

For service-based solopreneurs, yes. Helix handles booking, reminders, and deposits connected to your CRM and invoicing. Calendly is better for teams with complex routing rules and enterprise integrations.

Stop paying monthly for scheduling

Appointment booking with deposits, connected to your CRM and invoicing. $279 once.

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· Data sourced from official pricing pages