Top 10 Scheduling Software for Marketing Agencies: Free & Paid Tools to Manage Your Agency’s Calendar

Marketing agencies exist to help their clients expand their reach, identify new prospects, and move leads down the sales funnel. Communication is a critical element in achieving those goals. The challenge is that setting appointments, managing meetings, and handling other communication-related processes can be time-consuming and difficult.

The good news is that there are plenty of options when it comes to scheduling software for marketing agencies. In fact, the issue could be that you simply have too many choices. How do you tell if one software is better than another?

Many software developers offer free trials, but how much time might you waste completing three or four such trials? And where do you go if none of those software options turns out to be “the one”? That doesn’t even touch on the fact that every minute spent vetting scheduling software is a minute not spent serving your clients.

The good news is that choosing scheduling software for marketing agencies does not have to be an exercise in frustration. We’ve compiled a list of 10 great options. Whether you’re a solo agency, a startup, a midsize company, or a larger firm, you’ll find something that fits the bill here.

We’d also like to point out that all 10 of the options we’ve showcased can be used in tandem with Smith.ai virtual receptionists, allowing you to streamline lead qualification, appointment setting, and more, while freeing up your time.

1. vcita

It has a funny name, but vcita is definitely no joke. While the entire suite offers everything from management capabilities to document handling, two components that are very well-suited to managing your customer relationships – Client Portal and Scheduling. You can also break these out so there’s no need to pay for services or features that you will not use.

You’ll find that vcita offers plenty of features and functionality, including syncing with your existing calendar, allowing you to let customers create appointments online, manage staff members, and even adjust to time zone differences. It also integrates across the board, from your website to Facebook. 

Some of the most notable features vcita offers include the following:

• Free option? No
• Price: $19 per month 
• Video conferencing integration
• Integrates with Facebook, GMB, and your website
• Automated confirmation and reminder messages
• Create service packages
  

2. Genbook

Take full control over your schedule with Genbook. This offering makes our list of the best scheduling software for marketing agencies for many different reasons, not the least of which is the availability of three different payment tiers. Choose Solo, Team, or Company, to fit your needs and budget. All three plans include the same feature set – it’s just about managing your team effectively.

One of the most innovative features on offer, and one not found with many other scheduling software platforms, is the ability to offer discounts for last-minute bookings. You control the discount amount, and this can be a great way to fill in holes in your schedule while providing additional value to clients.

Some of the noteworthy features available in Genbook include the following:

• Free option? Free trial
• Price: $25 per month
• Real-time bookings
• Mobile accessible
• Time buffers and blocks
• Double-booking protection
• Email and text communication
• Client history at a glance
  

3. Zoom.ai

Zoom.ai promises fast, smart scheduling and plenty of control over your calendar. It does that by providing access to a broad range of mission-critical tools designed to make scheduling simpler and more intuitive, to bring automation into the mix, and to help you connect the dots better.

There are plenty of reasons for marketers and marketing agencies to consider Zoom.ai. One of those is that it can automate finding and booking the best time to meet with leads. With powerful availability settings, website visitors can automatically connect with reps, and remote video meetings are simplified and streamlined.

Finally, you’ll find that this platform integrates with the tools you already use, including Gmail, HubSpot, Dropbox, and MailChimp to name just a few. You’re also able to set meeting limits, share availability to book meetings faster, and brand your leads’ experience.

Some of the features you’ll want to know about here include the following:

• Free option? Yes
• Price: $8 per month
• Share personalized scheduling links
• Integrates with calendars and other tools you already use
• Embed scheduling CTAs on your website
• Pool team group availability
• Automated meeting scheduling
• Fit availability and schedule to your in-house workflows
• Automatic travel time
  

4. HoneyBook

One of the most robust scheduling software options on our list, HoneyBook delivers many critical features that will help you engage clients and build a profitable marketing agency. There’s a free trial to get you started, but even once that ends, it’s just $400 per year (there are no pricing tiers here).

In terms of pure scheduling, HoneyBook offers the ability to let your clients schedule time with you as they like (based on your availability, of course).  It also offers different session types – initial consultation, follow-up, etc., and it delivers automatic replies and reminders. You also get branded templates to simplify communication, and you can even handle payments and booking through the application.

A few of the features you will want to know about with HoneyBook include the following:

• Free option? Free trial
• Price: $34 per month (billed annually)
• Sharable meeting links
• Customizable interface, templates, and other aspects
• Automatic confirmations and reminders
• Integrates with Zapier, Gmail, Google Calendar, and more
• Integrated video conferencing with Zoom
  

5. Bookeo Appointments

Bookeo Appointments is a standalone service that can be bundled with other services from Bookeo. Packed with features and designed to be as user friendly as possible, this scheduling software helps marketing agencies serve their clients better while saving time, money, and hassle.

With this software, you can schedule services with varying durations, prices, and more. That includes workshops, services, consultations, and more. Clients are empowered to choose an appointment time that works well for them based on the real-time availability that you add to the system. You can also embed this anywhere, from your website to Facebook, to ensure that you can take appointments anywhere, anytime.

Features of note in Bookeo Appointments include the following:

• Free option? Free trial
• Price: $14.95 per month
• Appointment notifications and reminders
• Syncs with Google Calendar and iCal
• Appointment analytics
• Advanced scheduling capabilities
• Integrates with the wider Bookeo suite of services
  

6. Harmonizely 

Promising simplicity and the ability to boost engagement, Harmonizely is a strong contender for your time and money. In addition to a broad range of features, this platform offers three pricing tiers to help you dial in exactly what you need. The base tier is free, while Pro brings additional features, such as more users. Enterprise is the highest tier and is completely customizable.

All tiers offer integration with the software that you already use, such as iCloud, Outlook, Office 365, and Google. You can also schedule unlimited meetings, send email notifications, enjoy multilingual support, and handle private notes, too.

Some of the features you’ll want to know about with Harmonizely include the following:

• Free option? Yes
• Price: $12 per month
• Time zone detection
• Calendar integration
• One-on-one meetings
• Availability control
• Operable on all devices
• Customizable branding
• Expandable meetings to include more participants
  

7. Schedulista

Designed for marketing agencies that want results and lack the patience for complicated interfaces, Schedulista is straightforward, powerful, and no-nonsense. First, choose from one of the three pricing tiers – solo, mid-range, or enterprise. The midrange is the best option for small but growing agencies, as it supports two to 15 staff members. The enterprise-level can handle any size agency, though.

All levels benefit from the same services and features, including multilingual support, text messaging, payment support, and more. You will also find that Schedulista can be used on its own as a standalone scheduler, but it can also integrate into your website. You can create repeating appointments, block out time, set specific times and purposes, and manage your schedule (or your entire team’s schedule).

Features worth noting with Schedulista include the following:

• Free option? Free trial
• Price: $19 per month
• iOS and Android app
• Scheduling comments
• Schedule different types of services/events
• Integrates with Facebook
• Trends and analytics reporting
  

8. Square Appointments

Put the power of Square behind your agency’s scheduling efforts with Square Appointments. This scheduling software is ideal for solo marketing professionals but also works well for growing agencies. Plus, it integrates with Square POS services if you’re using the service to process payments. 

Square Appointments aims to simplify the appointment setting process using web-based and app-based interfaces. It delivers a free online booking website but also integrates with social media and Google. You also get the ability to send automated email and text reminders about appointments to reduce scheduling conflicts. Add to that the customer profile and note functions, the ability to import/export information, and the capability of managing all of your employees, and it’s a win-win.

Features you’ll want to consider with Square Appointments include the following:

• Free option? Yes
• Price: $50 per month for 2 calendars
• Google calendar sync
• Social media integration
• Resource booking
• Automated messaging tool to reply to clients
• Automated reminders (text and email)
• Website integration
• Handles multiple locations and time zones
  

9. YouCanBook.me

Really, the name says it all. YouCanBook.me is all about scheduling, whether that’s for a single digital marketer or an entire agency. There’s a free trial, but only one pricing tier - $10 per month. Note that the free trial technically lasts indefinitely.

You will find plenty of customization options here, from event types to confirmation emails. You also get the power of automation to streamline and improve efficiency, including automated confirmations, reminders, and follow-up emails. Plus, this software offers in-depth control over your schedule to ensure that you’re always able to serve your clients well.

Features worth noting with YouCanBook.me include the following:

• Free option? Free trial
• Price: $10 per month
• Custom scheduling
• Appointment duration setting
• Appointment padding
• Time zone detection
• Customized booking page
• Manage team availability
• Integrates with Google, Microsoft, Zoom, and Zapier
  

10. ScheduleOnce

ScheduleOnce promises to “increase sales and delight customers”. It offers customized integration into your website to allow clients to set their own appointments, but it also delivers plenty of management capabilities. You can share team availability, connect with the tools you already use (Gmail, Outlook, etc.), and send calendar invitations with secure video links.

While many of the scheduling software options we have covered thus far are designed for solo marketers or teams, ScheduleOnce is designed with just teams in mind. The features speak directly to that, allowing you to show clients combined team availability, assign meetings to the right team member, and distribute meetings across the entire team.

Integration is a high point with ScheduleOnce, as well. You’ll find familiar options like Outlook and Google, but also Zoom, Salesforce, Zapier, PayPal, and more. Some of the features you’ll want to note include the following:

• Free option? Yes
• Price: $9 per month
• Group sessions
• One-on-one meetings
• Panel meetings
• Session packages
• Personalized inbound client links
• Time management tools
• Resource pooling
• Priority assignment and manual reassignment
  

Which scheduling software is right for you?

Finding the right scheduling software is tough, even with your options outlined as we’ve done here. Really, it comes down to knowing a few key things to look for when making your choice. 

• Flexibility: This is a big one for marketing agencies. Your workload varies, and you need to balance the actual work with meetings and consultations. Make sure that the scheduler you choose is as flexible as possible.
  

• Calendar Syncing: No scheduling software can do a good job if it doesn’t sync with your calendar(s). Many of the options we’ve outlined sync with the “Big 3” (Google, Apple, and Microsoft), but not all of them do.
  

• Accessibility: How will you access the software? PC or Mac-only software is too restrictive, but do you want website-based software? Would a mobile app work better? What about a combination of these? Know your accessibility needs and then shop accordingly.
  

Do more with Smith.ai

We believe that all of the scheduling software options we have covered here have something valuable to offer. At Smith.ai, we also provide additional services and solutions to augment your software, including 24/7 live answering services based in North America and outbound callback services. If you’re ready to learn more about how we can help streamline your scheduling and help your agency grow, call us today at (650) 727-6484 or email hello@smith.ai. Feel free to explore our plans and pricing options, too.