If you read one paragraph
Most "booking tool comparison" articles list features in tables. Useless · the right tool depends on what you actually use it for. Solo bookings with no payment? Cal.com free or Calendly free. Sales calls or client onboarding for an agency? Calendly. Paid appointments where the customer pays at booking? TidyCal or Acuity. Group classes, workshops, or multi-attendee events? Acuity. Team round-robin (multiple people on your side)? Calendly Teams or Acuity. HIPAA-required PHI handling? SimplePractice. The tree below maps your use case to the tool in 5 questions.
None of these tools are bad. The wrong tool for your shape costs you in workflow friction (multiple tools that should be one), missed compliance (PHI in a non-BAA tool), or money (paying for capacity you do not use). Pick once, set up correctly, leave it for 2 years.