Deputy
Workforce management platform for scheduling, time tracking, and task management. Used by accounting firms to track billable hours.
Calendly
Website: calendly.com
Calendly at a glance
- Best for
- Firms wanting frictionless self-service booking
- Pricing model
- Per user per month, with free tier
- Deployment
- Cloud, with browser extensions and mobile apps
- Regions
- Global
- Key integrations
- Google Calendar, Outlook, Zoom, Microsoft Teams
Last reviewed . Pricing and features change frequently — confirm current details with the vendor.
Calendly is a scheduling automation platform letting clients and prospects book appointments from available time slots, syncing with Google Calendar, Outlook, and iCloud and integrating with Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
How accounting firms use it
The recurring saving is the scheduling exchange itself. Arranging a meeting by email typically takes several messages over a day or more, and multiplied across a client base during busy season that is a meaningful amount of administrative time producing nothing billable.
Firms publish booking links for different meeting types — an initial consultation, a tax return review, an advisory session — each with its own duration, availability window, and assigned staff. Clients book directly, and the meeting appears with the video link already attached.
Key features
Multiple event types carry distinct durations, availability rules, and buffer times, so a thirty-minute review and a ninety-minute planning session are handled differently without manual intervention.
Round-robin and collective scheduling distribute bookings across a team or find slots where several people are simultaneously free.
Automated reminders by email and SMS reduce no-shows, and calendar sync prevents double-booking across connected calendars. Integrations create Zoom or Teams links automatically at booking.
Who it’s best for
Firms of any size wanting to remove scheduling friction, particularly those with client-facing staff whose calendars change frequently.
Acuity Scheduling is the main alternative and better suited where intake forms or payment at booking are needed. Firms already running practice management with scheduling built in — TaxDome or Canopy — may not need a separate tool.
Calendly FAQ
- How does it compare to Acuity Scheduling?
- Calendly is simpler and faster to set up, focused on getting a meeting booked with minimal friction. Acuity offers intake forms, payment collection at booking, and deeper customisation. Firms booking consultations and review meetings usually prefer Calendly; those selling paid advisory sessions or needing information before the meeting tend to need Acuity.
- Can it assign meetings across a team?
- Yes. Round-robin distributes bookings across available staff, and collective scheduling finds slots where several people are free — useful for review meetings needing both a manager and a partner. Routing rules can direct different meeting types to different staff.
- Does it help with no-shows?
- Automated email and SMS reminders reduce them substantially, and cancellation and rescheduling links let clients move a meeting themselves rather than simply not appearing. Buffer times between appointments prevent the cascade when a meeting overruns.
- Is client data handled securely?
- Booking pages collect limited information by default — name, email, and any questions configured. Firms should avoid requesting sensitive financial details at the booking stage and use their client portal for that, since a scheduling tool is not the right place for confidential data.
Calendly Alternatives
Other scheduling tools for accounting firms, ordered by how much of Calendly's functionality they cover.
Acuity Scheduling
Online appointment scheduling with customizable booking pages, automated reminders, and calendar sync for accounting firms.