7 Best Scheduling Software for Therapists | Cal.com

That's what we looked for when curating this list of the best scheduling software for therapists. We found that Cal.com is the best choice if you already have your clinical tools and mainly want more control over scheduling. 

You can customize booking questions, sync Google, Outlook, and Apple calendars in both directions, and route clients by specialty, location, or language. The free plan supports one user and includes two-way calendar sync and conflict checking.

We compared Cal.com with six other therapy scheduling software based on:

• Compliance cost: Is the software HIPAA-compliant, and does a signed business associate agreement (BAA) cost extra?

• Calendar sync: Does it keep your calendars in sync both ways?

• Clinician routing: Can it send clients to the right clinician automatically?

The comparison table near the end shows how all seven tools compare, along with what’s included in their free plans.

TL;DR: the ranked list

1. Cal.com: best for group and telehealth practices that want flexible scheduling

2. SimplePractice: best all-in-one system for solo mental health practices

3. TherapyNotes: best for counseling practices that rely on insurance billing

4. Jane: best for clinics running several disciplines under one roof

5. Healthie: best for telehealth-first and wellness practices

6. Acuity Scheduling: best for solo practitioners offering paid sessions online

7. Calendly: best for consultations and internal meetings

What is scheduling software for therapists?

Scheduling software lets clients book, reschedule, and cancel sessions online while practices manage availability, intake, reminders, and compliance.

There are two main types:

• Behavioral health EHRs (electronic health records): Combine scheduling with client records, clinical notes, treatment plans, insurance claims, and other clinical workflows.

• Dedicated scheduling tools: Focus on booking and connect to the clinical system you already use.

If you need to manage client records, clinical notes, and insurance claims alongside appointments, an EHR may be the better fit. If you already have those systems in place and mainly need an easier way for clients to book and manage appointments, a dedicated scheduling tool may be the better choice.

What to look for in scheduling software for therapists

The right therapy scheduling software should make booking easier while keeping your calendars, client information, and appointments organized.

These six features are worth checking before you choose one:

1. A BAA on your plan. Confirm that the vendor offers a BAA on the tier you plan to buy. Some vendors include it, while others charge extra or restrict it to higher plans.

2. Two-way calendar sync. The tool should both add appointments to your calendar and check events you've added elsewhere. Otherwise, you risk double-booking yourself.

3. Intake and consent at booking. Look for custom questions that let clients provide relevant information before a session, without exposing sensitive details in calendar titles or email subject lines.

4. Recurring sessions you can edit. If clients book weekly sessions, you should be able to change one appointment without rebuilding the entire series.

5. Reminders on the plan you buy. Check whether email and text reminders, confirmations, and self-service rescheduling are included in your chosen tier.

6. Clinician routing. Group practices should be able to route clients to the right clinician based on factors such as specialty, location, or language.

7. Setup time. Consider how quickly you can get started. A full clinical system may take time to configure, while dedicated scheduling software can usually be added to an existing setup much faster. 

The 7 best scheduling software for therapists

1. Cal.com: best for group and telehealth practices that want flexible scheduling

What it is: Cal.com is a scheduling platform that connects with your calendars and existing clinical tools. It lets clients book, reschedule, and cancel appointments without requiring you to replace your EHR. You can create branded booking pages, collect intake information while a client books an appointment, send reminders, and route clients to the right clinician.

Why it ranks first: Cal.com is the best option in this list if you already have a clinical system and want more control over scheduling. You can customize session types, availability, buffers, booking limits, intake questions, and routing rules to fit how your practice operates. Its API and webhooks also let you connect scheduling with your EHR, billing workflow, or own application.

Key features: 

• Branded booking pages on your own domain, without Cal.com branding.

• Two-way calendar sync with Google, Outlook, and Apple, with conflict checking.

• Custom booking questions for information such as history, insurance, and consent.

• Recurring events for standing sessions, plus buffers between appointments.

• Round-robin and collective availability for multi-clinician scheduling.

• Routing forms and custom-attribute routing to direct clients by specialty, location, language, or other criteria.

• Reminder and follow-up workflows through email, text, and WhatsApp.

• Video meetings through Cal Video, Zoom, or Google Meet.

• Stripe and PayPal payments for payments collected during booking.

• Public API and webhooks for connecting bookings to other systems.

• Self-hosting on your own infrastructure, available on the Enterprise plan. 

Pricing: Cal.com has a free plan for one user with unlimited calendar connections and bookings. The Teams plan costs $16/user/month and includes team scheduling, routing, and booking analytics. The Organizations plan costs $37/user/month and adds unlimited sub-teams, a booking page on your company subdomain, and HIPAA support. Enterprise pricing is custom. A signed BAA costs a one-time $300 fee on the free and Teams plans and is included at no extra cost on the Organizations and Enterprise plans.

Arbaz’s review of Cal.com

Best for: Group practices, telehealth providers, and anyone who wants branded scheduling without replacing their existing clinical system.

Verdict: Cal.com is a good fit when scheduling is the part of your workflow you want to improve. You get control over branding, availability, routing, and integrations, while solo practitioners can start with the free plan.

Try Cal.com’s free plan today, or book a demo to see how Cal.com could fit your team's workflow.

2. SimplePractice: best all-in-one system for solo mental health practices

What it is: SimplePractice is a mental health EHR and practice management platform that brings scheduling, client records, clinical notes, treatment plans, telehealth, billing, and insurance claims into one system. It also includes a client portal where clients can request, reschedule, and cancel appointments, complete intake forms, send secure messages, and manage payments.

Key features: 

• Client portal booking where clients can request appointments and complete paperwork.

• Clinical documentation with treatment plans and customizable notes on higher plans.

• Insurance billing with electronic claim filing.

• Built-in telehealth across all subscription plans.

• Appointment reminders by email, text, and voice on higher plans.

Pricing: SimplePractice has no free plan, but offers a 30-day free trial. Paid plans start at $49/month and include scheduling, client management, notes, billing, and other practice management features. 

Pros: 

• Built specifically for mental health practices

• BAA included at no extra cost with all plans

• Notes, billing, telehealth, and scheduling are all in one system

Cons: 

• Calendar sync and full appointment reminders aren't included on the entry plan

• Booking pages have limited branding and customization

• There's no rules-based routing to automatically assign clients to the right clinician

Best for: Solo therapists who want scheduling, documentation, billing, and telehealth in one system.

Comparison verdict: SimplePractice is ideal if you're looking for an all-in-one platform rather than scheduling software alone. If your practice already has systems for managing client care and payments, a standalone scheduling tool like Cal.com gives you more flexibility without adding another full practice system.

3. TherapyNotes: best for counseling practices that rely on insurance billing

What it is: TherapyNotes is a behavioral health EHR that combines scheduling with clinical documentation, treatment planning, billing, and client management. Its scheduling is closely tied to the client's chart and billing workflows, making it particularly useful for insurance-based practices.

Key features: 

• Scheduling tied to charts and billing for one-time and recurring appointments.

• Structured clinical notes and treatment planning.

• Insurance claims and reimbursement workflows.

• Built-in video sessions launched from the calendar.

• Client portal with appointment requests and secure messaging.

Pricing: TherapyNotes has no free plan, but offers a 30-day free trial. Paid plans start at $69/month for solo practitioners and include scheduling, clinical notes, billing, and other practice management features. Group plans start at $79/month for the first clinician, with each additional clinician costing $50/month.

Pros: 

• Insurance billing is a core part of the platform

• Non-clinical staff don't add to the subscription cost

• 24/7 phone and email support

Cons: 

• Calendar sync only works one way, so Google Calendar events don’t block time in TherapyNotes and can lead to double bookings

• The booking experience offers little room for branding

• Clients must be assigned manually because there’s no clinician routing

Best for: Solo and small group counseling practices where insurance reimbursement is a major part of the business.

Comparison verdict: TherapyNotes fits practices that need scheduling alongside insurance claims and clinical documentation. If you already have those workflows covered and mainly need better scheduling, Cal.com offers more control over calendar sync, self-scheduling, branding, and clinician routing.

4. Jane: best for clinics running several disciplines under one roof

What it is: Jane is practice management software for health and wellness clinics that offer different types of care. One account can support services such as counseling, physical therapy, massage, and other disciplines, with scheduling, online booking, client records, payments, billing, and telehealth all connected. You can also manage multiple practitioners, locations, rooms, and resources from the same system.

Key features: 

• Custom-branded booking site with real-time availability, included on every plan.

• Charting across disciplines with intake forms and template libraries.

• One-to-one video sessions with group video as a paid add-on.

• Unlimited locations and free admin staff on every plan.

• Waitlists and reminders with unlimited text reminders on higher plans.

Pricing: Jane doesn't offer a free plan or trial, but you can book a demo and access a demo account. Paid plans start at $54 a month and include scheduling, online booking, and practice management features. Additional practitioners cost extra based on how many hours they book, and insurance billing is available as an add-on.

Pros: 

• Good fit for clinics offering multiple disciplines

• Booking, charting, payments, and telehealth are in one system

• Admin and support staff don't add to the subscription

• Unlimited support is included

Cons: 

• There's no free trial

• Insurance billing costs extra

• It can get very expensive as your team grows

Best for: Multi-discipline clinics that want booking, clinical management, and payments in one system.

Comparison verdict: Jane is a better fit when your clinic needs one system across several disciplines. If you mainly need more control over scheduling, Cal.com lets you customize routing and integrations while keeping your existing clinical tools.

5. Healthie: best for telehealth-first and wellness practices

What it is: Healthie is a practice management platform for providers who work largely online. It combines scheduling with charting, telehealth, secure messaging, payments, and a client portal, and is also used by providers in nutrition and wellness.

Key features: 

• Online booking and self-scheduling with automated email and text reminders.

• Two-way calendar sync with Google and Outlook, plus one-way sync with Apple.

• PHI-aware calendar sync that keeps client names off external calendars unless you have an agreement with the calendar provider. 

• Built-in video sessions without needing a separate video tool.

• Secure messaging and client portal for intake forms, documents, and communication.

Pricing: Healthie has no free plan, but offers a 14-day free trial. Paid plans start at $19.99/month and include scheduling, online booking, and client management, though the entry plan is limited to 10 active clients. Plans for larger client lists start at $49.99/month, while group plans start at $149.99/month with additional provider licenses costing $50 each. 

Pros: 

• Compliance included across plans 

• Scheduling, telehealth, and clinical tools in one platform

• Supports practices that combine therapy with nutrition or coaching

Cons: 

• The entry plan is limited to 10 active clients

• Setting up templates and billing can take time

• Group practices don't get rules-based routing by specialty

Best for: Telehealth-first therapists and wellness providers who want booking, video, and clinical tools in one platform.

Comparison verdict: Healthie is a good choice if you want a clinical platform with telehealth included. Cal.com is a better fit if your priority is flexible scheduling and routing while keeping your existing clinical system.

6. Acuity Scheduling: best for solo practitioners offering paid sessions online

What it is: Acuity is a booking platform from Squarespace that includes scheduling, intake forms, payments, reminders, packages, and memberships. It focuses on appointment booking and payments, making it a good fit for practitioners who mainly need those tools rather than a full clinical system.

Key features: 

• Online booking and payments let clients book appointments and pay through Stripe, Square, or PayPal.

• Custom intake forms let you collect client details, consent, health history, and other information before an appointment.

• Automated reminders send appointment confirmations and reminders by email or text to help reduce no-shows.

• Packages and memberships let you sell prepaid appointment packages, recurring memberships, and gift certificates.

• API and custom CSS let you connect Acuity to other software and customize the look of your scheduling page.

Pricing: Acuity has no free plan, but offers a 7-day free trial. Paid plans start at $20/month and include scheduling, online booking, and payments. The plan that supports a signed BAA costs $61/month, which is the relevant option for practices that need HIPAA compliance.

Pros: 

• Quick to set up

• Payments and intake forms are included

• Flat account pricing can work well for small teams

Cons: 

• No routing by specialty or language

• Reminders aren’t included on the entry plan

Best for: Solo cash-pay practitioners who sell packages and don't need a full clinical system.

Comparison verdict: Acuity is a good fit for solo practitioners who need online booking, payments, and intake forms. However, it doesn't offer rules-based routing for sending clients to the right clinician. Cal.com is a better fit for practices that need compliant scheduling with flexible routing and calendar sync.

7. Calendly: best for consultations and internal meetings

What it is: Calendly is a general-purpose scheduling tool known for its simple booking experience. For therapists, it's useful for introductory calls, supervision sessions, and internal meetings that don't involve clinical information, but it isn't intended for collecting protected health information (PHI), so it shouldn't be used to book clinical sessions involving PHI.

Key features: 

• Booking links let you create shareable scheduling pages for different meeting types and embed them on your website.

• Calendar sync checks connected calendars for conflicts and adds new bookings to your calendar to help prevent double-booking. 

• Round-robin and collective scheduling let clients book with the next available team member or find a time when multiple hosts are available. 

• Automated reminders and follow-ups help keep clients informed before and after scheduled meetings.

• Payment collection lets you require clients to pay through Stripe or PayPal when they book.

Pricing: TCalendly offers a free plan with one event type and unlimited meetings. Paid plans start at $12/seat/month and add features such as multiple event types, additional calendar connections, and scheduling automation.

Pros: 

• Easy for clients to use

• Free plan covers basic scheduling

• Wide calendar and video integration ecosystem

Cons: 

• Not designed for collecting PHI

• It's not a substitute for a clinical scheduling system

• Limited routing for practices with multiple clinicians

Best for: Consultation calls, supervision, peer meetings, and other bookings that don't involve clinical information.

Comparison verdict: Calendly is a good option for introductory calls and other meetings that don't involve clinical information. For therapy sessions, Cal.com provides the BAA, intake questions, routing, and branding needed for clinical scheduling.

Scheduling software for therapists: quick comparison

Here’s how the seven therapy scheduling tools stack up across key features and free plans:

Final verdict

For most therapists, the main choice is between an all-in-one clinical system and a scheduling tool that works with the systems you already use.

SimplePractice is a good fit if you want scheduling, clinical notes, billing, and telehealth in one system. TherapyNotes is a better choice if insurance billing is central to your practice. Jane is suited to clinics offering several types of care, while Healthie fits practices that work mainly online.

If you already have your clinical tools and mainly need more control over scheduling, Cal.com is the best option for you. It gives you two-way calendar sync, custom intake questions, branded booking pages, and clinician routing without requiring you to replace your existing systems.

Solo practitioners can start with Cal.com's free plan, while teams can book a demo to see how it could fit their scheduling workflow.

Frequently asked questions

1. What is the best scheduling software for therapists? Cal.com is a good fit for practices that need flexible scheduling, two-way calendar sync, intake questions, clinician routing, and branding without replacing their existing clinical system. If you also need charting and insurance billing, SimplePractice or TherapyNotes may be a better fit. 

2. How much does scheduling software for therapists cost? Booking tools range from free with Cal.com to $61/month for Acuity Scheduling's Premium plan. Full clinical systems start at $49/month with SimplePractice, while TherapyNotes starts at $69. The real cost can be higher once you account for compliance, additional clinicians, insurance billing, or add-ons.

3. Is Cal.com HIPAA compliant, and what does it cost? Yes. Cal.com supports HIPAA-compliant scheduling and signs BAAs. The BAA is included at no extra cost with Organizations and Enterprise, while the Free and Teams plans charge a one-time $300 fee.

4. Which scheduling software is best for a solo private practice? It depends on what you already use. If you already have systems for clinical notes and billing, Cal.com gives you a dedicated way to manage scheduling that fits into your existing setup. If you want one system for scheduling, notes, billing, and telehealth, SimplePractice is the more complete option.

5. Can I use Calendly to book therapy sessions? Calendly isn't designed for collecting PHI, so it shouldn't be used for clinical bookings that involve protected health information. It's better suited to consultations, supervision, and internal meetings where clinical information isn't collected. For therapy sessions, Cal.com is a better option if you need compliant scheduling with intake questions, clinician routing, and calendar sync.