The 6 Best Meeting Scheduling Tools and Apps

Scheduling a meeting time with multiple people is a bit like herding cats. Everyone has different commitments that they need to keep, along with different time slots that they want to commit to. By the time you figure out when to meet, you may be so frustrated by everyone’s conflicting availability that you’ll have the urge to cancel.

While scheduling a meeting can feel near-impossible, having a scheduling app can make the process less painful. Here are the best meeting time planners that you can use.

How we ranked them: There are a lot of meeting schedulers out there. Because of this, we picked the options that scored the highest in the following three categories:

• Integration: How easy is it to use the scheduling tool in combination with other apps?
• Ease of use: How easy is it to use the app itself?
• Features: How much can the app do?

Each category is scored from 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest. Let’s explore these options now.

1. Google Calendar (Free)

Google Calendar is the first free scheduling app we’re including on this list. It scores high in all three of our categories: integration, ease of use, and features.

As part of a wider collection of tools, Calendar has an incredible ability to integrate with the rest of Google’s apps, including Gmail. It also offers a lot of flexibility when it comes to its features.

If you want to schedule a meeting, you need to create a Group Calendar within the app. To create one:

1. Go to your Calendar app, then click on Other Calendars + > Create New Calendar.
2. Once it’s created, click on the three dots next to the calendar’s name and click Settings and sharing.
3. Choose a sharing option to share this calendar with your team.

Once you create a group Google Calendar, you can use it to:

• Track everyone’s availability.
• See who’s out of office.
• Coordinate deadlines.

If you need an all-purpose meeting app that is easy to use, the Google Meeting scheduler is definitely the way to go.

Integration: 5
Ease of use: 4
Features: 3

Note: If you want to read more on this subject, here’s how to make another calendar in Google Calendar.

2. Rallly (Free)

Next on the list? Rallly, an open-source scheduling tool. It’s completely free to use.

Simple and pared down compared to the other meeting apps on this list, Rallly allows you to create pages for new meetings or events. By sharing a link to that event, you and other recipients can discuss the details on the meeting page itself.

The big downside to Rallly is that you cannot create polls to vote on meeting time slots, so it’s not as flexible as some of the other free online scheduling tools.

Because of this, Rallly is better for small, casual groups of friends who are organizing one-off, simple get-togethers.

Integration: 2
Ease of use: 5
Features: 3

3. Assistant.to (Free)

Along with Google Calendar and Rallly, we wanted to recommend Assistant.to, which is another free scheduling app.

The idea behind Assistant.to? To integrate a scheduling assistant into your Gmail inbox.

When you compose an email in your inbox, Assistant.to pops up as a small, circular button in the bottom right-hand corner. After you click on that button, it will take you to a calendar scheduling app and attach the suggested time slots.

The major downside to this program? Assistant.to can only schedule a meeting between you and one other person. However, the app can also:

• Automatically detect time zones.
• Keep a record of when your most common meeting times are, to offer recommendations in the future.
• Integrate with Google Hangouts, GoToMeeting, UberConference, and ReadyTalk.

Assistant.to is good for freelancers and business professionals looking to schedule one-on-one interviews. It is not good for teams at this time.

Integration: 4
Ease of use: 5
Features: 4

4. Doodle (Free, Subscription Available)

Doodle is another work schedule app we’re going to include on this list. Like Google Calendar, we’re including it because it scores high in all three of our categories.

Doodle has free and subscription options available. The free option is simple and is basically used for one-off events. To create a Doodle poll free of charge, just make a poll through the website, then send out the link.

For the subscription options, you can also try out Doodle’s free 14-day trial.

Doodle can also:

• Auto-detect time zones.
• Sync with Google Calendar and Office 365.
• Send out proposed meeting times and have recipients vote on them.
• Allow guests to indicate the dates they can make the meeting, along with the dates that they can make if there are no other options available.

If you sign up for a subscription to Doodle Premium, there are four different payment plans: Starter, Pro, Team, and Enterprise. Through the Doodle options Pro, Team, and Enterprise, you can also customize your Doodle app by adding your company logo or brand colors.

Doodle is the best schedule app out there if you want to set up a meeting. It’s also a relatively inexpensive option for business owners looking to take their team’s communication skills to the next level.

Integration: 5
Ease of use: 5
Features: 5

5. Calendly (Free, Subscription Available)

Calendly is another great option when it comes to doodle poll alternatives. Like Doodle, it has free and premium subscription options available.

When you’re setting up a schedule, Calendly will ask you for your time slot preferences. It’ll then calculate your availability from there. Through email, the recipient can pick a time to meet with you. Once a time has been decided it will be added to your calendar.

Calendly can also:

• Integrate with Google Calendar, Office 365 or iCloud Calendar.
• Set up buffers between meetings, to account for overtime.
• Automatically figure out everyone’s availability by timezone.
• Schedule one-on-one meetings.
• Track the no-show rates to each meeting.

While Calendly can use used for one-on-one meetings, its true power comes from its ability to organize and monitor large-scale events.

Integration: 3
Ease of use: 3
Features: 5

6. YouCanBook.me (Subscription)

Lastly, we want to recommend the meeting scheduler app YouCanBook.me. It’s a paid subscription service that allows business professionals to book meetings with clients.

As YouCanBook.me is geared towards business-to-client relations, it’s not the best tool for in-house meetings. However, like the other options on this list, YouCanBook.me offers a ton of flexibility when it comes to its features.

You can:

• Automatically detect time zones when scheduling a meeting.
• Customize reminders for your meeting.
• Display team member availability for your meeting.
• Set prices for your bookings, if you are offering a paid consultation service.
• Take payments for bookings through Stripe integration.

While YouCanBook.me is predominantly a subscription based service, you can explore the free trial prior to signing up.

YouCanBook.me is a good tool for businesses and independent contractors offering paid services to customers.

Integration: 3
Ease of use: 3
Features: 5

Use a Meeting Scheduler, Hassle-Free

Scheduling a meeting with multiple people has never been an easy task. With the help of these apps, however, you’ll be able to make the most of it.

Looking for other tips on team management? Here are some online project management tools for small teams.

Read the full article: The 6 Best Meeting Scheduling Tools and Apps