The honest Acuity Scheduling alternative
Acuity is a flexible scheduler, but if your clients aren’t getting text reminders on the starter plan — and you’re paying separately for payments and fighting an awkward export — the basics feel oddly out of reach. Keptbookings includes SMS reminders, deposits, and native payouts in one flat price, with one-click export whenever you want it.
Why people leave Acuity Scheduling
- Acuity’s starter plan doesn’t include SMS reminders, so the single most effective tool against no-shows is missing exactly where budget-conscious solos start.
- There’s no native point of sale, so taking in-person payment means bolting on another tool and reconciling across systems.
- Support is largely without a phone line, which slows resolution when a booking or payment issue is urgent.
- Exporting your data out of Acuity can be a chore, making it harder to leave or to use your client list elsewhere.
- Keptbookings includes SMS and email reminders on every plan, validates cards and collects deposits natively, and offers one-click export.
How Keptbookings is different
- SMS + email reminders included on every plan.
- Built-in deposits, no-show charging and day-of checkout.
- Real support and one-click export.
What Acuity does well
Acuity (now part of Squarespace) is one of the most flexible schedulers around. Its appointment types, intake forms, availability rules, time-zone handling, and broad integration library are genuinely strong, and it suits consultants and multi-service providers who need fine-grained control. If your booking logic is complex, Acuity bends to fit it better than most.
Where Acuity falls short for independents
The gaps show up in the essentials. On the starter plan, SMS reminders aren’t included — yet text reminders are the most reliable way to cut no-shows. So the providers most sensitive to a missed appointment are the ones least likely to have the tool that prevents it, unless they upgrade.
Payments are another stitched-together area. Acuity has no native point of sale, so collecting in-person payment means adding a separate processor and reconciling between systems — workable, but more moving parts than a salon front desk wants. And support without a real phone line means an urgent booking or payment problem becomes a waiting game rather than a quick call.
Finally, getting your data back out of Acuity can be more painful than it should be. When export is a chore, switching or even using your own client list elsewhere becomes friction that keeps you put for the wrong reasons.
How Keptbookings is different
Keptbookings puts the essentials in the base plan. SMS and email reminders are included on every tier, so no-show prevention isn’t something you have to pay extra to unlock. Payments are native — cards are validated at booking, deposits are collected directly, and payouts run through Stripe with fast next-day timing — so there’s no separate POS to bolt on and reconcile.
When something needs attention, you reach a real person through human and phone support, not just a help center. And your data stays portable: one-click export hands you your clients and history whenever you want them.
All of it comes at one flat price — free tier, Solo around $19/month, Team around $49/month flat for up to six — with a branded, embeddable booking page and guest checkout. You keep the scheduling capability you need without the missing pieces.
Switching from Acuity to Keptbookings
Keptbookings imports your clients and appointment history for free, sparing you Acuity’s export friction on the way in. Setup takes about 15 minutes, and one-click export keeps you free to leave later. The migration is designed to be quick and reversible, not a one-way door.
Who should choose which
If you need Acuity’s deep scheduling flexibility and broad integrations for complex, multi-service or appointment-heavy workflows, it remains a powerful tool. If you’re a salon or solo provider who wants reminders, deposits, and payments included and working out of the box — with real support and easy export — Keptbookings covers the essentials more completely for the price.
Keptbookings vs Acuity Scheduling
The differences that actually touch your money.
| What matters | Keptbookings | Acuity Scheduling |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | One flat price | $16 / $27 / $49 (annual) |
| Processing | Transparent flat rate | Pass-through (Stripe/Square) |
| Commission on your clients | Never | None |
| No-show protection included | ||
| Guest checkout | ||
| One-click export |
Questions, answered
Is Keptbookings a good Acuity alternative?
Yes, especially for salons and solos who want the basics included. Keptbookings bundles SMS reminders, native payments, and deposits into one flat price, where Acuity often reserves SMS for higher tiers and lacks a native POS.
Can I move my clients from Acuity?
Yes. Keptbookings imports your client list and appointment history for free, which also spares you Acuity’s export friction. Setup takes about 15 minutes.
Does Keptbookings include text reminders on the base plan?
Yes. SMS and email reminders are included on every Keptbookings plan, unlike Acuity’s starter tier, so you get no-show prevention without upgrading.
Does Keptbookings have built-in payments?
Yes. Keptbookings validates cards, collects deposits, and pays out through Stripe natively, so you don’t need a separate point-of-sale tool the way you do with Acuity.
Is there phone support with Keptbookings?
Yes. Keptbookings offers human and phone support, which helps when an urgent booking or payment issue can’t wait on an email queue.
Can I export my data from Keptbookings easily?
Yes. Keptbookings provides one-click export of your clients and history at any time, so you’re never stuck the way Acuity’s export process can leave you.
What does Keptbookings cost compared to Acuity?
Keptbookings has a free tier, Solo around $19/month, and Team around $49/month flat for up to six people, with reminders and payments included rather than spread across higher tiers and add-ons.
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