A TidyCal alternative where free means the whole product
TidyCal sells a US$29 lifetime deal with a thin free plan. Pick a Time's free plan includes group events, recurring series, custom questions, date overrides and per-session file sharing.
Create your booking pageJump to the table Free plan, no card, no trial clock.TidyCal's pitch is the AppSumo lifetime deal: US$29 once for individuals, US$79 for agencies, and you never pay again. That is honestly a good deal if the feature list covers you. The free plan is where it thins out: one calendar connection and the basics. Pick a Time keeps the deep features (group seats, recurring series, booking questions, file sharing, meeting notes) on the free plan and charges only for branding, analytics and team routing.
The lifetime price is real and the product is simple to set up. Paid bookings via Stripe and PayPal work on every plan including free, which beats most of the market. Its public directory can send you a trickle of new clients.
Pricing, side by side
| TidyCal | Pick a Time | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 1 calendar, basic booking | Full scheduling feature set |
| Paid entry | US$29 lifetime (individual) | US$9/mo Pro |
| Agency tier | US$79 lifetime | Pro covers it |
What each free plan includes
| Feature | Pick a Time | TidyCal |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited bookings on the free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Multiple session lengths on free | Yes | Yes |
| Custom booking questions on free | Yes | Yes |
| Group events with seat limits | Yes | Yes |
| Recurring bookings (weekly/monthly) | Yes | Yes |
| Date overrides and holiday blocks | Yes | Yes |
| Max bookings per day | Yes | No |
| Email reminders, configurable times | Yes | Yes |
| Per-session file sharing | Yes | No |
| AI meeting notes on the booking | Yes | No |
| Plain-words time search | Yes | No |
| Merge consecutive slots into one session | Yes | No |
| Embed on your own site | Yes | Yes |
| Meeting polls | Yes | No |
| Single-use links | Pro | No |
| Preferred (ranked) availability | Pro | No |
| Routing forms | Pro | No |
| Round robin across hosts | Pro | Yes |
| Charge for bookings | Planned | Yes |
| Outlook calendar | Planned | No |
Yes = included free. Pro = that tool's paid tier. Planned = on the public Pick a Time roadmap. Checked 2026-07-11.
What you get here that TidyCal doesn't have
Session files
Every booking carries its own file space. You and the person who booked can both attach agendas, pre-reads, photos or videos, and a recurring series shares one running folder. The other side needs no account: their manage-booking link is the door. No other mainstream scheduler stores documents per session, so agendas stop drowning in chat groups and email chains.
AI meeting notes on the booking
Connect Fireflies and each recorded session's summary and action items land on the matching booking in your dashboard. The recording tool you already pay for becomes part of the booking record.
Type a time in plain words
People booking with you can type "next saturday morning" and matching open slots surface. Nobody paging through week views.
Slot stretching
When consecutive slots are free, the person booking can merge them into one longer session. A 30-minute grid can still sell a 2-hour deep-dive without you configuring a separate event type.
The free plan has no booking cap: unlimited bookings, session types on one page, group events with seat counts, recurring series, custom booking questions, date overrides, daily booking caps, email reminders at times you choose, an embed widget, meeting polls, and per-session file sharing.
Questions people ask
Is TidyCal's lifetime deal worth it?
If you need paid bookings today and your scheduling needs are simple, US$29 once is hard to argue with. If your sessions need shared documents, AI notes, seat-limited group events or date overrides, you outgrow it.
Does Pick a Time have a lifetime deal?
Not currently. The free plan is not a trial though: unlimited bookings with no time limit and no card.
Can clients book paid sessions on Pick a Time?
Paid bookings are on the public roadmap and in development. Today bookings are free to make; TidyCal or Cal.com are ahead here.
Set up your booking page free
Unlimited bookings. No card, no trial clock.
Create your pageSee the product