Cal.com
Open-source Calendly alternative with unlimited event types on the free tier, Stripe payments, routing forms, and a full API. Self-hosting requires PostgreSQL and Redis
Quick Start
docker compose up -d Overview
Cal.com is an open-source scheduling platform that replaces Calendly. You share a booking link, people pick a slot, and it syncs to your calendar with automated reminders, video conferencing, and payment collection built in. The cloud free tier covers unlimited event types and multiple calendar connections — Calendly’s free plan limits you to one event type, which is the single most common reason people go looking for an alternative.
The feature set handles most professional scheduling needs: routing forms to send different visitors to different booking types, round-robin assignment across a team, buffers between meetings, Stripe-powered paid bookings, and embeds that stay on your own domain. A well-documented API makes it practical to embed scheduling directly into a product you are building.
Self-hosting requires more upfront effort than most tools in this directory. You need PostgreSQL, Redis, and OAuth credentials configured for each calendar provider you want to support. Expect 60 to 90 minutes on a clean setup. The Docker path has had inconsistencies in the past, though the documentation has improved. Additionally, some enterprise features — SAML SSO, SCIM provisioning — are behind a commercial licence even when self-hosting.
If you want a fully open-source build with no commercial code at all, Cal.diy is a community fork under MIT with those features stripped out, though it is positioned for personal rather than production use.
For freelancers and small teams replacing Calendly, the cloud free tier covers most needs without self-hosting at all. Self-hosting makes sense if you are embedding scheduling into a product or need data sovereignty.
Cal.com: Pros & Cons
| Pros (The Wins) | Cons (The Friction) |
|---|---|
| Free tier: Unlimited event types and calendars vs Calendly’s one-type limit. | Self-host complexity: PostgreSQL, Redis, OAuth setup; expect 60–90 minutes minimum. |
| Payments: Stripe-powered paid bookings built in, no third-party plugin. | Open core: SAML SSO and enterprise features need a commercial licence. |
| API: Full-coverage API for embedding scheduling into your own product. | Docker friction: Hardcoded hostnames have caused self-hosting headaches historically. |
| Routing forms: Send different visitors to different booking types based on their answers. | CRM integrations: Native CRM sync thinner than Calendly for Salesforce/HubSpot. |
Use Cases
Specific ways to use Cal.com for your workflow.
Deployment Strategy
Recommended ways to host Cal.com in your own environment.