How Cal.com and Circle compare
Cal.com is scheduling infrastructure you can own. Open source and self-hostable, with calendar sync across Google, Outlook, and iCloud, event types, round-robin and collective team booking, routing forms, workflows for reminders, payments at booking, and an API and embeds developers actually like. Individuals get a generous free plan.
Circle is where serious community hosts go when the community is the business. Spaces for discussion and chat, courses and events in the same place, paid memberships with branded checkout, gamification, workflows, Circle AI, and on Circle Plus your own branded iOS and Android apps. It has grown into an all-in-one for membership businesses, and the Website Builder and Email Hub mean many hosts no longer need a second tool for the front door. If your members log in every week to talk to each other, Circle is built for exactly that.
Where they are different
Cal.com
- Cal.com is a booking page and API.
- Cal.com confirms by email.
- Cal.com charges at booking.
Circle
- Circle's pages are the front door to a members-only space.
- Circle's Email Hub is an add-on priced per contact on top of the plan.
- Circle's DMs live between members inside the community.
- Circle has courses, live streams, paid tiers for users, and gamification.
Choose Cal.com when scheduling is the whole need, especially for teams or developers who want control.
Choose Circle when a paid, private community with courses and events is the product, and you want members in a branded app.
Compare features
What's on Cal.com and Circle
A check means that capability is available. Cal.com and Circle are marked only when the offer is comparable, not the same product.
Site and brand
- Workspace siteCal.com: Not includedCircle: Included
- Custom domainCal.com: Not includedCircle: Included
Audience and email
- AudienceCal.com: IncludedCircle: Included
- Marketing emailsCal.com: Not includedCircle: Included
Commerce
- Shop paymentsCal.com: Not includedCircle: Included
- Scheduling and bookingsLink to external scheduling available on Starter.Cal.com: IncludedCircle: Not included
Team
- Admin usersCal.com: IncludedCircle: Included
- Per-admin permissionsCal.com: IncludedCircle: Included
* Note: This table does not capture every feature of Cal.com or Circle, and is not intended as a comprehensive list. We keep this page current, but Cal.com or Circle may add or remove features that are not shown here.
Cal.com vs Circle pricing
Compare plans, prices, and what it costs to get started.
Cal.com
Current plans and prices
See what Cal.com charges on their pricing page.
Circle
Current plans and prices
See what Circle charges on their pricing page.
Cardel: An alternative to
Cal.com and Circle
You don't pay until you publish.
Cardel provides a home for your craft. Share and sell your work, grow your audience, and bring your community together on a site of your own.
Common questions
Is Cardel an alternative to Cal.com or Circle?
Cardel is a home for your craft: a site of your own with a blog, newsletter, shop, community, and one inbox. It can replace Cal.com or Circle when you want your work, audience, and sales in one place. The feature list on this page shows where Cal.com and Circle are marked.
Can I use Cardel with Cal.com or Circle?
Yes. Cardel pages can link out to other products, so you can keep Cal.com or Circle for what it does best and bring the rest of your work to Cardel.
How much does Cardel cost compared with Cal.com and Circle?
You don't pay for Cardel until you publish. Choose Starter, Pro, or Studio when your site goes live. Cal.com and Circle set their own prices, so check their pricing pages on this page for current plans.
How do I switch from Cal.com or Circle to Cardel?
Start with Build Your Site, set up your home, and bring your work over at your own pace. You do not have to move everything on day one.