Doodle vs. Booked Scheduler: Which Tool is Right for You?

When it comes to finding time to meet with others, choosing the right tool can be the key to managing your time effectively. Doodle and Booked Scheduler stand out as leading solutions for all scheduling needs, but which one best meets your needs? Let's delve deeper.

What is Doodle?

Doodle is a scheduling tool that simplifies the scheduling process for all types of meeting needs. It was founded in 2007 by Michael Näf and Paul E. Sevinç, students from ETH Zürich who wanted to find a way to meet without the hassle of back and forth emails.  Since then, Doodle has expanded its service to business leaders, entrepreneurs, and freelancers, supporting approximately 78,000 meetings per day. With its intuitive design, meeting organizers can effortlessly coordinate with large groups, create booking pages for seamless appointment setting and set 1:1s time slots for personal meetings. Doodle's unique selling points are its simplicity, coupled with powerful automations and integrations, making it a preferred choice for small to medium-sized businesses looking to streamline their scheduling.

What is Booked Scheduler?

Booked Scheduler is a comprehensive scheduling platform that provides users with the tools to book resources, manage appointments, and organize calendars. 

Booked Scheduler started as a side project in 2009 as a replacement for a laboratory scheduling tool. It has since catered to a variety of industries, offering customizable features that allow for detailed control over booking processes. 

Key comparison factors

When it comes to choosing between Doodle and Booked Scheduler, the decision lies on what you value most in a scheduling tool.

Ease of Use Doodle has a user-friendly interface that makes it easy for professionals in all technical levels to create the meeting they need. Doodle is a go-to for users seeking simplicity and efficiency in their scheduling tools.

Booked Scheduler comes with a mobile-first design. It also has a more complex interface as it offers many customization and configuration options. 

Functionality Both platforms offer robust functionalities. Doodle focuses on simplicity, automation, and integration. Users have video conferencing tools as an option to create meeting links. They can also connect calendars to immediately remove unavailable time slots as meeting time options. Doodle’s features are particularly appealing for businesses looking to automate their scheduling needs without a steep learning curve. Booked Scheduler focuses on personalization and administration. Users can create custom fields, set quotas and reservations. Booked Scheduler shines with its extensive customization options, appealing to users with specific, detailed scheduling requirements.

Pricing

Doodle provides users an option to create meetings for free, with the option to upgrade to professional, team and enterprise accounts. The pricing tiers ensure that businesses of all sizes can access its scheduling tools without a significant financial commitment.  Its professional plans are reasonably priced, providing additional features like advanced integrations and customization options. Booked Scheduler, on the other hand, offers a price point that reflects its extensive customization capabilities. Booked Scheduler's pricing model is based on the number of resources managed. The Cloud plan is currently set at $15 per month. Alternatively, users can pay a one-time license fee that starts from $500 per month. 

Which one is right for you?

Choosing the right scheduling tool depends on your specific needs, preferences, and budget. Doodle stands out for its ease of use, effective integration, and automation features, making it an ideal choice for business leaders, entrepreneurs, and freelancers looking for a straightforward, efficient way to manage their scheduling. Its cost-effective pricing further ensures that businesses of any size can benefit from its features without overspending.

In contrast, Booked Scheduler offers extensive customization and control, appealing to those with complex scheduling requirements and a need for detailed resource management. However, this comes at the cost of a steeper learning curve and potentially higher financial investment. While it offers flexibility and scalability, its complexity can sometimes be a barrier for users looking for straightforward scheduling solutions.

For those prioritizing simplicity, efficiency, and value, Doodle emerges as the superior choice, offering a balance of functionality and ease that can help streamline your scheduling processes and save valuable time.