Google Calendar on the free plan
Square syncs Google Calendar on Plus and Premium, from $49 a month per location. On Payly, busy times in Google Calendar block your page, and bookings go into it, free.
The free Square Appointments alternative
Free online bookings with PayPal and Google Calendar
Square Appointments is free too, for one location. Payly adds what Square Free leaves out: PayPal, Google Calendar sync and Stripe's lower online card rate.
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Payly and Square Appointments at a glance
$4.00
Less in card fees on 20 bookings
Square Free charges 3.3% + 30 cents online. Through Payly, Stripe charges 2.9% + 30 cents. On 20 bookings of $50, that is $35.00 against $39.00.
$0
A month, on both
Square Free costs $0 a month per location, and so does Payly. Square's paid plans start at $49 a month per location.
PayPal
As well as cards
Square takes Square payments only. On Payly, clients pay with PayPal or a card, into your own account.
Why businesses move from Square Appointments
Square Free is a good free scheduler with in-person payments. Payly fits when you want PayPal, Google Calendar sync or a lower online rate.
PayPal as well as cards
Square takes cards, Afterpay and Cash App Pay, all through Square. Payly takes PayPal and cards through Stripe on the same page.
A lower online rate
Square Free charges 3.3% + 30 cents online, so a $50 booking costs $1.95. Stripe's 2.9% + 30 cents through Payly costs $1.75.
A daily limit, free
Square's daily booking limit starts on Plus. Payly sets a most-bookings-a-day limit and a cutoff for client changes at no cost.
What you actually pay
Square Free against Payly, for 20 bookings of $50 in a month, each paid by card online.
| Cost | Payly$0/mo | Square AppointmentsSquare Free |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly plan | $0 | $0 a location (Plus: $49) |
| Online card rate | 2.9% + 30 cents with Stripe | 3.3% + 30 cents (Plus: 2.9% + 30 cents) |
| Card fees on 20 bookings of $50 | $35.00 with Stripe | $39.00 |
| A month of 20 paid $50 bookings, all fees | $35.00 with Stripe, $44.70 with PayPal | $39.00 on Square Free, $84.00 on Plus |
20 bookings of $50 paid online is $1,000 in sales, and the business pays the card fees on both sides. Stripe charges 2.9% + 30 cents for US cards. PayPal Checkout charges 3.49% + $0.49, so with PayPal, Payly costs more than Square Free. In person, Square Free charges 2.6% + 15 cents, and Payly's booking pages take online payments only. Square Appointments pricing as published November 2026.
What you get
- Several services on one page, each with its own length, price and link
- Free and paid services, with paid add-ons if you like
- Weekly hours, days off and different hours on any date
- Open times shown in each client's own time zone
- Minimum notice, how far ahead, gaps between bookings and a daily limit
- Group classes, with several people at the same time
- In person, by phone, your own video link or Google Meet
- Google Calendar: busy times blocked and bookings added
- Confirmation and reminder emails with Add to calendar links
- Clients cancel or pick a new time up to the cutoff you set
- A Bookings screen to see, cancel and refund bookings
- A link to share, and code to add your calendar to any website
How Calendar Bookings works in Payly
You set the services and hours. PayPal or Stripe collects each payment.
-
Create a booking page
In Your sites, click New and choose Calendar Bookings. Start from a template or from scratch.
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Add your services and hours
Give each service a length and a price, or make it free. Then set the hours you take bookings on each day of the week.
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Connect PayPal or Stripe, then publish
Your booking page runs on your own free Cloudflare account. Share its link, or add it to your own website.
Honest answers
Is Payly really free?
Yes. There is no monthly fee, no transaction fee and no paid tier. PayPal and Stripe charge their standard processing fees on paid bookings, as they would on any platform. How can this possibly be free?
Is Square Appointments free?
Yes, for one location. Square Free is $0 a month, with online booking, reminders, prepayments and deposits. Square takes 3.3% + 30 cents on each online payment. Plus is $49 and Premium $149 a month per location.
Is Payly cheaper than Square Free?
A little, with Stripe: $35.00 against $39.00 for 20 online payments of $50, since Stripe's online rate is lower. With PayPal, Payly costs more, $44.70. Neither has a monthly plan.
What does Square do that Payly does not?
Square takes in-person payments with a card reader, deposits, Afterpay and Cash App Pay. Its paid plans add no-show fees, packages, a waitlist and booking for several staff. Payly's booking pages have none of these.
How do I move from Square to Payly?
Payly has no importer for Square. Make a booking page, add your services and hours, and connect PayPal or Stripe and Google Calendar. Then share the new link. Your past appointments stay in Square.
Thinking about another platform?
Take bookings with PayPal and Google Calendar, free
Your calendar, your payment account, your clients. The only thing you pay is normal PayPal and Stripe processing fees.
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Square Appointments is a trademark of its owner. Payly is not affiliated with or endorsed by Square Appointments.