Cal.com
Doodle
| Feature | Cal.com | Doodle |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $12/mo | Free / from $6.95/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 |
| Best For | developers, startups, agencies, privacy-conscious-teams | group-organizers, event-planners, managers, committees |
| Founded | 2021 | 2007 |
| Scheduling | ✓ | ✗ |
| Self Hosting | ✓ | ✗ |
| Api | ✓ | ✗ |
| Webhooks | ✓ | ✗ |
| Round Robin | ✓ | ✗ |
| Collective Scheduling | ✓ | ✗ |
| Embed | ✓ | ✗ |
| Group Polls | ✗ | ✓ |
| Booking Pages | ✗ | ✓ |
| Calendar Integration | ✗ | ✓ |
| Reminders | ✗ | ✓ |
| Custom Branding | ✗ | ✓ |
| Time Zone Support | ✗ | ✓ |
| Admin Console | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Cal.com Pros
- Open-source and self-hostable
- Unlimited event types on free plan
- Full API and webhook access
- White-label and embed options
✗ Cal.com Cons
- Self-hosting requires technical setup
- Fewer integrations than Calendly
- UI less polished than Calendly
✓ Doodle Pros
- Best-in-class group scheduling with polls
- Participants don't need accounts to vote
- Simple and intuitive for non-technical users
- 1:1 booking pages for professional scheduling
✗ Doodle Cons
- Free plan has ads and limited features
- Less suited for complex recurring scheduling
- Integration options fewer than competitors
The Verdict
Cal.com is built for developers and startups, with a focus on scheduling and self-hosting. Doodle targets group organizers and event planners and leads with group-polls and booking-pages.
On pricing, Doodle is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $6.95/mo compared to $12/mo for Cal.com. That $5.05/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.