📅 Calendar vs. Scheduler: What’s the Difference (and Which One Do You Need?)
🗓 CALENDARS – Good for Showing Your Schedule
A calendar is like your digital planner. You use it to organize your own schedule.
You can also choose to share it publicly on your website so visitors can see when you're available, but they can’t book you directly from it.
Example Tools Supported by Siimple
Google Calendar
Calendly
Example Use Cases:
A music teacher who wants to show available teaching times or upcoming group classes.
A local bakery that wants to post weekly pickup dates or event catering availability.
A cleaning company that wants to show general availability by day of the week (e.g. “Mondays and Thursdays: East Side”).
What it Does:
Displays your availability or events
Doesn’t allow clients to book you directly
You control what’s shown (and can keep your private stuff hidden)
📆 SCHEDULERS – Good for Letting Customers Book You
A scheduler is an online tool that lets customers see your availability and book a time directly with you.
It saves you the back-and-forth of phone calls or emails. You set your available days and times, and the scheduler handles the rest — even sending confirmation emails and reminders.
Supported by Siimple
Google Appointments (built into Google Calendar)
Calendly
Cal (Coming Soon!)
Acuity (Coming Soon!)
JackRabbit Classes (Coming Soon!)
Example Use Cases:
A massage therapist who wants clients to book sessions online.
A handyman offering 30-minute consultations.
A tutor who meets with students weekly and wants them to choose their time.
A baker who wants people to reserve a cake pickup time.
What it Does:
Lets people book a spot with you online
Syncs with your calendar to avoid double-booking
Handles confirmations, reminders, and cancellations
💡 Learn how to embed a Calendar or Schedule into your Siimple Site →