Google Calendar vs Microsoft Bookings
We give Google Calendar a 3.6 GPA and Microsoft Bookings a 2.6, out of 4.0. Google Calendar grades higher on the free plan, features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Google Calendar
Online calendar from Google, free with a personal account
Microsoft Bookings
Appointment booking pages included with Microsoft 365
How we grade them
| 3.6GPAGoogle CalendarExcellent | 2.6GPAMicrosoft BookingsGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BThe paid version only comes inside Google Workspace, from $7 a user a month on a 1-year commitment. That's about typical, and Gmail, Drive and Meet come with it. But Starter adds nothing to the calendar itself. More booking pages and payments wait for Standard at $14. | BIt comes with Microsoft 365, from $5.40 a user a month paid yearly without Teams, or $7.00 with. About typical for a booking tool, and you get email and 1 TB of storage thrown in. But you can't buy Bookings alone, so it only makes sense if you want the suite. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree with a personal Google Account on web, Android and iPhone, with one appointment booking page thrown in. Most people will never pay. Extra booking pages, payments and automatic email reminders are the paid bits. | DNo free plan. There's a one-month trial of the Microsoft 365 business plans, but it needs a credit card and converts to a paid subscription. Eligible nonprofits do get Business Basic as a grant for up to 300 users. |
| Features | AShared, colour-coded calendars you can view together, a booking page, Google Meet links and files on events, and Google Tasks next to them. Workspace plans add Gemini scheduling from Gmail and Time Insights, though Time Insights only shows on a computer. | BPersonal and shared booking pages, services, staff, business hours, group bookings and a Teams link per appointment. Solid. But Microsoft's own FAQ says there's no payment support, SMS notifications are North America only, and reports cover just the past 120 days. |
| Ease of use | B4.5 from about 132,000 App Store ratings. If you have a Google Account there's nothing to set up. On Workspace plans, an event spotted in an email can be added with one click. | BIt lives inside Outlook and Teams, so there's nothing new to install if your office runs on them. Appointments can only be edited in the Bookings web portal, though, not from your Outlook calendar. No rating on record, so a B at best. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Android and iPhone, tied into Gmail, Google Meet, Google Tasks and Stripe for paid bookings. No desktop app is listed, so on a computer it lives in a browser tab. | BA web app that also runs inside Teams and Outlook, with an API. What it connects to is all Microsoft: Outlook, Teams and Exchange Online. If your calendar is Google's, it isn't for you. |
| Best for | a free calendar for anyone with a Google Account | booking pages when you already pay for Microsoft 365 |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Google Calendar and Microsoft Bookings. How we grade
Where they differ
- Google Calendar starts at $7 per user / month with a 1-year commitment (Workspace Business Starter). Microsoft Bookings starts at $5.40 per user / month, paid yearly (Business Basic without Teams; $7.00 with Teams).
- Google Calendar has a free plan. Microsoft Bookings does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Google Calendar lists iOS and Android apps.
- Google Calendar also covers tasks and calendar.
- Microsoft Bookings also covers reports.
At a glance
| Google Calendar | Microsoft Bookings | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $7 per user / month with a 1-year commitment (Workspace Business Starter) | $5.40 per user / month, paid yearly (Business Basic without Teams; $7.00 with Teams) |
| Free plan | Free with a personal Google Account on web, Android and iOS, including one appointment booking page. Extra booking pages, payments and automatic email reminders need a paid plan. | None |
| Free trial | 14-day Google Workspace trial for new customers, limited to 10 users; billing details required | One-month free trial of Microsoft 365 business plans; a credit card is required and it converts to a paid subscription |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Microsoft Corporation | |
| Price read from | knowledge.workspace.google.com | microsoft.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Google Calendar
- Anyone who already has a Google Account and wants a free calendar
- Organizations standardizing on Google Workspace for mail, files and meetings
- Taking bookings through a single free appointment page
Microsoft Bookings
- Organizations already paying for Microsoft 365 that need appointment booking
- Teams that hold customer appointments as Microsoft Teams meetings
- Internal booking pages limited to people inside the organization
Worth knowing
Google Calendar
- The paid version is only sold as part of Google Workspace, which also includes Gmail, Drive and Meet.
- Personal accounts and Business Starter get one booking page; extra schedules, payments and reminders need Business Standard or higher, or an eligible Google One plan.
- Time Insights and working hours and location are limited to work or school accounts, and Time Insights can only be viewed on a computer.
- No desktop app is listed; Google offers it on the web and as Android and iOS apps.
Microsoft Bookings
- Bookings is not available as a standalone app; it requires an eligible Microsoft 365 or Office 365 subscription with Outlook on the web enabled.
- Microsoft's FAQ states there is no payment support, so it cannot charge customers when they book.
- SMS notifications are limited to North America, and staff cannot be given their own time zones.
- Appointments can only be edited in the Bookings web portal, not from an Outlook calendar, and reports cover the past 120 days.
Key features
Google Calendar
- Appointment booking pages
- Publish a page where others pick a time on your calendar. Eligible paid plans allow several schedules, Stripe payments, email verification and up to 20 co-hosts.
- Shared and layered calendars
- Create calendars shared with a team or a whole organization, and view several calendars together, color-coded by category.
- Scheduling from Gmail with Gemini
- On Workspace plans, Gemini in Gmail can suggest meeting times and add events detected in an email with one click.
- Google Meet and attachments
- Events can carry a Google Meet video link and attached files, so the call and its documents open from the invitation.
- Time Insights and working location
- Work and school accounts can see how much time goes to meetings and who they meet most, and can share working hours and location.
- Tasks on the calendar
- Items from Google Tasks appear on the calendar next to events.
Microsoft Bookings
- Personal booking page
- Personal Bookings gives one person a page for their own time slots, with meeting types for different purposes. Anyone with the link sees the free times and books one.
- Shared booking pages for teams
- Shared Bookings covers a team: define services, add staff, set business hours and scheduling policies, and run several Bookings calendars, each with its own setup.
- Teams meetings for appointments
- An appointment booked as an online meeting gets a unique Microsoft Teams link sent to attendees. Bookings also runs as an app inside Teams and Outlook.
- Self-service booking and changes
- Customers book, reschedule or cancel on the page, which can be embedded in a website through an iFrame or restricted to accounts in your own organization.
- Email and SMS notifications
- Confirmation and reminder emails go to staff and customers with a calendar file attached. SMS text notifications are currently available in North America.
- Group bookings and staff assignment
- Several people can book the same slot, for example for a class. If customers are not allowed to pick a staff member, Bookings assigns an available one at random.
Plans
Google Calendar
Personal Google Account$0
Calendar for personal use with a single appointment booking page and no premium booking features.
Business Starter$7
per user / month, 1-year commitment ($8.40 flexible)
Google Workspace with 30 GB pooled storage per user. Calendar is still limited to one booking page.
Business Standard$14
per user / month, 1-year commitment ($16.80 flexible)
2 TB pooled storage per user, plus premium appointment schedules: multiple booking pages, payments and reminders.
Business Plus$22
per user / month, 1-year commitment ($26.40 flexible)
5 TB pooled storage per user, with the same premium appointment schedule features as Business Standard.
EnterpriseCustom
For organizations beyond the 300-user limit of the Business editions; priced through Google sales.
Microsoft Bookings
Business Basic (no Teams)$5.40
per user / month, paid yearly
Microsoft 365 with web and mobile Office apps, business email and 1 TB of storage per user. Bookings is included, Microsoft Teams is not.
Business Basic$7.00
per user / month, paid yearly
The same plan with Microsoft Teams, so Bookings appointments can be held as Teams meetings. For up to 300 users.
Business Standard with Copilot$23.50
per user / month, paid yearly
Adds desktop versions of the Office apps and Microsoft Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams. Bookings is included.
Business Premium with Copilot$32.00
per user / month, paid yearly
Adds device security and management, threat protection and data protection on top of Standard. Bookings is included.
Ways to pay less
Google Calendar
- Annual discount
Lower rate with a 1-year commitment
Business Starter costs $7 per user per month on the Annual/Fixed-Term Plan versus $8.40 on the Flexible Plan. Standard drops from $16.80 to $14 and Plus from $26.40 to $22.
- Nonprofit
Google Workspace for Nonprofits at $0
Verified nonprofits get Google Workspace for Nonprofits at $0 per user, or Business Standard at $3.50 and Business Plus at $6.16 per user per month on a 1-year commitment.
- Education
Education Fundamentals at no charge
Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals is available at no charge to qualifying institutions.
- By country
Lower price shown to buyers in India
On 9 October 2026 Google's Workspace pricing page showed Starter at ₹270 per user a month to a reader in India. Google's help page gives the US rate for Business Starter as $7, or $8.40 without a 1-year commitment.
Microsoft Bookings
- Nonprofit
Business Basic free for eligible nonprofits
Microsoft's nonprofit page lists Microsoft 365 Business Basic, which includes Bookings, as a grant that is free for up to 300 users, with nonprofit staff pricing on Standard and Premium.
