Microsoft Bookings vs Zoom Scheduler
We give Microsoft Bookings a 2.6 GPA and Zoom Scheduler a 3.2, out of 4.0. Zoom Scheduler grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Microsoft Bookings
Appointment booking pages included with Microsoft 365
Zoom Scheduler
Booking pages and meeting polls built into Zoom Workplace
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAMicrosoft BookingsGood | 3.2GPAZoom SchedulerVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | AThe paid licence is $4.99 a person a month on yearly billing, or $5.99 monthly, and that one price has round robin, routing forms and text reminders in it. Paid plans in this category start at about $6 in the middle. It's also thrown in with Zoom Workplace Business. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | BScheduler Basic costs nothing: one booking page, one calendar connection, unlimited meeting polls and a video link on every booking. One page and one calendar gets tight the moment you offer two kinds of meeting. |
| Features | 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. | BBooking pages, round robin, finding a time when several hosts are free, polls, routing forms, and email and text reminders. That's most of the job. But taking payment through Stripe only works in the US and UK, and iCloud calendars are still in beta. |
| Ease of use | 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. | BThere's no App Store rating on record for Scheduler by itself, so we stop at a B. It lives inside Zoom Workplace, so Zoom people aren't learning a new app: connect a calendar and share a link. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | BWeb, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, and it works with Google Calendar, Microsoft 365, Google Meet and Teams as well as Zoom. But Zoom's own technical library says the phone apps only do a limited set of read functions for Scheduler. |
| Best for | booking pages when you already pay for Microsoft 365 | booking links for people already on Zoom |
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: Microsoft Bookings and Zoom Scheduler. How we grade
Where they differ
- Microsoft Bookings starts at $5.40 per user / month, paid yearly (Business Basic without Teams; $7.00 with Teams). Zoom Scheduler starts at $4.99 per user / month, billed annually ($5.99 billed monthly).
- Zoom Scheduler has a free plan. Microsoft Bookings does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Zoom Scheduler lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Zoom Scheduler also covers workflow automation.
At a glance
| Microsoft Bookings | Zoom Scheduler | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $5.40 per user / month, paid yearly (Business Basic without Teams; $7.00 with Teams) | $4.99 per user / month, billed annually ($5.99 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | Scheduler Basic: one personal booking page, one calendar connection, unlimited meeting polls, one-off booking links, automatic confirmations and video links on every booking. |
| Free trial | One-month free trial of Microsoft 365 business plans; a credit card is required and it converts to a paid subscription | 14-day free trial of the paid Scheduler license |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Microsoft Corporation | Zoom Communications, Inc. |
| Price read from | microsoft.com | zoom.us |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
Zoom Scheduler
- Teams already on Zoom Workplace Business, where Scheduler is included
- Individuals who want one free booking page with Zoom links
- Sales and recruiting teams that need round-robin or panel scheduling
Worth knowing
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.
Zoom Scheduler
- The free Scheduler Basic plan covers one booking page and one calendar connection; round robin, SMS reminders and removing Zoom branding need the paid license.
- Collecting payment through Stripe is available in the US and UK only.
- Zoom's technical library says the iOS and Android apps currently support only a limited set of read functions for Scheduler.
- Zoom's pricing FAQ says Scheduler data is currently stored in the US.
Key features
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.
Zoom Scheduler
- Booking pages
- Share a link for one-on-one meetings or let several attendees book the same slot. Pages take a custom URL, brand colors and a logo, and can be embedded in a website.
- Collective and round-robin scheduling
- Collective scheduling finds a time when several hosts are all free; round robin sends each booking to the next available team member. Both are part of the paid license.
- Scheduling polls
- Propose several times, let invitees vote, and book the slot most people prefer. Meeting polls are unlimited on the free Scheduler Basic plan.
- Calendar connections
- Connect a primary calendar and up to five more to block conflicts and receive new bookings. Google Calendar, Microsoft 365 and Zoom Calendar are supported; iCloud is in beta.
- Reminders and follow-ups
- Attendees get a confirmation when they book. The paid license adds customizable email and SMS reminders and follow-up messages before and after a meeting.
- Routing forms and payments
- Booking form questions can qualify leads and route them to the right person or page. Stripe payments at booking are offered in the US and UK only.
Plans
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.
Zoom Scheduler
Scheduler Basic$0
One personal booking page, one calendar connection, unlimited meeting polls, one-off booking links and automatic confirmations.
Scheduler$4.99
per user / month, billed annually ($5.99 billed monthly)
Unlimited booking pages, round-robin and group meetings, up to 6 calendars, email and SMS reminders, routing forms, analytics and no Zoom branding.
Workplace Business$219.90
per user / year ($21.99 per user billed monthly)
Zoom Workplace bundle that includes every Scheduler feature, plus 300-participant meetings, chat, whiteboards, AI note-taking and 10 GB of cloud storage.
Ways to pay less
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.
Zoom Scheduler
- Annual discount
Save up to 16% with annual billing
Zoom's Scheduler pricing page lists a saving of up to 16% on annual billing: $59.90 per user for the year, against $5.99 a month.
