I work with team members spread across four different time zones and scheduling meetings has become a nightmare. We're constantly dealing with the "what time works for everyone?" back-and-forth emails.
I'm looking for meeting scheduling apps that can handle multiple time zones, show availability clearly, and integrate with popular calendar apps. Free options would be great, but I'm willing to pay if the tool actually solves the problem efficiently.
For coordinating across time zones, Calendly has been our go-to meeting scheduling app. The time zone detection works really well - when someone clicks your scheduling link, it automatically shows times in their local time zone.
We use the team version so people can see when any team member is available. The integration with Google Calendar is seamless, and you can set buffer times between meetings which has been a lifesaver for back-to-back calls.
I prefer SavvyCal over Calendly for meeting scheduling apps. It has this really nice overlay" feature where you can see your availability right in the email thread instead of sending people to a separate scheduling page.
For time zone handling, it shows both your time and the recipient's time side by side, which eliminates a lot of confusion. The free plan is pretty generous too - you get most of the core features without paying.
If you're looking for a completely free option, Doodle is still decent for basic scheduling needs. It's not as polished as some of the paid meeting scheduling apps, but it gets the job done for finding common availability.
The main limitation is that it doesn't integrate directly with calendars for automatic availability detection - people have to manually enter when they're available. But for occasional scheduling with external parties who might not want to create yet another account, it works fine.
For teams that use Microsoft 365, Microsoft Bookings is actually pretty good and it's included with most business plans. It integrates perfectly with Outlook calendars and handles time zones automatically.
What I like about it compared to other meeting scheduling apps is that it creates a professional booking page that matches your company branding. Clients seem to appreciate the polished experience, and it reduces the back-and-forth emails significantly.
Thanks everyone! I've been testing a few of these meeting scheduling apps and Calendly seems to be working well for our needs. The time zone handling is exactly what we needed - no more is that 2pm your time or my time?" confusion.
One tip I'd add: make sure to set your working hours correctly in whatever app you choose. I initially had mine set too broadly and was getting meeting requests for times I didn't actually want to work. Most of these meeting scheduling apps let you set different hours for different days, which is helpful.