Nextro vs Acuity Scheduling
Acuity Scheduling (part of Squarespace) is a flexible, general-purpose appointment tool used by consultants, healthcare practitioners, tutors, photographers, and many others. Nextro is a more specialised tool: built for UK service businesses, it enforces full upfront payment on every booking and handles automatic scheduling — without the broad integrations and customisation complexity of Acuity.
Nextro
Nextro is a UK-based booking and payment platform at £29/month flat. It takes full card payment via Stripe at the time of booking, automatically schedules appointments as availability opens, and supports prepaid credit packs and 24-hour email reminders. It is designed for independent service operators and does not include general-purpose integrations or highly customisable intake forms.
Acuity Scheduling
Acuity Scheduling is a Squarespace product offering general-purpose appointment scheduling. UK pricing starts at approximately £13–£40/month depending on the plan. It supports multiple staff calendars, customisable intake forms, and integrates with Stripe, PayPal, and Square for payments — though payment is optional rather than enforced. It connects to a wide range of third-party tools via Zapier, and works across many different business types.
Key differences
Upfront payment enforcement
In Nextro, every booking requires full payment via Stripe — there is no option to book without paying. Acuity supports payment integration with Stripe, PayPal, and Square, but whether payment is required is configurable. Many businesses using Acuity still offer free booking with pay-at-appointment, which does not eliminate no-show risk.
Automatic scheduling vs manual availability
Nextro automatically makes appointment slots available on a rolling basis — you set your working hours once and the system fills your calendar forward without ongoing manual input. Acuity requires you to manage your own availability: opening up days, blocking time, and maintaining your calendar manually. This works well for businesses that need fine-grained control, but adds ongoing admin work.
General-purpose vs service-business focus
Acuity is used by an extremely wide range of businesses — from therapists and yoga studios to lawyers and dog trainers. Its feature set reflects that breadth: highly customisable forms, multiple calendar views, and many integration options. Nextro is narrower — it focuses specifically on independent UK service businesses like personal trainers, beauty professionals, and therapists.
Integrations and flexibility
Acuity connects to Zoom for video appointments, Zapier for workflow automation, and dozens of other tools. It is flexible and extensible. Nextro does not have an integration ecosystem — it is a focused product that does a smaller number of things without requiring external tools.
Credit packs for prepaid sessions
Nextro supports prepaid credit packs — clients pay for a bundle of sessions upfront, which are redeemed one by one. Acuity has a packages feature that works similarly, allowing clients to purchase a set of appointments in advance. Both platforms address this use case, though the implementation differs.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Nextro | Acuity Scheduling |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly subscription | £29/month flat | ~£13–£40/month (USD pricing converted) |
| Commission on bookings | None | None (processing fees apply) |
| Upfront payment enforced on all bookings | Configurable — not enforced by default | |
| Booking credit packs / prepaid packages | Packages feature available | |
| Automatic forward-scheduling | ||
| 24-hour appointment reminders | Email + SMS (paid plans) | |
| Multi-staff / multiple calendars | ||
| Customisable intake forms | ||
| Zoom / video call integration | ||
| Zapier integration | ||
| UK-focused product | ||
| Part of a larger platform (Squarespace) |
Nextro may be a better fit if…
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Common questions
Common questions
Answers about booking, payments, and getting started with Nextro.
Is Acuity Scheduling free?
Acuity Scheduling does not have a permanent free plan. Squarespace offers a free trial, and then pricing starts at approximately $16/month USD (roughly £13/month) for the basic Emerging plan. The higher tiers, which include multi-staff support and more automation features, cost up to $49/month USD. Nextro is a flat £29/month in GBP.
Can Acuity Scheduling take upfront payment?
Yes, Acuity integrates with Stripe, PayPal, and Square and can be configured to require payment at the time of booking. However, payment collection is optional and configurable — it is not the default. Nextro enforces full payment on every booking with no way to bypass it, which is the distinction that matters for businesses trying to eliminate no-shows completely.
Does Acuity work for UK businesses?
Acuity is a Squarespace product (US-based) and is available globally. UK businesses use it, but the pricing is in USD, and the product is not designed specifically for UK operators. Nextro is built for the UK market: GBP pricing, UK Stripe configuration, and features shaped around how UK independent service businesses work.
What does Acuity have that Nextro does not?
Acuity has several features Nextro does not: customisable client intake forms, Zoom integration for virtual appointments, Zapier automation, multiple staff calendars, and a broad range of third-party integrations. If your booking flow involves video calls, custom intake questions, or connections to other software tools, Acuity is the more capable option.
Is Acuity or Nextro better for a personal trainer?
Nextro is purpose-built for independent service operators like personal trainers — it takes upfront payment, auto-fills your calendar, and supports session credit packs for clients who train regularly. Acuity can be configured to do similar things but requires more setup. If you want a tool that works without much configuration and enforces payment by default, Nextro is the more direct fit.