Step-by-Step Guide: Migrating from Calendly to Cal.com

If you’re tired of Calendly’s per-seat pricing and limited free plan, you’re not alone. Many teams and individuals are switching to Cal.com because it’s free (yes, $0 for unlimited event types and team members) and open-source. You keep your data, you can self-host, and you get features like routing and workflows that Calendly locks behind $16+/month plans.

This guide walks you through the entire migration—from backing up your Calendly data to verifying everything works in Cal.com. I’ll also cover the gotchas that can trip you up.

Why Cal.com?

• Pricing: Cal.com’s core product is free. No per-seat nonsense. You pay only for extras like SMS notifications or premium support.
• Open source: You can host it yourself or use their cloud. Either way, your data isn’t locked in.
• Features: Unlimited event types, team scheduling, round-robin, collective events, and API access—all free.
• Self-hosted option: For privacy-conscious teams, you can run Cal.com on your own server.

Calendly’s free plan gives you one event type and basic integrations. To get routing or workflows, you need at least the $16/month Teams plan. With Cal.com, you get those out of the box for free.

What to Back Up / Export First

Before you touch anything, export your Calendly data. Here’s what you need:

1. Event types: Calendly doesn’t offer a bulk export. You’ll have to manually copy settings for each event type (duration, location, questions, etc.). Screenshot or note the configurations.
2. Scheduled events: Go to Calendly → Reports → Export to CSV. This gives you a list of past and upcoming meetings with attendee emails, times, and locations. You’ll need to re-import these into your calendar or Cal.com manually.
3. Calendar connections: Note which calendars (Google, Outlook, etc.) you have connected. Calendly doesn’t export this; you’ll reconnect in Cal.com.
4. Workflows and automations: If you have reminder emails or follow-ups, copy the templates and trigger rules. Calendly won’t export them.
5. Team members: If you’re on a team plan, note each member’s email and their event types. You’ll re-invite them in Cal.com.

Pro tip: Use a tool like Screenshot or a simple document to capture all your event type settings. You’ll thank me later.

Migration Steps

1. Set Up Your Cal.com Account

Go to Cal.com and sign up. Choose the free Cloud plan—no credit card required. If you want to self-host, follow their self-hosting docs, but for most people, the cloud version is fine.

2. Connect Your Calendars

In Cal.com, go to Settings → Calendars. Connect the same calendars you used in Calendly (Google, Outlook, etc.). This is crucial for availability and conflict detection.

3. Recreate Your Event Types

Calendly event types don’t import directly. You’ll need to rebuild them in Cal.com:

• Click Event Types → New Event Type.
• Set the duration, location (Zoom, Google Meet, etc.), and description.
• Add custom questions if you had them (Calendly’s “questions” = Cal.com’s “custom fields”).
• Configure availability. Cal.com uses a separate Availability page where you set weekly hours. You can create multiple schedules (e.g., one for meetings, one for phone calls).

Key difference: Cal.com separates event types from availability. In Calendly, each event type had its own availability. In Cal.com, you assign an availability schedule to an event type. This is more flexible once you get used to it.

4. Set Up Routing and Workflows

If you used Calendly’s routing forms (e.g., “Book with Sales or Support”), you can replicate this in Cal.com using Routing Forms (available for free). Go to Routing Forms → Create new. Define questions and assign team members based on answers.

For workflows (reminders, follow-ups), go to Workflows in Cal.com. You can create triggers like “Before event” or “After event” and send email or SMS reminders. Cal.com’s free tier includes basic email reminders; SMS costs extra.

5. Invite Your Team

In Calendly, you paid per seat. In Cal.com, team members are free. Go to Teams → Manage Team → Invite Members. They’ll get an email to join. Once they accept, you can assign them to event types or routing forms.

6. Update Your Booking Links

Calendly gave you calendly.com/yourname. Cal.com gives you cal.com/yourname. Update your website, email signature, social media, and any tools (like Stripe or Zoom) that point to your old link.

7. Migrate Existing Events (Optional)

If you have upcoming meetings that were booked via Calendly, you have two options:

• Leave them in Calendly: Keep your Calendly account active until those meetings pass. Just don’t accept new bookings.
• Recreate them in Cal.com: Export the CSV from Calendly, then manually create the events in your calendar and mark them as “booked” in Cal.com (you can create a dummy event type to hold them). This is tedious but gives you a clean break.

I recommend the first option—let existing meetings ride out in Calendly, then delete your account after the last meeting.

Common Gotchas

1. Availability Schedules

Calendly users often set availability per event type. Cal.com expects you to create a single Availability Schedule (e.g., “9-5 weekdays”) and reuse it. If you need different hours for different event types, create multiple schedules and assign them. Don’t forget to set timezone properly.

2. Location Settings

Calendly automatically creates Zoom/Meet links. In Cal.com, you need to connect your video provider (Zoom, Google Meet, etc.) in Settings → Apps and then select that app in the event type. If you don’t connect it, Cal.com will show “No location” or ask you to add a custom link.

3. Custom Questions

Calendly had “questions” that you could mark as required or optional. Cal.com calls them Custom Fields. They work similarly, but you add them in the event type editor under “Custom Fields.” Don’t miss this—your attendees expect to fill out the same info.

4. Workflow Triggers

Calendly’s workflows are triggered by event type. Cal.com’s workflows are global by default but can be scoped to specific event types. Make sure you set the trigger correctly, or you’ll send reminders for every event type.

5. Team Round-Robin

If you used Calendly’s round-robin, recreate it in Cal.com by creating a Team Event Type and setting the assignment logic to “Round Robin.” Make sure all team members have their calendars connected and availability set.

Post-Migration Checklist

• Test booking: Book a test meeting with yourself or a colleague. Verify the confirmation email and calendar invite look right.
• Check workflows: Did the reminder email fire? If not, check workflow triggers.
• Update all links: Replace calendly.com/... with cal.com/... everywhere.
• Notify your team: Tell them the new booking link and how to use Cal.com.
• Cancel Calendly subscription: After all pending meetings are done, go to Calendly → Account → Cancel. You can keep the free account for reference, but delete it if you want to fully cut ties.
• Export any remaining data: If you haven’t already, grab that CSV export before you lose access.

Comparison and Alternatives

Want to see how Cal.com stacks up against Calendly feature-by-feature? Check out our Calendly vs Cal.com comparison.

If Cal.com isn’t right for you, there are other great options. Explore the full list of Calendly alternatives including SavvyCal, TidyCal, and Google Appointment Scheduling.

FAQ

Q: Is Cal.com really free? A: Yes. The cloud version is free for unlimited event types, team members, and basic features. You only pay for add-ons like SMS or priority support. No per-seat fees.

Q: Can I import my Calendly events directly? A: No, there’s no direct import tool. You’ll need to manually recreate event types and export scheduled events as CSV to re-import into your calendar.

Q: Will my existing Calendly links redirect? A: No. You must update all links manually. Calendly doesn’t offer redirects.

Q: Can I self-host Cal.com? A: Yes, it’s open-source. You can deploy it on your own server using Docker or a VPS. The cloud version is easier for most people.

Q: What happens to my Calendly account after I cancel? A: You lose access to your booking pages and data. Download your reports and CSV exports before canceling.

Q: Does Cal.com have a mobile app? A: Yes, Cal.com has mobile apps for iOS and Android, but they are more limited than the web version. You can still manage events and availability.

Q: How long does migration take? A: For a single user with a few event types, about 30 minutes. For a team with complex routing, expect 1–2 hours.