Acuity Scheduling vs ResDiary

Quick Verdict

Acuity Scheduling is the stronger choice for general service-based small businesses — think personal trainers, therapists, dog groomers, and tradespeople — who need a flexible, affordable booking system from just £16 per month. ResDiary is purpose-built for hospitality venues such as restaurants, bars, and cafés, offering specialist table management tools that justify its higher price point. If you run a restaurant, choose ResDiary; for almost everything else, Acuity Scheduling is likely the better fit.

Key Differences

The most fundamental difference is audience. Acuity Scheduling is a general-purpose appointment booking platform suited to a broad range of UK service businesses, whereas ResDiary is a dedicated restaurant reservation and table management system. ResDiary charges a flat monthly fee with no per-cover commissions — a significant advantage over rivals like OpenTable — but its pricing starts from around £69 per month, making it a considerably larger investment. Acuity Scheduling starts from £16 per month, making it far more accessible for sole traders and micro-businesses. It is also worth noting that ResDiary lists its pricing in USD rather than GBP, which can make budgeting slightly less straightforward for UK business owners.

Features

Acuity Scheduling offers automated online booking, client self-scheduling, customisable booking pages, and integrated payment processing — all of which help reduce administrative workload significantly. Automated reminders actively cut down no-shows, and the comprehensive client management tools are useful for building lasting customer relationships. The platform is accessible via both web and mobile apps. However, some of its more advanced features are restricted to higher pricing tiers, and it offers limited direct support for Making Tax Digital (MTD) compliance, so you will likely need a separate accounting package such as QuickBooks or FreeAgent alongside it.

ResDiary shines in its hospitality-specific feature set, including real-time table management, automated booking confirmations, deposit and prepayment tools to reduce no-shows, and a customisable booking widget for your venue's website. Crucially, it includes GDPR-friendly guest data management tools — an important consideration for UK businesses handling customer information under UK data protection law. It works across web, iOS, and Android. On the downside, advanced features are locked behind higher-priced tiers, native UK bank integrations are reportedly limited, and customer support response times can be inconsistent.

Pricing

Acuity Scheduling starts from approximately £16 per month for its entry-level plan, scaling upward depending on the number of calendars and features required. This makes it genuinely accessible for freelancers and small business owners operating on tight margins.

ResDiary starts from approximately £69 per month (noting that pricing is displayed in USD, so the precise GBP equivalent will vary with exchange rates). While this is a larger outlay, the flat-fee model with no per-cover commissions means it can represent excellent long-term value for busy restaurants and venues processing high volumes of reservations.

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Acuity Scheduling if you run a service-based small business — such as a hair salon, consultancy, fitness studio, or any trade requiring appointments — and need an affordable, easy-to-use booking solution that integrates payments and reduces no-shows without breaking the budget.

Choose ResDiary if you operate a restaurant, bar, pub, or hospitality venue in the UK and need a specialist platform with table management, prepayment tools, and GDPR-compliant guest data handling. The higher monthly cost is well justified for venues where efficient reservation management directly impacts revenue.

For the majority of UK small businesses outside hospitality, Acuity Scheduling offers the better balance of functionality and affordability. Hospitality operators, however, will find ResDiary's sector-specific tools well worth the investment.