In the world of productivity tools, Calendly has long been the go-to solution for scheduling meetings and sharing availability. It’s simple, effective, and widely used. But as someone who’s always looking for ways to streamline my workflow and reduce the number of apps I use, I recently made the switch to Notion Calendar for managing my availability. Here’s why I made the change and how it’s been working out for me.
The Problem with Calendly
Don’t get me wrong—Calendly is a great tool. It eliminates the back-and-forth of scheduling, integrates with Google Calendar, and lets you set up custom meeting types. But over time, I started to notice a few pain points:
- It’s Yet Another App: Calendly is a standalone tool, which means I had to manage it separately from my other productivity systems. For someone who loves consolidation, this felt like unnecessary fragmentation.
- Limited Customization: While Calendly is user-friendly, it doesn’t offer much flexibility in terms of design or integration with other tools. I wanted something that felt more cohesive with my existing setup.
- Cost: Calendly’s free plan is limited, and as my scheduling needs grew, I found myself needing features that required a paid subscription. I started wondering if there was a more cost-effective solution.
Enter Notion Calendar
Notion Calendar (formerly Cron) is a sleek, minimalist scheduling tool that integrates seamlessly with Notion and Google Calendar. Here’s why it’s become my preferred choice for sharing availability:
1. Deep Integration with Notion
If you’re already a Notion user, Notion Calendar feels like a natural extension of your workspace. It syncs effortlessly with your Notion databases, allowing you to manage tasks, events, and schedules in one place. For example, I can link a meeting to a specific project page in Notion, making it easy to keep everything organized.
2. Clean and Intuitive Interface
Notion Calendar’s design is clean and distraction-free. It feels like a native part of Google Calendar, but with added functionality. Sharing availability is as simple as creating an event and sending a link—no complicated setup required.
3. Customizable Availability
Like Calendly, Notion Calendar lets you set specific time slots for meetings. But what I love is how it integrates with my existing Google Calendar events. If I have a busy day, Notion Calendar automatically blocks off those times, so I don’t have to manually update my availability.
4. No Extra Cost
Notion Calendar is free to use, which is a huge win for me. It offers all the features I need without requiring a subscription. For someone who’s already paying for Notion’s premium plan, this feels like a bonus.
5. Seamless Collaboration
If you work with a team, Notion Calendar makes it easy to coordinate schedules. You can see your team members’ availability and find overlapping free times, all within the same interface. This has been a game-changer for scheduling group meetings.
How I Use Notion Calendar for Sharing Availability
Here’s my step-by-step process for using Notion Calendar to share my availability:
- Sync Your Calendars: Connect Notion Calendar to your Google Calendar and Notion workspace. This ensures that all your events and tasks are in sync.
- Create an Event: Set up a new event in Notion Calendar and define the duration (e.g., 30-minute meetings).
- Share Your Availability: Instead of sending multiple time options, simply share a link to your Notion Calendar. The recipient can see your available slots and book a time that works for them.
- Automate Follow-Ups: Notion Calendar sends automatic reminders and updates, so you don’t have to worry about no-shows or last-minute cancellations.
- Integrate with Notion: After the meeting is scheduled, I link it to a relevant Notion page or database. This keeps all my project-related information in one place.
Steps to Integrate it
The Verdict
Switching from Calendly to Notion Calendar has been a breath of fresh air. It’s streamlined my scheduling process, reduced my reliance on multiple apps, and integrated seamlessly with my existing workflow. If you’re a Notion user or someone who values simplicity and consolidation, I highly recommend giving Notion Calendar a try.
Of course, it’s not perfect—Notion Calendar is still relatively new, and it may lack some of the advanced features that Calendly offers. But for my needs, it’s been a game-changer. Plus, the fact that it’s free is just the cherry on top.