Xola vs Calendly

Eventbrite

Booqable

Hostaway

Eventbrite is a global ticketing and event technology platform that provides creators of events with tools and resources to seamlessly plan, promote, and produce live experiences. Eventbrite is a ticketing and event technology platform that helps businesses organize and sell tickets to events online while helping people discover events that fuel passions. From workshops to concerts to conferences to film and music festivals, Eventbrite houses events of all shapes and sizes.

Booqable is equipment rental software for small and medium-sized businesses. It enables companies from various industries to manage inventory, schedule equipment, and accept online bookings.

Trusted by 20,000+ property managers worldwide, Hostaway is the industry leading, AI-powered vacation rental management platform designed for professional short-term rental operators.

XOLA is a booking, marketing, and distribution platform that powers tour operators, activity providers, and other businesses offering lifestyle experiences. For businesses with 1000+ yearly guests.

Access Controls/Permissions

Activities Booking

Activity Dashboard

Alerts/Notifications

Attendance Management

Availability Management

Barcode/Ticket Scanning

Booking Management

Booking Notes

Calendar Management

Calendar Sync

Central Reservation System

Channel Management

Client Management

Communication Management

Confirmations/Reminders

Credit Card Processing

Customer Database

Customer Data Management

Customer History

Customer Support

Customizable Branding

Customizable Reports

Customizable Templates

Data Import/Export

Discount Management

Dynamic Pricing

Email Marketing

Email Templates

Employee Management

Event Management

GDS/OTA Integration

Group Reservations

Inventory Management

Kiosk Ticketing

Mobile Access

Mobile Ticketing

Multi-Currency

Multi-Location

Online Booking

Online Payments

Onsite Ticketing

Package Creation

Payment Processing

Point of Sale (POS)

Pricing Management

Promotions Management

Quotes/Estimates

Rate Management

Real-Time Updates

Reminders

Reporting/Analytics

Reporting & Statistics

Reservations Management

Resource Management

Room Booking

SMS Messaging

Third Party Booking

Third-Party Integrations

Ticket Reservations

Vendor Management

Waiver Management

Website Integration

Website Management

Some reviewers feel Xola offers good value for money due to its flat pricing and transparent fees, but some users report it can be expensive for smaller businesses and express concerns about recent price increases and unused features.

Value for money

By industry, Xola reviewers are most commonly professionals in entertainment (28%). The most frequent use case for Xola cited by reviewers is reservations (76% of reviewers).

Xola

Web-based

Windows

Android

iPhone

Linux

iPad

FareHarbor

Peek Pro

Bókun

Checkfront

TrekkSoft

Frequent bugs and glitches

80% of reviewers feel negative about Bugs and Issues. Reviewers report encountering frequent glitches and bugs that disrupt daily operations, such as problems with seat counts, inventory, and mobile app functionality. Users say these technical issues can be persistent and sometimes take a long time to resolve, causing frustration and inefficiency. Some reviewers feel that updates occasionally introduce new problems, and they express concern over slow response times for fixes. They indicate that these ongoing bugs negatively impact their workflow and reliability, making it difficult to fully trust the system for critical business tasks.

Clean, intuitive user experience

100% of reviewers feel positive about the User Interface. Reviewers indicate the interface is consistently clean, visually appealing, and easy to navigate for both staff and customers. They appreciate how the streamlined design simplifies daily operations and enhances the checkout process. Users say the intuitive layout minimizes confusion and allows for quick onboarding of new team members. Many mention that the polished look and seamless transitions contribute to a professional impression for clients. Some reviewers feel the backend is just as user-friendly as the customer-facing side, making management tasks straightforward.

Responsive 24/7 chat assistance

98% of reviewers feel positive about Chat Support. Reviewers appreciate having access to immediate, knowledgeable help through the chat feature at any hour, which they say is crucial for resolving urgent issues and answering questions quickly. Users think the chat support is both friendly and efficient, often resolving problems on the spot or escalating them when necessary. They value being able to multitask while chatting and note that the support team is consistently available, reducing downtime and frustration. Some reviewers find the chat function especially helpful for learning new features or troubleshooting complex scenarios.

Ghost Tour Guide

Xola application is easy to use every time, often daily, I use the Xola application on my Android cell phone.

Even a well-oiled machine has a few squeaks:

Marketing Manager CRM

Limited connections to other tools, making it harder to sync calls with appointments

HR Manager

It makes online booking easy and has great calendar management features

owner

Right from the outset of our meeting, [sensitive content hidden]  declined to provide the demo version, despite previously indicating via email that we were well-suited.

Tours and calendars were easy to setup in a new platform.

Spa manager

Love the need  updates and the easy access to customer  service

I can only imagine the challenges of working with this customer service representative.

Owner

The calendar display for my customers is not as user friendly as some of the other programs I have seen.

Office Administrator

People don't like to give their CVV once the card is swiped so we end up using our cc terminal instead. If we could keep all the captured payments in Xola and only Xola, that would be great but reconciling the credit card terminal isn't too complicated.

Director of Operations 

Any transfer of funds are labelled "refunds" and look like money is being returned to the customer, even when it isn't.

I also wish they had a text messaging system to notify us via text when it comes to bookings and reminders.  

Supervisor

There is not an easy way to change minimum booking quantity without changing the product listing itself - it would be nice to have a quick override for this.

Manager

I often times have to cancel the booking and rebook, which makes any refunds more complicated down the road.

Lack of POS integration, our business is moving to sell more onsite with our guests, pre gratuity is huge in our space and XOLA lacks features for pre gratuity except to do an ADD on which auto charges taxes and the booking fee on gratuity.

It has some great integrations, great text, email reminders for our guests and xola has invested in a lot of great improvements over the past 2 years that made our business better.

Experience Coordinator

Intuitive software that allows for admin users to build events.

I really appreciate how easily you can customize and set specific details of listings.

It would also be helpful if you could filter it via cancellations, etc.

Business Manager

We've been able to streamline our system with XOLA, eliminating wasted time, making the system easy for season staff to run the back office without a ton of training.

Great, we've been using it for a few years and now we're roughly 50% online sales/50 over-the-phone sales.

It can be a little confusing, and their video tutorials are not easy to navigate.  

Director Of Operations

Basic things like black lisiting customers & cards.

Multi day booking feature is a little rough .

Calendar features are sometimes a little clunky to use and not quite as easy to implement.  

I know it well and if I don't I have customer service right at my finger tips.

What else?? When I don't understand something immediately, there are CS agents always at hand via chat.

Owner 

Co owner 

I had use this product when I was an employee of another company. When I started my own company, I searched at other booking solutions and none of them compared to Xola.

Hotel Director

The software has all the features you need to accept online bookings, as well marketing tools.

Interior Designer

It was great as a kayak guide with appointment booking.

I like how easy it makes our booking process for customers.  

General Manager

You can easily adjust bookings, search guests, and see how your business is doing at a glance!

It's very customizable, very easy to use, and I've always had such quick replies from their customer service team.

Director, co-owner

The customer support is incredible and instant.

I have had only  excellent and rapid responses to any question I have about the product.

I thought this was a great option so I signed up for it. But as I was toying around with it, I realized that it was so super-easy that I actually had done the set-up.

Booking assistant 

User friendly with minimum questions from clients.

I would like to see the ability to schedule staff when they aren't with a group though.

VP of Operations

Xola Kiosk is only available for admin use which is a big security risk.

Solid, very well thought out, very few issues and outstanding support.

Founder

The customer service was and is absolutely fantastic.

It's easy to train people on the software.

Simple and clean, very customer friendly, easy to make changes

Can't use for brick and mortar AND mobile.

Booking Process

Scheduling

Among reviewers who comment on Xola's scheduling, 86% feel positive. Users say Xola streamlines tour bookings, improves preparation, and increases visitor numbers. They appreciate customizable scheduling and automated reminders. However, they report calendar clutter, difficulty managing multiple departures, and occasional system outages during busy periods.

Ease of Use

Email Notifications

Refunds and Cancellations

Customization Options

Small Business

Mid-size Business

Large Enterprises

Freelancers

Some reviewers feel Xola offers good value for money, citing its flat monthly pricing, reasonable booking fees, and competitive service charges as beneficial, especially for businesses with higher booking volumes. Users think the clear cost structure and included features justify the price, and they appreciate flexible terms and transparent fees. However, some users report that Xola is more expensive than alternatives, especially for smaller businesses or those requiring advanced features, which may require upgrading to higher-priced plans. Reviewers indicate concerns about recent price increases and the cost of unused functionalities included in certain packages.

Google Calendar

Google Calendar is an online calendar solution that enables users to manage business and personal schedules. The platform offers calendar migration options, allowing users to integrate existing calendars, including those from Microsoft and IBM. Google provides comprehensive tools and resources to facilitate data migrations into the Google Workspace ecosystem.

Doctoralia for Specialists

Doctoralia Pro provides solutions to manage communication between health centers and patients. It is designed for any type of clinic: therapeutic, pediatric, ophthalmology, dental, fertility, or respiratory. It helps to optimize time and increase revenue.

Goldie

Goldie is a comprehensive software designed for salon and beauty professionals. The platform offers appointment scheduling, automated client reminders, and integrated payment processing capabilities to help reduce no-shows and streamline business operations. Beauty professionals can manage their calendars, create branded online booking websites, and track business performance through detailed reports.

Calendly simplifies appointment scheduling by automating availability, reminders, and follow-ups—so you can book time with clients, leads, or candidates faster and with fewer no-shows. Ideal for solo professionals, teams, and growing businesses.

Xola vs Calendly Comparison (2026)

Xola

Calendly

Overview

Video & Screenshots

Pricing

User reviews

Key features

Integrations

Alternatives