Cal.com is an open-source scheduling platform that makes organizing meetings effortless for businesses, teams, and professionals. It lets users create customizable booking links, connect multiple calendars, and integrate various video conferencing tools like Zoom and Google Meet. Popular among consultants and client-facing teams, Cal.com offers features like routing forms, automated workflows, recurring events, and team scheduling with round-robin distribution. Users can also accept payments and extend functionality through the platform's app store.

Cal.com makes its mark as an open-source scheduling solution, rivaling Calendly with its flexible meeting types and extensive customization. Businesses can streamline client bookings, internal team meetings (using round-robin or collective scheduling), and even create exclusive, hidden booking pages for premium clients. The robust integrations with calendars, video conferencing tools, and CRMs via webhooks add significant value.

Conversely, the self-hosted version presents a steep learning curve for those less technically inclined, particularly when setting up app integrations. The limitation of features like routing forms to the Enterprise license is also a drawback.

Overall, Cal.com offers a powerful, customizable scheduling platform. If you need granular control and open-source flexibility, and aren't afraid of potential setup complexities, Cal.com is for you.

Use Cal.com's "Secret meeting link" feature to create a premium, paid consultation offering with a longer duration and customized booking questions to qualify leads, then embed this link behind a paywall on your website. This allows you to offer exclusive access to higher-value services only to paying clients, effectively monetizing your time and filtering out less serious inquiries.