Comparison

A free alternative to Cowlendar for Shopify booking

Cowlendar is a mature, highly-rated booking app (4.9 stars, 2,000+ reviews, Built for Shopify). If you need its deep feature set for rentals, group booking, or multi-day reservations, it's an excellent choice. If your need is simpler, appointments with calendar sync without paying for the basics, here's the difference.

Add to Shopify
SMS Reminder
Cowlendar
Free plan bookings
Unlimited
5 / month
Google Calendar sync (free)
Included
Not on free plan
SMS reminders
Optional paid
Paid
Deposits
Once live
Paid
Reviews / maturity
New
4.9, 2,000+, Built for Shopify
Starting paid price
$19/mo
$13.99/mo

Comparison compiled July 2026 from publicly available information. Cowlendar may have updated their plans, pricing, or features since. Please verify current details on their listing before deciding.

Where Cowlendar is strong
Breadth of booking types: rentals, multi-day, and group booking
Large review base and the Built for Shopify badge
An established support team
Where SMS Reminder wins
Unlimited bookings on the free plan, not capped at 5 a month
Two-way Google Calendar sync included free, not paywalled
Flat, predictable pricing by SMS volume, not scaled to your booking revenue

Who should pick which

Choose Cowlendar

If you run complex rental or event catalogs today and need multi-day, group, or reservation-style booking.

Choose SMS Reminder

If you want straightforward appointment booking with free calendar sync and room to add SMS reminders as you grow.

FAQ

Common questions

Is it really free? +

Yes. Unlimited bookings and two-way Google Calendar sync are free, forever. You only pay if you want SMS reminders or higher-volume features.

Do I need to code? +

No. Add the booking button to any page and set your availability.

Does it work on mobile? +

Yes, customers can book on desktop or mobile.

What do paid plans add? +

SMS reminders and confirmations, and higher monthly volumes with more synced calendars.

How does calendar sync work? +

Two-way: bookings appear on your Google Calendar, and times you block on your calendar become unavailable on the store.

Try the free tier for yourself