alf vs easyappointments

Alf.io is a free, open-source event ticketing platform documented with deployment guides for OpenShift, Heroku, and Cloud Foundry, aimed at organizations that…

Best for alf: Organizations selling tickets to events who want a free, open-source ticketing platform they can self-host on OpenShift, Heroku, or Cloud Foundry.
Best for easyappointments: Businesses running a WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal site that need built-in appointment booking, with an optional premium tier for customized development.

At a Glance

 alfeasyappointments
Primary categorySchedulingScheduling
RatingNot documentedNot documented
Pricing modelFree (open source)Free / Open Source
Starting priceFreeFree
Free planNot documentedNot documented
Free trialNot documentedNot documented
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb
Team collaborationNot documentedNot documented
AI featuresNot documentedNot documented
Public APIYesYes

Key Differences

Core Use Case

alf: Alf.io is documented as an open-source, self-hostable event ticketing platform.

easyappointments: Easy!Appointments is a scheduling tool for booking appointments, with direct integrations into CMS platforms.

Ticketing and appointment scheduling are different workflows with different data models (tickets/events vs. bookable time windows).

Deployment Options

alf: Alf.io documents deployment guides for OpenShift, Heroku, and Cloud Foundry.

easyappointments: Easy!Appointments' deployment method is not documented beyond its CMS integrations.

Documented deployment guides reduce setup friction for teams choosing where to host the software.

CMS Integration

alf: Alf.io does not document direct CMS integrations.

easyappointments: Easy!Appointments integrates directly with WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal, not just as a standalone widget.

Direct CMS integration lets a business add booking to an existing site without a separate portal.

Pricing Model

alf: Alf.io's pricing model is Free / Open Source, with no pricing plans documented.

easyappointments: Easy!Appointments is freemium, with a paid premium tier for customized development beyond the open-source core.

A documented paid tier signals an upgrade path for teams that outgrow the free/open-source core.

Track Record

alf: Alf.io's founding year is not documented in available facts.

easyappointments: Easy!Appointments is documented as actively developed since 2014, a long track record.

A long, documented development history signals ongoing maintenance and stability.

Feature-by-Feature

Core Purpose

Featurealfeasyappointments
Event ticketingAvailableNot documented
Appointment/booking schedulingNot documentedAvailable
CMS website integrationNot documentedAvailable

Deployment & Customization

Featurealfeasyappointments
Documented cloud deployment guidesAvailableNot documented
Premium customization/development tierNot documentedAvailable
Open-source coreAvailableNot documented

Pricing & Track Record

Featurealfeasyappointments
Free to useAvailableNot documented
Paid tier availableNot documentedAvailable
Long-term development track record documentedNot documentedAvailable

Pricing Compared

Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.

alf

No individual plan breakdown documented yet.

easyappointments

Self-Hosted (Open Source) — Free N/A
Premium Services — Custom quote One-time or contract

Pros & Cons

alf

Pros

  • No platform or per-ticket fees since it's self-hosted
  • Strong privacy and security defaults
  • Choice of multiple payment providers
  • Active open-source community and sponsor support

Cons

  • Requires technical setup and hosting knowledge to self-manage
  • No official vendor support unless using a third-party managed host like Swicket
  • Smaller feature/plugin ecosystem than large commercial ticketing platforms

easyappointments

Pros

  • Completely free with no licensing fees, seat limits, or commission on bookings
  • Full data ownership since everything runs on the business's own server
  • Open-source codebase can be customized and extended without vendor restrictions
  • Actively maintained with a large community and translations into 20+ languages

Cons

  • Requires the business or its IT team to handle hosting, backups, and security updates
  • No official vendor-run cloud version with a guaranteed uptime commitment
  • Initial setup requires familiarity with PHP, MySQL, and web server configuration
  • Fewer built-in marketing and payment features compared to polished commercial SaaS competitors

Use Cases

Choose alf: Organizations selling tickets to events who want a free, open-source ticketing platform they can self-host on OpenShift, Heroku, or Cloud Foundry.
Choose easyappointments: Businesses running a WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal site that need built-in appointment booking, with an optional premium tier for customized development.
Need both: A venue or organization could use Easy!Appointments to schedule staff consultations or venue walkthroughs on its WordPress site, while using Alf.io separately to sell tickets for events held at that venue — plausible since ticketing and appointment scheduling are genuinely different workflows.

alf

  • Self-hosted conference ticketing — Sell and manage tickets for conferences or meetups without platform fees.
  • Offline venue check-in — Use Raspberry Pi kiosks to check in attendees at venues without reliable internet.

easyappointments

  • Independent service providers — Hairdressers, tutors, consultants, and therapists use it to run a professional online booking page without paying a monthly subscription.
  • Clinics with strict data requirements — Medical and dental practices self-host the system to keep patient appointment data on infrastructure they fully control.
  • Agencies building custom booking flows — Development agencies use the REST API and SDK to embed or extend booking functionality inside client websites and apps.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Alf.io free to use?

Yes — Alf.io is an open-source, self-hostable event ticketing platform.

Does Easy!Appointments integrate with WordPress?

Yes — along with WordPress, it also integrates directly with Joomla and Drupal.

Can Alf.io be deployed to the cloud?

Yes, it has documented deployment guides for OpenShift, Heroku, and Cloud Foundry.

Does Easy!Appointments have a paid tier?

Yes, a premium tier is available for customized development beyond the open-source core.

Are Alf.io and Easy!Appointments the same type of tool?

No — Alf.io is built for event ticketing, while Easy!Appointments is built for appointment scheduling on CMS-based websites.

How long has Easy!Appointments been in development?

Since 2014, per its documented track record.

Read the full alf review · Read the full easyappointments review