Free works until your roster outgrows it. Here is where that line usually sits, and what you can do with Set the Tune before you pay anything.
A shared calendar or a spreadsheet is a fine scheduler for a small, stable studio. You know your students, the times rarely change, and a double-booking is something you would notice anyway.
If that describes you, keep it. There is no reason to add software to a problem you do not have.
The strain shows up in a few predictable places. None of them are about the calendar. They are about the work around it.
You can sign up without a card, import your roster, and watch the optimizer build your schedule. You can open the board, drag lessons around, and see conflicts as they appear.
What stays behind a paid plan is anything you take out of the product: exports and the paid AI features. We would rather you see the schedule work first, then decide whether it is worth paying for.
There is a free look: sign up without a card, import a roster, and see the schedule it builds. Taking the schedule out through exports and paid features needs a plan.
No. The free look lets you evaluate the product, it is not a permanent free tier.
For a small, stable studio, yes. It stops helping when you need to place a whole roster around availability, instruments, and drive time.
No. Signup for the free look does not ask for a card.
The tier prices are listed on the pricing page. Plans are sized by how many students you have placed in the active season.