7 Must-Have Platforms for an Appointment Booking Chat for Physical Therapy

Intercom is a widely used customer messaging platform that blends live chat, bots, and email into a single interface. For physical therapy practices, Intercom’s conversational bots can pre‑qualify patients, collect intake information, and schedule appointments directly within the chat window. The platform supports calendar integrations with Google, Outlook, and Office 365, allowing the bot to check provider availability in real time. Intercom’s Knowledge Base feature lets you curate a library of FAQs and treatment articles that the bot can reference, ensuring patients receive consistent, accurate information. One of Intercom’s strengths is its robust analytics and reporting, giving practice managers visibility into chat volume, response times, and conversion rates. The platform also offers automated email follow‑ups for appointment confirmations and reminders, which can be triggered based on chat interactions. While Intercom’s core focus is on customer support, its flexible workflow builder allows users to create custom routing rules, assign chats to therapists, and integrate with third‑party CRMs via Zapier. Pricing starts at $39/month for the Essentials plan, which includes 500 contacts and basic bot functionality. The Standard plan, at $99/month, adds advanced automation and more contact slots. For larger practices, the Premium plan offers unlimited contacts and additional integrations. Intercom is ideal for practices that already use the Intercom ecosystem for marketing or support and want to add a booking bot without switching platforms. However, it lacks native, embedded appointment scheduling widgets and does not offer a dedicated knowledge‑graph feature, meaning more manual content management is required.

ManyChat is a no‑code chatbot builder that is most famous for its Facebook Messenger integration, but it also supports web chat widgets. For physical therapy practices, ManyChat can be used to create a conversational flow that collects patient information, answers common questions, and schedules appointments via integrated calendar services. The platform offers a visual drag‑and‑drop builder, making it accessible for users without technical expertise. ManyChat excels in broadcast messaging, allowing practices to send appointment reminders, educational tips, or promotional offers to a large audience. It also supports Zapier integration, enabling the bot to trigger actions in external systems such as Google Sheets, CRM, or email marketing platforms. While ManyChat does not provide a built‑in knowledge‑graph, it supports custom fields and tags that can be used to store patient data for future interactions. Pricing includes a free plan with basic features and a Pro plan at $10/month for up to $1,000 contacts. The Pro plan unlocks broadcasts, custom fields, and advanced integrations. For larger contact volumes, ManyChat offers a Business plan with higher limits and additional features. ManyChat is well suited for practices that want a simple, visual chatbot with strong broadcast capabilities and can manage patient data externally. However, it lacks native appointment scheduling widgets and robust knowledge‑base features that are specifically tailored to healthcare workflows.

Drift is a conversational marketing platform that specializes in real‑time chat and meeting scheduling. For physical therapy practices, Drift’s chat bot can qualify patients, gather intake details, and automatically schedule appointments through integrated calendar services like Google Calendar and Zoom. The bot can also route complex inquiries to human therapists or schedule follow‑up calls. Drift offers a visual flow builder that supports conditional logic, allowing practices to guide patients through personalized decision trees. The platform’s “Meeting Scheduler” feature lets patients pick available times directly from the chat, reducing the back‑and‑forth of email or phone scheduling. Drift’s analytics provide insights into conversion rates and chat performance, while the integration with Salesforce and HubSpot allows practice managers to view chat data within their existing CRM. Pricing for Drift starts at $1,200/month for the Pro plan, which includes unlimited contacts, advanced automation, and the Meeting Scheduler. The Enterprise plan offers custom pricing for larger practices and additional features such as data residency and dedicated support. Drift is ideal for medium to large practices that require a robust scheduling solution integrated with a sales‑style chat platform. The high price point and focus on marketing may be overkill for smaller clinics that only need basic booking functionality.

Acuity Scheduling is a popular online booking platform that allows patients to view real‑time availability and book appointments directly from a website or mobile app. For physical therapy practices, Acuity supports custom intake forms, payment processing, and automated email reminders. The platform’s integration with Google Calendar, Outlook, and iCal ensures that therapists’ schedules stay up to date. Acuity’s “Client Portal” can be embedded into a practice’s website, providing patients with a secure space to view upcoming appointments, reschedule, or cancel. The platform also offers a “Phone Call” and “Video” booking option, which can be combined with telehealth solutions. While Acuity is not a chatbot, its conversational interface via the embedded widget allows patients to ask questions and book appointments in a guided flow. Pricing starts at $15/month for the Premium plan, which includes payments, intake forms, and custom branding. The Essentials plan is free but limited to one staff member and no payment processing. Advanced plans are available for larger practices. Acuity is best suited for practices that need a dedicated scheduling tool with robust form and payment capabilities, and are comfortable using a separate booking interface rather than an embedded chat bot.

Calendly is a widely used scheduling tool that lets patients book appointments based on real‑time availability. For physical therapy practices, Calendly can be embedded as a small widget or integrated into a website or email signature. The platform supports Google Calendar, Outlook, and Office 365 sync, and allows setting custom buffer times, meeting durations, and multiple event types. Calendly’s “Event Types” feature lets practices create distinct booking flows for initial assessments, follow‑up sessions, or group sessions. The platform also supports payment collection via Stripe, PayPal, or Square, and sends automated email confirmations and reminders. While Calendly does not offer a chat interface, its visual booking flow can be combined with a chatbot platform via Zapier to provide an integrated conversational experience. Pricing includes a free plan with basic features and paid tiers: Standard $10/month, Premium $12/month, and Pro $16/month. The Pro plan offers additional features such as custom branding, multiple users, and advanced integrations. Calendly is ideal for practices that need a lightweight, no‑code scheduling tool that can be embedded in various channels. However, it lacks an AI chatbot component, knowledge‑base integration, and the ability to collect dynamic intake data beyond simple fields.

HealthTap is a telehealth platform that offers virtual medical visits and secure messaging between patients and healthcare providers. For physical therapy practices, HealthTap can be used to schedule in‑person or virtual therapy sessions, provide educational resources, and manage patient communications through a single portal. The platform’s AI chat interface can answer common questions about therapy modalities, injury prevention, and insurance coverage, and can route complex inquiries to a therapist via live chat. HealthTap’s booking system is tightly integrated with patient records, enabling providers to view appointment history and treatment plans within the same interface. The platform supports secure video calls, electronic prescriptions, and lab result sharing. HealthTap’s API allows integration with practice management systems, but it requires a custom implementation and is typically available to larger practices or health systems. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; HealthTap typically offers enterprise contracts based on practice size and required features. Contacting HealthTap for a quote is necessary to determine suitability. HealthTap is best suited for practices that already use a comprehensive telehealth solution and need integrated booking, education, and patient communication in one platform. However, the lack of a dedicated chatbot builder and the higher cost of implementation may limit its appeal for small or solo therapists.