Online booking systems provide convenience and accessibility for your customers while streamlining your small business operations. Here’s our careful selection of the top contenders in the UK market:
Setmore
Best For: Businesses looking for a feature-rich, free option with the possibility to scale up.
Setmore is a cloud-based solution designed to help businesses set up appointments and communicate with clients and staff. It offers features like class booking, scheduling sessions with multiple customers, and managing payments directly through the booking page. Setmore is tailored for solopreneurs, non-profits, and small to mid-sized businesses, providing a user-friendly experience for appointment scheduling.
Pricing:
- Starting Price: Setmore’s pricing starts at $0.
- Pricing Model: Still gathering data.
- Free Trial: Yes, request for free training resources.
Features:
- Fast Implementation: Set up and implementation within hours.
- Easy to Use: User-friendly interface with a smooth onboarding process.
- Get More Business: Automated appointment scheduling, organized communication, and web plugins.
- Streamline Communication: Connects with over 40 apps for seamless operations.
- Integrations: Connect with over 40 apps and software for day-to-day operations synchronization.
- Mobile Apps: Manage bookings, calendar, and communication on-the-go with Android and iOS apps.
Limitations:
- Customization options are limited.
- Calendar sync can be glitchy.
- No option for appointment confirmation through text reminders.
Setmore is praised for its simplicity, ease of use, and features like client self-booking, automated appointments, and prompt customer service. It caters well to businesses like salons, yoga studios, coaching practices, and more. However, it may lack advanced analytical tools and internal collaboration features suitable for rapidly growing businesses.
SimplyBook.me
Best For: Service-based businesses that require a high level of customization in their booking system.
SimplyBook.me stands out for its versatility, offering a wide array of features to streamline appointment scheduling and enhance the client experience.
Pricing:
- Free Plan: Includes 50 bookings and 1 custom feature.
- Basic Plan: Priced at $8.25 per month, offering 100 bookings and custom features.
- Standard Plan: Costs $24.90 per month, providing 500 bookings and 8 custom features[3][4].
Features:
- Online Bookings: Allows clients to book services online.
- Customized Reminders: Sends automated notifications to clients.
- Multiple Location Management: Manages appointments across different locations.
- Video Meetings: Facilitates virtual meetings with clients.
- Membership Subscriptions: Offers subscription-based services.
- Client Intake Forms: Collects client information efficiently.
- Booking Website: Provides a platform for clients to book services online.
- Point of Sale (POS): Enables businesses to process payments.
Pros:
- Comprehensive range of features and customization options.
- User-friendly interface for easy appointment management.
- Mobile app for managing bookings on-the-go.
- Competitive pricing suitable for businesses of all sizes.
Cons:
- Limited customization options reported by some users.
- Occasional glitches in software features.
- Responsive customer support but may lack immediate solutions.
With competitive pricing, customization options, and a user-friendly interface, it caters to businesses of varying sizes and needs in the service industry.
Acuity Scheduling (by Squarespace)
Best For: Businesses that already use the Squarespace platform or need a highly polished booking system with a sleek interface.
Pricing:
- Free Trial: Acuity Scheduling offers a free trial with no credit card required.
- Pricing Plans: Various pricing plans are available, starting from $0.
- Features: The pricing model is still being gathered.
Features:
- Customizable Scheduling: Tailored appointment scheduling software with easy automation.
- Payment Integration: Allows for easy payment processing and intake forms.
- Real-Time Availability: Provides clients with a branded scheduling page showcasing services and availability.
- Support: Offers support to over 250,000 customers with a team of real humans.
- Automated Communication: Sends reminders, confirmations, and follow-up emails to clients.
- Mobile App: Manage appointments, notifications, payments, and receipts on-the-go with the mobile app.
Acuity Scheduling is praised for its user-friendly interface, customizable features, and efficient appointment management tools. It caters to businesses looking to streamline their scheduling processes and enhance client communication.
The software’s ability to automate reminders, integrate payments, and provide real-time availability makes it a valuable tool for businesses in various industries.
Fresha
Best For: Beauty and wellness businesses, including salons, spas, and individual practitioners.
Fresha, formerly known as Shedul, is a popular online booking software for beauty and wellness businesses. Here is an overview of Fresha based on the search results:
Pricing and Features:
- Pricing Model: Fresha is the only subscription-free appointment booking software for beauty and wellness businesses.
- Free Trial: Fresha offers a free trial with no credit card required.
- Payment Structure: Users pay a percentage of what they earn per transaction, making it cost-effective for businesses, especially during off-peak seasons.
- Features: Fresha provides a range of features including customizable scheduling, payment integration, real-time availability display, automated communication with clients, and a mobile app for on-the-go management.
User Reviews:
- Users appreciate Fresha’s ease of use, comprehensive tools, and the absence of hidden costs or monthly fees
- Positive feedback highlights the software’s impact on boosting sales, simplifying appointment bookings, and aiding in business growth without excessive overhead costs.
Fresha’s user-friendly interface, cost-effective pricing model, and feature-rich platform have made it a preferred choice for many beauty and wellness businesses looking to streamline their appointment scheduling processes and enhance customer experience.
Appointlet
Best For: Businesses that value simplicity and quick set-up for scheduling meetings.
Appointlet is an appointment scheduling software in the UK designed to streamline appointment management for various businesses.
- Pricing Model: Appointlet operates on a pay-as-you-go basis without contracts or cancellation fees, offering flexibility for users to upgrade, switch plans, or cancel at any time without penalties.
- Free Trial: Users can enjoy a 14-day free trial with full access to all features without the need for credit card information. At the end of the trial, users can choose to upgrade or continue with the free plan.
- Accepted Payment Methods: Appointlet accepts payments via MasterCard, Visa, Visa Debit, American Express, and PayPal.
- Data Portability: Users have the freedom to export all their information from Appointlet at any time, ensuring that they have control over their data regardless of the plan they choose.
Appointlet’s user-friendly approach, transparent pricing structure, and data portability feature make it a convenient choice for businesses seeking efficient appointment scheduling solutions without long-term commitments or hidden fees.
Calendly
Best For: Individuals and small businesses focused on streamlined meeting scheduling.
Calendly is a modern scheduling platform that simplifies the process of finding time for meetings. Here is an overview of Calendly based on the search results:
Features:
- Easy Setup: Users can create simple rules for availability preferences and share their Calendly links effortlessly.
- Calendar Integrations: Seamlessly syncs with Google, Outlook, Office 365, or iCloud calendars to avoid double bookings.
- Control: Offers features like buffer times between meetings, preventing last-minute bookings, creating secret event types, and more.
- Flexibility: Supports various meeting types including 1-on-1, round-robin, and collective availability meetings.
- Time Zone Intelligent: Automatically detects time zones for invitees to ensure everyone is on the same page.
- App Integrations: Works with apps like Zoom, Google Meet, Salesforce, GoToMeeting, and Zapier for task automation.
- Team Compatibility: Suitable for individuals, teams, and departments with scalable features.
User Reviews:
- Users appreciate Calendly’s integration with websites and its ability to simplify scheduling for business coaching clients and networking partners.
- Some users find the new interface less intuitive and challenging for creating and updating event types on both mobile and desktop platforms.
- Feedback mentions limitations in selecting specific time slots between existing appointments on mobile browsers and issues with tapping small areas on the phone screen.
Calendly’s user-friendly interface, calendar integrations, control features, and flexibility in meeting types make it a valuable tool for individuals and businesses looking to streamline their scheduling processes efficiently.
10to8
Best For: Businesses that need an affordable, robust system with excellent communication features.
10to8 Appointment Scheduling Software is well-regarded for its ease of use, customization options, integrations with popular tools like Google Calendars and Zoom, and its effectiveness in streamlining appointment scheduling processes.
Features:
- Customization and Integrations: Offers a high level of customization and integrates with Google Calendars, Zoom, and allows easy embedding of the booking page onto websites.
- Ease of Use: Users find the software easy to use, especially for accessing calendars and schedules from mobile devices.
- Patient Management: Streamlines booking processes for healthcare practices, providing patient reminders and managing appointments effectively.
- Value for Money: Despite some layout design issues, users appreciate the software’s versatility, features, and value for money.
- Improvements Needed: Some users suggest improvements in UI design, data export options, and file upload sizes for better user experience.
Pricing:
- Pricing Model: The pricing structure is not explicitly mentioned in the search results.
- Free Version: Offers a free version suitable for solopreneurs starting out, with the ability to upgrade as needed.
- Value: Users appreciate the professional and reliable booking and appointment management provided by 10to8.
While there are some areas for improvement highlighted by users, such as UI design and data export functionalities, the software remains a valuable tool for businesses looking to manage appointments efficiently.
Remember\
When choosing the right booking system in the UK, consider your business’s specific needs, budget, and desired features. Many of these providers offer free trials or basic plans, so it’s worth testing a few out before committing to one particular system.
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