UK BUYER’S GUIDE · 4 PRODUCTS
Appointment and booking software
Can a customer book the right service with the right person while the business controls capacity, payment and follow-up?
Compare online bookings, staff calendars, payments, client management and the workflows that reduce appointment administration.
YOUR SHORTLIST STARTS HERE
Compare the options.
Highest documented score first. Fit adds up the 20 feature checks below, including AI, across documented plans. Entry prices may exclude scored capabilities. The upper end of a range represents unverified points.
4 of 4 products · Highest documented score first
| Product / good fit for | Pricing context | Documented fit | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|
Timely Timely Service businesses needing staff-dependent pricing and repeat-client administration. | Request pricingOrganisation-specific quote VAT basis not stated quote | 60–100/100 documented fit60% evidence coverage | Details ↗ |
Booksy UK Booksy UK Beauty and service businesses wanting booking discovery and everyday staff management. | Request pricingOrganisation-specific quote VAT basis not stated quote | 55–100/100 documented fit55% evidence coverage | Details ↗ |
Calendly Calendly Sales, advisory and professional teams scheduling meetings rather than running a salon. | Request pricingOrganisation-specific quote VAT basis not stated quote | 50–100/100 documented fit50% evidence coverage | Details ↗ |
Fresha Fresha Salons and wellness businesses needing operational bookings alongside marketplace discovery. | Request pricingOrganisation-specific quote VAT basis not stated quote | 45–100/100 documented fit45% evidence coverage | Details ↗ |
Prices retain their original currency, billing basis and VAT status. Check the evidence and plan requirements before buying.
| Capability & demo question | Timely60–100/100 documented fit | Booksy UK55–100/100 documented fit | Calendly50–100/100 documented fit | Fresha45–100/100 documented fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Core workflowOnline appointment booking5.0 points availableAsk in the demoBook an available appointment from the customer-facing page. | ✓ Supported Online service, staff and slot selection. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ | ✓ Supported Online appointment booking. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ | ✓ Supported Public meeting booking. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ | ✓ Supported Online appointment booking. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ |
Core workflowStaff or host calendars5.0 points availableAsk in the demoSet availability for two staff members or hosts and inspect available slots. | ✓ Supported Staff availability in booking flow. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ | ✓ Supported Staff schedules and time off. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ | ✓ Supported Connected host calendars and availability. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ | ✓ Supported Staff calendars. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ |
Core workflowBooking confirmations and reminders5.0 points availableAsk in the demoBook a session and inspect the confirmation and scheduled reminder. | ✓ Supported Email and SMS confirmations listed. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ | ✓ Supported SMS confirmations and reminders. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ | ✓ Supported Automated confirmations and reminders. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ | ✓ Supported Email and SMS reminders. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ |
Core workflowCustomer rescheduling or cancellation5.0 points availableAsk in the demoChange an appointment through the customer-facing route. | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points | ✓ Supported Meeting changes. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ | ✓ Supported Online appointment changes. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ |
Core workflowClient information and history5.0 points availableAsk in the demoOpen a client record and inspect previous appointments. | ✓ Supported Client profiles and history. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ | ✓ Supported Client management. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ | ✓ Supported Contact profiles with booking and interaction history. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ | ✓ Supported Client history and preferences. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ |
Core workflowAppointment payments5.0 points availableAsk in the demoCollect a payment associated with a booking and locate its record. | ✓ Supported Online and in-person TimelyPay. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ | ✓ Supported UK card payments and payouts. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ | ✓ Supported Payments offering for services. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ | ✓ Supported Integrated appointment payments. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ |
Core workflowBooking or business reporting5.0 points availableAsk in the demoReport appointment activity for a selected period. | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points | ✓ Supported Staff appointment, sales and no-show reports. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points | ✓ Supported Business reporting. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ |
Workflow depthDeposits and cancellation charges5.0 points availableAsk in the demoApply a deposit or cancellation policy and inspect the payment outcome. | ✓ Supported Deposits and cancellation charges. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ | ✓ Supported Deposits and cancellation fees. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points | ✓ Supported Deposits and cancellation policies. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ |
Workflow depthStaff-specific service pricing5.0 points availableAsk in the demoOffer the same service at different prices for different staff. | ✓ Supported Tiered prices by staff experience. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ | ✓ Supported Staff-specific service variants with different prices and durations. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points |
Workflow depthShared room or equipment constraints5.0 points availableAsk in the demoAttempt two bookings that need the same room or piece of equipment. | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points |
Workflow depthAppointment waiting list5.0 points availableAsk in the demoFill a newly opened slot from a waiting list. | ✓ Supported Waiting lists on Elevate. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points |
Workflow depthMultiple booking locations5.0 points availableAsk in the demoChoose a location and inspect its available services and staff. | ✓ Supported Location selection during booking. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points | ✓ Supported Multiple business locations. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ |
Workflow depthPackages or gift vouchers5.0 points availableAsk in the demoRedeem a package credit or gift voucher against an appointment. | ✓ Supported Packages and gift vouchers. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ | ✓ Supported Packages and gift cards. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points |
Workflow depthManager and staff permissions5.0 points availableAsk in the demoRestrict a staff member's access to payments or another staff calendar. | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points | ✓ Supported Individual staff permissions. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points |
Workflow depthPre-appointment forms5.0 points availableAsk in the demoCollect a form before an appointment and attach it to the right client. | ✓ Supported Client forms on higher plans. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points | ✓ Supported Routing intake forms. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points |
Workflow depthCalendar, CRM or payment connections5.0 points availableAsk in the demoDemonstrate a documented connection used in the booking workflow. | ✓ Supported Payment provider connections. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ | ✓ Supported Social booking and payment connections. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ | ✓ Supported Google and Microsoft calendars. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points |
Workflow depthCustomer or appointment export5.0 points availableAsk in the demoExport the business's appointment or client records in a reusable format. | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points |
AIAI scheduling assistance5.0 points availableAsk in the demoAsk an AI assistant to arrange or change a booking and review the action. | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points | ✓ Supported Callie coordinates meetings. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points |
AIAI customer communication drafting5.0 points availableAsk in the demoGenerate and approve a relevant booking follow-up message. | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points | ✓ Supported AI-assisted email drafts based on contact history. 5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points |
AIAI booking or demand insights5.0 points availableAsk in the demoInspect an AI insight about appointment demand or outcomes. | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points | ? Not verified Meeting-history questions; demand forecasting not documented. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 pointsEvidence ↗ | ? Not verified Not verified in the reviewed official material; ask for a demonstration. 0.0–5.0 / 5.0 points |
“Not verified” means the recorded evidence does not settle this specific check. It does not mean the feature is absent. Read the scoring method.
Focus on up to three products →ASK BETTER QUESTIONS
Before you buy appointment and booking software software.
What to look for
- Book, reschedule, cancel and refund the same appointment as both customer and manager.
- Test a service with staff-dependent pricing or shared equipment.
- Compare subscription, marketplace acquisition, card processing and messaging as separate costs.
What changes the cost
- Staff, bookable calendars, locations and plan minimums.
- Payment processing, deposits, terminals and marketplace commissions.
- SMS allowances, marketing campaigns and specialist modules.
What to watch out for
- Free booking does not necessarily mean free customer acquisition or payments.
- Payment support in another country does not establish UK settlement.
- A meeting scheduler may lack salon inventory, packages or treatment records.
Common questions
Can these products be compared together?
Yes for shared booking tasks, but use the detailed rows to distinguish meeting scheduling from service-business operations.
Are reminders AI?
Scheduled reminders are ordinary automation unless a specific AI capability is documented.
Should I require an app for customers?
Test the browser booking route and any account or SMS-verification requirement against your customers' needs.