7 Best Setmore Alternatives for Your Small Business

Setmore is an easy-to-use scheduler that’s quite the crowd favorite among small service businesses, thanks to its free plan (for up to four users) and straightforward setup. It covers the basics — appointments, classes, reminders, and simple online booking — without much fuss.

However, some business owners outgrow it due to limitations on payment flexibility, schedule automation, branding, and such. Other times, they simply want an online scheduling tool that’s a better fit for how they work. 

If this sounds like you, then keep reading. We’ve compiled a practical guide to the best Setmore alternatives. 

For each scheduling platform, we’ll summarize why it’s worth considering, how much it costs, and what possible downsides to consider. That way, it’ll be easier for you to figure out which of these Setmore alternatives is the best fit for your business needs. 

What To Look For in a Setmore Alternative 

Before you start comparing options, let’s take a look at the must-have features that make an effective online scheduling tool. 

After all, whether you’re an online scheduling newbie who’s unsure about what to look for or a current Setmore user exploring other options, it’s good to know which features are truly essential (read: not simply nice-to-haves). 

Client management

If you’re already getting a scheduling software to make your business operations smoother, you might as well go for one that doubles as a lightweight customer relationship management (CRM) system. 

This means being able to view your clients’ profiles and their visit histories, collect their details through custom intake forms, and export their data whenever you need it. 

Beyond just record-keeping, your scheduling software’s client management system should help you recognize patterns. For instance, what services does a certain customer book most often? How frequently do they visit your store? Do they have a preferred time slot or day for an appointment?

With these information you have at hand, you can personalize your service in meaningful ways and even refine your marketing — without adding extra tools. The result? Happier clients and a higher chance for recurring bookings.

Reminders and automation

While remembering a client’s preferences often builds loyalty, you also want to ensure they actually show up. Automated messages take care of this in the background: a booking confirmation, a gentle reminder a day before, and even a post-visit thank-you note. 

Look for a scheduling tool that lets you control when and how these messages go out (via email, text, or both). 

Don’t forget to see if it allows you to customize reminders and notifications, too! That way, the messages your client receives will feel warm and candid rather than spam-y and robotic. 

Team scheduling

When choosing among Setmore alternatives, this is another feature to consider if you have more than one person on your staff servicing clients. After all, the right online scheduling software should keep things organized for the whole team. 

Instead of giving each staff member their own booking link, you can share one team page that shows all available times for clients to see right away. This helps ensure everyone gets a fair share of work in line with their shift hours. 

On top of that, multi-calendar syncing keeps everyone’s work and personal calendars aligned and prevents scheduling conflicts.

Payment control and flexibility

Your online scheduling software should adapt to how you handle payments, not the other way around. 

That said, opt for one that connects with your preferred payment processor/s and has built-in options for deposits, prepayments, and automatic fees for no-shows or cancellations.

Not to mention, having an efficient payment system helps you avoid “awkward” money-related conversations with clients, ensure price transparency, and keep your cash flow predictable.  

Branding and user-friendliness

It’s already a given that when choosing an online scheduling tool, you should go for one that creates a booking page for your clients’ use. (Alas, not every scheduling software has this!).

Your booking page should reflect your brand and look professional. That said, the best Setmore alternatives provide customization options such as adding your logo, applying brand colors, and tailoring confirmation messages to match your tone. 

Of course, user-friendliness is just as important as branding. Your booking page should be straightforward, with clear steps, intuitive navigation, and layouts that work just as well on mobile as they do on desktop. That way, clients can book in just a few clicks without confusion. 

Top 7 Setmore Alternatives

Now that we’ve talked about the features an effective booking software should have, let’s go through each of our top picks for Setmore alternatives. 

1. Bookedin: Best overall Setmore alternative 

For a stress-free scheduling tool that your clients will actually enjoy using with ease, look no further than Bookedin. And while it was originally designed for solo service providers and small businesses, Bookedin can also handle larger teams with more complex scheduling needs.

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Why it stands out:

• User-friendly design: Bookedin is built to be simple and intuitive, whether you’re on desktop, mobile, or tablet. As such, you can easily manage your business schedule anywhere and without having to learn complex tech skills.
• Website and social media integration: You can easily add a “Book Now” button on your website, Facebook and Instagram pages, and even your Google listing, so clients can book from anywhere at any time.
• Marketing tools that measure results: You can connect your social pages, add tracking pixels to your booking page, and see which campaigns drive real bookings.
• Built-in payments and security: Bookedin helps you prevent no-shows with its option to charge payment (either a deposit or full prepayment) before confirming a client’s appointment. Payments run through trusted providers (Square, Stripe, PayPal) and your Bookedin account is protected with encrypted connections and private client data settings.
• Automated text and email reminders: Automatic confirmations and perfectly timed reminders help ensure clients show up on time. With Bookedin, you can tailor the message per service, add your policy, and let clients confirm with one tap.
• Multi-calendar sync: Connect the calendars you and your team are already using and keep everything in one place. When something changes, your booking page updates automatically — no double-booking, no manual fixes.

Pricing snapshot: Free plan available; paid plans start at $24/month (billed annually)

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Heads-up: Bookedin prioritizes offering a clean, easy-to-use booking page over deep design tweaks. If you want advanced page design settings, this Setmore alternative might not offer you enough flexibility.

2. Square Appointments

Square Appointments is ideal for stores and on-location services that already use Square’s point-of-sale (POS) system to take in-person payments.

Why it’s worth considering:

Square Appointments ties scheduling directly to Square’s POS (i.e., the card reader and checkout you may already be using), so payments, deposits, and appointment rules all live in one place. 

You can set deposits and no-show/cancellation fees, require a card on file, and send automatic text/email reminders to cut missed appointments. 

Also, you get a free, hosted booking site you can share anywhere, which keeps the setup simple. 

With scheduling and payments together, it’s easier to total things up and spot anything missing. That means you save time at the end of each day because the system already links each payment to its appointment.

Pricing snapshot: Free plan available; paid plans start at $24/month per location

Heads-up: 

• Advanced features sit on paid Plus or Premium plans, so costs can rise as you grow. 
• Branding and layout options are more standard than a full website builder.

3. Acuity Scheduling

Acuity Scheduling is a good fit if you want to tailor the look and flow of your booking page and collect detailed client information up front.

Why it’s worth considering:

Acuity gives you a lot of control over your booking page: custom branding (colors, logo, wording), service-specific rules, and robust intake forms so you can gather everything you need before a visit. 

For businesses handling sensitive client data (like clinics or therapists), Acuity also offers stricter privacy options and will sign the necessary paperwork on higher-tier plans.

You can also sell packages and memberships, and set complex scheduling logic. For example, you can set different buffers by service or multi-step appointments. 

Pricing snapshot: Seven-day free trial; plans start from $16/month 

Heads-up:

• Expect a lot more setup time than usual given that the Acuity toolkit is broad.
• The advanced design customization features are only available on the more expensive pricing plans. 

4. Fresha 

This works well for businesses and solo professionals who want built-in POS, inventory tools, and a marketplace that can attract first-time clients.

Why it’s worth considering:

Fresha doesn’t charge a monthly subscription for independent professionals (i.e., one-person businesses). With this, you get a booking page, inventory tools for retail products, and access to a discovery marketplace where new clients can find you. 

Sure, that marketplace can be a growth engine, but when a brand-new client books you through it, there’s a one-time commission on that first booking. Also, standard card processing fees apply. 

Pricing snapshot: Free plan available for one-person businesses; $9.95 per team member per month for other types

Heads-up: 

• The one-time commission on new clients that we’ve mentioned earlier is 20%. That said, it’s best to run the numbers on commissions if you’ll rely heavily on marketplace traffic for sales.
• Branding and page customization options are more limited than those of other Setmore alternatives recommended.
  

5. Jotform Appointments 

Here’s the ideal choice if you want to embed a customizable booking form directly on your website (instead of a separate booking page).

Why it’s worth considering:

If you like the idea of collecting exactly the right info during booking, Jotform gives you that flexibility. Its “form-first” approach gives you precise control over what info you collect at booking. 

You start by designing a branded form — choose the fields you need and add your logo/colors. Then, drop in the Appointment element. 

From there, clients can pick a time and date, answer your questions, and pay (deposit or full) in one flow. This tool also syncs with Google or Outlook calendars and can trigger automated follow-ups or internal notifications without extra tools. 

Pricing snapshot: Free plan available; paid plans start from $34/month

Heads-up: If you reach your monthly submissions limit, your appointment forms will stop accepting new entries until the counter resets or you upgrade. This means your clients won’t be able to book (your embedded form will show an over-quota message). So, you’ll probably have to plan ahead for busy seasons, promos, or waitlist surges.

6. SimplyBook.me 

If you want your booking page to feel like a mini-website with optional modules you can switch on as you grow, then this might be the Setmore alternative for you.

Why it’s worth considering:

SimplyBook.me lets you launch a polished booking site with your brand front and center. You can even add optional add-ons like memberships, loyalty rewards systems, gift cards, and POS systems. 

It also supports multi-location scheduling and accepts bookings from various channels, including social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Finally, it has options for stricter privacy if your industry requires it. 

Pricing snapshot: Free plan available; paid plans start at $8.25/month (billed annually)

Heads-up: 

• Although it’s very flexible, you’ll likely spend some time deciding which add-ons to enable, which may feel overwhelming to new users.
• Expect a substantial price increase if you want to maximize the tool’s capabilities (i.e., getting more than three custom features). 

7. Calendly

Calendly is a good fit if your team often has lots of calls with clients (such as demos, consultations, and onboarding) and you want an easier way to manage who takes each meeting.

Why it’s worth considering:

Out of all the Setmore alternatives on this list, this one’s built for scheduling at scale. 

It lets you set up team pages and round-robin rules to divide bookings fairly. You can also let clients pick a specific staff member they prefer, or add routing questions to direct requests to the right teammate automatically without manual sorting.

Calendly connects to Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and major CRMs, so each booking lands on the correct Google/Outlook calendar and is logged in your CRM — no copy-and-paste, no back-and-forth emails.

Pricing snapshot: Free plan available; paid plans start from $10/month per seat or user (billed annually) 

Heads-up:

• Unlike other Setmore alternatives that act as a “light CRM”, Calendly doesn’t store detailed client profiles, visit histories, or membership info. 
• Calendly focuses on scheduling meetings, not on in-person checkouts, inventory, or selling add-on services. Some businesses like salons or spas may find it lacking compared to Setmore’s service-based features.
• If you have a larger team, you might need to spend a lot on per-seat licenses, since pricing rises with every additional user.

Best Setmore Alternatives in 2025: A Quick Comparison 

Below is a handy table summarizing all the recommended platforms at a glance. 

Platform/Software	Best for	Notable strengths	Free trial or plan?	Pricing	Mobile Apps
Bookedin	Overall; Simple, show-up-focused scheduling for both businesses and solo entrepreneurs	Simple, user-friendly design; website & social media integration; automated reminders & payments	✅ Great free plan available	From $24/month  (billed annually)	iOS and Android apps for staff/owners
Square Appointments	Businesses already using Square POS	Built-in Square POS integration; deposits & no-show protection; free hosted booking site	✅ 30-day free trial; free plan available	From $49 per location  (billed monthly)	iOS and Android apps for staff/owners
Acuity Scheduling	Customization and powerful forms	Strong customization & branding; robust intake forms; packages & memberships	✅ 7-day free trial; no free plan	From $16/month  (billed annually)	iOS and Android apps for staff/owners
Fresha	Businesses looking to get new clients through a built-in marketplace	No monthly subscription (free core); POS & inventory tools; discovery marketplace	✅ Free core plan	No subscription fees; 20% one-time new-client fee (min $6) via marketplace; payment fees apply	iOS and Android apps (business “Fresha for professionals” and a separate client app)
Jotform Appointments	“Form-first” booking and flexible embeds	Fully customizable booking forms; embedded directly on your website; calendar sync & automation	✅ Free plan available	From $34/month  (billed annually)	iOS and Android apps for staff/owners
SimplyBook.me	A fully branded booking site with plenty of add-on options	Branded booking mini-website; add-ons like memberships, gift cards, POS; multi-location & social media bookings	✅ 14-day free trial; free plan available	From $8.25/month (billed annually)	iOS and Android apps for staff/owners; separate apps for clients
Calendly	Sales and marketing teams that live in their calendars	Team scheduling & round-robin rules; routing questions for smart booking; CRM & video tool integrations	✅ 14-day free trial; free plan available	From $10/month per seat or user (billed annually)	iOS and Android mobile apps

Which Is the Right Scheduling Tool for You?

Setmore makes for a solid starter because it’s quick to set up, good for basic appointments and classes, and handy for adding video links and automated reminders. It also supports payments (Stripe, Square, PayPal) and even deposits, so you can take payment online or in-person

But if you’re running into limits around team scheduling, branding, and CRM depth, you should definitely look into Setmore alternatives out there.

All of the tools above are strong Setmore alternatives. Some specialize in payments and POS, others emphasize comprehensive customization and forms. 

However, if you’re looking for a straightforward upgrade from Setmore — think clean layout, flexible payments, multi-calendar sync, automatic reminders, and client profiles — Bookedin is the easiest place to start.

Start your Bookedin free trial today — simple setup, no card required, and stress-free scheduling designed for you!