Comparing Setmore with Top Appointment Scheduling Software for Small Businesses

If you run a small business—salon, consultancy, fitness studio, or anything where bookings keep the lights on—finding good appointment scheduling software is a headache you don’t need. You want something that works, doesn’t cost a fortune, and doesn’t turn your calendar into a house of cards. This guide is for you: real pros, cons, and honest comparisons of Setmore and its main competitors.

Forget the sales fluff. Here’s what’s actually worth your time (and what isn’t).

Who’s On the List?

For this comparison, we’ll look at:

  • Setmore (the focus)
  • Acuity Scheduling
  • Calendly
  • Square Appointments
  • Fresha
  • SimplyBook.me

There are dozens more, but these are the names that pop up over and over for small teams and solo businesses. If you’re considering something super niche, most of this advice still applies—just check if your must-have features are covered.

What Actually Matters?

Before you get buried in features, here’s what actually makes or breaks appointment software for small businesses:

  • Ease of Use: If you’re wrestling with setup, you’ll never use it.
  • Online Booking: Customers want to book without calling you.
  • Calendar Sync: No more double-booking or endless cross-checking.
  • Reminders: For both you and your clients—because everyone forgets.
  • Payments: Taking deposits or payments at booking saves headaches.
  • Team Support: If you grow, you don’t want to switch tools (again).
  • Pricing: Monthly fees add up. Watch for sneaky add-ons.

Everything else? Nice to have, but not essential.

Setmore: Solid Basics, Some Limits

Setmore is popular for a reason: the free plan is actually usable, and the interface doesn’t require a PhD.

Where Setmore Wins

  • Great Free Plan: Unlimited appointments, up to 4 staff, email reminders, and a good-looking booking page—no credit card required.
  • Easy Setup: You’ll be up and running in an hour, not a weekend.
  • Decent Integrations: Google/Outlook calendar sync, Zoom, and social media booking buttons.
  • Payments: Square and Stripe for taking payments at booking.
  • Staff support: Works for solo businesses or small teams.

Where It Falls Short

  • Limited Customization: You can tweak the booking page, but it’s not as flexible as some competitors.
  • No Native Packages/Memberships: If you sell bundles or memberships, you’ll need workarounds.
  • SMS Reminders Cost Extra: Only email reminders are free; SMS is paid.
  • Fewer Advanced Features: No intake forms, no HIPAA compliance (important for clinics), and limited reporting.

Bottom line: For most small businesses, Setmore does what you need at a price that’s fair. If you need more bells and whistles, keep reading.

Acuity Scheduling: More Power, More Price

Acuity (owned by Squarespace) is a heavy hitter with deep customization.

Pros

  • Customizable Booking Flows: Intake forms, waivers, and custom fields.
  • Multiple Payment Options: Stripe, Square, PayPal.
  • Packages, Gift Certificates, Memberships: Built-in.
  • Time Zone Support: Great for remote businesses or global clients.
  • Advanced Reminders: Email and SMS, both included.

Cons

  • No Real Free Plan: Free trial only; plans start at $20/month.
  • Can Be Overkill: Lots of settings. Easy to get lost.
  • Interface is… Busy: Not the prettiest, especially on mobile.

Best for: Businesses that want deep customization, sell packages, or need HIPAA compliance (on higher tiers). If you just want to set up and go, Acuity might feel like using a chainsaw to open a letter.

Calendly: Simple, Slick, Limited for Teams

Calendly is everywhere for a reason—it’s dead simple. But is it enough?

Pros

  • Fastest Setup: Add your availability, share a link. Done.
  • Great for Solo Use: Perfect for consultants, freelancers, or anyone solo.
  • Integrations: Zoom, Google Meet, and most calendars.
  • Clean Booking Experience: Clients love it.

Cons

  • Weak on Payments: Payments only on paid plans, and not as deep as others.
  • Limited Team Features: Group scheduling isn’t as flexible as Setmore or Acuity.
  • No Service Catalog: You can’t offer multiple services easily.

Best for: Solo operators who just need to avoid back-and-forth emails. Not ideal for salons, clinics, or anyone with multiple staff.

Square Appointments: Best for Retail or Salons (if You’re in the Square Ecosystem)

Square Appointments is free for individuals, integrates tightly with Square POS, and is a no-brainer if you already use Square for payments.

Pros

  • Free for Individuals: Hard to beat if you’re solo.
  • All-in-One: Payments, POS, inventory, and scheduling.
  • SMS Reminders Included: No extra fees.
  • Great for Retail/Salons: Tipping, resource management, and add-ons.

Cons

  • Pricing for Teams: Gets pricey fast as you add staff.
  • Tied to Square Payments: If you want to use Stripe or PayPal, look elsewhere.
  • Clunky for Some Use Cases: Not as flexible for non-retail businesses.

Best for: Salons, spas, and anyone already in the Square world. If you’re not, the jump isn’t always worth it.

Fresha: Free for Salons and Wellness, But… Check the Fine Print

Fresha is aggressively free for salons and wellness pros, but you’ll pay in other ways.

Pros

  • No Monthly Fees: Genuinely free for core features.
  • Unlimited Staff and Bookings: No nickel-and-diming.
  • Payments, Reminders, Marketing: Built in.

Cons

  • Commission on Online Bookings: You pay a % fee for each booking through their marketplace.
  • Limited Customization: You’re playing in their ecosystem.
  • No Support for Non-Wellness Businesses: Not meant for consultants, tutors, etc.

Best for: Salons, spas, and barbers who want “free” and don’t mind the marketplace model. If you want more control, look elsewhere.

SimplyBook.me: Customizable, Global, and a Bit Complex

SimplyBook.me is like a buffet—tons of features, but you’ll pay if you want to use them all.

Pros

  • Highly Customizable: Booking widgets, plugins, and add-ons.
  • Global Support: Multi-language, multi-currency.
  • Memberships, Classes, and Gift Cards: All possible.

Cons

  • Free Plan is Limited: Only 50 bookings/month, and most good features are paid add-ons.
  • Setup Takes Time: Not as “plug and play” as Setmore or Calendly.
  • Can Get Pricey: Each extra feature is an add-on, and it adds up.

Best for: Those who need global support or lots of customization. For most small US-based businesses, it’s overkill.

Feature Comparison Table

Here’s how these options stack up for small businesses:

| Feature | Setmore | Acuity | Calendly | Square Appointments | Fresha | SimplyBook.me | |--------------------------|--------------|-------------|-------------|---------------------|---------------|-----------------| | Free Plan | Yes | No | Yes | Yes (solo) | Yes | Yes (limited) | | Staff Support | Yes (4 free) | Yes | Paid only | Yes (paid for team) | Yes | Yes | | Payments | Yes | Yes | Paid only | Yes (Square only) | Yes | Yes (with add-on)| | SMS Reminders | Paid | Yes | Paid only | Yes | Yes | Paid | | Intake Forms | No | Yes | No | No | Limited | Yes | | Packages/Memberships | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Calendar Sync | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Customization | Basic | High | Low | Medium | Low | High | | Industry Focus | General | General | General | Retail/Salons | Salons/Wellness| General | | Marketplace Listing | No | No | No | No | Yes | Optional |

Pro Tips for Choosing

  • Try Before You Buy: Most have free plans or trials. Don’t commit until you’ve set up a real booking flow and run a test appointment.
  • Start Simple: More features = more headaches. Only pay for what you’ll use.
  • Watch Out for Hidden Fees: SMS reminders, staff seats, and extra integrations can add up. Read the fine print.
  • Think About Growth: If you might add team members later, don’t get locked into a solo-only plan.

So, Which Should You Use?

  • Most Small Businesses: Setmore is a safe, simple choice—especially if you want free and you’re not selling packages.
  • Need Deep Customization? Acuity or SimplyBook.me. Be ready to pay and spend time setting up.
  • Solo Consultants: Calendly or Setmore. Calendly is the fastest; Setmore is a bit more flexible.
  • Salons/Spas: Square Appointments (if you use Square) or Fresha (if you’re okay with commissions).
  • Global Businesses: SimplyBook.me for multi-language/currency needs.

Don’t let choice paralysis kill your momentum. Pick one, set up your booking page, and see how it actually works for your business. You can always switch later—nothing’s permanent, and the best system is the one you’ll actually use.