7 best Setmore alternatives and competitors in 2026 (ranked for practices)

Key takeaways

Setmore handles basic scheduling well, but it stops short of clinical records, memberships, and revenue reporting.

Pabau is our top pick for practices: it combines EMR, CRM, payments, and marketing in one platform from $62 a month.

Acuity Scheduling suits salons and therapists: it sells memberships and packages, but HIPAA compliance sits on the $61 Premium plan.

SimplyBook.me fits multi-channel bookers: clients can book through your site, Facebook, Instagram, or your Google profile.

Entry prices hide the real cost: three of the seven publish no HIPAA-compliant tier at all.

If you have outgrown simple scheduling software like Setmore, you need an alternative that can run the whole practice.

This guide compares seven competitors on features, published pricing, and the kind of business each one actually fits. It ranks them for practices that book treatments, not for teams that book meetings.

Compare the best Setmore alternatives at a glance

Entry prices are not a fair ranking on their own. The comparison below shows what each platform charges once client records have to be HIPAA compliant.

Pabau: Best all-in-one practice scheduling software

Pabau is practice management software built for growing practices, and it does far more than book appointments.

Setmore focuses on appointments alone. Pabau combines booking, CRM, payments, marketing, and clinical tools in one platform.

It is especially strong for med spas, injectables, dermatology, psychotherapy, GP clinics, and multi-location operations. Retention tools such as deposits, packages, memberships, and loyalty programs come as standard.

Key features

Unlike basic booking tools such as Setmore, Pabau is built to run the practice, not just the calendar.

It brings operations, clinical workflows, and revenue tools together, so you can run a more efficient and compliant business.

Four features do most of that work.

Complete client records and CRM

Pabau keeps centralized client records that give your team a full view of every client interaction. Contact details, appointment history, consultation notes, treatment records, invoices, consent forms, and communication logs all sit in one secure place.

The built-in CRM system allows you to:

• Track client journeys from first enquiry to loyal repeat visitor
• Log calls, emails, SMS, and consultation notes
• Set automated follow-ups and task reminders
• Segment clients based on treatments, spending habits, or engagement

That removes the scatter across spreadsheets and inboxes, improves handovers between staff, and keeps the client experience consistent.

Built-in clinical tools and treatment notes

Pabau’s built-in EMR simplifies clinical documentation while keeping records compliant and accurate. You can record treatments, update medical histories, and store digital consent forms in a structured format. If you are weighing the two systems, read our practice management vs EMR comparison.

Key capabilities include:

• Customizable treatment templates
• Photo uploads and progress tracking
• Digital consent forms with e-signatures
• Automated treatment summaries and documentation
• Audit trails for compliance and accountability

Memberships, packages, and payments

Pabau lets you sell recurring memberships, prepaid treatment bundles, gift vouchers, and deposits from the same platform.

This feature helps you:

• Secure upfront payments and improve cash flow
• Encourage client loyalty with subscription models
• Automate billing for recurring memberships
• Track package usage and balances in real time
• Reduce cancellations with mandatory deposits

Automation and marketing that fill the calendar

Pabau sends reminders and follow-ups, and runs targeted campaigns that bring lapsed clients back into an open slot.

You can:

• Send automated SMS and email appointment reminders
• Trigger post-treatment follow-ups
• Launch segmented email marketing campaigns
• Re-engage inactive clients with promotions
• Track campaign performance and ROI

Scheduling, CRM, and marketing automation in one platform give you a system that runs the practice and grows it.

Pricing

Every Pabau plan includes the full platform, so $62 a month covers one user with no feature gating. Pay monthly, or save up to 20% with annual billing. The full breakdown sits on Pabau’s pricing page.

Where Pabau shines

• Clinical workflow: Pabau is built for treatment providers. It includes medical-grade charting, treatment notes, and digital consent forms, so practitioners capture detailed records at the chair.
• Scalability: Pabau scales from a solo practitioner to a group running several sites. Multi-location med spa features, staff management, and role-based permissions keep large teams coordinated.

• Unified platform: Pabau brings EMR, CRM, billing, memberships, marketing, and client communication into a single, secure platform. With one login, your team can manage appointments, client histories, automated campaigns, and payments without switching between tools.
  
• Insights and reporting: Pabau’s dashboards and reporting tools show how the practice is performing. Track revenue by service, staff productivity, marketing return, and client retention.

Where Pabau falls short

• Steep learning curve: The feature set is deep and highly customizable, so new users need time to find their way around it.
• Complexity for small teams: Smaller practices that only need booking and reminders will not use most of what they are paying for.
• Higher entry price: Pabau starts well above appointment-only schedulers such as Setmore or Calendly.

However, Setmore’s plans and costs tell only part of the story. Pabau’s higher price covers clinical features that basic tools charge extra for or skip entirely.

Customer reviews

“Pabau has been a game changer for my clinic, it keeps everything running smoothly and professionally. From managing patients and treatments to marketing and reporting, it’s all in one place and easy to use. The support team are brilliant. After using it for years, I can confidently say it’s the best system out there for aesthetic clinics.” – Luisa S., Capterra

“Pabau has been amazing. After using many other softwares for the clinic in the past this has by far been the most user friendly. The staff are also extremely helpful . Thankyou!” – Verified Reviewer, Capterra

Who Pabau is best for

• Multi-location practice owners: Owners who need one central system for several practitioners across several sites.
• Aesthetic practices: Managers who need secure clinical notes, consent forms, injection plotting, and progress tracking.
• Owners focused on growth: Practices that want to lift retention and revenue with automation and reporting.

Acuity Scheduling

Acuity Scheduling, now part of Squarespace, is an online appointment platform for service-based businesses.

It automates booking, client information, and payments. That saves admin time and cuts the scheduling mistakes a shared inbox produces.

Key features

• Self-scheduling: Clients can easily book, reschedule, or cancel appointments via a customizable booking page or embedded scheduler.
  
• Availability management: Set weekly hours, build separate schedules per staff member or site, and cap bookings to prevent overbooking.
• Client intake: Automated forms capture important information, such as project details or medical history, at the time of booking.

Pricing

Memberships and automated billing start on Standard, and HIPAA compliance only arrives on Premium at $61 a month.

Where Acuity Scheduling shines

• Upselling: Promote additional services (e.g., “Add a 15-minute scalp massage”) directly at checkout.
  
• Loyalty tools: Manage and sell appointment packages, subscriptions, and gift certificates within the platform.
  
• Flexible pricing: Offer pay-what-you-want options, sliding scales, or required deposits to help reduce no-shows.

Where Acuity Scheduling falls short

• Limited native integrations: Links to CRMs, marketing platforms, and niche business tools usually run through Zapier rather than Acuity itself.
• Branding limits on lower plans: Removing the “Powered by Acuity” line takes a Premium plan or higher.
• No resource scheduling: Acuity handles calendars well, but it cannot book rooms, equipment, or other shared assets the way Appointy can.

Customer reviews

“Acuity has a lot of flexible features that can solve most needs. However, the customer experience is confusing and many make mistakes because of it. It is also difficult to preview the customer experience in several areas.” – Matthew, Trustpilot

“The calendaring interface is poorly designed and difficult to navigate. It needs a complete re-design that is far more frictionless.” – Michael Blocker, Trustpilot

Who Acuity Scheduling is best for

• Salons, therapists, tutors, and consultants: Anyone who needs reliable appointment booking, deposits, and reminders.

SimplyBook.me

SimplyBook.me is an online booking and business management platform for service industries. It covers beauty, wellness, healthcare, and education.

It works as a standalone booking website, or as a widget you embed in WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace.

It also adds client management, automated reminders, payment processing, and marketing modules.

Key features

• Multichannel booking: Clients can book appointments via your custom booking site, website widget, or directly through Facebook, Instagram, and Google Business Profile.
  
• Automated communication: Send confirmations and reminders through email, SMS, or WhatsApp to help reduce no-shows.
  
• Payment management: Accept online and in-person payments using the integrated POS system with processors such as Stripe and PayPal.

Pricing

Plans are priced by booking volume and by how many custom features you switch on.

Where SimplyBook.me shines

• Custom features: More than 80 modules let you switch on HIPAA compliance, loyalty programs, or waiting lists as you need them.
• Management apps: An admin app handles calendars on the move, and a branded client app lets customers book from a phone.
• “Make Me Look Busy” feature: Strategically hides certain open times to make your schedule appear in high demand, encouraging faster bookings.

Where SimplyBook.me falls short

• Limited built-in marketing: Several marketing features need a third-party integration or extra setup.
• API limitations: Activating HIPAA-compliant features can disable API access, potentially disrupting custom developer workflows.
  
• Limited direct support: Standard support does not include phone assistance, so users must rely on live chat for help.

Customer reviews

“So far most things have been seamless and I can research using their AI search tool. Sometimes when I reach out through the live chat I quickly get my questions answered.” – Bruce Y., Capterra

“This product while good intentioned, simply cannot handle execution at scale. This product should be limited to small vendors who only have a small number of people booking.” – Eku M., Capterra

Who SimplyBook.me is best for

• Businesses that need multi-channel booking: Teams taking bookings through website widgets, Facebook, Instagram, Google profiles, and standalone pages.
• International businesses: Organizations serving several languages from one booking page.

Bookafy

Bookafy is an automated online scheduling app for businesses of any size. It streamlines appointment management and keeps client communication moving.

It seamlessly syncs with major calendars—including Google, Outlook, Apple, and Exchange—ensuring schedules are always up to date.

Key features

• Automated communication: Sends email confirmations, SMS reminders, and follow-up review requests to help minimize no-shows.
  
• Variety of appointment types: Handles one-on-one meetings, group sessions, recurring bookings, and classes.
  
• Buffer times: Adds automatic breathing room between appointments for travel, setup, or preparation.

Pricing

The free tier covers one user, and HIPAA compliance is the reason to move up to Pro+.

Where Bookafy shines

• Advanced team routing: Skill-Based and Round Robin routing make it easy for sales teams and large service providers to distribute leads fairly and efficiently.
  
• Global accessibility: Supports over 30 languages, allowing clients around the world to book in their preferred language.
  
• Seamless website integration: Easily embeds via iframe or pop-up buttons, with strong compatibility through its partnership with the Duda website builder.

Where Bookafy falls short

• No native PayPal integration: There is no built-in PayPal option, so clients who prefer PayPal have to pay by card through Stripe.
• Limited form options: Intake forms are basic. There are no dropdowns or checkboxes for longer client questionnaires.
• Mobile sync delays: Events added to Google Calendar from mobile devices don’t always sync to Bookafy, while entries from a PC sync reliably.

Customer reviews

“It’s comprehensive, offers great, personal user support, and it’s not expensive.” – chris D., Capterra

“I don’t really like it. It’s too hard to manage the dashboard” – Esther G., Capterra

Who Bookafy is best for

• Solopreneurs and budget-conscious non-profits: Perfect for those who want unlimited appointments and meeting types at little to no monthly cost.

Appointy

Appointy is a cloud-based scheduling platform for service businesses. It handles bookings, no-shows, and staff schedules in one place.

It sends automated reminders, takes payments, and syncs calendar management with Google and Outlook. Health, fitness, beauty, and education are its main markets.

Key features

• Automated reminders: Sends email and SMS confirmations and reminders to help lower no-show rates.
  
• Resource management: Enables businesses to schedule and manage shared resources such as equipment, treatment rooms, or staff availability.
  
• Payments: Accepts secure online prepayments using Stripe, PayPal, or Square.

Pricing

The free plan caps you at 100 appointments a month, and multi-location support waits for Enterprise.

Where Appointy shines

• Social media integration: Ability to add a fully functional booking tab to Facebook so clients can book without leaving the platform.
  
• Multi-language support: Supports 24+ languages, ideal for international or diverse audiences.
  
• Field service features: Area code mapping automatically assigns appointments to the nearest available staff.

Where Appointy falls short

• Feature gating: Removing Appointy branding, managing multiple locations, and customizing SMS templates all sit on the top Enterprise plan.
• Limited customization: The booking portal offers few design options, and confirmation messages stay locked down until you upgrade.

Customer reviews

“Overall, this is a great product. I love the chat feature they have and the staff is knowledgeable. Their response time is quick and they are always able to help with whatever I need.” – Ranette W., Capterra

“The scheduler is hard to use in the backend, is not flexible, and has a bad design” – martin d., G2

Who Appointy is best for

• Fitness and recreation centers: Ideal for gyms, yoga studios, and dance instructors that need to manage class sizes and track recurring attendance.

Bookeo

Bookeo is a cloud-based booking platform for service providers, instructors, and tour operators. It takes reservations around the clock.

Separate modules cover appointments, classes, and tours. Each one carries live availability, online payments, automated reminders, and tools that cut no-shows.

Key features

• Scheduling and real-time updates: A live dashboard keeps availability up to date as bookings occur, with two-way sync for Google Calendar, iCal, and Outlook.
  
• Payment processing: Supports secure online payments and deposits via Stripe, PayPal, and Square, and includes an integrated POS system for in-person transactions.
  
• Client management: Centralizes customer information, booking history, and intake forms in one record.

Pricing

Bookeo charges a flat fee based on consultant count and booking volume, and takes no commission.

Where Bookeo shines

• Flexible and customizable: Offers extensive customization for booking pages to match your brand.
  
• Seamless website integration: Easily embed Bookeo’s booking widget into your existing website (including WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace) so customers can book without being redirected elsewhere.
  
• Built-in marketing tools: Provides integrated features like gift vouchers, memberships, prepaid packages (punch cards), and promotional tools.

Where Bookeo falls short

• Outdated interface: The design feels dated compared to modern competitors, which can affect overall brand presentation.
  
• No native mobile app: There’s no dedicated iOS or Android app for business owners, limiting on-the-go management.
  
• Limited timezone handling: Weak automatic timezone support can cause confusion for national or international bookings.
  
• No live onboarding: Setup is self-guided, with no live demos or phone-based onboarding support.

Customer reviews

“Bookeo allowed us to start taking bookings almost immediately after launching our business. It was great at the time, but we ultimately had to switch services due to lack of the features we needed.” – Jeremy J., Capterra

“Calendar scheduling and reminders should be simple, Bookeo makes it difficult.” – FREDERICK K., Capterra

Who Bookeo is best for

• Small service businesses and solo owners: Anyone who wants a flat monthly fee with no commission on bookings.

Calendly

Calendly is a cloud-based scheduling platform, and one of the better-known scheduling automation tools. It reads your existing calendar and shows live availability, so invitees pick a time that does not clash.

It also handles automated reminders, buffer times, time zone detection, and custom scheduling rules. Those cut down on double bookings and back-and-forth email.

Key features

• Event scheduling: Pre-built templates for various meeting formats, such as quick 15-minute intro calls, hour-long demos, or multi-participant sessions.
  
• Team scheduling: Flexible options like Round Robin (distributing meetings across team members), Collective (booking multiple team members together), and Group (ideal for webinars or classes).
  
• Meeting polls: Lets a group vote on several proposed times, then books the option with the most votes.

Pricing

The free plan gives you one event type. Payments, workflows and round robin scheduling all need Standard or Teams.

Where Calendly shines

• Smart lead routing: Forms automatically qualify leads and direct them to the appropriate account executive based on region or industry.

• Automated workflows: Streamlines reminders, follow-ups, and other scheduling needs without manual effort.
  
• Branded booking pages: You can customize your scheduling pages to reflect your professional look and business identity.
  

Where Calendly falls short

• High team costs: The Teams plan runs $20 a seat each month, roughly 67% more than Standard. A 10-person team spends about $2,400 a year on scheduling alone.
• Key features restricted: Stripe and PayPal payments, SMS workflows, and round robin scheduling are all off the free and entry-level plans.
• No resource management: You cannot schedule rooms, equipment, or vehicles, only people.

Customer reviews

“Overall, my experience is pretty good with it. It’s just hard if you have to schedule for multiple people because you have to look up each person’s calendar. […] I wish it had the ability to connect with your own calendar.” – Victoria H., Capterra

“In my opinion the platform is not where it should be in this day in age.” – Briana M., Capterra

Who Calendly is best for

• Small teams and consultants: Anyone who needs automated scheduling, reminders, and payment collection for clients.
• Trainers and educators: Can run group classes, webinars, or multi-person sessions efficiently.

Why consider Setmore alternatives?

Setmore is a solid entry-level scheduling tool. Growing service businesses usually need more than online booking.

Deeper client management, better reporting, and built-in revenue tools all push you toward a bigger platform. The same logic applies when reviewing Boulevard competitors for salon-style platforms.

Three things push a practice off basic scheduling software.

Thin clinical and client records

Setmore focuses on appointment booking. It has no detailed client records, no treatment notes, and no customizable medical forms. For healthcare, aesthetic, or wellness practices, that means compliance risk and a thin paper trail.

Practices that outgrow booking-first tools often shortlist Semble alternatives for stronger clinical records. Salon-first tools such as Mangomint leave the same hole, so aesthetic practices also compare the top Mangomint alternatives.

Pabau goes further, combining booking with a built-in EMR, digital forms, and charting. The clinical side of the practice then lives in one secure system.

Basic reporting and revenue insights

Setmore offers simple reports, but no financial analytics, treatment performance tracking, or revenue forecasting. That makes it hard to see which services earn most, which staff perform best, and where revenue leaks.

Pabau’s dashboards and financial reporting show a practice where the money comes from, and where it does not.

Limited marketing and automation tools

Setmore sends basic reminders. It has no CRM-driven marketing, no automated follow-ups, and no targeted rebooking campaigns. Retention and lifetime value both suffer for it.

Pabau builds CRM, automated recalls, membership tracking, and marketing into the platform, so repeat bookings happen without a reminder list.

How Pabau replaces Setmore in a growing practice

Most practices leaving Setmore are running three systems at once. The calendar sits in the booking tool, the notes sit in a folder, and the money sits in a spreadsheet.

Pabau keeps all three in one record. A booking creates the client, the consultation note attaches to that client, and the invoice attaches to the note.

That leaves fewer places to look and less to reconcile at the end of the month. You can see which service earns most, which practitioner is busiest, and which clients have not been back since spring.

Book a demo call with Pabau and we will walk your current workflow across.

Run the whole practice from one record

Pabau combines online booking, client records, payments, and marketing in one platform, so a Setmore switcher stops reconciling three systems. Every subscription includes every feature.

Book a demo

Conclusion

The right Setmore alternative depends on what you are actually booking. If you book meetings, Calendly or Bookafy will do the job for a few dollars a seat.

If you book treatments, the decision turns on the client record. Acuity Scheduling and SimplyBook.me get you part of the way, but only on a higher tier.

That is the trade worth remembering. The cheapest line on a pricing page is rarely the plan a practice ends up paying for. Book a demo to see how Pabau handles booking, records, and payments in one place.

Frequently asked questions