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Get StartedIn today's age, business owners are inundated with choice. It's no surprise choosing the right online booking system can be a challenge. It’s all too easy to overlook the importance of selecting a quality online booking solution, and instead, go for the first option without researching or taking into account specific criteria. Well, we’re going to help make your decision easier! In this article, we’ll review our picks for the top 10 online booking systems in 2023, going over each one's features, pros & cons, pricing, and more. Our primary aim is to help you make an informed decision so you can support the success of your business.
An online booking system is an invaluable tool for businesses offering appointment services, such as massage therapists, personal trainers, or escape room managers. By making it easier to manage bookings and deal with customer enquiries, these systems help streamline the organisation process whilst providing customers with greater convenience when making reservations.
Additionally, online booking systems can also be integrated with existing payment gateways, allowing for secure payment processing in real-time and minimising any manual effort in collecting payments or keeping track of outstanding balances. In short, online booking systems provide a highly effective way to make business operations more efficient whilst simultaneously enhancing your customers’ experience. To compete in today’s market, they are usually a non-negotiable component of running a bookings-based business.
The top 10 best online booking systems in 2023 are:
Without further ado, let’s take a look at our picks for the top 10 online booking systems in 2023!
Founded: 2021
Free trial: 30 days
Best for: small businesses seeking a user-friendly, comprehensive booking solution
Do you want to grow your small business, but don't know where to start? Do you require an affordable, out-of-the-box software solution with a broad range of features? If so, our top pick, Baluu could be the booking system for you.
Despite it being one of the newer platforms on the market, there's a good reason we ranked this trailblazer so highly. Baluu is a robust and easy-to-use online booking system that’s tailored specifically for small enterprises. Not only is it one of the more affordable platforms on the market, but offers one of the most hassle-free ways to take bookings and process payments.
If you don't already have a website, Baluu's user-friendly, fully-branded website builder will get you up and running within hours. If you do have a website, simply integrate Baluu’s customisable widget onto your existing website and hey presto! You’ve got yourself a full-featured booking system.
Baluu simplifies the booking process by taking bookings, handling payments and automating what would otherwise be time-consuming admin. Few programmes (if any) offer such a comprehensive solution.
Baluu's primary selling point is how simple it is to use. Even those technophobes among you will be able to easily use its intuitive interface and useful tools. Baluu streamlines the process of creating event listings, handling finances, and creating schedules.
The Baluu dashboard really is a thing of wonder, enabling you to keep tabs on all aspects of your bookings from a single location, whether that be in a web browser or on a mobile device.
The process of getting started with Baluu is extremely straightforward. As soon as you've registered for an account and added an activity or event, you'll have access to your Baluu dashboard.
Baluu’s revolutionary new Booking Widget
If you already have a website, Baluu’s new customisable widget makes integrating your booking system effortless. This slick, unintrusive app contains all your events, timetables, products, branding, marketing tools, and more, and can be linked to your current website platform in mere minutes.
If you don't already have a website, Baluu also offers a code-free website builder that enables you to create a fully customised booking website.
Go here to view an example site created with Baluu.
You can easily see a summary of your sales, reservations, reviews, client profiles, and future events on the dashboard home page. You can also utilize marketing tools like creating gift cards and discount codes from the dashboard as well.
The Baluu dashboard provides an overview of every aspect of your company. Here, you have access to everything you need to manage your reservations, including classes, events, schedules, products, emails, clients, and students. Here, businesses may quickly manage their income and insurance, use marketing tools, and connect their customised widget.
Check out our step-by-step tutorial for building your online booking system on Baluu if you need further assistance.
Baluu can assist you with managing practically every element of your small business, from easily accepting reservations to creating your own branded website. In addition to providing a wide selection of feature sets at reasonable prices, the Baluu team are also available around-the-clock to guide you through using the software.
As well as their Free plan, Baluu has a wide range of affordable pricing plans designed especially for small and growing businesses. Choose to pay monthly or yearly and get started today with Baluu’s 30-day free trial.
Founded: 2011
Free plan: (up to 4 users)
Best for: small business owners who want a reliable, trusted booking system
Setmore is one of the giants in the online booking world, providing a comprehensive platform for customers to optimise their day-to-day activities. The unrivalled user experience enables individuals and businesses alike to manage their busy calendars quickly and easily. What’s more, their simple drag-and-drop appointment scheduling technology makes it easier than ever before to make bookings on the go and organise hundreds of appointments in minutes.
With real-time notifications and other customizable settings that seamlessly integrate with existing software solutions, Setmore users can have confidence that their schedules will remain up-to-date.
Image courtesy of www.setmore.com
Setmore Key features
There are three pricing tiers for Setmore. Its three plans are free, pro ($5 USD/month when billed yearly), and premium ($9 USD/month when billed annually). You can choose the plan that works best for you because each one gives you access to various features and resources.
Image courtesy of www.setmore.com
Setmore includes a number of other capabilities that can help you manage and enhance your business and assist you in creating a eye-catching booking page. There are several benefits to using this booking software, whether your goal is to market your company or increase bookings.
One of Setmore’s significant drawbacks is the fact it only offers online customer assistance. This means that the Setmore staff can only provide online support through emails if you require assistance using its online booking system. A booking programme that provides support via email and phone calls may be a better choice for folks who aren't tech-savvy.
Founded: 2010
Free plan (1 user)
Best for: businesses that want the option to add features as they scale
The guys behind Simplybook have been refining their booking system for over a decade, and the results speak for themselves. Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, Simplybook.me provides the tools to manage scheduling with ease. It stands out from competitors through its detailed analytics reporting, providing more than just simple task management; users have real-time insight into the efficiency of their processes and operations.
Customisation options such as embedded booking buttons, payment options, automated client reminders, waitlist options and discounts can easily be adjusted to fit business needs. Above all, the platform's user-friendliness makes it stress-free for teams of all sizes — while giving them the flexibility they need to grow.
Users can choose from four different plans at SimplyBook.me. It's one of the most reasonably priced booking programmes available, so if money is limited, its free plan or paid plans may be a good fit. The Basic plan costs only £5.80 per month, the Standard plan is $16.70 per month, and the Premium plan is £37 per month when billed annually.
Image via https://simplybook.me/
Users can add unique features to any plan while using SimplyBook.me, meaning you can supplement the features included in each plan with others of your choosing. In addition to the ability to choose features that suit their needs, SimplyBook.me offers numerous benefits small businesses can take advantage of.
The number of reservations and listings that small businesses can make is often uncapped by many booking platforms, (Baluu among them). Nevertheless, not even the most expensive plan on SimplyBook.me allows users to make an infinite number of bookings. In order to accomplish your business objectives, you'll also need to integrate the tool with some quotation software if you want to perform actions like sending estimates and taking signatures.
Founded: 2009
Free trial: 14 days
Best for: SMEs who want great automation tools that can streamline their operations
One of the most seasoned software companies on this list, BookWhen is a comprehensive online booking system designed to take the hassle out of managing bookings. It offers an easy-to-use platform with a range of intuitive features which help streamline the booking process, making it quick and stress-free. These include automated notifications, detailed customer profiles, and a handy calendar view which can manage multiple services and staff resources.
Its advanced payment processing tools also make it easy to accept payments—allowing you to securely take payments online simultaneous to taking bookings. All in all, BookWhen offers an efficient and reliable way to manage your customers' booking, and provides many features to help you maximise your business’s potential.
This granddaddy of the booking world provides myriad features that make it easier to manage both online and offline events. Some of BookWhen's features–such as block-booking and multiple ticket types—can help efficiently manage a variety of events.
There are five pricing tiers offered by BookWhen, including a free tier and a POA enterprise tier. Together with this, Bookwhen also offers the Lite plan, which is billed annually for £90+VAT, the Standard plan, which is billed annually for £190+VAT, and the Plus plan, which is billed annually for £390+VAT.
Image via https://bookwhen.com/
Due to its versatility, BookWhen is suitable for a wide range of small enterprises. This adaptable online booking system includes an extensive array of options that will make hosting your different events simple and straightforward, no matter the type of class or activities you offer.
While some online booking systems offer small businesses an automatic way for collecting reviews, BookWhen does not. As a result, it will be harder to establish your company's reputation as a trustworthy brand than it would be with alternative software.
Reviews can affect how well your small business performs in search engine results, which makes this feature quite useful for expanding enterprises. The silver lining is that Bookwhen does enable you to manually gather reviews.
Founded: 2011
Free trial: 14 days
Best for: businesses who need advanced appointment scheduling tools
Appointedd is one of the hottest online booking systems on the market today—and for good reason! This efficient and innovative software makes it easier than ever for businesses to manage their customer appointments. The main strength of Appointedd lies in its intuitive interface and broad range of features.
With Appointedd, businesses can accept payments directly within the software solution, allowing them to process transactions quickly and easily. The ability to customize automated confirmation emails and other notifications also allows customers to access important information even when they’re on the go. Plus, Appointedd gives businesses access to real-time analytics tools that make it easy to analyze customer data at a glance.
Appointedd Key Features
Appointedd offers a variety of features that will make accepting bookings simpler for all types of service providers, from personal trainers to escape room entrepreneurs. Whether you utilise Appointedd's scheduling app or online booking system, you won’t be short of dozens of helpful tools and features.
Make sure you take advantage of Appointedd's 14-day free trial before beginning a premium service. Payment choices for the paid plans include monthly or yearly payments.The monthly cost of Appointedd is £15 and the annual cost is £12 per month. Also, small businesses also have the option to pay more for SMS bundles.
Image via https://www.appointedd.com/
In addition to offering a wealth of beneficial services, Appointedd also offers their consumers round-the-clock support. There are many advantages of using this online booking system, from organising your team to giving your consumers a variety of payment methods.
Many capabilities offered by Appointedd are undeniably helpful to many small enterprises. However, although small business owners can manage the schedules of their teams, Appointedd only permits one user to use their booking system—a glaring drawback.
On the other hand, Baluu offers different rights for different users and makes managing your team even easier than other booking systems.
Founded: (parent company Zoho) 1996
Free Plan: No
Best for: sales teams who want appointment scheduling customised for their industry
Considering what it offers for the price, Zoho Bookings is certainly a viable choice for small businesses in need of reliable and comprehensive appointment scheduling software. It's feature-rich, with time slots customizable according to the user's specific needs and preferences; providers can easily adjust their availability, coordinate multiple services and manage recurring bookings.
The calendar view allows customers to quickly see available timeslots and openings, information which is also conveniently accessible through any mobile device. Overall, Zoho Bookings stands out from its competitors by offering a powerful yet sleek package that delivers robust functionality to business owners.
The great news for small business owners on a budget is that Zoho Bookings is available for free. However, this version has many limitations, such as the inability to accept customer payments or send appointment reminders. To make the most of Zoho Bookings, you must subscribe to a paid plan, which the platform offers in two flavours: Basic and Premium. The former costs £4.8 per month per user, while the latter costs £7.20 per month per user—still both relatively affordable compared to some competitors.
Despite its impressive range of functionality, the platform’s user interface may be in need of improvement, as users have reported it being unintuitive and difficult to navigate. What’s more, the free plan may be too limited for most businesses, and some users have also reported customer service is slow to respond.
Founded: 2009
Free plan (1.75% transaction fee per person)
Best for: businesses currently using Square software
Since its inception over 13 years ago, Square has become one of the leading software companies. It was only a matter of time before they introduced an online booking system—and now we have one in Square Appointments. This full-service client scheduling system includes a POS app, online booking website, and payment system.
Signing up for Square and downloading the Square Appointments app on an iPhone, iPad, or Android tablet or smartphone is simple and free. Clients can pay for their reservations online or in person using a Square card machine, with payouts arriving in your bank account within 1-2 working days.
Pricing*
Compared to other options on this list, Square Appointments’ paid plans are on the more expensive side. However, individual users can use Square Appointments for free indefinitely. When you add more users, there is a tier of monthly fees.
The monthly fee is £29 + VAT for two to five users and £69 + VAT for six to ten users. Bigger teams should contact Square directly for special pricing.
For any of the plans or features, no contractual commitment is required. If you want to try out the staff settings, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial.
While there is a free plan, this is fairly rudimentary and lacks many necessary tools. Businesses on the free plan, for example, cannot send automatic email reminders. What’s more, Square Appointments charges a per-transaction fee. Customisation and branding capabilities are limited for businesses that utilise this scheduling system. Square Appointments also includes a number of options for managing coworkers, meaning this booking system is unlikely to be suitable for small firms with few or no team members.
Founded: 2017
Free Plan (up to 3 users)
Best for: small businesses who value social networking tools and excellent customer support
As a small company owner, you’ll know the value of having a solid and efficient system for scheduling appointments and reservations. When it comes to value for money, Picktime may be a chief contender. This online booking software has a jampacked free plan perfect for small business owners like hairdressers, massage therapists, or fitness professionals. This includes many features that can help businesses streamline their operations, increase efficiency, and promote to new customers.
Picktime may have one of the most comprehensive free plans out there. The starter option at $9.99 offers many useful features such as automatic timezone conversion and recurring bookings. The Pro plan at $19.99 is better suited for large operations that need advanced features and have up to 20 members of staff.
Image taken from https://www.picktime.com/
While Picktime does offer integrations with some popular tools like Google Calendar and Zoom, it may not have integrations with other tools that some users rely on. Furthermore, Picktime does offer email support, but there is limited availability for phone or chat support.
Some users have also cited concerns about the privacy and security of their data on Picktime's servers. Finally, while Picktime does offer an impressive free plan, some users may find that the paid plans are too expensive for their needs, especially if they require a high degree of customization or more advanced features.
Founded: 2012
Free plan (Unlimited users)
Best for: small businesses on a budget requiring a comprehensive free plan
Appointlet is a flexible online booking system which empowers businesses to save time, organize their schedules and decrease missed appointments. It offers an intuitive platform, along with powerful features such as automated reminders to ensure smooth operations. It enables users to easily customize scheduling rules according to business-specific needs, allowing them to focus on the tasks that really matter. By streamlining their appointment management process, Appointlet simplifies and accelerates the workflow for companies across a variety of industries.
Appointlet comes with a great free plan that offers unlimited meetings and booking. It’s premium plan is at $8 per member/month and offers access to more advanced features such as pre-fill form fields, automatic reminders, and more. Its Enterprise plan is for larger operations and the price is available upon request.
While Appointlet is a deservedly popular appointment scheduling software, some users have reported difficulties. Feedback suggests that the platform is not as user-friendly as others and may require more time and effort to set up events.
Some users have also commented on the system's outdated and clunky interface, which may affect the overall experience. Another potential flaw is its limited capabilities for customising branding on emails and forms sent to clients, which may not meet the needs of some businesses.
Founded: 2010
Free trial: 14 days
Best for: medium to large businesses needing business management tools
VCita is more than just a booking system. An all-in-one business management platform that simplifies the way that businesses approach their day-to-day operations, VCita enables service-based businesses to manage leads, customer relationships, appointments, payments and more, in one central place. The online scheduler enables clients to book services and appointments with ease, while automated system reminders help staff stay on top of their daily tasks.
With its invoicing capabilities, customers can pay for services quickly and reliably. Quality customer service is ensured with automated follow-up emails that remind customers when to book or pay for services. By helping streamline processes from lead acquisition to appointment booking and payment processing, VCita helps businesses run more efficiently and effectively, saving them time and money in the process.
VCita may not have a free plan, but they do have a 14-day free trial and a variety of premium options to select from. The Essentials plan costs $19 USD per month when invoiced annually, the Business plan costs $45 USD per month, and the Platinum plan costs $75 USD per month. These plans are on the expensive side and may only be suitable for larger businesses.
VCita can be quite costly for small businesses or solo entrepreneurs. The software offers a range of pricing plans, with more advanced features being available on higher-tier plans. Furthermore, even the lowest subscription plan contains extra fees for onboarding calls, making setup pricier than it first appears. What’s more, VCita's user interface can be somewhat complex, and it may take some time to learn how to use all of its features effectively.
There’s a reason 20% of new businesses fail in the first 2 years—building a successful enterprise is damn difficult! Along with a water-tight business plan and digital strategy, choosing the right online booking system is an essential element. So how do you do it? Well, you need to thoroughly identify your current and foreseeable needs—what features will be essential to you moving forward?
Some questions you might ask are:
While we’ve given you our picks for the top online booking systems in 2023, we strongly recommend you make use of free trials to get a feel for your chosen software’s interface, features, and versatility. Ultimately, we want you to make the optimal choice for your business.
Why not take a gander at some related guides on the Baluu blog below? Or book a demo with one of our friendly team today to get started with our groundbreaking software. We'll be more than happy to walk you through the Baluu system and how it can help you manage and grow your bookings business.
Run a business that takes bookings? Need a single place to manage all your bookings, accept payments and track revenue? Baluu is for you!
Get Started