Booker vs Phorest

Calendly

Google Calendar

Vagaro

Calendly is a scheduling automation platform that helps individuals, teams, and enterprises book meetings faster, eliminate back-and-forth emails, and connect their calendar, CRM, and video tools into one seamless scheduling workflow.

Google Calendar is an online calendar solution that enables users to manage business and personal schedules. The platform offers calendar migration options, allowing users to integrate existing calendars, including those from Microsoft and IBM. Google provides comprehensive tools and resources to facilitate data migrations into the Google Workspace ecosystem.

Vagaro is all-in-one software for beauty, wellness, and fitness professionals. Manage appointments, accept payments, run marketing campaigns, and grow your business all from one easy-to-use platform designed to help you save time and boost revenue.

owner

customer service is available - but they are often unknowledgeable and can only submit requests to development and they take months even years before they fix your problem.

Salon owner

After a while the service became unaffordable for my business.

Booker enables your staff to access a calendar of daily appointments & classes, adjust their schedules, book multiple customers, send reminders and more.

Access Controls/Permissions

Accounting

Activity Dashboard

Alerts/Notifications

Appointment Management

Appointment Scheduling

Attendance Management

Automated Scheduling

Barcode/Ticket Scanning

Before & After Pictures

Billing & Invoicing

Booking Management

Booth Rental Management

Calendar Management

Calendar Sync

Client Database

Client Management

Client Portal

Client Profiles

Commission Management

Confirmations/Reminders

Credit Card Management

Credit Card Processing

Customer Accounts

Customer Database

Customer Support

Customizable Branding

Customizable Fields

Customizable Reports

Customizable Templates

Data Import/Export

Data Synchronization

Discount Management

eCommerce Management

Electronic Signature

Email Marketing

Email Reminders

Employee Database

Employee Management

Employee Scheduling

Financial Management

For Barbershops

For Medical Spas

For Retail

For Salons and Spas

Gift Card Management

Group Scheduling

Inventory Management

Inventory Tracking

Item Management

Loyalty Program

Marketing Automation

Mobile App

Multi-Location

Online Booking

Online Payments

Online Time Clock

Ordering Automation

Payment Processing

Payroll & Commissions

Payroll Management

Performance Metrics

Point of Sale (POS)

Purchasing & Receiving

Real-Time Reporting

Real-time Scheduling

Recurring Appointments

Referral Tracking

Reminders

Reporting/Analytics

Rescheduling

Retail Inventory Management

Retail POS

Room Booking

Sales Reports

Schedule Distribution

Scheduling

Shift Swapping

SMS Marketing

SMS Messaging

Social Media Integration

Task Scheduling

Third-Party Integrations

Time & Expense Tracking

Transaction History

Treatment Packages

Vacation/Leave Tracking

Website Integration

Reviewers indicate that Booker initially offered good value with reasonable pricing and useful features, and users appreciate the flat-rate pricing for budgeting. However, many reviewers feel recent price increases and added fees have reduced affordability, especially for small businesses.

Value for money

By industry, Booker reviewers are most commonly professionals in health, wellness and fitness (39%). The most frequent use case for Booker cited by reviewers is appointment scheduling (71% of reviewers).

Booker

Web-based

iPhone

Windows

iPad

Android

Mindbody

Phorest

Meevo

ZENOTI

DaySmart Salon

Shopify

Mangomint

Starter

 Accelerate

 Ultimate

Unresponsive phone assistance

Owner

The system does not work as it is supposed to, I have spent too much time calling support without anything getting resolved.

65% of reviewers feel negative about phone support, describing long wait times, unreturned calls, and difficulty reaching knowledgeable representatives. Users report that issues are often unresolved after multiple calls, and follow-up is inconsistent or nonexistent. They express frustration with being transferred between departments, receiving generic answers, or being told to wait for future updates. Reviewers feel that the lack of reliable phone support makes it challenging to resolve urgent problems and adds stress to managing their business.

Disruptive and ineffective updates

66% of reviewers feel negative about software updates, stating that updates often introduce new bugs, cause downtime during business hours, and rarely address core issues. Users say maintenance frequently interrupts their workflow, and changes are sometimes unnecessary or poorly communicated. Reviewers report frustration with the lack of meaningful improvements, outdated features, and the need to repeatedly adjust settings after updates. They feel that the update process is inefficient and can negatively impact business productivity.

Ineffective email support

58% of reviewers feel negative about email communication, noting slow or absent responses to support requests and unresolved issues. Users say automated replies are common, but personalized follow-up is rare, leading to prolonged problem resolution. They mention that important notifications, confirmations, or updates are sometimes missing or inconsistent, which creates confusion for both staff and clients. Reviewers indicate that the lack of effective email support and communication undermines confidence in the company’s customer service.

Unreliable payment handling

68% of reviewers feel negative about credit card processing, citing frequent errors, declined transactions, and integration problems with payment hardware. Users say they experience delays in receiving deposits, difficulty adjusting charges, and confusion with gift certificate or membership payments. Many mention being forced to use specific merchant providers with higher fees and limited flexibility. Reviewers express concern over lost revenue, manual workarounds, and poor communication about payment issues, which undermines trust and efficiency in financial operations.

Frequent system glitches

78% of reviewers feel negative about bugs and issues, reporting regular system slowdowns, crashes, and glitches that disrupt business operations. Users say these problems often occur during peak hours, making it difficult to check clients in or out, process payments, or book appointments. They express frustration with the need for frequent workarounds and the negative impact on customer experience. Reviewers mention that technical issues can lead to lost data, inaccurate reports, and increased downtime, causing operational headaches and lost revenue.

Intuitive system navigation

100% of reviewers feel positive about navigation, saying the software is straightforward and easy to move through for users of all experience levels. They find the layout logical and appreciate that everything is well organized, which allows them to quickly access the features they need. Some users highlight that even new staff or clients can pick up navigation with minimal instruction, making daily operations smoother and more efficient. Reviewers indicate that the ease of navigation helps them get their business running quickly and reduces the time spent on training or troubleshooting.

Responsive live chat assistance

80% of reviewers feel positive about live chat support, emphasizing the convenience and speed of getting help without tying up phone lines. Users appreciate being able to resolve issues quickly while multitasking, and they mention that support agents are knowledgeable, patient, and effective at troubleshooting. Reviewers say the chat feature is especially helpful during busy times, allowing them to keep operations running smoothly. Many users prefer chat over other support channels due to its efficiency and immediate response.

Streamlined staff training

89% of reviewers feel positive about the training and learning curve, noting that the software is easy to learn and teach to new employees. Users appreciate the availability of embedded training videos, frequent online classes, and helpful support staff who guide them through the system. They find that even those with little technical background can become proficient quickly, and the flexibility in scheduling training sessions is beneficial for busy teams. Reviewers say the intuitive design and accessible resources help reduce onboarding time and improve staff confidence.

Efficient team coordination

81% of reviewers feel positive about staff management, saying the software supports smooth onboarding, training, and daily collaboration among employees. Users find it easy to set up multiple accounts, manage payroll, and allow different team members to access what they need. They appreciate that frequent front desk turnover is less disruptive because new staff can be trained quickly. Reviewers highlight that the system helps keep everyone on the same page, whether working in the office or remotely, and improves overall business organization.

User-friendly daily operations

86% of reviewers feel positive about ease of use, reporting that the software is simple, organized, and accessible for all team members. They value the intuitive interface, customizable options, and logical workflows that streamline daily tasks like scheduling, checkout, and reporting. Users mention that new employees adapt quickly, and the system’s clean design minimizes confusion. Reviewers indicate that the ease of use saves time, reduces errors, and makes managing business operations less stressful, even for those with limited technical skills.

Accounting Admin

Booker has offered strong scheduling, payment processing and marketing tools in one platform which has made my work life 10x easier!

Pilates transformation expert

Whenever anything goes wrong - like the app stops working correctly or automated payments stops working - it’s impossible to get help from customer service.

customer care agent

my experience with booker was so great when i want to discover new books and learn any new information i would run to it immedatelly rather than wasting my time on other platforms.

Spa Manager

I use this software to manage our bookings at the Spa in which I manage & I love it!

Director of Business Operations

Constantly freezing, unable to check out clients without crashing, unable to view past transactions easily.  

Esthetician and massage therapist

It has an unlimited amount of options for services and prices as well as staff.

Co-Owner

It would go down and stop working on our busy days in the salon.  

The reports and ease of onboarding employees, setting security levels and booking appointments.

The system was constantly down and in service with technical issues.  

Massage therapist

App version allowed for easy and quick reference from my smart phone.

Overall I had no issues with my experience while using Booker.

Occasional glitches that were not fixed quickly.

Booker has been super easy to learn as well as easy to teach our new concierge/front desk staff.  

Manager

Also, the credit card fees were unsustainable.

Massage Therapist/ Business owner

Their sales team is awesome but once you sign your contract, the customer service is garbage they do not care about you or the issues the software has and it is very apparent.

University Intern 

Booker gives salon professionals and owners the tools they need to streamline their business operations and improve client satisfaction with the help of its configurable features and mobile app.

Registered Massage Therapist

They notified you via email for every new appointment, making it easy to keep track of client appointments.

Store and Spa Director

The worst experience I've had with a service provider or tech provider, bar none.

Cosmology

Customer appointment history is glitchy and sometimes dose not show history and notes as needed

You know these companies are in trouble when they try to hold you to a policy that says if you say nothing, your contract auto-renews for one year.

a lot thing, like getting locked in a contract, event the sytem wasn't working for us we weren't able to dowgrade.

Their practitioner scheduling could use some improvement, in terms of making it more customizable.

I used Booker for several years and found it to be easy to navigate.

They upgraded it regularly when I started, then it became apparent that the upgrades were few and far between and really meaningless.

They also recently came out with an AI receptionist feature for online booking.

User friendly for clients, however could use some minor upgrades with scheduling customization.

Clients could not purchase their sessions, packages, or memberships online, also their forms were not available when we first started, and the check out process was not the easiest.

Some users could first have a steep learning curve that makes it difficult to become skilled in using all the capabilities. Although Booker provides a wide range of functions, some specialized or niche salon businesses could need more modification or integration with specialized software.

They do not send a renewal notice or offer a reasonable cancellation window.

Nothing in the booker booking system was easy or made sense

Bookers sales team worked really hard to sell me on a contract and once it was signed the truth slowly came out.

The system is really flawed and has a lot of bugs.

unreliable , inconsistent, lack of ownership when software not working, lack of ownership when they add services to our list that we don't offer, no report is accurate

reviewer

I've tried seven other point-of-sale programs, including Salon Iris, Square, Micros, and others, but none of them compare to Booker as a POS program for salons.

My best guess is you are only using the software as a glorified version of paper schedule book. If you are using more than just the most very basic functions of this software you would know just how bad it is.

Designer. Project Manager

I like it's ease of use and it's streamlined process in order to schedule.

Although I did not actively work in salon management during my internship at the university in pharmaceutical product development and research, I did get the chance to learn more about Booker's features and functionality.

Receptionist

The features make sense, and I've noticed as Booker is updating and adapting it just gets better.

can access schedule from mobile devices || clients can book appointments via web link

There are so many options for categories to pick from, and I appreciate that you can create your own, so it's easy to add and remove services from our menu.

Medical Receptionist 

Creating packages and reports could be alot less hassling..  work needed as it relates to credit card processes.

Senior Analyst

The software does not have a great calendar integration for seamless updating.

Booker vs Phorest Comparison (2026)

Booker

Phorest

Overview

Video & Screenshots

Pricing

User reviews

Key features

Integrations

Alternatives