Booker vs Timely

Acuity Scheduling

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Square Point of Sale

Mindbody

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Kitomba Salon and Spa Software

Compare Booker and Timely based on features, pricing, verified reviews, integrations & more on GetApp. Find out which software is best for your business in 2026.

Calendly

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

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.

Goldie

Goldie is a comprehensive software designed for salon and beauty professionals. The platform offers appointment scheduling, automated client reminders, and integrated payment processing capabilities to help reduce no-shows and streamline business operations. Beauty professionals can manage their calendars, create branded online booking websites, and track business performance through detailed reports.

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

Some reviewers find Booker’s wide range of features adds value, and some users say flat-rate pricing was initially affordable. However, reviewers indicate frequent price hikes, extra fees, and disappointing value for money compared to competitors.

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

Starter

 Accelerate

 Ultimate

 Ultimate Plus

Accounting Admin

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

Spa Manager

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

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 system was constantly down and in service with technical issues.  

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.

Owner

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.

Director of Business Operations

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

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

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

Manager

Also, the credit card fees were unsustainable.

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

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

owner

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.

Massage therapist

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

Store and Spa Director

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

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.  

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.

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.

Nothing in the booker booking system was easy or made sense

Cosmology

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

Its user-friendly interface makes staff organization, client administration, and appointment scheduling easier.

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

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

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

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

I liked the ease of clients being able to book online and how it integrated into our website.

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

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

It was good, it was our first booking system so it worked at the beginning since we ere not sure what we needed.

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.

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.

Clerk

Some of the features I didn't even know we had were hidden and sometimes it would freeze up or give issues during payment but customer support was always quick to resolve.

Salon Management

Bugs and Issues

Pricing

Software Updates

User Interface

Inconsistent phone support experience

66% of reviewers feel negative about phone support. Users report long wait times, unreturned calls, and difficulty reaching knowledgeable representatives. Reviewers indicate that issues often remain unresolved after multiple calls, and some say support staff provide generic or incorrect answers. Users think the lack of responsive and effective phone support increases stress and delays problem resolution, making it challenging to address urgent business needs.

Disruptive and ineffective updates

65% of reviewers feel negative about software updates. Users report that updates are often scheduled during business hours, causing downtime and interruptions. Reviewers indicate that updates sometimes introduce new bugs or fail to address existing issues. Some users say the process of upgrading versions is cumbersome, and they are frustrated by the lack of meaningful improvements. Users think frequent, poorly timed updates hinder productivity and complicate day-to-day operations.

Unreliable email and support responses

59% of reviewers feel negative about email communication. Users report delayed or missing responses to support emails, with some indicating they receive only automated or irrelevant replies. Reviewers say automated client emails can be inconsistent or lack customization, leading to confusion. Some users mention difficulties in getting issues resolved via email and frustration with unreturned messages. Users think these communication gaps hinder their ability to resolve problems efficiently and maintain clear contact with both support and clients.

Unreliable payment handling

68% of reviewers feel negative about credit card processing. Reviewers report problems with payment integration, such as declined transactions, delayed deposits, and difficulty adjusting charges after settlement. Some users say they are forced to use specific merchant providers with less favorable rates, and experience issues with gift certificate processing and online sales. Users think these limitations and frequent errors complicate checkout, payroll, and revenue tracking, causing frustration for both staff and clients.

Frequent technical disruptions

77% of reviewers feel negative about bugs and issues. Users report frequent glitches, slowdowns, and system crashes, especially during peak business hours. Reviewers indicate these disruptions can prevent them from booking appointments, checking clients in or out, and processing payments, which negatively impacts business operations. Some users say recurring outages and unaddressed bugs lead to frustration and lost revenue. Users think the instability requires time-consuming workarounds and makes it difficult to rely on the software for uninterrupted service.

Effortless system navigation

100% of reviewers feel positive about navigation. Reviewers indicate the software is easy to navigate for users at all skill levels, from beginners to advanced. They say the layout is straightforward, allowing them to find features and complete tasks quickly. Some users appreciate that both staff and clients can move through the system without confusion, which helps businesses operate smoothly from day one. Users find that the intuitive navigation reduces training time and makes it easy to manage appointments, inventory, and other daily operations.

Comprehensive salon operations support

80% of reviewers feel positive about salon management. Reviewers indicate the software provides essential tools for streamlining salon operations, including appointment booking, payroll, reporting, and client management. Users appreciate the ability to access information quickly, manage multiple locations, and offer online booking to clients. Some users say the platform is well-suited for both solo professionals and larger salons, helping them stay organized and improve client satisfaction. Users find that the system’s features support business growth and efficient day-to-day management.

Streamlined staff training experience

89% of reviewers feel positive about the training and learning curve. Reviewers indicate the software is intuitive and easy to learn, even for those with little technical background. They appreciate the availability of embedded training videos, online resources, and flexible training sessions, which help new staff get up to speed quickly. Some users say the step-by-step guidance and helpful support staff make onboarding straightforward. Users think the system’s simplicity reduces the need for extensive training, and they value being able to teach new employees efficiently, which saves time and supports business growth.

Booker vs Timely Comparison (2026)

Booker

Timely

Overview

Video & Screenshots

Pricing

User reviews

Key features

Integrations

Alternatives