Square Appointments vs PatientNow

Goldie

Vagaro

Doctoralia for Specialists

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.

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.

Doctoralia Pro provides solutions to manage communication between health centers and patients. It is designed for any type of clinic: therapeutic, pediatric, ophthalmology, dental, fertility, or respiratory. It helps to optimize time and increase revenue.

Square Appointments is an all-in-one scheduling POS for booking, payments, and team management.



Access Controls/Permissions

Accounting Integration

Activity Dashboard

Alerts/Notifications

Appointment Management

Appointment Scheduling

Automated Scheduling

Availability Management

Billing & Invoicing

Booking Management

Booking Notes

Booth Rental Management

Calendar Management

Calendar/Reminder System

Calendar Sync

Campaign Management

Channel Management

Class Management

Class Scheduling

Client Database

Client Management

Client Profiles

Clock In/Out

Color Codes/Icons

Commission Management

Communication Management

Compliance Management

Confirmations/Reminders

Contact Database

Contract/License Management

Credit Card Processing

Customer Accounts

Customer Database

Customer History

Customer Mobile App

Customer Support

Customer Surveys

Customizable Branding

Customizable Reports

Data Import/Export

Data Security

Debit/Credit Card Processing

Digital Wallet Payments

Discount Management

eCommerce Management

Electronic Forms

Electronic Payments

Electronic Signature

Email Alerts

Email Marketing

Email Reminders

Employee Management

Employee Scheduling

Employee Time Tracking

EMR/EHR

Event Calendar

Event Scheduling

Facility Scheduling

Faculty/Staff Management

For Barbershops

For Medical Spas

For Physical Therapy

For Salons and Spas

For Yoga/Pilates Studios

Gift Card Management

In-Person Payments

Inventory Management

Inventory Tracking

Job Management

Loyalty Program

Marketing Automation

Marketing Management

Member Communication

Membership Management

Mobile Access

Mobile Alerts

Mobile App

Mobile Grooming

Mobile Payments

Multi-Channel Communication

Multi-Location

Multiple Payment Options

Multiple User Accounts

No-Show Tracking

On Call Scheduling

Online Booking

Online Payments

Payment Gateway Integration

Payment Links

Payment Processing

Payroll & Commissions

Payroll Management

PCI Compliance

Performance Metrics

Physician Management

Point of Sale (POS)

Point of Sale (POS) Integration

Practice Management

By industry, Square Appointments reviewers are most commonly professionals in health, wellness and fitness (16%). The most frequent use case for Square Appointments cited by reviewers is appointment scheduling (81% of reviewers).

Users and use cases

Some reviewers appreciate the free plan, which they find valuable for solopreneurs and those on a low budget, and users say transaction fees are fair. However, some users feel processing fees can be high or increase over time, and some mention disappointment when features move behind a paywall.

Value for money

Square Appointments is an appointment scheduling program with key features that include confirmations and reminders, mobile access, online booking, and more.

Square Appointments

Web-based

iPhone

iPad

Android

Acuity Scheduling

Fresha

GlossGenius

Calendly

Noterro

Boulevard

Mangomint

ClinicSense

Setmore

Jane

Square Free

Square Plus

Square Premium

Licensed Massage Therapist

I liked the accessibility of square appointments, clients could book easily and it streamlined my online booking system

Onwer

They have great features like processing times which allow you to double book, online booking, an online waitlist, and an app for clients to use.

Owner

In addition to handling booking for you, you can add on other subscriptions as needed so you have full control to customize the software as your business grows.

HR Director

Maybe I’m missing it, but I can’t seem to find an app and I feel like I have to look for the appointment link each time to book the appointment

Esthetician

It was easy to incorporate my reports, marketing and social media with Square Appointments.   Plus, I can check clients out from the calendar and keep track of all their previous purchase and recommendations in one place.

Content creator and Social Media Manager

I really transitioned from another app and this one it's a super versatile app for both my team and our clients to make their appointments, we can track everything easily to have all in one place.

They also have a robust Feature Request forum & beta program which shows how committed they are to making their products work across their customers needs.

Tax Professional

I love the reminder and notification of clients, the calendar was easy to use, and the security was awesome to keep away spam.

Peer support and appointment director

My favorite thing about the software was the scheduling an appointment management.

clerk

Only down side would be a slight learning curve for new users, which is very minimal and to be anticipated with any new product.

Director of Restaurant Operations

I could use the POS, track inventory, do scheduling, etc. all in one place.

Square Appointments is a great affordable option for service providers (hairstylists, tattoo artists, lash techs, tint installers...).

Customer Support Representative

The convince of being able to see who books with me and not having to physically get in contact with the customer.

AR Billing Specialist

I like that it is very customizable, and you can tailor it to suit your individual need, such as if or how you need a reminder sent.

Other appointment software I've used in the past have either had issues with connectivity, getting funds delivered to you in time, or irregular charges with fees.

founder

I purchased square payment processor and use the appointment scheduler to streamline my workflow.

Hairstylist

I honestly don't really have many dislikes. If I had to make a dislike, it may be adding a note when scheduling your next appt online

owner

the fee is a little high, cause it will be around 50 usd plus a fee per each transaction.

Had most of the features that I needed to run my business.

Owner and Electrologist

I enjoyed it. But once I paid for a subscription square buckled and dumped you on texts an emails whereas another platform could give me unlimited emails.

Speech pathologist

It was easy to see my appointments and add new patients.

Founder, CEO, Trichologist, Cosmetologist

Although there is great progress and development within Appointments, there are still some VERY key features (BASIC NECESSITIES) that have been HIGHLY sought after for years and they're still not implemented.

We've been with Square going on 4 years and in that time, we've seen a ton of new improvements and updates that have really simplified Appointment booking for us.

Artist and Owner

Its connected to my square account which I use often and can see my appointments when they are booked.

It was reliable to begin with, but I also found it extremely limiting in the booking area. If I could keep the other square solutions without square appointments that would have been ideal.

Content Manager

Its official integrations are really polished, but it's not the most flexible platform for any non official integration.

We also colour coded all our different appointments yet that didnt work

Lash Tech

For example I had to have Square Appointments setter installed and Square Payment Processor installed separately.

Senior Staff Engineer

When I needed detailed sales reports, I realized I had to upgrade to a more expensive plan to access those features.

Once on the list it send a text or email the moment an appointment becomes available due to a cancellation.

It was easy to see and track all of my appointments.

Program Manager

If I had to pick one thing I least like about Square, I’d have to say sometimes there can be a delay with reminders, however it’s not been frequent.

Square offers "no show protection" by requiring a card to book an appointment, yet they allow clients to delete this right after booking without notifying me.

Free Plan Option - solopreneurs can get their business up and running without feeling like they have to "pay to play"

I don’t like that a person can’t buy more than one ticket for a class but it’s not a game changer.

Healthcare VA

Sometimes patients can send appointment request with incomplete information.

There are not a lot of customizations that we needed as a growing Spa business.

Square Appointments is the best option for independent hairstylists.

Dispatcher

Simple, easy to create an account and send reminders to who ever needs them.

Engineer

The customization within an appointment is lacking.

Peer support

Everything you need to keep up to date on clients and there needs in one easy free spot.

Director

It is so easy to train people up in and has enabled me to grow my business over 300% since being with Square since 2021.

Oh but what's this? Before I finalized my appointment, I was asked what new product I needed since the shampoo I purchased last time is almost out.

Platform is intuitive, uptime is great and there is ample access across platforms.

Square Appointments vs PatientNow Comparison (2026)

Square Appointments

PatientNow

Overview

Video & Screenshots

Pricing

User reviews

Key features

Integrations

Alternatives