Which appointment booking app should a small business use, such as a salon or clinic?
Fresha, for a salon, spa or barber in India: it lists its subscription as free for a one-person business and for teams, takes bookings from Instagram, Facebook, a direct link and its own marketplace (which charges a one-time fee on brand-new clients it sends you), and bills in rupees for extras such as text and WhatsApp reminders past 20 free a month, at ₹13.50 a text or ₹1.60 to ₹5.50 a WhatsApp. For other service businesses, Setmore is free for up to 4 users and Pro is $5 per user a month billed yearly. Zoho Bookings is free for one user, reminds clients on WhatsApp, and Basic is US$6 per user a month billed yearly. Clinics should look at Practo, where a Prime subscription adds a Book feature so patients book online on a marketplace they already use. A solo consultant needs nothing more than Google Calendar's free appointment schedules. The rule: pick the app whose marketplace your customers already search, and make sure it sends reminders on WhatsApp.
Google's help page for appointment schedules: a booking page from a personal or Workspace account, payments through Stripe, up to 5 reminders an appointment, and some features reserved for eligible Workspace or Google One subscriptions.
A side-by-side test from June 2026: Google Calendar appointment scheduling comes free with any Google account, while Calendly offers more customisation and automation.
Zapier's April 2026 comparison of booking software for businesses, including Setmore's free plan for up to 4 team members and 200 bookings and Acuity Scheduling from $16 a month.
Fresha's pricing as shown in India. The subscription is listed as free for one-person businesses and teams; text and WhatsApp reminders are 20 free a month then ₹13.50 a text or ₹1.60 to ₹5.50 a WhatsApp; new clients from its marketplace carry a one-time fee; add-ons such as Team Connect are ₹279 per team member a month.
Setmore's plans. Free covers up to 4 users with unlimited appointments; Pro is $5 per user a month billed yearly ($12 monthly). Payments run through Square, Stripe or PayPal, with Book Now buttons for a website, Facebook and Instagram.
Zoho Bookings is free for one user; Basic is US$6 per user a month billed yearly and Premium US$9. It takes payments and can send notifications and reminders through WhatsApp.
Practo's page for doctors, clinics and hospitals. A Practo Prime subscription adds the Book feature so patients can book appointments online on Practo, which says it is used by 60K clinics.
