Alternatives · Salon & Studio
Timely alternatives
As of Nov 13, 2026, the best Timely alternative for most people is Fresha (3.0 GPA), second in our ranking of salon, spa and studio booking apps.
Timely compared with 5 alternatives: Fresha, Vagaro, Phorest, Booksy and Salonized.
Timely is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $26 per staff / month, billed monthly. None of the alternatives has a free plan. 4 more offer a free trial.
Listings checked up to Nov 13, 2026 · Where the facts come from
Black Friday: is there a Timely sale?
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| TimelyThis tool | Free trial · from $26/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| Fresha | Free trial · from $19.95/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| Vagaro | Free trial · from $30/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| Phorest | Paid | No | Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android |
| Booksy | Free trial · from $29.99/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| Salonized | Free trial · from €35/mo | Trial only | Web |
Price against what you get
Timely starts at $26 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. 2 of the 4 alternatives on this chart score higher and start lower: Fresha and Vagaro.
Booksy and Salonized score higher without starting lower.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
How each one differs from Timely
Fresha
Salon and spa booking with a consumer marketplace for new clients
- Fresha starts at $19.95 per month for one bookable team member (Independent).
- Fresha also covers email campaigns and shift scheduling.
- Fresha does not cover forms and sMS marketing, which Timely does.
Suits: Salons, barbers and spas that want low subscription costs
Vagaro
Booking, payments and marketing for salons, spas and studios
- Vagaro starts at $30 per month for 1 calendar, after $23.99 a month for the first 6 months.
- Vagaro also covers email campaigns, payroll and class booking.
- Vagaro does not cover sMS marketing and review collection, which Timely does.
Suits: Salons, spas and barbers that want a low entry price
Phorest
Salon and medspa software for booking, POS and marketing
- Phorest also lists Windows and macOS apps.
- Phorest also covers reports.
- Phorest does not cover forms and inventory, which Timely does.
Suits: Salons and medspas with three or more staff
Booksy
Booking app and marketplace for barbers, salons and beauty pros
- Booksy starts at $29.99 per month, plus $20 per extra team member.
- Booksy also covers email campaigns.
- Booksy does not cover inventory and review collection, which Timely does.
Suits: Barbers and independent beauty pros who run their book from a phone
Salonized
Salon software priced per team member, linked to Treatwell
- Salonized starts at €35 per month for 1 team member, plus €5 per added member (Growth).
- Salonized lists no iOS and Android apps, which Timely has.
- Salonized also covers reports and email campaigns.
- Salonized does not cover forms, which Timely does.
Suits: Salons in Europe, where prices and support are set in euros
Limits worth knowing in Timely
- Price scales with bookable staff, so a ten-person salon pays ten times the per-staff rate.
- SMS is included up to 100, 200 or 350 messages a month depending on the plan; the page footnotes SMS terms.
- Payments are only available in Australia, New Zealand, the USA, UK and most of the EU.
- The pricing page lists monthly billing only; no annual price is shown.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to Timely?
The alternatives to Timely in this directory are Fresha, Vagaro, Phorest, Booksy and Salonized. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Timely.
Is there a free alternative to Timely?
None of the alternatives listed here has a free plan. Fresha, Vagaro, Booksy and Salonized offer a free trial.
Which Timely alternatives work on Windows?
The Timely listing does not include a Windows app. Phorest lists one.
Which Timely alternatives work on macOS?
The Timely listing does not include a macOS app. Phorest lists one.
When were these prices checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 24, 2026 to Nov 13, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.