Timely vs Phorest (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Timely grades higher than Phorest: 2.2 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Timely grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Timely
Salon booking software priced per bookable staff member
Free trial · from $26/mo
Which one is for you
Pick Timely if
- Fits if you run a small salon and want booking and client notes
- Works for businesses that take bookings from Instagram
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you are in a country outside its payments list
- Pricey if you have a big team, as the price is per staff member
- Tight if you text a lot, as texts are included up to 100, 200 or 350
- Watch out: the pricing page shows monthly billing only
Pick Phorest if
- Fits if you run a salon or medspa with three or more staff and want booking and client texts in one place
- Works for a salon that wants a desktop app at the front desk and a phone app for staff
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a posted price, as all four tiers are quote only
- Pricey if you send many texts, because Starter charges 5 cents each and the higher tiers cap free texts at 1,000, 5,000 and 27,000
- Watch out: two-way SMS, memberships and the branded app are included only at Elite
- Not for you if you work alone, as the pricing page says Starter is for 3 or more staff
How we grade them
| 2.2GPATimelyFair | 1.8GPAPhorestWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$26 a staff member a month on monthly billing, just above the $25 mark, so ten staff pay $260. | CNo price is published. All four tiers are quote only, so cost cannot be compared with the $49.90 middle of the category. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 14-day trial with no card. No free plan. | FNo free plan and no trial on record, so you pay before you use it. |
| Features | COnline booking, consultation forms, client profiles, reminders and staff management. Payments work only in Australia, New Zealand, the US, UK and most of the EU. | CCalendar, point of sale, payments, automated SMS and email and a desktop app. Two-way SMS, memberships and the branded app are paid add-ons below Elite, which is a gap in the lower tiers. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Staff, services and forms have to be set up. | CNo store rating on record. A salon has to set up its calendar, services and card reader first. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Instagram, Facebook and Messenger links. | BWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android apps, with four integrations listed. No open API is named. |
| Best for | salon booking priced per staff member | salon software with built-in texting |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Timely and Phorest. How we grade
Where they differ
- Timely also covers forms and inventory.
- Phorest also covers reports.
In commonWebiOSAndroidAppointment bookingSMS marketingReview collection
At a glance
| Timely | Phorest | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | $26 per staff / month, billed monthly | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial, no credit card required | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Timely | Phorest |
| Price read from | gettimely.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Phorest
- No prices are published: all four tiers are quote only, so cost cannot be compared up front.
- SMS allowances differ by tier: 1,000, 5,000 and 27,000 free a month on Grow, Complete Advantage and Elite, and 5 cents each on Starter.
- Two-way SMS, memberships and the branded app are included only at Elite; elsewhere they are paid add-ons.
- The pricing page says Starter is for salons and medspas with 3 or more staff.
Key features
Timely
- Online booking
- Clients book 24/7 online, and booking buttons can be added to Instagram, Facebook and Messenger. Gaps between appointments can be minimized.
- Consultation forms
- Forms can be built in the Consult app for iOS and sent before appointments from Elevate; Innovate can send them automatically.
- Client profiles
- Profiles with appointment history and notes; Elevate and Innovate add before-and-after photos, uploaded documents and loyalty rewards.
- Reminders and messages
- Email and SMS confirmations and reminders. Rebooking reminders, thank-you messages and review requests depend on the plan.
- Staff management
- Rosters, timesheets, staff logins and performance dashboards on every plan; weekly and monthly staff targets are on Innovate.
Phorest
- Calendar and online booking
- An appointment calendar with a waiting list, 24/7 online booking, booking deposits, no-show charges and rooms or equipment linked to services.
- Point of sale and payments
- Appointment and retail checkout, stock management, cardless checkout and PhorestPay card payments with cashless tipping.
- Automated SMS and email
- Reminders, review requests and marketing messages. Higher tiers include a monthly SMS allowance; Starter pays 5 cents per SMS.
- Desktop and PhorestGo apps
- A Windows and macOS desktop app plus the PhorestGo mobile app for staff, with a manager view on the Grow tier and above.
- Branded client app
- An optional salon-branded iOS and Android app for booking and rebooking, included in the Elite tier and optional on lower tiers.
- AI tools
- An AI client cheat sheet that summarizes client history before a visit, and a Front Desk AI add-on for everyday client conversations.
Plans
Timely
Build$26
per staff / month, billed monthly
Online booking, social media booking buttons, reminders and stock levels. 100 SMS a month included.
Elevate$39
per staff / month, billed monthly
Everything in Build, plus digital consultation forms, client photos, add-on services and a waitlist. 200 SMS a month.
Innovate$47
per staff / month, billed monthly
Everything in Elevate, plus automatic forms, rebooking reminders and staff targets. 350 SMS a month.
Phorest
Pricing could not be confirmed. See phorest.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Timely or Phorest?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Timely starts at $26 per staff / month, billed monthly, and Phorest has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Timely or Phorest?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Timely nor Phorest has a free plan. Timely has a free trial.
Which platforms do Timely and Phorest run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Phorest lists macOS and Windows apps. Both list a web app and iOS and Android apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.