Setmore vs Setster (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Setmore grades higher than Setster: 2.8 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Setmore grades higher on the free plan, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Setmore
Appointment booking app with a free plan for up to four staff
Setster
Appointment scheduling priced per bookable seat, with an API
Which one is for you
Pick Setmore if
- Fits if you run a salon, clinic or studio with up to 4 staff and email reminders are enough
- Works for taking payment at booking through Square, Stripe or PayPal, which is on both plans
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if your diary is in Google Calendar and you won't pay, as two-way sync is Pro only
- Tight if you stay on Free: 4 users, one email reminder, and no texts, recurring or video appointments, deposits or API
- Pricey if you pay monthly: $12 for every staff calendar, even ones with no login, against $5 on yearly billing
- Watch out: there's no Pro trial, only a 30-day refund, and Live Receptionist is $99 a month extra, US only
- Not for you if you need a waitlist, intake forms or cards on file, which aren't on its features page
Pick Setster if
- Fits if you have a handful of bookable people at one location
- Works for developers who want an API to book appointments
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if staff work in several places: one person at two locations counts as two seats
- Skip it if you want the API cheaply, as it needs Developer at $96 a month plus seats
- Watch out: Dedicated is $12,000 a year and sold through sales
- Watch out: the pages read name no mobile apps, and there is no free plan
How we grade them
| 2.8GPASetmoreGood | 2.2GPASetsterFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPro is $5 a person a month on yearly billing, just under the $6 middle for calendar tools, and $12 if you pay monthly. It's per staff calendar, so a six-chair salon is $30 a month on yearly billing. | C$8 a month plus $8 per seat billed annually, so one person pays $16 and five about $9.60 a head, inside the category's $6.99 to $10 band. |
| Free plan and trial | BFour staff, unlimited appointments, a booking page, card payments, group classes and one email reminder, with no time limit. The caps you'd meet: 4 users, no text reminders and no two-way sync. | CA 15-day trial with no credit card. No free plan. |
| Features | CA booking page, payments, classes, team calendars, reminders and Book Now buttons for Instagram, Facebook and Google. The listing's own gaps show: no waitlist or intake forms, and recurring and video appointments, deposits and the API all need Pro. | CAvailability, appointment types, locations, payments, waiting lists and an API. The pages carry a 2024 copyright line, so how current it is is unclear. |
| Ease of use | B4.67 from about 9,200 App Store ratings, a shade under our bar for an A. Setmore says help runs around the clock by chat, email and phone. One reviewer says the app shows less than the website. | CNo store rating on record. Availability, locations and seats need setting up first. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, which few others in this category cover. More than 40 integrations plus Zapier, and an API on Pro only. Two-way sync with Google or Office 365 is Pro only too. | BWeb only, with Google Calendar, Office 365, Outlook.com, Salesforce, Zapier, Stripe and PayPal, plus an API on Developer. |
| Best for | small teams that want free online booking | scheduling priced by each bookable seat |
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: Setmore and Setster. How we grade
Price against what you get
Setmore starts at $5 a month for each person and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Setster starts at $8 a month and scores 2.3.
Setmore scores higher and starts $3 a month lower. Of the other calendar and scheduling apps on the chart, 3 score higher than Setmore for less, and 26 score higher than Setster for less.
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
Where they differ
- Setmore also covers reports.
- Setster also covers workflow automation and appointment booking.
At a glance
| Setmore | Setster | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $5 per user / month, billed annually ($12 billed monthly) | $8 per month plus $8 per seat, billed annually ($10 plus $10 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | Up to 4 users, unlimited appointments, a Booking Page, online and in-person payments, email confirmations and one email reminder, plus the mobile and desktop apps. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 15-day free trial, no credit card required. |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Setmore | Setster Inc. |
| Price read from | setmore.com | setster.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Setmore
- The Free plan stops at 4 users and leaves out two-way calendar sync, SMS reminders, recurring appointments, video appointments, deposits and API access.
- Pro is charged per user, and every staff calendar counts as a user even if that person has no login.
- Paying monthly costs $12 per user, more than twice the $5 annual rate. There is no free trial of Pro, only a 30-day refund window.
- Live Receptionist call answering is a separate $99 per month add-on and is offered in the US only.
Setster
- The price rises with every seat, and one person working at two locations counts as two seats.
- API and developer toolsets need the Developer plan, which starts at $96 a month plus seats on annual billing.
- The Dedicated plan is yearly only and sold through sales.
- The pages read carry a 2024 copyright line and name no mobile apps, so check current details before buying.
Key features
Setmore
- Booking Page
- A public page with a custom URL that lists services, staff and live availability so customers can book at any hour. Removing Setmore's branding from it needs Pro.
- Payments
- Take card payments at booking or in person through Square, Stripe, PayPal or LawPay, including Tap to Pay, on both plans. Deposits are a Pro feature.
- Confirmations and reminders
- Email confirmations and one email reminder are free. Pro adds a second reminder and SMS reminders, with 500 SMS credits per Pro team member each month.
- Team calendars
- Each staff member gets a login, working hours, time off and a calendar, with a combined team view, permission levels and built-in team messaging on both plans.
- Classes and recurring appointments
- Group classes with seat reservations are on both plans. Recurring appointments and video appointments by Zoom or Google Meet are listed under Pro.
- Booking from social and search
- Add Book Now buttons to Facebook, Instagram and websites built on WordPress, Wix or Weebly, take bookings through Reserve with Google, and share a QR code.
Setster
- Defined availability
- Block time off, add holidays and control availability by team member or appointment type, with advance-notice rules and padding or prep time between bookings.
- Appointment types and locations
- Offer appointments with a specific person, a department or a conference room, each with its own rules, across physical and virtual locations.
- Calendar sync and payments
- Sync with Google Calendar, Office 365 and Outlook.com, and accept online payments through PayPal, Stripe or invoices.
- Requests and waiting lists
- Let customers request a time before it is confirmed, and keep a waiting list to fill cancelled slots, with notifications you configure for customers and staff.
- API and Studio
- The Developer plan opens the scheduling API for booking, cancelling and rescheduling. Studio is described as a low-code option for building logic flows and collecting client data.
- Integrations
- Pre-built connections include Salesforce and Zapier, alongside calendar and payment links.
Plans
Setmore
Free$0
Up to 4 users, unlimited appointments, a custom Booking Page, group classes, payments through Square, Stripe or PayPal, and email reminders.
Pro$5
per user / month, billed annually ($12 billed monthly)
Unlimited users, two-way calendar sync, SMS reminders, recurring and video appointments, deposits, API access and no Setmore branding.
EnterpriseCustom
A tailored setup for larger organizations, arranged by contacting Setmore's sales team.
Setster
Growth$8
per month, plus $8 per seat, billed annually ($10 + $10 monthly)
All scheduling features with unlimited appointments and events. A seat is one bookable person at one location, or one room.
Developer$96
per month, plus $6.40 per seat, annual ($120 + $8 monthly)
Everything in Growth, plus unlimited API access and developer toolsets.
Dedicated$12,000
per year, plus $6 per seat, yearly plan only
Dedicated server hosting and a custom code base for more capacity; sold through sales and priced from this amount.
Ways to pay less
Setmore
- Annual discount
Pro at $5 instead of $12 with annual billing
Setmore's pricing page shows Pro at $12 per user / month on monthly billing and $5 per user / month on annual billing, about 58% less.
- Nonprofit
Nonprofit discounts on request
Setmore's mission page invites nonprofit organizations to contact the team about discounts. No rate is published.
Setster
- Annual discount
20% off with annual billing
Setster's pricing page labels its annual option as a 20% discount on the month-to-month plan price.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Setmore or Setster?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Setmore starts at $5 per user / month, billed annually ($12 billed monthly), and Setster starts at $8 per month plus $8 per seat, billed annually ($10 plus $10 billed monthly). One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, Setmore or Setster?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Setmore has a free plan. Setster does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Setmore and Setster run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Setmore lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. 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.