Setmore vs Waitwhile (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Setmore grades higher than Waitwhile: 2.8 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 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
Waitwhile
Virtual waitlist and appointment booking for walk-in businesses
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 Waitwhile if
- Fits if you run a walk-in business such as a clinic or a salon
- Works for a single location staying under 50 visits a month
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you are staying free, as 1 location and 50 visits a month is the cap
- Pricey if you grow, as the price rises with locations and visits and SMS credit is only $2
- Watch out: the API, webhooks and SMS team notifications need Business at $55
- Watch out: SAML, SSO and the report builder are Enterprise only, through sales
- Watch out: the page does not say if listed prices are monthly or annual billing
How we grade them
| 2.8GPASetmoreGood | 2.0GPAWaitwhileFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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$31 a month for 1 location and 250 visits, in the dearer half of calendar tools; the middle one is $8. |
| 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. | CFree plan: 1 location and 50 visits a month, which a busy shop passes fast. |
| 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. | CWaitlist, booking, messaging, kiosk and analytics. The synchronized waitlist and bookings need Business. |
| 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. You configure services, locations and the kiosk. |
| 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. | CWeb only, and no integrations are named in the listing. |
| Best for | small teams that want free online booking | waitlists and walk-in queues |
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 Waitwhile. 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. Waitwhile starts at $31 a month and scores 2.0.
Setmore scores higher and starts $26 a month lower. Of the other calendar and scheduling apps on the chart, 3 score higher than Setmore for less, and 75 score higher than Waitwhile 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.
- Waitwhile also covers appointment booking and dashboards.
At a glance
| Setmore | Waitwhile | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $5 per user / month, billed annually ($12 billed monthly) | $31 per month for 1 location and 250 visits; billing basis not shown |
| 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. | 1 location, 50 visits a month, 2-way customer messages, single-location statistics and basic branding. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Setmore | Waitwhile |
| Price read from | setmore.com | waitwhile.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 13, 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.
Waitwhile
- The free plan stops at 1 location and 50 visits a month, and the plans include only a $2 SMS credit.
- API and webhooks, SMS team notifications and the synchronized waitlist need Business.
- SAML and SSO and the report builder are Enterprise only, sold through sales.
- The page does not say whether the listed prices are for monthly or annual billing; it offers 20% off for annual billing.
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.
Waitwhile
- Virtual waitlist
- Customers join a line from their phone, and a TV display can show the live waitlist on any screen.
- Appointment booking
- A bookings module lets customers schedule slots, with services, staff and resources set up per location.
- Customer messaging
- Two-way SMS, email and web chat with customers. SMS runs on credits; the plans include a $2 credit to try it.
- Check-in kiosk
- A self sign-up and check-in kiosk lets customers register their arrival on a device at the location.
- Waitlist and booking sync
- The Business plan merges appointments and waitlisted customers into one queue with its LineSync feature.
- Multi-location analytics
- Single-location statistics are on every plan; basic multi-location analytics start on Starter and advanced ones on Business.
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.
Waitwhile
Free$0
1 location, 50 visits a month, 2-way customer messages and team notifications by email and push.
Starter$31
per month, 1 location and 250 visits; billing basis not shown
Up to 10 locations and 2,500 visits a month. Price rises with locations and visits.
Business$55
per month; entry tier, billing basis not shown
Up to 10 locations and 5,000 visits a month, custom user roles, API and webhooks, and a synchronized waitlist and bookings.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom locations and visits, report builder, SAML and SSO, SLA and invoicing, and white-label branding.
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.
Waitwhile
- Annual discount
Save 20% on annual billing
Waitwhile's pricing page says annual billing saves 20% compared with monthly billing.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Setmore or Waitwhile?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Setmore starts at $5 per user / month, billed annually ($12 billed monthly), and Waitwhile starts at $31 per month for 1 location and 250 visits; billing basis not shown. 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 Waitwhile?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Setmore and Waitwhile have a free plan.
Which platforms do Setmore and Waitwhile run on?
As of Nov 13, 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.