Setmore vs Zoho Bookings

Setmore

• Small service businesses that want free booking for up to four staff
• Taking payment at the time of booking or in person
• Getting booked from Instagram, Facebook and Google listings

Zoho Bookings

• Teams already using Zoho CRM, Bigin or Zoho One
• Solo users who need a free booking page with two-way calendar sync
• Businesses with several branches or departments taking bookings

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.

Zoho Bookings

• The free plan is limited to one user.
• Online payments, group and recurring bookings, SMS and WhatsApp notifications, white labeling and a custom domain all need Premium.
• Basic is limited to one workspace. Extra workspaces beyond Premium's three, and bookable resources, are paid add-ons.
• Revenue reports, the customer portal, appointment limits and the audit log are Premium-only.

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.

Zoho Bookings

Event types and booking pages

Four event types: one-on-one, collective, group and resource-based. Share a booking link or embed a widget. Group, recurring and resource bookings need Premium.

Workspaces

Workspaces group event types by location or department. Basic is limited to one; Premium includes three, with more sold as add-ons.

Round robin and routing forms

Both paid plans distribute appointments across users with a choice of four methods. Premium adds routing forms that send a customer to the right booking page.

Workflows

Email notification workflows come with Basic. SMS workflows and custom workflows built with a script builder are part of Premium.

Payments

Premium can charge for appointments at booking through providers that include Stripe, PayPal and Razorpay.

Zia setup and MCP server

Zia, Zoho's AI, configures an account and can build a booking page from a company's web address. An MCP server lets outside AI assistants manage appointments.

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.

Zoho Bookings

• Free$0

  One user, online meetings, notification emails and reminders, and two-way sync with Zoho, Google and Microsoft calendars.

• Basic$6

  per user / month, billed annually ($8 billed monthly)

  One workspace, one-on-one and collective bookings, round robin, email workflows, appointment reports, and Zapier and Zoho CRM integrations.

• Premium$9

  per user / month, billed annually ($12 billed monthly)

  3 workspaces, group, recurring and resource bookings, online payments, SMS and WhatsApp notifications, routing forms, white labeling and a custom domain.

• FlexCustom

  A tailored plan for organizations with custom requirements, quoted by Zoho's sales team.

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.

Zoho Bookings

• Annual discount

  Save 25% with yearly billing

  Zoho's pricing FAQ says an annual plan saves 25%: Basic is $6 instead of $8 per user / month and Premium is $9 instead of $12.

• Nonprofit

  Special pricing for nonprofits and education

  The pricing FAQ says nonprofits and educational institutions get special pricing on request by email. No rate is published.