The Timely Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Timely in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Timely
The Insider’s Guide
Salon booking software priced per bookable staff member
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among salon, spa and studio booking apps, read from Timely’s own pages.
Made by Timely · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Timely’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Timely’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.2
GPA, above 48 of the 85 other salon, spa and studio booking apps we grade
Timely is booking software for hair and beauty businesses. Three plans, Build, Elevate and Innovate, are priced per bookable staff member per month, and none charges a fee on new clients. Each plan includes a monthly allowance of SMS messages.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Timely, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Staff, services and forms have to be set up.
- 1
Best for salon booking priced per staff member
Timely does online booking, client profiles, forms and reminders for salons at $26 a staff member a month.
- 2
Paid plans start at $26 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $26 per staff / month, billed monthly.
- 3
You can try it first
14-day free trial, no credit card required
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 5
Online booking
Clients book 24/7 online, and booking buttons can be added to Instagram, Facebook and Messenger. Gaps between appointments can be minimized.
- 6
Consultation forms
Forms can be built in the Consult app for iOS and sent before appointments from Elevate; Innovate can send them automatically.
- 7
Client profiles
Profiles with appointment history and notes; Elevate and Innovate add before-and-after photos, uploaded documents and loyalty rewards.
- 8
A 2.2 GPA, above 48 of 85
That is against the other salon, spa and studio booking apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Timely you would be making texts to thousands of numbers, registered with the carriers. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Timely at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $26 per staff / month, billed monthly
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial, no credit card required
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Timely
- Category
- Salon, Spa & Studio Booking
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for salon booking priced per staff member
Timely does online booking, client profiles, forms and reminders for salons at $26 a staff member a month. The price scales with staff, texts are capped at 100 to 350 a month, and payments work in only some countries.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | $26 a staff member a month on monthly billing, just above the $25 mark, so ten staff pay $260. |
| Free plan and trial | C | A 14-day trial with no card. No free plan. |
| Features | C | Online booking, consultation forms, client profiles, reminders and staff management. Payments work only in Australia, New Zealand, the US, UK and most of the EU. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. Staff, services and forms have to be set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, iPhone and Android, with Instagram, Facebook and Messenger links. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Timely is for
- Fits if you run a small salon and want booking and client notes
- Works for businesses that take bookings from Instagram
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Hair and beauty businesses that want a fixed price per staff member
- Owners who object to paying a percentage on new clients
- Teams that want consultation forms tied to client profiles
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$26
A month to start
Timely is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $26 per staff / month, billed monthly.
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.
Trying it first
14-day free trial, no credit card required
Read from gettimely.com on Nov 13, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android
Salon booking software priced per bookable staff member. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: forms, inventory, appointment booking, sMS marketing, review collection.
Online booking, consultation forms, client profiles, reminders and staff management.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Messenger
Timely is made by Timely.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
48/85
Other salon, spa and studio booking apps it is graded above
Timely's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 48 of the 85 other salon, spa and studio booking apps we grade, and level with 9.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 22 of 85) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $26 a month, against a middle price of $49 for the category: 17 of the 57 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 9 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 86 salon, spa and studio booking apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Timely’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 12 of 85
- CFree plan and trialAbove 47 of 85
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 85
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 85
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 22 of 85
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 58 salon, spa and studio booking apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Timely is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Timely you would be making texts to thousands of numbers, registered with the carriers. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $312 a year.
What you could make
- Appointment booking, forms, review collection and inventory: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Texts to thousands of numbers, registered with the carriers.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
What this rests on. Timely’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Fresha, Vagaro, Phorest, Booksy and Salonized
The 5 tools Timely is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.0GPA
Fresha
Free trial · from $19.95/mo
Salon and spa booking with a consumer marketplace for new clients.
- Timely also covers forms and sMS marketing.
- Fresha also covers email campaigns and shift scheduling.
- 2.6GPA
Vagaro
Free trial · from $30/mo
Booking, payments and marketing for salons, spas and studios.
- Timely also covers sMS marketing and review collection.
- Vagaro also covers email campaigns, payroll and class booking.
- 1.8GPA
Phorest
Paid
Salon and medspa software for booking, POS and marketing.
- Only Phorest lists Windows and macOS apps.
- Timely also covers forms and inventory.
- Phorest also covers reports.
- 2.6GPA
Booksy
Free trial · from $29.99/mo
Booking app and marketplace for barbers, salons and beauty pros.
- Timely also covers inventory and review collection.
- Booksy also covers email campaigns.
- 2.4GPA
Salonized
Free trial · from €35/mo
Salon software priced per team member, linked to Treatwell.
- Only Timely lists iOS and Android apps.
- Timely also covers forms.
- Salonized also covers reports and email campaigns.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Timely free?
No, Timely is a paid product, but you can try it first. 14-day free trial, no credit card required.
How much does Timely cost?
Timely lists 3 plans. Build: $26 per staff / month, billed monthly.
What platforms does Timely work on?
Timely is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does Timely have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Timely is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Timely have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Timely is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Timely open source?
Timely is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
What does Timely integrate with?
Timely's listing names Instagram, Facebook and Messenger. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Timely?
Timely is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Timely?
The closest alternatives to Timely in our directory are Fresha, Vagaro, Phorest, Booksy and Salonized.
How does Timely compare with other salon, spa and studio booking apps?
Timely's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 48 of the 85 other salon, spa and studio booking apps we grade, and level with 9.
Is Timely good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Timely C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $26 a month, against a middle price of $49 for the category: 17 of the 57 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Timely?
To replace Timely you would be making texts to thousands of numbers, registered with the carriers.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Timely’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Timely's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Timely. Prices change, so check gettimely.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Timely, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/gettimely
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Timely: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/gettimely
Know someone choosing between salon, spa and studio booking apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/gettimely/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded salon, spa and studio booking apps after Timely, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Salon, Spa & Studio Booking Insider's GuideEvery one of the 86 salon, spa and studio booking apps we grade, compared
- Square Appointments Insider's GuideBooking, point of sale and payments for appointment businesses3.2 GPA
- Fresha Insider's GuideSalon and spa booking with a consumer marketplace for new clients3.0 GPA
- Barberly Insider's GuideBarbershop booking software with a branded mobile app2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Timely’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Timely is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Timely. Prices and plans change: check gettimely.com before you buy.