The Ovatu Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Ovatu 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.
Ovatu
The Insider’s Guide
Booking software for salons, spas and clinics
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among salon, spa and studio booking apps, read from Ovatu’s own pages.
Made by Ovatu Pty Ltd · 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 Ovatu’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Ovatu’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
2.6
GPA, above 75 of the 85 other salon, spa and studio booking apps we grade
Ovatu is booking software for salons, spas and clinics. It covers online booking, a calendar, reminders, point of sale, gift cards and staff rosters. Pricing is a monthly fee for the first employee plus a smaller fee for each additional one, in two plans, Neat and Loaded.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Ovatu, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Services, staff and rosters have to be set up.
- 1
Best for a salon booking system priced per employee
Ovatu handles online booking, reminders, point of sale and marketing, from $25 a month for the first employee.
- 2
Paid plans start at $25 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: US$25 per month for the first employee, plus US$7 per additional employee.
- 3
You can try it first
30-day free trial
- 4
It runs on 4 platforms
Web, iOS, Android and macOS.
- 5
Online booking
Clients book one-to-one appointments and classes through a personal mini website, a booking button for Facebook and Instagram, and website widgets.
- 6
Reminders and waitlist
Email and SMS appointment reminders, rebooking and review reminders. The automated waitlist is on the Loaded plan; Neat has a simple waitlist.
- 7
Point of sale
Invoicing, tips, deposits and online payments, with cash drawer and payment terminal integrations on both plans.
- 8
A 2.6 GPA, above 75 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 Ovatu 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.
Ovatu at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from US$25 per month for the first employee, plus US$7 per additional employee
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 30-day free trial
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Ovatu Pty Ltd
- Category
- Salon, Spa & Studio Booking
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for a salon booking system priced per employee
Ovatu handles online booking, reminders, point of sale and marketing, from $25 a month for the first employee. SMS costs US$0.04 a message extra, and campaigns, gift cards and forms need the Loaded plan.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | $25 a month for one employee, $7 for each extra, so five people pay $53, a little above the $49 middle for booking tools. |
| Free plan and trial | C | A 30-day free trial. The page does not say whether a card is needed. No free plan. |
| Features | B | Online booking, reminders, waitlist, point of sale, marketing, rosters and forms. The gaps named are plan gates and SMS costs. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. Services, staff and rosters have to be set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | A | Web, iPhone, Android and Mac, with Stripe, Square, SumUp, PayPal, Zoom and Mailchimp 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 Ovatu is for
- Fits if you are a salon with one or a few bookable staff
- Works for businesses that take cards through Stripe or Square
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want a free plan, as only a 30-day trial exists
- Pricey if you send many texts, at US$0.04 a message on top
- Tight if you want gift cards, campaigns or forms, which need Loaded at $38
- Watch out: the price grows with every bookable employee
Good to know
Good for
- Salons, spas and clinics with a handful of bookable staff
- Owners who want one monthly price instead of a cut of each booking
- Solo practitioners starting on the first-employee price
Worth knowing
- SMS reminders cost extra: the pricing page shows US$0.04 per message on top of the monthly plan.
- Campaigns, gift cards, passes, promo codes, forms, resources and inventory stocktakes need the Loaded plan.
- The price grows with each bookable employee; non-bookable users such as admins are free.
- The pricing page was read from a country selector set to Global; the figures are in US dollars.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$25
A month to start, for each person
Ovatu is a paid product with a free trial, starting at US$25 per month for the first employee, plus US$7 per additional employee.
The page does not say whether a card is needed.
Neat
$25
per month for the first employee, plus $7 per additional employee
Appointments, online booking, point of sale, reminders, waitlist and reviews. Unlimited non-bookable users.
Loaded
$38
per month for the first employee, plus $10 per additional employee
Everything in Neat, plus campaigns, passes, gift cards, promo codes, loyalty, forms and inventory control.
Trying it first
30-day free trial
Read from ovatu.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
4
Places it runs: Web, macOS, iOS and Android
Booking software for salons, spas and clinics. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: forms, inventory, appointment booking, class booking, sMS marketing.
Online booking, reminders, waitlist, point of sale, marketing, rosters and forms.
- Online booking
- Clients book one-to-one appointments and classes through a personal mini website, a booking button for Facebook and Instagram, and website widgets.
- Reminders and waitlist
- Email and SMS appointment reminders, rebooking and review reminders. The automated waitlist is on the Loaded plan; Neat has a simple waitlist.
- Point of sale
- Invoicing, tips, deposits and online payments, with cash drawer and payment terminal integrations on both plans.
- Marketing and loyalty
- Mass email and SMS campaigns, loyalty programs, promo codes, gift cards and passes (service bundles) are limited to the Loaded plan.
- Rosters and resources
- Weekly, fortnightly or four-weekly staff rosters on both plans. Resource booking for rooms and equipment is on Loaded.
- Consultation forms
- A form builder with scheduling, online completion, annotation fields and form locking, included on the Loaded plan.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Stripe
- Square
- SumUp
- PayPal
- Zoom
- Mailchimp
- SendPulse
- Slack
Ovatu is made by Ovatu Pty Ltd.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
75/85
Other salon, spa and studio booking apps it is graded above
Ovatu's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 75 of the 85 other salon, spa and studio booking apps we grade, and level with 6.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (A, above 84 of 85) and worst on ease of use (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $25 a month for each person, against a middle price of $49 for the category: 12 of the 57 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs 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. Ovatu’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 12 of 85
- CFree plan and trialAbove 47 of 85
- BFeaturesAbove 42 of 85
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 85
- APlatforms and integrationsAbove 84 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. Ovatu 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 Ovatu 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 is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.6 is higher than 75 of the 85 other salon, spa and studio booking apps we grade. It costs $300 a year.
What you could make
- Appointment booking, class booking, inventory and forms: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Texts to thousands of numbers, registered with the carriers.
- Apps for macOS, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- It plugs into other products, Stripe, Square and SumUp among them.
- Hooks into the device itself: widgets.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Ovatu’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, Booksy and Bookeo
The 4 tools Ovatu 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.
- Only Ovatu lists a macOS app.
- Ovatu also covers forms, class booking and sMS marketing.
- Fresha also covers email campaigns, shift scheduling and review collection.
- 2.6GPA
Vagaro
Free trial · from $30/mo
Booking, payments and marketing for salons, spas and studios.
- Only Ovatu lists a macOS app.
- Ovatu also covers sMS marketing.
- Vagaro also covers email campaigns and payroll.
- 2.6GPA
Booksy
Free trial · from $29.99/mo
Booking app and marketplace for barbers, salons and beauty pros.
- Only Ovatu lists a macOS app.
- Ovatu also covers inventory and class booking.
- Booksy also covers email campaigns.
- 2.4GPA
Bookeo
Free trial · from $14.95/mo
Online booking for appointments, classes and tours.
- Only Ovatu lists iOS, Android and macOS apps.
- Ovatu also covers forms and inventory.
- Bookeo also covers reports.
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 Ovatu free?
No, Ovatu is a paid product, but you can try it first. 30-day free trial.
How much does Ovatu cost?
Ovatu lists 2 plans. Neat: $25 per month for the first employee, plus $7 per additional employee.
What platforms does Ovatu work on?
Ovatu is available on Web, iOS, Android and macOS.
Does Ovatu have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Ovatu is listed for Web, iOS, Android and macOS.
Does Ovatu have a Linux app?
No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Ovatu is listed for Web, iOS, Android and macOS.
Is Ovatu open source?
Ovatu is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
What does Ovatu integrate with?
Ovatu's listing names Stripe, Square, SumUp, PayPal, Zoom, Mailchimp, SendPulse and Slack.
Who makes Ovatu?
Ovatu is made by Ovatu Pty Ltd.
What are the alternatives to Ovatu?
The closest alternatives to Ovatu in our directory are Fresha, Vagaro, Booksy and Bookeo.
How does Ovatu compare with other salon, spa and studio booking apps?
Ovatu's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 75 of the 85 other salon, spa and studio booking apps we grade, and level with 6.
Is Ovatu good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Ovatu C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $25 a month for each person, against a middle price of $49 for the category: 12 of the 57 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Ovatu?
To replace Ovatu 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 Ovatu’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 Ovatu'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 Ovatu Pty Ltd. Prices change, so check ovatu.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
- Ovatu, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/ovatu
- 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, "Ovatu: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/ovatu
Know someone choosing between salon, spa and studio booking apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/ovatu/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded salon, spa and studio booking apps after Ovatu, 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 Ovatu’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. Ovatu is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Ovatu Pty Ltd. Prices and plans change: check ovatu.com before you buy.