The Pabau Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Pabau 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.
Pabau
The Insider’s Guide
Practice management software for clinics and aesthetic practices
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among salon, spa and studio booking apps, read from Pabau’s own pages.
Made by Pabau · checked Nov 12, 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 Pabau’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Pabau’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
1.8
GPA, above 7 of the 33 other salon, spa and studio booking apps we grade
Pabau is practice management software for medical, aesthetic and wellness clinics. It covers scheduling and online booking, patient records, forms and photos, payments and invoicing, memberships, marketing and reporting. Every plan has the same features and is sized by the number of users, from Solo to Enterprise, with optional add-ons on top.
To get you started, here are 7 things to know about Pabau, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Its prices are not readable on the page, only the Solo plan has one, and messages and AI calls are billed as extra credits.
- 1
Best for clinic and aesthetics booking
Pabau is booking and records software for aesthetics and wellness clinics, with patient forms, payments and marketing.
- 2
It runs on 2 platforms
Web and iOS.
- 3
Calendar and online booking
A calendar for appointments, staff and rooms, self-service online booking, a client portal, group classes and a waitlist.
- 4
Patient records and forms
Electronic records, custom clinical forms, before-and-after photos, letters and prescriptions, with telehealth built in.
- 5
Payments and billing
Pabau Pay processing, invoices and point of sale, quotes, packages and memberships, and insurance claims.
- 6
A 1.8 GPA, above 7 of 33
That is against the other salon, spa and studio booking apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 7
Keep it
To replace Pabau you would be making insurance claims sent to payers through a clearinghouse. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Pabau at a glance
- Pricing
- Paid
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, iOS
- Made by
- Pabau
- Category
- Salon, Spa & Studio Booking
- Our grade
- 1.8 GPA, weak
The report card
Best for clinic and aesthetics booking
Pabau is booking and records software for aesthetics and wellness clinics, with patient forms, payments and marketing. Its prices are not readable on the page, only the Solo plan has one, and messages and AI calls are billed as extra credits.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Prices vary by region and user count and are not readable on the page, so nothing sits against the $49.90 middle of the category. |
| Free plan and trial | F | No free plan and no trial on record, so you pay before you use it. |
| Features | C | Calendar, online booking, patient records and forms, payments and marketing. Engage Plus and AI call minutes are pay-as-you-go extras, which is a gap in the base job. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. Clinics set up treatments, forms and users first. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web plus an iPhone app, Pabau GO. No Android app or integrations list is shown. |
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 Pabau is for
- Fits if you run an aesthetics or wellness clinic and need patient records alongside booking
- Works for a solo practitioner, as the Solo plan is the only one with a price
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want to see prices up front, as only Solo has one and larger teams book a demo
- Watch out: plans are sized by users and priced per location, from Solo at 1 up to Enterprise at 16 or more
- Watch out: Engage Plus messages and AI call minutes run on pay-as-you-go credits
- Too light for an Android user, as the listing names an iPhone app only
Good to know
Good for
- Aesthetic and medical clinics that keep patient records and book in one system
- Practices that want all features in every plan, sized only by user count
- Multi-location groups on the Enterprise tier
Worth knowing
- Prices are not readable on the page as served: they vary by region and user count, so pricing is marked unverified.
- Plans are sized by users: Solo is 1, Team 2-3, Medium 4-5, Group 6-15 and Enterprise 16 or more, and pricing applies per location.
- Only the Solo plan has a published price according to the page's FAQ; larger teams book a demo.
- Engage Plus is priced per location, and its messages and AI call minutes use pay-as-you-go credits.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Pabau's current pricing could not be confirmed from its own site.
No free plan and no trial on record, so you pay before you use it.
We could not confirm Pabau’s current prices from its own site, so this guide lists no plans. pabau.com has them.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
2
Places it runs: Web and iOS
Practice management software for clinics and aesthetic practices. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, forms, clinical notes, insurance billing, telehealth, appointment booking.
Calendar, online booking, patient records and forms, payments and marketing.
- Calendar and online booking
- A calendar for appointments, staff and rooms, self-service online booking, a client portal, group classes and a waitlist.
- Patient records and forms
- Electronic records, custom clinical forms, before-and-after photos, letters and prescriptions, with telehealth built in.
- Payments and billing
- Pabau Pay processing, invoices and point of sale, quotes, packages and memberships, and insurance claims.
- Marketing and leads
- Email and SMS campaigns, automations, lead management, loyalty, gift vouchers and Google review requests.
- Add-ons and AI
- Optional Marketing Plus, Care Plus, Insight Plus and Engage Plus; Engage adds WhatsApp, a phone system and AI agents.
- Pabau GO app
- A mobile app for running part of the clinic from an iPhone or iPad.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Pabau is made by Pabau.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
7/33
Other salon, spa and studio booking apps it is graded above
Pabau's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 7 of the 33 other salon, spa and studio booking apps we grade, and level with 7.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 9 of 33) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 34 salon, spa and studio booking apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Pabau’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 4 of 33
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 33
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 33
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 33
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 9 of 33
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 Pabau you would be making insurance claims sent to payers through a clearinghouse. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 19 of the 33 other salon, spa and studio booking apps grade higher.
What you could make
- Appointment booking, clinical notes and forms: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Insurance claims sent to payers through a clearinghouse.
- Video sessions that meet health privacy rules.
- A real app for iOS. Something home-made would be a web page.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. Pabau’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
Mindbody, Zenoti, Boulevard, Mangomint and Vagaro
The 5 tools Pabau is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.2GPA
Mindbody
From $79/mo
Studio, gym, spa and salon software with a consumer booking app.
- Only Mindbody lists an Android app.
- Pabau also covers forms, clinical notes, insurance billing and telehealth.
- Mindbody also covers marketing automation, email campaigns, class booking and sMS marketing.
- 1.8GPA
Zenoti
Paid
Booking, POS and operations software for salons, spas and gyms.
- Only Zenoti lists an Android app.
- Pabau also covers forms, clinical notes, insurance billing and telehealth.
- Zenoti also covers reports and class booking.
- 2.0GPA
Boulevard
From $143/mo
Booking, checkout and marketing for salons, spas and medspas.
- Only Boulevard lists an Android app.
- Pabau also covers clinical notes, insurance billing and telehealth.
- Boulevard also covers marketing automation, email campaigns and business texting.
- 2.4GPA
Mangomint
Free trial · from $120/mo
Salon, spa and medspa software priced per location and user.
- Only Mangomint lists an Android app.
- Pabau also covers clinical notes, insurance billing and telehealth.
- Mangomint also covers marketing automation, payroll, business phone line, business texting and inventory.
- 2.6GPA
Vagaro
Free trial · from $30/mo
Booking, payments and marketing for salons, spas and studios.
- Only Vagaro lists an Android app.
- Pabau also covers clinical notes, insurance billing and telehealth.
- Vagaro also covers email campaigns, payroll, inventory and class booking.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
9
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 Pabau free?
No. Pabau is a paid product.
What platforms does Pabau work on?
Pabau is available on Web and iOS.
Does Pabau have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Pabau is listed for Web and iOS.
Does Pabau have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Pabau is listed for Web and iOS.
Is Pabau open source?
Pabau is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Who makes Pabau?
Pabau is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Pabau?
The closest alternatives to Pabau in our directory are Mindbody, Zenoti, Boulevard, Mangomint and Vagaro.
How does Pabau compare with other salon, spa and studio booking apps?
Pabau's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 7 of the 33 other salon, spa and studio booking apps we grade, and level with 7.
Could I make my own version of Pabau?
To replace Pabau you would be making insurance claims sent to payers through a clearinghouse.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Pabau’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Pabau's own pages on 12 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 Pabau. Prices change, so check pabau.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
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.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Pabau, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/pabau
- 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, "Pabau: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/pabau
Know someone choosing between salon, spa and studio booking apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/pabau/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded salon, spa and studio booking apps after Pabau, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Salon, Spa & Studio Booking Insider's GuideEvery one of the 34 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
- Booksy Insider's GuideBooking app and marketplace for barbers, salons and beauty pros2.6 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 Pabau’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. Pabau is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Pabau. Prices and plans change: check pabau.com before you buy.