Setmore
Budget-friendly appointment scheduling software
What it does
Setmore is a budget-friendly appointment scheduling tool, online booking, calendar sync, video meetings, and staff scheduling, aimed at small service businesses that don't want to pay Acuity or Calendly prices. The free tier is genuinely usable for small operations, not just a crippled trial.
Free tier
Yes
Starts at
$5/mo
Setup
easy
Key features
Integrates with
Zoom, Google Calendar, Square, Stripe, Zapier
Who this fits
- Budget-conscious small service providers (beauty, healthcare, consulting) needing basic booking without a big subscription
- Solo operators or small teams under the free tier's caps who just need a booking page and reminders
- Businesses wanting video meeting integration alongside booking without buying a separate tool
Who it does NOT fit
- Businesses needing day-specific or per-service booking rules, reviewers note real inflexibility here, for example not being able to restrict a specific service (like virtual appointments) to certain days of the week only (Source: user reviews via WebSearch summary, 2026)
- Teams relying on rock-solid two-way calendar sync, Google Calendar sync inconsistencies are the most repeated complaint pattern across review platforms (Source: user reviews via WebSearch summary, 2026)
- Anyone assuming the free tier removes branding or unlocks SMS/video, it does not, those are paid-tier features
Pricing
Real gotchas
- The free tier cannot remove Setmore branding, cannot do two-way calendar sync, cannot send SMS reminders, and cannot run video appointments, it's a real free tier but it's genuinely limited, not just capped on volume (Source: pricing breakdown via WebSearch summary, 2026)
- Google Calendar sync inconsistencies are the dominant complaint across review sites, if the client's workflow depends on tight calendar sync reliability, test this specifically before committing
- No per-service, day-specific scheduling rules, if the business needs "this service only bookable on Tuesdays" logic, Setmore can't do it natively
- Some r/smallbusiness users reported new Stripe application fees appearing on payments in late 2025, worth confirming current payment-processing terms before quoting to a payment-heavy client (Source: Reddit r/smallbusiness reference, via WebSearch summary 2026)
Integrations that matter
Otto’s take on this tool
Recommend Setmore for genuinely budget-constrained small service businesses that need basic booking + reminders and can live within the free tier's real limitations (no branding removal, no video, no SMS, no two-way sync). If the client specifically needs day-specific booking rules or rock-solid calendar sync, test those features first or steer toward Acuity or SimplyBook.me instead.
Affiliate disclosure: if you sign up through the link above, Ottomately may earn a referral commission at no cost to you. We only feature tools we have actually used or vetted through our recommendation engine.Partnership: 25% recurring via Direct.
Editor's curated reviews
3,233 reviews across TrustPilot - avg 4.9/5Curated by Otto from TrustPilot public reviews (fetched 2026-08-31). Setmore averages 4.9 across 3,233 TrustPilot reviews - 88% 5-star, dominated by named-rep support thank-you reviews (Sudevan, Dron, Siddika, etc.) which is a legitimate but distinct pattern (a support-driven review capture flow). Product-quality complaints are rare but present. G2 and Capterra were consulted for aggregate context but not directly cited here (source-access limits). Not user-submitted on Ottomately.
“Setmore has changed my life and my business. This is the only booking system I have found that has all the features I need.”
TrustPilot5.0/5“I've had a great experience using this platform. It's simple and easy to use. The customer support team has been outstanding.”
TrustPilot5.0/5“Contacted via live chat with Setmore today. Spoke with Siddika, sorted my issue and fully explained how to resolve it and why it had happened. Only took 5 mins.”
TrustPilot5.0/5“This is what exceptional customer service looks like. Sudevan was absolutely phenomenal. He stayed with me for almost an hour, making sure I understood.”
TrustPilot5.0/5“My session with Dron was incredibly helpful. He provided a clear overview of the platform while tailoring the conversation to the specific needs of my company.”
TrustPilot5.0/5“Really great app with great, friendly technical support. I've been using Setmore for many years now.”
TrustPilot5.0/5“Unfortunately, the most disappointing aspect isn't the product itself, it's the dismissive, avoidant, and unhelpful customer service team. I reached out repeatedly about potential improvements, only to receive the same generic reply.”
TrustPilot1.0/5
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