TL;DR: Setmore in 30 seconds
- Setmore is an online booking tool for service businesses: a booking page, a team calendar, email reminders and online payments. It comes from the US company Setmore, Inc.
- The free plan is generous: up to four users, unlimited appointments and payments for $0. SMS reminders, two-way calendar sync and video links need Pro.
- Pro costs $5 per user a month on annual billing, or $12 on monthly billing. Every staff calendar counts as a user, and prices are in US dollars only.
- For businesses in Germany, Austria and Switzerland there are hard limits: SMS reminders can’t be sent to +49, +43 or +41 numbers, the admin area isn’t available in German and the GDPR documentation is thin.
- Our rating: 3.9 out of 5. Great value and easy to set up. Points off for the gaps for EU businesses and for features that salons and studios keep asking for.
- Transparency: the Setmore buttons are affiliate links (marked with *). We haven’t used Setmore in our own business, so this review is based on research.
Last checked: 24 October 2026. We checked plans, prices and terms on setmore.com and in Setmore’s help centre on that day. Setmore has changed its plans several times since 2025, so check the pricing page before you sign up.
Phone tag, double bookings and no-shows cost small service businesses a lot of time. Online booking tools solve this: customers pick a free slot themselves, and the tool sends confirmations and reminders.
Setmore is one of the best-known tools in this category, mainly because of its free plan. Its app has more than 500,000 downloads on Google Play and over 9,000 ratings in the US App Store.
We haven’t run Setmore in our own business. For this review we read the pricing page, the terms, the privacy policy and more than 40 help centre articles, analysed reviews on Trustpilot and in the app stores and compared Setmore with seven alternatives. How we score tools is explained on our how we test page.
Our rating: 3.9 / 5
One of the most generous free plans among booking tools, quick to set up and cheap on annual billing. Points off for weak GDPR documentation, blocked SMS reminders in the DACH region and missing features such as booking several services in one appointment.
| Features | ★★★★☆ 4.0 |
| Ease of use & setup | ★★★★☆ 4.4 |
| Value for money | ★★★★½ 4.5 |
| EU & GDPR fit | ★★½☆☆ 2.8 |
| Support & reliability | ★★★½☆ 3.9 |
🔍 Rated with our 5-criteria framework – every score can be recalculated.
* Affiliate link: if you upgrade to Pro through it later, we earn a one-time commission. The price stays the same for you.
What is Setmore?
Setmore is a web-based appointment scheduler with apps for iOS, Android and desktop. Customers book through your booking page, a widget on your website, Instagram, Facebook or Google, and every booking lands in a shared calendar.
It’s built for small service businesses: hair and beauty salons, barbers, fitness trainers, therapists, tutors, consultants and coaches. For online shops it helps wherever a sale starts with a conversation, such as a consultation, a fitting or a product demo.
Who is behind Setmore
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Company | Setmore, Inc., Portland, Oregon (USA), according to the app stores |
| Group | FULL Creative (formerly Adaptavant) and its AnywhereWorks brand, with offices in Portland, Edinburgh, Chennai and Toronto |
| On the market since | WordPress plugin since 2012, iOS app since July 2013 |
| Apps | iOS, Android, desktop |
| Admin languages | English, French, Spanish, Portuguese |
| Booking page languages | 32, including German |
| Support | 24/7 chat, email and phone, run by people according to Setmore |
One oddity: Setmore’s terms say the service is operated from Raleigh, North Carolina, while the app stores list an address in Oregon. That doesn’t affect daily use, but it’s worth knowing if you ever need to name your contract partner.
How much does Setmore cost?
Setmore has two plans on the web: Free and Pro. The pricing page shows prices in US dollars only, even on the German version of the site, and doesn’t say whether VAT is added for EU customers.
| Free | Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 | $12 per user a month, or $5 on annual billing |
| Users | up to 4 | unlimited, each one billed |
| Appointments | unlimited | unlimited |
| Email reminders | 1 per appointment | 2 per appointment |
| SMS reminders | no | 500 credits per user a month |
| Two-way calendar sync | no | Google, Office 365 |
| Recurring appointments | no | yes |
| Zoom and Google Meet links | no | yes |
| Online payments | yes | yes |
| Deposits | no | yes |
| Booking forms | no | yes |
| Remove Setmore branding | no | yes |
| API access | no | on request |
Source: setmore.com/pricing and Setmore’s help centre, checked on 24 October 2026.
Monthly or annual: the difference is big
On monthly billing Pro costs $12 per user, on annual billing $5. A team of three pays $180 a year on the annual plan and $432 on the monthly plan.
Keep in mind that every staff calendar counts as a user, even if that person never logs in. Calendars you only create for planning cost the same as a team member with full access.
No free trial, but a money-back guarantee
On the web there’s no Pro trial. New Pro customers get a 30-day money-back guarantee instead: if you switch back to Free within 30 days, you can ask for a full refund by email to help@setmore.com with the subject “trial period refund”.
The guarantee only covers upgrades made in the web app. Purchases in the App Store or Google Play run on separate plans and prices, and the App Store listing mentions a 14-day Pro trial.
SMS credits since September 2026
Since 30 September 2026, new Pro customers get 500 SMS credits per user a month, shared across the team. According to Setmore’s help article on SMS credits, a text to the US or Canada costs 1 credit, to the UK or Australia 5 credits and to Norway or Sweden 10 credits.
In the UK that works out at about 100 texts per user a month. Unused credits don’t roll over, and Setmore only shows the prices for extra credits inside the app.
How cancelling works
- Export your appointments as an Excel file under Reports (web app only; Setmore recommends up to three months per export) and your customers as a CSV file.
- Downgrade to Free under Settings > Billing, or email help@setmore.com.
- If you bought Pro in the App Store or Google Play, cancel the subscription there.
- To have your account and data deleted, write to privacy@setmore.com. Setmore says it handles such requests within 30 days.
Refunds are limited. The terms say payments are non-refundable, and an annual plan is only refunded if you ask in the same month as the upgrade or the last renewal. We found no sign of a cancellation trap in user reviews.
In short: The free plan is enough for a solo business or a small team that only needs email reminders. Pro is worth it once you need SMS reminders, two-way sync or deposits, and it’s only cheap on annual billing.
What Setmore can do
Booking page and website widgets
Every account gets a booking page with its own URL, plus links for each service and staff member and a QR code. You can embed it on WordPress (official plugin), Wix, Squarespace, Shopify, Weebly and other site builders.
Customers can also book through a “Book now” button on Facebook and Instagram and through Reserve with Google, which adds a booking button to your Google Business Profile. All of these channels are included in the free plan.
Reminders and confirmations
Customers get booking confirmations and reminders by email. The free plan sends one reminder per appointment, Pro sends two and adds SMS reminders through the US provider Twilio.
SMS reminders don’t work in Germany, Austria and Switzerland
Setmore’s SMS fair usage policy lists countries where SMS reminders cannot be sent. Germany (+49), Austria (+43) and Switzerland (+41) are on it, as are France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Spain and Ireland. Customers with these numbers only get email reminders.
Payments
You can take payments when customers book, in person with Tap to Pay or through payment links. Setmore connects to Stripe, PayPal, Square and LawPay and, according to its help centre, charges no fees of its own. You only pay the payment provider’s fees.
Square only works in the US, the UK, Canada and Australia, so businesses in the DACH region use Stripe or PayPal. Since late summer 2026, deposits are Pro-only; before that they were part of the free plan.
Team, classes and calendar sync
Each team member gets a profile with their own login, booking link, working hours and time off. Setmore also handles classes and group sessions with a fixed number of seats, on both plans.
Two-way sync with Google Calendar and Office 365 is Pro-only. On the free plan, appointments only go one way into your calendar, so private events don’t block slots automatically. Apple’s iCloud calendar is one-way only on both plans.
Apps, integrations and reviews
Setmore has apps for iOS, Android and desktop, and customers can save your booking page to their home screen as a “branded mobile app”. Integrations include Mailchimp, MailerLite, HubSpot, Zoho CRM, Slack, QuickBooks, Google Analytics 4 and Zapier.
The booking page can show your Google reviews, and Pro asks customers for a Google review automatically. If reviews are central to your marketing, a dedicated tool such as ProvenExpert does more.
API access is Pro-only and has to be requested by email. Setmore has no AI features of its own; the only link to AI is a Zapier template for Google’s Gemini.
Live Receptionist (US only)
For $99 a month, US businesses can add a Live Receptionist: people answer your calls and book appointments for you. Setmore stresses that this is a human service, not AI. One App Store review from April 2026 complains that the receptionists gave clients incorrect availability.
Video: setting up the booking page
Setmore’s own tutorial from November 2025 shows the setup in five steps in the real interface: branding, services and classes, team and calendar sync, payments and sharing the booking page.
What’s missing
- booking several services in one appointment, for example a cut plus colour
- keeping a card on file to enforce a cancellation fee
- packages, memberships and automatic discounts
- bulk SMS to all customers
- multiple locations, which are only available as an early-release feature on request
Salon owners mention these gaps again and again in App Store and Google Play reviews.
Setmore and GDPR: what EU businesses should know
If you run a business in the EU, you’re responsible for your customers’ booking data. Setmore acts as your data processor, so you need a data processing agreement (DPA) and a legal basis for transferring the data to the US.
| Point | What we found |
|---|---|
| DPA | available as a form to sign via Dropbox Sign; the content can’t be viewed before signing |
| Hosting | Google App Engine, region not stated; Setmore’s GDPR article says “Setmore is based in the United States” |
| EU-US Data Privacy Framework | not listed |
| Standard contractual clauses | not mentioned in the terms, privacy policy or GDPR article |
| Privacy policy | “effective as of May 25, 2018”, subprocessor list from the same date |
| Admin area in German | no |
| Booking page in German | yes, with a cookie banner for EU visitors |
Sources: Setmore’s privacy policy, terms and GDPR article, plus the official DPF list, all checked on 24 October 2026.
This doesn’t mean you can’t use Setmore in the EU. But you’ll have to review the DPA yourself and document the US transfer, without the shortcut of a DPF certification. Calendly, for comparison, is certified.
In short: In the US, Canada and Australia, Setmore works as advertised. UK businesses get SMS reminders but face the same data transfer questions. In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Setmore is a compromise: no SMS reminders, no German admin area and extra GDPR homework.
Setmore reviews: what users say
| Platform | Rating | Number of ratings |
|---|---|---|
| Trustpilot | 4.9 / 5 | 3,274 |
| Apple App Store (US) | 4.7 / 5 | 9,183 |
| Google Play | 4.9 / 5 | 6,815 |
As of 24 October 2026. G2 and Capterra block automated checks; in search results on the same day they showed about 4.5 and 4.6 out of 5.
What users like
The most common praise is for the support. In the 60 most recent Trustpilot reviews (August to October 2026), at least 34 name a support or onboarding employee, often after a call Setmore made right after sign-up. One reviewer called “having a real person on hand” invaluable “in a day of talking to AI bots”.
Users also like the quick setup and the free plan. A US App Store reviewer who had tried Calendly and SimplyBook.me wrote that Setmore is “simple, well thought-out, great support, great functionality”.
What users criticise
Written App Store reviews are much more critical than the star average. The 150 most recent text reviews in the US store average about 3.2 stars, and in 2024 they averaged just under 3. The main trigger was a redesign of the apps and web interface in 2024.
- the 2024 redesign, which made everyday tasks take more clicks according to dozens of reviews
- support that is friendly but slow with complex bugs (24 of the 54 one-star reviews on Trustpilot)
- reminders that weren’t sent, reported again in 2025 and 2026
- login and loading problems in the app in 2025
- features moving behind the paywall, such as two-way calendar sync, which users say used to be free
Billing complaints exist but are rare. Setmore replies to every negative Trustpilot review, though often with a template answer.
How to read the 4.9 on Trustpilot
Many Trustpilot reviews are written right after a call with a named employee, which suggests Setmore asks for them at that point. That’s legitimate, but it means the 4.9 says more about friendly staff than about how reliable the software is.
Setmore vs Calendly, Acuity and other alternatives
| Tool | Free plan | Cheapest paid plan (annual / monthly) | SMS reminders | Company / data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Setmore | up to 4 users, with payments | $5 / $12 per user | Pro, not to DE, AT, CH | USA, region not stated |
| Calendly | 1 event type, no payments | $10 / $12 per user | from Standard | USA, DPF-certified |
| Acuity Scheduling | no, 7-day trial | $16 / $20, 1 calendar | from Standard ($27 / $34) | USA (Squarespace) |
| Zoho Bookings | 1 user | $6 / $8 per user | Premium, via your own SMS provider | EU data centres available |
| SimplyBook.me | 50 bookings a month, 1 provider | €11.90 / €13.90 | paid add-on | Cyprus, EU storage for EU businesses |
| Cal.com | 1 user, with payments | Teams $12 per user (annual) | paid credits | USA |
| eTermin | no, 30-day trial | €19 net a month (Lite) | add-on, €9 per 100 SMS | Switzerland, servers in Frankfurt |
Prices from the vendors’ pricing pages, checked on 24 October 2026. Square Appointments isn’t listed because Square isn’t available in Germany, Austria or Switzerland.
Setmore vs Calendly
Setmore suits service businesses with a menu of services, prices and staff. Its free plan covers four users and payments, while Calendly’s free plan offers one event type and no payments. On annual billing, Setmore Pro costs half as much as Calendly Standard.
Calendly is the better choice for B2B meetings such as sales calls, demos or recruiting, with routing forms, round robin, deep CRM integrations and an AI notetaker in its Plus plans. Its data protection documentation is also more complete.
Setmore vs Acuity Scheduling
Setmore is cheaper for individuals and small teams and has a free plan, while Acuity only offers a seven-day trial. SMS reminders come with Setmore Pro at $5 per user a month (annual billing), whereas Acuity only includes them from $27 a month.
Acuity is stronger on intake forms, packages, memberships, gift certificates and waitlists. Because it charges per tier rather than per user, it becomes cheaper from six people: $27 a month for up to six calendars, compared with $30 for six Setmore users.
Alternatives for businesses in the EU
If GDPR documentation and EU hosting come first, look at eTermin from Switzerland, which runs its servers in Frankfurt. It starts at €19 net a month, with calendar sync and SMS as paid add-ons and a three-month minimum term.
Zoho Bookings is the cheaper option with EU data centres in Amsterdam and Dublin, starting at $6 per user a month. Online payments and SMS reminders are only included in its Premium plan.
Who should use Setmore?
Setmore is a good fit if you …
- run a small service business in the US, Canada, the UK or Australia
- want a free booking page for up to four people and email reminders are enough
- want customers to book through Instagram, Facebook or Google
- need a simple way to take payments when customers book
Look elsewhere if you …
- have customers in Germany, Austria or Switzerland and rely on SMS reminders
- need a German admin area or complete GDPR documentation
- run a salon that books several services per appointment or holds cards to charge no-show fees
- mainly book sales calls and demos, where Calendly fits better
Verdict: is Setmore worth it?
Setmore offers one of the most generous free plans among booking tools: four users, unlimited appointments and online payments for $0. Setup is quick, and on annual billing Pro is cheap at $5 per user a month.
For businesses in the DACH region, the case is weaker. SMS reminders don’t reach German, Austrian or Swiss numbers, the admin area isn’t in German and the GDPR documentation is out of date. That’s why we give Setmore 3.9 out of 5.
Our advice: start on the free plan and test your real booking flow with a few customers. Only switch to Pro if you need SMS, two-way sync or deposits, and pick annual billing if you do.
Start with Setmore’s free plan
The free plan covers up to four users and unlimited appointments. You can upgrade to Pro later if you need SMS reminders or two-way sync.
* Affiliate link: if you upgrade to Pro through it later, we earn a one-time commission. The price stays the same for you.
Frequently asked questions about Setmore
Is Setmore really free?
Yes. The free plan costs $0 and covers up to four users, unlimited appointments, email reminders and online payments via Stripe, PayPal or Square. SMS reminders, two-way calendar sync, recurring appointments, video links and deposits require Pro (as of 24 October 2026).
How much does Setmore Pro cost?
Pro costs $12 per user a month on monthly billing or $5 per user a month on annual billing, which is $60 per user a year. Every staff calendar counts as a user. Setmore shows prices in US dollars only and doesn’t say on its pricing page whether VAT is added for EU customers.
Is Setmore GDPR compliant?
We can’t confirm that. Setmore offers a data processing agreement to sign, but it isn’t listed under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, doesn’t say where data is hosted and its privacy policy dates from May 2018. EU businesses should review the DPA and document the data transfer to the US themselves.
Does Setmore send SMS reminders in Europe?
Only to some countries. According to Setmore’s SMS policy, texts can’t be sent to numbers in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Ireland and several other countries, so customers there only get email reminders. A text to the UK uses 5 of the 500 monthly credits per user.
Is Setmore available in German?
Only partly. The booking page your customers see is available in 32 languages, including German. The admin area and the apps are only available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese.
Setmore or Calendly: which is better?
Setmore is better for service businesses with several services, prices and staff, and its free plan includes payments. Calendly is better for B2B meetings such as sales calls and demos, thanks to routing, round robin and CRM integrations, and it is certified under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework.
Does Setmore have a free trial?
Not on the web. New Pro customers get a 30-day money-back guarantee instead: you can switch back to Free within 30 days and ask for a full refund by email. The App Store listing mentions a 14-day Pro trial for purchases made in the app.
How do I cancel Setmore Pro?
Downgrade to Free in the web app under Settings > Billing, or email help@setmore.com. App Store and Google Play subscriptions have to be cancelled in the store. Payments are generally non-refundable; annual plans are only refunded if you ask in the same month as the upgrade or the last renewal.
Does Setmore sync with Google Calendar?
Yes. On Pro, appointments sync both ways with Google Calendar and Office 365, so private events block booking slots. The free plan only exports appointments one way, and Apple’s iCloud calendar is one-way only on both plans.
