SimplyBook.me is a feature-rich booking system for salons, clinics and studios, priced by booking volume. Calenix offers unlimited bookings on paid plans plus digital cards and signatures. Here is how to choose.
Quick answer
SimplyBook.me is a strong fit for shopfront service businesses that need extras such as point of sale, client apps, SMS add-ons or HIPAA support, and are comfortable with plans priced by monthly booking volume. Calenix is the better match for appointment-based professionals and small teams who want unlimited bookings on paid plans and a consistent presence across booking pages, digital cards, link-in-bio and email signatures.
What each tool is built for
SimplyBook.me is an online booking system for service businesses such as salons, clinics, fitness studios and tutors. It provides a booking website and widget, admin and client apps, and a library of optional "custom features" you switch on to tailor the system. Plans are priced per business, not per user, and scale by the number of bookings, providers and custom features.
Calenix combines scheduling with professional presence. You get booking pages and service pages, event types with buffers and limits, reminders and workflows, Stripe paid bookings and deposits, and team routing. The same account includes digital business cards, LinkDock, email signatures and business-card scanning.
Feature comparison
This comparison reflects each vendor's official pages at the time of writing.
| Feature | Calenix | SimplyBook.me |
|---|---|---|
| Booking volume | Unlimited 1-to-1 bookings, including Free | Capped per plan (50/month on Free up to 2,000 on Premium) |
| Pricing basis | Per plan; Professionals includes unlimited hosts | Flat per plan, with provider limits per tier |
| Payments | Stripe paid bookings and deposits from Individual | Payments, deposits and tips from Basic |
| SMS reminders | Email reminders and workflows | Paid SMS credits add-on |
| Point of sale | Not listed | From Basic |
| Client mobile app | Not listed | Client app from Basic; branded app from Standard |
| Service and landing pages | Yes, from Free | Booking website from Free |
| Digital cards, email signatures, link-in-bio | Included | Not listed |
Booking caps and how they affect growth
SimplyBook.me ties each plan to a monthly booking allowance: 50 on Free, 100 on Basic, 500 on Standard and 2,000 on Premium, with extra bookings available as a paid add-on. That is transparent and works well when your volume is predictable.
It is worth modelling a busy month, though. A Perth massage therapist doing 25 sessions a week would pass 100 bookings in a month, which pushes them beyond Basic. Calenix does not cap one-to-one bookings on any plan, so growth in volume does not change the plan you need; team size and features do.
If you are still working out what you need, our guide to online appointment booking in Australia covers the questions to ask before committing.
Custom features vs an all-in-one workspace
SimplyBook.me's custom features are its signature. You choose modules from a marketplace, and the number you can switch on rises with your plan: 1 on Free, 3 on Basic, 8 on Standard and unlimited on Premium. Businesses with specific operational needs, such as POS, accounting integrations or HIPAA, can assemble a fairly specialised system.
Calenix takes a different route. Rather than many operational modules, it bundles the tools that help clients find, book and remember you: booking and service pages, a digital business card with a QR code, a LinkDock page for your social profiles and an email signature that carries your booking link. For a solo physio or a two-person consultancy, that can replace several separate subscriptions.
Reminders, no-shows and payments
Both platforms handle confirmations and reminders. SimplyBook.me offers SMS and WhatsApp as paid credit packs, which is useful if your clients respond better to text. Calenix's published reminder features are email-based and it does not list SMS reminders, so if SMS is essential for your clientele, factor that in.
For paid appointments, both support deposits. SimplyBook.me adds tips and POS from Basic, while Calenix uses Stripe for paid bookings and deposits from the Individual plan. Whatever you choose, clear reminder wording matters as much as the channel; our piece on appointment reminders clients actually read has practical examples.
A worked example
Consider a Hobart allied health practice with three practitioners. Each sees around 20 clients a week, so the practice handles roughly 240 to 260 bookings a month. Clients book online, and the practice wants deposits for first appointments and automated reminders.
On SimplyBook.me, that volume sits within the Standard plan's 500-booking allowance, which also covers up to 15 providers. If the practice needs a branded client app or HIPAA-style compliance features, Standard is where those appear. It would budget for SMS credits if it wants text reminders.
On Calenix, booking volume is not the constraint. With three practitioners, the practice would look at the Professionals plan for team scheduling, shared availability and round robin, with deposits through Stripe and email reminders. Each practitioner would also get a digital card and a managed email signature carrying the booking link. The right answer depends on whether operational extras or a consistent client-facing presence matter more.
Pricing compared
Prices are from each vendor's official page at the time of writing (October 2026). Confirm current pricing before you sign up.
SimplyBook.me (EUR, flat per plan)
- Free: €0, 50 bookings/month, 1 provider, 1 custom feature.
- Basic: €13.9/month, or €11.9/month billed annually; 100 bookings, 5 providers.
- Standard: €29.9/month, or €24.9/month billed annually; 500 bookings, 15 providers.
- Premium: €59.9/month, or €49.9/month billed annually; 2,000 bookings, 30 providers.
- Enterprise: custom. SMS and WhatsApp credits and extra bookings are paid add-ons.
Calenix (AUD)
- Free: A$0, unlimited 1-to-1 bookings, 1 user.
- Individual: A$12/month billed annually, or A$15 month to month.
- Professionals: from A$29/month billed annually, unlimited hosts.
- Enterprise: custom quote.
Where SimplyBook.me is the stronger choice
SimplyBook.me is the better option for physical service businesses that need operational depth: point of sale, a branded client app, accounting integrations, HIPAA support or SMS reminders. Its per-business pricing is also attractive for teams with several providers but modest booking volumes, and its 14-day trial lets you test paid features first.
Where Calenix is the stronger choice
Calenix fits appointment-based professionals whose volume is growing and who do not want booking caps. It suits consultants, coaches, advisers and small service teams who also want a polished presence, with digital cards, LinkDock and email signatures included. Calenix is a newer, broader platform rather than a specialist salon or clinic system, so check it covers any industry-specific workflow you depend on.
Frequently asked questions
Does SimplyBook.me limit the number of bookings?
Yes. Each plan has a monthly booking allowance, from 50 on Free to 2,000 on Premium at the time of writing, and extra bookings can be bought as an add-on.
Does Calenix limit bookings?
No. Calenix lists unlimited one-to-one bookings on every plan, including Free. Plans differ by features, users and usage such as connected calendars and pages.
Which is better for a salon or clinic?
If you need POS, a client app, SMS reminders or HIPAA support, SimplyBook.me is likely the closer fit. If you mainly need booking pages, payments, reminders and a professional online presence, Calenix may be simpler.
Try Calenix
See whether an all-in-one booking setup suits your business. Create a free Calenix account, publish a service page and take a test booking, then review the plan options on the pricing page.