This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them

Period

–Visits

–Page views

–Clicks to vendors

–Time on page

–Reading now

Clicks to vendors, by tool

Top countries

Devices

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Head-to-head · Salon and Spa Scheduling Software

SimplyBook.me vs Ovatu

Updated Oct 2026
Both researched from official sources
3 checks side by side

Higher score SimplyBook.me #2 in Salon and Spa Scheduling Software 9.2/10 Free plan · 14-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 0 of 6 features Visit SimplyBook.me

Ovatu #7 in Salon and Spa Scheduling Software 8.7/10 30-day trial Free trial✓ 1 of 6 features Visit Ovatu

SimplyBook.me leads on 2 checks, Ovatu on 0, and 1 is even. Who comes out ahead on the 3 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

Highest scoreSimplyBook.me · 9.2/10
Lowest starting priceSimplyBook.me · $11.90/mo
Free planonly SimplyBook.me
Free trialboth
Most featuresOvatu · 1 of 6

SimplyBook.me scores higher on our rubric for salon and spa scheduling software: 9.2 against 8.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #7.

SimplyBook.me offers free plan; Ovatu doesn't. SimplyBook.me is cheaper to start at $11.90/mo against $25/mo.

SimplyBook.me is the better fit for budget-conscious businesses needing flexible booking. Ovatu is the better fit for salons wanting deep scheduling and inventory tools.

SimplyBook.me fits best
Budget-conscious businesses needing flexible booking
Ovatu fits best
Salons wanting deep scheduling and inventory tools

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Show only differences

Feature	SimplyBook.me 9.2/10 Visit ↗	Ovatu 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.2	8.7
Ranking	#2 in Salon and Spa Scheduling Software	#7 in Salon and Spa Scheduling Software
Best for	Budget-conscious businesses needing flexible booking	Salons wanting deep scheduling and inventory tools
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	$11.90/mo (best)	$25/user/mo
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	14 days	30 days
Free trial length	14 days · no card needed	30 days · no card needed
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web, macOS, iOS, Android
Support	Email, Live chat, Docs · 24/7	Email, Live chat, Phone, Docs · 24/7
Compliance	ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA, SSO/SAML, 2FA	GDPR
Integrations	5,000+ integrations	17 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features SimplyBook.me 0/6 · Ovatu 1/6
Online booking	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Staff availability	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Appointment reminders	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Resource booking	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Waitlist management	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Digital intake forms	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Free plan supports a booking website, widget, one feature, and one provider Two-way Google and Outlook calendar synchronization Payments, reminders, mobile apps, API access, and broad integrations	Combines booking, rosters, waitlists, and resource scheduling Includes POS, payments, deposits, invoices, and terminals Tracks inventory with stocktakes and purchase orders
Cons	Free plan is limited to one provider and one custom feature Less salon-specific than leading category-focused options Round-robin booking is not included	No free plan is available Pricing is charged per employee per month Campaigns and inventory control require the Loaded plan
Our verdict	SimplyBook.me is an online appointment scheduling platform for service businesses, including salons, clinics, gyms, educators, and consultancies. For salons and spas, it combines branded booking pages, embeddable widgets, shared calendars,… Read the review →	Ovatu is cloud-based business management software for salons and other appointment-based businesses. It brings online booking, appointment scheduling, staff rosters, client profiles, reminders, payments, point of sale, forms, marketing,… Read the review →

SimplyBook.meSalon and Spa Scheduling Software 9.2Free plan · 14-day trial
OvatuSalon and Spa Scheduling Software 8.730-day trial

Compare the top tools in

Strengths and trade-offs

SimplyBook.me — where it wins
- Free plan supports a booking website, widget, one feature, and one provider
- Two-way Google and Outlook calendar synchronization
- Payments, reminders, mobile apps, API access, and broad integrations
Where it doesn't
- Free plan is limited to one provider and one custom feature
- Less salon-specific than leading category-focused options
- Round-robin booking is not included
Ovatu — where it wins
- Combines booking, rosters, waitlists, and resource scheduling
- Includes POS, payments, deposits, invoices, and terminals
- Tracks inventory with stocktakes and purchase orders
Where it doesn't
- No free plan is available
- Pricing is charged per employee per month
- Campaigns and inventory control require the Loaded plan

SimplyBook.me9.2/10 · Free plan · 14-day trial
A flexible, broad booking platform for budget-conscious salons and service businesses.
Visit SimplyBook.me Full verdict →
Ovatu8.7/10 · 30-day trial
A broad salon operations suite with deep scheduling, inventory, payments, and booking tools.
Visit Ovatu Full verdict →

Swap in another salon and spa scheduling software

First tool Second tool

More comparisons

All salon and spa scheduling software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated 10 Oct 2026 · How we research and update