Plandok

Plandok is appointment-booking software for service businesses that need to coordinate clients, staff and spaces. It suits small teams that want a booking page and client records alongside a working calendar. Its free plan is a practical starting point, while the five-employee and one-location caps make Premium the route for expansion.

Overview

Clients can book through a branded page shared on Instagram, Google or a business website, at any hour. They can browse services, choose an available time and pay a deposit. That makes Plandok useful for businesses that want to accept bookings beyond staffed hours, though deposit payments alone do not make it a broader payments or retail system.

The calendar combines drag-and-drop appointments, day and week views, working hours and breaks, with staff shown in distinct colors. Profiles keep visit history, notes, preferences and birthdays alongside the schedule, and spreadsheet import helps businesses bring existing client lists into the system. This combination is a good fit when staff need appointment context at a glance.

Key features

Team and resource scheduling

Staff schedules, roles and permissions, rooms, resources and multiple locations cover the coordination needs of appointment-based teams. Resource booking is valuable when a service depends on a room or shared resource as well as an available employee. The free plan, however, stops at one location and five employees, so it is not a long-term fit for every growing operation.

Reminders and regional support

Booking confirmations, appointment reminders and post-appointment follow-ups are available by SMS and email. Premium includes unlimited email notifications, but SMS and WhatsApp message charges are separate, so businesses relying heavily on those channels should account for messaging costs beyond the subscription. Plandok supports 13 languages and adapts dates, times and currency to the user's region.

Pricing

Plandok uses a freemium model, with no free trial. Forever Free costs nothing and includes one location, up to five employees, unlimited appointments, clients and online bookings, plus 100 email notifications per month. That is generous on booking volume, but the location, staff and email caps make it best for a small single-site business.

Premium is €9.99 per month, billed annually at €119.88/year, excl. VAT; volume discounts apply. It provides unlimited locations, appointments, clients, online bookings and email notifications, as well as recurring appointments. SMS and WhatsApp notifications are included as capabilities, but their message costs are not included. Premium makes sense for businesses that have outgrown the free caps or need recurring appointments; businesses with limited booking needs can stay on Free, while those with heavy messaging use should weigh the extra charges.

Platforms

Plandok is available on the web and Android. Google Play says the app's data is encrypted in transit and that users can request deletion of their data.

Who it's for

Salons, clinics, studios, trainers, groomers and photographers are among the appointment-based businesses Plandok serves. It is especially relevant to teams that need online booking, staff availability and client records together. A solo operator or small business can begin on Free, but a multi-location business or team larger than five employees needs Premium.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Unlimited appointments, clients and online bookings on the free plan make it possible to accept bookings without a booking-count cap.
• Pro: Calendar, staff schedules, resources and client profiles bring scheduling context into one workflow.
• Pro: The branded booking page supports deposits and sharing through common business channels.
• Con: Free is limited to one location, five employees and 100 email notifications per month.
• Con: SMS and WhatsApp message costs are extra even on Premium, complicating budgeting for businesses that depend on those reminders.
• Con: Premium's €9.99 per month rate requires annual billing, so it is less flexible than a monthly subscription.

Alternatives

For a broader salon-focused shortlist, see Salon and Spa Scheduling Software.

Setmore is worth considering if you want a free plan for up to four users or need a wider range of desktop and mobile platforms, including iOS, macOS and Windows.

SimplyBook.me may suit a business that values a free trial, but its free plan caps usage at 50 bookings, one custom feature and one provider.

Salonist is another freemium option with a free plan that includes 50 appointments per month, online booking and a calendar.

Zoho Bookings is an alternative with a free plan for one user and a 15-day premium trial without requiring card details.

Kitomba is a paid alternative for businesses considering online booking, stock management, integrated EFTPOS and marketing tools.

Meevo is a paid salon and spa option with a Lite plan that includes five users, 2,500 email contacts and 100 SMS marketing credits.

Phorest is another paid choice, with Starter and Grow plans that include unlimited devices and staff.

TreatsMe is a free alternative.

Verdict

Plandok is a strong choice for appointment-based businesses that want a usable free booking system with staff calendars and client records, then room to expand into more locations and recurring appointments. Its main trade-offs are the free plan's team and location caps and the separate cost of SMS and WhatsApp messages. Choose it if those limits match your operation; look elsewhere if all-in messaging costs or a more flexible monthly paid term matter more.