TimeTailor

Overview

TimeTailor combines salon scheduling, client records, staff administration, checkout and payment tools for freelancers and small salon businesses. It suits salons that want flexible manual booking or can justify paying separately for client self-booking and specialist tools. Its unlimited free manual-booking tier is a strong starting point, but the add-on model means costs depend on how clients book and which controls the salon needs.

Key features

The Free service plan includes unlimited manual bookings and staff, a service menu editor, reporting and email reminders. That breadth makes it useful for a solo professional or a team taking appointments directly, without a booking or staff quota to manage. The trade-off is that online self-booking is not part of the free tier.

Clients can book around the clock through a salon booking link with the separate Online booking plan. That plan also includes online payments and deposits, retention emails and SMS, and promotions and discounts. The client pays a 3.9% fee on online appointments at checkout, so it avoids a subscription charge for this option but adds a visible cost to the client’s booking.

The free plan’s client list includes booking history, profile details and communication history, keeping useful appointment context together. Staff scheduling, permissions and time-off requests support coordination across a team. Advanced reporting adds revenue reports for experts and services; at $9/mo per Bookable Expert, it is most relevant to salons that need those breakdowns, while admin roles are free.

Offline no-show protection adds no-show flags, deposits, SMS or WhatsApp reminders, late cancellation fees and full prepayment for $12/mo per User. Those controls can help salons formalize cancellation policies, but the per-user charge may be harder to justify for a small operation with few missed appointments. The Professional website plan costs $15/mo and adds an SEO-optimized site, integrated online booking, synced menu and business details, and custom domain support.

Card payments are handled by Stripe, with Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay and Google Pay supported. TimeTailor says transactions are encrypted. A WordPress booking widget can be added with a shortcode or block, while its API is intended to connect with payment, marketing or customer management tools. The salon app is available on iOS and Android; the service can also be used on phones, tablets and computers. TimeTailor advertises 24-hour live support and email support.

Pricing

The Free service plan costs nothing and covers unlimited manual bookings and staff, the service menu editor, reporting and email reminders. It is the clearest fit for salons that book clients themselves and do not need paid online-booking features.

Online booking costs $3.90 per contact, billed 3.9% and paid by the client at checkout for online appointments. It bundles online booking, payments and deposits with retention messaging and promotions. Advanced reporting is $9 a month, billed $9/mo per Bookable Expert; the added revenue breakdowns may suit salons monitoring performance by expert or service. Offline no-show protection is $12 a month, billed $12/mo per User, for salons that need deposits and cancellation enforcement. The Professional website costs $15 a month and suits businesses seeking a site with booking integrated. These are separate options, so salons should weigh their combined needs rather than treating the advertised paid-from price as the cost of every feature.

Platforms

TimeTailor supports Android, iOS, web and API access. The appointment app covers iOS and Android, while the service can also be used on phones, tablets and computers.

Who it's for

TimeTailor is best for freelancers and small salon businesses that value unlimited manual bookings and staff on a free plan, with the option to add client self-booking, specialist reporting, a website or no-show controls as needed. It is less compelling for salons that want all of those capabilities in one predictable subscription, or that do not want clients to pay a booking fee for online appointments.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Unlimited manual bookings and staff on the free plan avoid the capacity limits that can constrain a growing team.
• Pro: Client records include booking and communication history, while staff schedules, permissions and time-off requests address practical salon administration.
• Pro: Online payments, deposits and no-show controls are available as targeted options rather than requirements for every salon.
• Con: Online self-booking is a separate paid option, and its 3.9% fee is paid by the client at checkout.
• Con: Reporting, no-show protection and a professional website have separate charges, so salons needing several extras face a layered cost.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison, see Salon Appointment Scheduling Software. Treatwell Pro is another freemium option with an advanced plan that includes unlimited staff; its marketplace-client commission is subject to location. Choose Pronto if you prefer a self-hosted desktop-and-web option: its free plan caps use at one staff member, 100 clients, 50 bookings per month and 100 products, while Starter is $19 a month for five staff. Salonist offers a free marketplace listing capped at 50 appointments monthly, alongside online booking and staff shift management.

NexCal is a free, open-source self-hosted option with no subscription fees. Salon Booking System has a free plan for one site with unlimited services and email notifications, plus a paid annual plan. VoxelBooking offers a free self-hosted system without per-booking, per-seat or monthly fees, but hosting and maintenance are yours. Kitomba and Meevo are paid alternatives without a free plan.

Verdict

Choose TimeTailor if you run a freelance or small salon operation that can start with manual bookings and wants room to add online booking or operational tools selectively. Its unlimited free bookings and staff are the main draw; look elsewhere if you need a single predictable price for a full booking and no-show toolkit, or want to avoid a client-paid fee on online appointments.