A Square Appointments alternative for growing salons.
Square Appointments is hard to beat as a free start with payments built in. This page is for owners who have grown past the free plan and are comparing the paid tiers with Timeo.
Who looks for a Square Appointments alternative
The free plan covers a solo stylist well. The comparison changes when you need the features that sit on Plus and Premium.
- Key features sit on paid plans. No show fees, commission tracking and text notifications are on Plus (USD 49) and Premium (USD 149) per location; rooms and stations as resources are on Premium only.
- Card rates depend on your plan. In person rates run from 2.6% + 15¢ on Free to 2.4% + 15¢ on Premium, and keyed or card on file payments are 3.5% + 15¢.
- Payments are Square’s. Deposits and card payments run on Square’s own processing, so your rate and payouts follow Square.
Square Appointments and Timeo side by side
Square Appointments facts are taken from its own pages on 9 November 2026. "Not stated" means we did not find it on the pages we checked, not that the product lacks it.
| Square Appointments | Timeo | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | Free; Plus USD 49, Premium USD 149 per location | USD 29 to USD 49 a month per location (Basic, Advance, Team), the same whatever the client count |
| Staff calendars | Unlimited calendars; no employee limit | 1 login on Basic (USD 29), 5 on Advance (USD 39), unlimited on Team (USD 49) |
| Reminders | Included; text notifications on Plus and Premium | WhatsApp from your own business number: unlimited appointment reminders plus 500 other automated messages a month, and email too |
| Deposits and no show fees | Deposits on every plan; no show fees on Plus and Premium | Deposits on the services you choose, as a fixed amount, a percentage or the full price |
| Commission | Plus and Premium | Team (USD 49) |
| Treatment rooms | Rooms and stations as resources on Premium | Room types on every plan |
| Card payments | Square processing: 2.6% to 2.4% + 15¢ in person by plan; 3.5% + 15¢ keyed | One off online payments and deposits go into your own Airwallex account, in your own currency; auto-renewing memberships charge cards through your own Stripe account |
When Square Appointments is the better choice
- You want to start at zero. Square Appointments has a free plan. Timeo’s cheapest plan is paid after the trial.
- You already sell with Square. If your shop runs on Square hardware and payouts, keeping appointments in the same account is simpler.
- You need many logins on a budget. Every Square plan has unlimited calendars. Timeo Basic has one login and Advance five; unlimited logins start at USD 49.
When Timeo is the better fit
- Rooms without the top plan. Timeo books a free room of the right type with the stylist or therapist on every plan; on Square that is a Premium feature.
- WhatsApp reminders from your number. Clients get confirmations and reminders on WhatsApp from your business number, not a short code.
- Your own payment account. Online payments and deposits go to your own Airwallex account (Billplz in Malaysia), so you are not tied to one processor.
Moving from Square Appointments to Timeo
You will need your Square customer directory as a spreadsheet. We did not find a Square help article on exporting it from the Appointments side, so check with Square support for the current steps.
- Save the customer list as CSV with Name and Email or Phone.
- In Timeo, open Customers and choose Import customers. Choose CSV file (or paste the sheet), then Preview import. Timeo matches the columns, flags rows it cannot read, and matches people you already have by email, then phone. Nothing is saved until you confirm the plan.
- For retail items or a menu, open Catalog > Products and choose Import. Pick Generic CSV as the Import format, then Preview import and Apply import once the summary looks right.
- Add services under Booking setup > Services, and give treatments that need a room a room type under Rooms.
- Connect your WhatsApp under Settings > WhatsApp, then switch your booking link.
Upcoming bookings are re-entered on the Timeo calendar; past appointments and saved cards stay with Square. If you would rather not do it yourself, our team can run the import and set up services as part of hands-on setup, which is quoted separately.
Questions about switching from Square Appointments
- Is Square Appointments really free?
- There is a free plan with deposits on every plan. No show fees, commission tracking and text notifications are on Plus and Premium, and card processing is charged on each sale.
- Can Timeo use my Square account for payments?
- No. Outside Malaysia Timeo takes one off payments through your own Airwallex account and auto-renewals through your own Stripe account. In Malaysia it uses Billplz, iPay88 or Revenue Monster.
- Does Timeo book treatment rooms?
- Yes, on every plan. Give a service a room type and each booking holds a free room of that type with the staff member, so rooms are never double booked.
- Which is cheaper for a team of eight?
- Square Plus is USD 49 a month per location plus Square’s card fees. Timeo Team is USD 49 a month per location with your own processor’s fees. Compare both with your real card volume.
- What does Timeo cost in Malaysia?
- In Malaysia, Timeo is billed in ringgit: RM79 to RM119 a month, with FPX and DuitNow QR through your own Billplz account.
- Can I try Timeo first?
- Every plan has a 7 day free trial with no contract.
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Sources
Square Appointments's own pages, checked on 9 November 2026.