Calendly works great for scheduling Zoom calls. It wasn't designed for taking deposits, showing your portfolio, or sending WhatsApp confirmations. BookMe was.
Built for beauty · Deposits included · Free forever plan
Calendly is excellent scheduling software — just not for your kind of business.
When a client books a consultation through Calendly, they see a time slot. When they book through BookMe, they see your actual work — photos attached to every service.
Calendly's deposit/payment collection is a paid add-on. For beauty professionals, taking a deposit isn't optional — it's how you eliminate no-shows. BookMe includes it free.
Your clients communicate on WhatsApp. Calendly sends automated emails. BookMe opens WhatsApp with a pre-written confirmation from your real number with one tap.
| Calendly | BookMe | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for beauty professionals | No — generic meetings tool | ✓ Yes |
| Portfolio photos per service | No | ✓ Yes |
| Deposit collection | Paid add-on | ✓ Free |
| WhatsApp confirmations | No | ✓ Built-in |
| Service menu with prices | No | ✓ Yes |
| No-show tracking | No | ✓ Yes |
| Waitlist management | No | ✓ Free |
Purpose-built for beauty professionals who need more than a calendar link.
Attach before/after photos to every service. Clients see exactly what they're booking — your fine line work, your gel sets, your colour results — before they pick a slot.
Require a deposit for any service. Clients pay by bank transfer with a unique reference code. You confirm the booking when the money lands. No payment processor fees.
One tap opens WhatsApp with a pre-written confirmation. Your clients get a message from your number — not an automated system.
List every service with name, duration, and price. Clients pick exactly what they want. No “what do you need?” back-and-forth.
When a slot fills, clients can join the waitlist. When a cancellation happens, the next person gets notified automatically.
Flag clients who no-showed. See the history before confirming their next booking. Protect your time.
“I used Calendly for about six months because someone recommended it. It was fine for calls but completely wrong for my nail business. Clients couldn't see my work, I couldn't take deposits, and the emails looked generic. BookMe felt like it was made specifically for me.”
Calendly is designed for scheduling meetings — no portfolio, no deposits, no service pricing, no WhatsApp. Beauty bookings require all of those. BookMe was purpose-built for appointment-based creative services.
BookMe's free plan costs nothing. Calendly's free plan is limited to one event type with no payments. BookMe Pro is £12/month vs Calendly's Standard at $10/month — and BookMe includes deposits, WhatsApp, and beauty-specific features.
Yes — many artists use both. Calendly for discovery calls or consultations, BookMe for actual service bookings where deposits and portfolio matter.
Your BookMe page can be live in under 5 minutes. Add your services, upload a few portfolio photos, set your availability, and share the link in your Instagram bio.
Your business isn't a meeting. Book it properly.
Deposits, portfolio, WhatsApp — all included. Free forever.
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