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Scheduling · head to head

Bookedin vs Sawyer

Bookedin logo

Bookedin

Scheduling

Appointment scheduling priced per calendar rather than per business

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sawyer logo

Sawyer

Scheduling

Class and camp booking software for children activity businesses, with a marketplace that takes up to 30 percent

From
$189/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Bookedin has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Bookedin pricing is per calendar, so a five-staff salon pays roughly five times the headline price and lands above competitors that charge one flat business rate for unlimited staff.; Sawyer the Launch plan looks free but forces a marketplace listing at 30 percent commission, so a single high-value camp booking through the marketplace can cost more than a year of the Grow subscription would have.
  • They diverge on capability: Bookedin covers Per calendar pricing, Sawyer covers Class and camp registration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bookedin and Sawyer actually diverge.

Attributes where Bookedin and Sawyer differ
AttributeBookedinSawyer
Starting priceFree$189/month
Pricing modelPer calendar per monthPer business per month, plus marketplace commission
Free tierYesNo

Identical on both: platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Scheduling).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Bookedin

  • Per calendar pricing
  • Public booking page
  • Reminders
  • Deposits and payments
  • Class scheduling
  • Free tier
  • Mobile apps
  • Booking forms

Only in Sawyer

  • Class and camp registration
  • Memberships and class packs
  • Consumer marketplace
  • Auto-billing
  • Waivers and e-signature
  • Multi-location

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Bookedin

  • A solo tattoo artist who needs deposits taken at booking to stop no-shows without buying a studio management systemnot Sawyer
  • A barber shop with two chairs that wants an Instagram booking link and automated SMS reminders running by the end of the daynot Sawyer
  • A tutor running both one-to-one sessions and small group classes from the same booking pagenot Sawyer
  • A pet groomer who wants intake questions captured at booking so the appointment length is right before the client arrivesnot Sawyer

Sawyer

  • A new kids activity studio with no mailing list that wants the marketplace to fill its first termsnot Bookedin
  • An established music school moving off spreadsheets that will run Sawyer as software only and never list on the marketplacenot Bookedin
  • A gym selling memberships, class packs and birthday parties that needs all three billed from one systemnot Bookedin
  • A provider running summer camps alongside term-time classes who wants a single parent account for bothnot Bookedin

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Bookedin

  • Pricing is per calendar, so a five-staff salon pays roughly five times the headline price and lands above competitors that charge one flat business rate for unlimited staff.
  • The free plan stops at 50 bookings a month across appointments and classes together, which a modestly busy single operator exceeds in a fortnight, making it an extended trial rather than a usable free tier.
  • It is a scheduler, not a business system: there is no inventory, commission tracking, payroll or point of sale, so growing businesses hit a wall and face a migration to a salon or clinic platform.
  • Payments run through Stripe, Square or PayPal, so you carry their processing fees on top of the subscription and get no negotiated rate from the vendor.
  • Client marketing is limited to reminders and basic notifications, with none of the campaign, loyalty or rebooking automation that competitors in the salon space treat as core.

Sawyer

  • The Launch plan looks free but forces a marketplace listing at 30 percent commission, so a single high-value camp booking through the marketplace can cost more than a year of the Grow subscription would have.
  • Marketplace commission applies to the order value, not the margin, so low-margin providers can lose money on a marketplace booking.
  • Payment processing fees are charged separately by Stripe on top of the subscription and any commission, which the plan comparison does not surface clearly.
  • The step from Grow to Scale doubles the monthly cost for account management and integrations rather than for capability most providers need, making the middle tier the only sensible choice for many.
  • It is built for consumer activity businesses, so providers who invoice schools, councils or corporate clients will find the billing model a poor fit.

Pricing, plan by plan

Bookedin

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 50 bookings per month total
    • One booking page
    • Appointment and class scheduling
  • Plus$19/month
    • Per calendar, billed annually; about USD 24 billed monthly
    • Unlimited bookings
    • SMS and email reminders
  • Pro$39/month
    • Per calendar per month
    • Everything in Plus
    • Advanced customisation and branding
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Quoted pricing for multi-location businesses
    • Dedicated support
    • Consolidated management across sites

Sawyer

$189/month
  • Launch$undefined/month
    • No monthly subscription fee
    • 3 percent per transaction
    • Marketplace listing required, 30 percent commission on marketplace orders
  • Grow$189/month
    • 189 USD per month billed annually, 219 monthly
    • Marketplace listing optional, 20 percent commission if used
    • Advanced scheduling, waitlists, free trials
  • Scale$379/month
    • 379 USD per month billed annually, 399 monthly
    • Marketplace listing optional, 15 percent commission if used
    • Dedicated account manager and registration launch support
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Custom pricing for large multi-site operators

Which should you pick?

Choose Bookedin if

  • You need per calendar pricing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want public booking page.
Bookedin review

Choose Sawyer if

  • You need class and camp registration.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want memberships and class packs.
Sawyer review

Questions people ask

Is Bookedin or Sawyer better?
Neither clearly leads. Bookedin starts at Free and Sawyer at $189/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bookedin or Sawyer?
Bookedin has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bookedin and $189/month for Sawyer.
Does Bookedin or Sawyer run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Bookedin for free?
Yes. Bookedin has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Sawyer starts at $189/month.
What is Bookedin best used for?
Bookedin is most often used for a solo tattoo artist who needs deposits taken at booking to stop no-shows without buying a studio management system, a barber shop with two chairs that wants an instagram booking link and automated sms reminders running by the end of the day, a tutor running both one-to-one sessions and small group classes from the same booking page, a pet groomer who wants intake questions captured at booking so the appointment length is right before the client arrives. Of those, a solo tattoo artist who needs deposits taken at booking to stop no-shows without buying a studio management system and a barber shop with two chairs that wants an instagram booking link and automated sms reminders running by the end of the day are not what Sawyer is typically brought in for.
What can Bookedin do that Sawyer cannot?
Bookedin covers Per calendar pricing, Public booking page, Reminders, Deposits and payments. Sawyer covers Class and camp registration, Memberships and class packs, Consumer marketplace, Auto-billing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bookedin: How much is Bookedin for a team?

Charged per calendar. Plus is about USD 19 per calendar billed annually or 24 monthly, and Pro about 39, so a five-person team on Plus is roughly USD 95 to 120 a month.

Sawyer: Is the Launch plan really free?

No. It has no monthly fee but charges 3 percent per transaction and requires a marketplace listing that takes 30 percent of marketplace orders.

Bookedin: Is the free plan usable long term?

Only for very low volume. It caps at 50 bookings per month across appointments and classes combined.

Sawyer: Can I use Sawyer without the marketplace?

Yes, on Grow and Scale the listing is optional. On Launch it is required.

Bookedin: Does it take payments?

Yes, deposits or full payment at booking through Stripe, Square or PayPal, with those processors fees applying on top of your subscription.

Sawyer: What does the marketplace commission apply to?

The full order value of bookings originating on hisawyer.com, not to bookings from your own website.

Bookedin: Who makes it?

Coldwin Software Inc., a Canadian company that has run the product since 2010.

Sawyer: Is there a contract?

Monthly plans are month to month with 30 days notice; annual billing saves roughly 5 to 14 percent depending on tier.

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