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Beauty · head to head

Bookeo vs Merlua

Bookeo logo

Bookeo

Beauty

Appointment scheduling for service businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Merlua logo

Merlua

Beauty

Booking software built for beauty salons

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Bookeo every plan caps monthly bookings: 200 on Solo at $14.95, 1,000 on Small and Standard, 2,000 on Large and 3,000 on X-Large at $119.95; Merlua plan prices are not published. The pricing page renders its comparison table client side and no amounts are visible on it as of September 2026, so the cost of Standard or Premium is not knowable before signup.
  • They diverge on capability: Bookeo covers Online booking widget, Merlua covers Guest online booking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 15 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bookeo and Merlua actually diverge.

Attributes where Bookeo and Merlua differ
AttributeBookeoMerlua
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, WordPress
Founded2008Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Beauty).

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 Bookeo

  • Online booking widget
  • Calendar management
  • Payment integration
  • Email reminders
  • SMS reminders
  • Custom booking forms
  • Staff scheduling
  • Reporting

Only in Merlua

  • Guest online booking
  • Services and staff
  • Calendar and availability
  • Deposits and payments
  • Email and SMS reminders
  • Branded booking page
  • Staff and client apps

What people use each for

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

Bookeo

  • Online appointment booking for consultants, therapists and photographersnot Merlua
  • Managing staff calendars and per consultant availabilitynot Merlua
  • Collecting digital waivers and sending SMS booking remindersnot Merlua

Merlua

  • Taking salon bookings without forcing client accountsnot Bookeo
  • Cutting no-shows with deposits and remindersnot Bookeo
  • Coordinating several staff members' availabilitynot Bookeo
  • Running a branded booking page from an existing websitenot Bookeo
  • Giving staff their schedule and earnings on their phonenot Bookeo

Where each one falls short

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

Bookeo

  • Every plan caps monthly bookings: 200 on Solo at $14.95, 1,000 on Small and Standard, 2,000 on Large and 3,000 on X-Large at $119.95
  • The Solo plan at $14.95 per month allows only 1 consultant and 1 staff login
  • Small at $29.95 and Standard at $39.95 both allow 1,000 bookings per month, so the extra $10 buys staff seats rather than capacity
  • SMS and fax messages are a paid add on starting at $0.09 per credit with bundles from $5 for 40 credits
  • Digital waivers are a separate add on starting at $9 per month for 200 waivers

Merlua

  • Plan prices are not published. The pricing page renders its comparison table client side and no amounts are visible on it as of September 2026, so the cost of Standard or Premium is not knowable before signup.
  • Stripe is the only payment processor named, so a salon banking elsewhere has no alternative route.
  • Built for beauty specifically. A clinic, a gym or a barber chain wanting inventory, POS or memberships will find those absent.
  • The integration list is short next to established salon platforms: Stripe, WordPress and SMS, with no accounting, marketing or POS connections listed.
  • A new vendor with no independent review coverage, so the reliability claims rest on the vendor's own material.

Pricing, plan by plan

Bookeo

Free
  • Solo$14.95/month
    • 1 consultant
    • 1 staff login
    • 200 bookings per month
  • Small$29.95/month
    • 3 consultants
    • 3 staff logins
    • 1,000 bookings per month
  • Standard$39.95/month
    • 20 consultants
    • 20 staff logins
    • 1,000 bookings per month
  • Large$79.95/month
    • 40 consultants
    • 40 staff logins
    • 2,000 bookings per month

Merlua

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Core scheduling with no time limit
    • Basic booking management
  • Standard and Premium$undefined/month
    • 14-day full-feature trial, no card required
    • No Merlua booking transaction fees
    • Monthly or annual billing, switchable at any time

Which should you pick?

Choose Bookeo if

  • You need online booking widget.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want calendar management.
Bookeo review

Choose Merlua if

  • You need guest online booking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, WordPress.
  • You also want services and staff.
Merlua review

Questions people ask

Is Bookeo or Merlua better?
Neither clearly leads. Bookeo starts at Free and Merlua at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bookeo or Merlua?
Bookeo starts at Free and Merlua at Free.
Does Bookeo or Merlua run on more platforms?
Bookeo runs on Web, Ios, Android. Merlua runs on Web, iOS, Android, WordPress.
Can I use Bookeo for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Bookeo best used for?
Bookeo is most often used for online appointment booking for consultants, therapists and photographers, managing staff calendars and per consultant availability, collecting digital waivers and sending sms booking reminders. Of those, online appointment booking for consultants, therapists and photographers and managing staff calendars and per consultant availability are not what Merlua is typically brought in for.
What can Bookeo do that Merlua cannot?
Bookeo covers Online booking widget, Calendar management, Payment integration, Email reminders. Merlua covers Guest online booking, Services and staff, Calendar and availability, Deposits and payments.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bookeo: What are the Bookeo Appointments pricing tiers?

Bookeo offers five tiered plans: Solo ($14.95/month for 1 consultant, 200 bookings), Small ($29.95 for 3 consultants, 1,000 bookings), Standard ($39.95 for 20 consultants, 1,000 bookings), Large ($79.95 for 40 consultants, 2,000 bookings), and X-large ($119.95 for 60 consultants, 3,000 bookings).

Source
Merlua: Is there a free plan?

Yes. Merlua states it offers "a robust free tier with core scheduling capabilities so you can manage basic bookings without a time limit", separate from the paid trial.

Source
Bookeo: How many staff logins does each Bookeo plan include?

Staff logins match consultant counts: Solo includes 1, Small includes 3, Standard includes 20, Large includes 40, and X-large includes 60 staff logins.

Source
Merlua: How does the free trial work?

Fourteen days of full access to all premium features with no credit card required upfront. At the end you either pick a plan or continue on the free tier.

Source
Bookeo: What is Bookeo's free trial?

Bookeo offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card required. All paid plans also include a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Source
Merlua: Does Merlua charge booking transaction fees?

No hidden booking transaction fees on the Standard or premium tiers. Standard payment processing fees from your gateway, such as Stripe, still apply.

Source
Bookeo: Can I add digital waivers and SMS to Bookeo?

Yes. Digital waivers are available as an add-on starting at $9/month for 200 waivers, scaling to $249/month for 10,000 waivers. SMS/FAX credits cost $0.09 per credit with bundle options up to 10,000 credits for $249/month.

Source
Merlua: Do clients need an account to book?

No. Clients complete bookings as guests without creating a password or a permanent account.

Source
Merlua: What happens if I cancel?

Premium features stay active until the end of the current billing period, and plans can be upgraded, downgraded or switched between monthly and annual at any time from billing settings.

Source
Merlua: What can I install it on?

A web dashboard, mobile apps for staff and clients, a WordPress plugin, and an embeddable booking widget for any site.

Source
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