Softwr

Software · head to head

Folk vs Square Appointments

Folk logo

Folk

Software

The CRM that works for you, not the other way around

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Square Appointments logo

Square Appointments

Software

Free scheduling for beauty businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Folk no native mobile app, only works through mobile browser which is not optimized for phones; Square Appointments the free plan is aimed at solo professionals; booking across multiple staff requires the paid Plus plan
  • They diverge on capability: Folk covers Contact management, Square Appointments covers Online booking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Folk and Square Appointments actually diverge.

Attributes where Folk and Square Appointments differ
AttributeFolkSquare Appointments
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20202009

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

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 Folk

  • Contact management
  • Email tracking
  • Mail merge
  • Chrome extension
  • Tags & groups
  • Notes & activities
  • Import/export
  • Search & filters

Only in Square Appointments

  • Online booking
  • Client management
  • Point of sale
  • Payment processing
  • Automated reminders
  • Instagram booking
  • Google booking
  • Mobile app

Both cover

  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Folk

  • Contact managementnot Square Appointments
  • Sales outreachnot Square Appointments
  • Networkingnot Square Appointments
  • Recruitmentnot Square Appointments
  • Investor relationsnot Square Appointments

Square Appointments

  • Online appointment booking for salons, barbers and personal servicesnot Folk
  • Taking card payments and deposits at the time of bookingnot Folk
  • Managing staff calendars, waitlists and no-show policiesnot Folk

Where each one falls short

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

Folk

  • No native mobile app, only works through mobile browser which is not optimized for phones
  • Limited workflow automation capabilities compared to enterprise CRMs
  • No automatic phone call tracking, requires manual entry
  • Limited reporting and analytics features
  • Monthly caps on email sends and enrichment credits on lower tiers
  • LinkedIn Chrome extension sometimes has synchronization problems
  • Email sent through Folk sometimes doesn't appear as sent in user's Outlook account

Square Appointments

  • The free plan is aimed at solo professionals; booking across multiple staff requires the paid Plus plan
  • Cancellation policies, no-show fees and waitlists require the Plus plan
  • Resource management, service cost tracking and the future bookings report require the Premium plan
  • Custom processing rates are reserved for Square Pro, which is aimed at businesses processing over $250,000 a year
  • Card processing fees are charged on top of the plan fee on every tier including the free one

Pricing, plan by plan

Folk

Free
  • Standard$24/month
    • Pipeline management
    • Email campaigns
    • Contact enrichment
  • Premium$48/month
    • Custom objects
    • Email sequences
    • Dashboards
  • Enterprise$80/month
    • Dedicated account manager
    • Custom integrations
    • Priority support

Square Appointments

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited appointments
    • Online booking
    • Client management
  • Plus$29/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Multiple staff calendars
    • No-show protection
  • Premium$69/month
    • Everything in Plus
    • Multi-location
    • Staff management

Which should you pick?

Choose Folk if

  • You need contact management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want email tracking.
Folk review

Choose Square Appointments if

  • You need online booking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want client management.
Square Appointments review

Questions people ask

Is Folk or Square Appointments better?
Neither clearly leads. Folk starts at Free and Square Appointments at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Folk or Square Appointments?
Folk starts at Free and Square Appointments at Free.
Does Folk or Square Appointments run on more platforms?
Folk runs on Web. Square Appointments runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Folk for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Folk best used for?
Folk is most often used for contact management, sales outreach, networking, recruitment. Of those, contact management and sales outreach are not what Square Appointments is typically brought in for.
What can Folk do that Square Appointments cannot?
Folk covers Contact management, Email tracking, Mail merge, Chrome extension. Square Appointments covers Online booking, Client management, Point of sale, Payment processing. Both handle Cloud deployment, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Folk: What are Folk's pricing plans?

Folk offers three plans: Standard at $24/month per member (billed annually), Premium at $48/month with custom objects and email sequences, and Enterprise from $80/month with advanced security and dedicated support. New workspaces get a 2-week free trial with all Premium features.

Source
Folk: Does Folk offer a mobile app?

Folk does not have native iOS or Android apps. The web interface technically works on mobile browsers but is built primarily for desktop use.

Source
Folk: Does Folk track phone calls automatically?

No, Folk does not automatically track phone calls. All call interactions must be manually entered into the system.

Source
Folk: What integrations does Folk support?

Folk supports over 5,000 integrations through platforms like Zapier and Make. It includes native email, calendar, and WhatsApp sync, LinkedIn extension, and can enrich contact data using its built-in enrichment tool.

Source
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Folk

More on Square Appointments

Keep looking

Other head to heads