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Customer Support · head to head

Groove vs Square Appointments

Groove logo

Groove

Customer Support

Simple, powerful support for growing businesses

From
$12/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Square Appointments logo

Square Appointments

Scheduling & Booking

Free scheduling for beauty businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Square Appointments has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Groove billed per ticket at $1 rather than per agent, so support cost scales with how many customers get in touch; Square Appointments the free plan is aimed at solo professionals; booking across multiple staff requires the paid Plus plan
  • They diverge on capability: Groove covers Shared inbox, Square Appointments covers Online booking.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Groove and Square Appointments differ
AttributeGrooveSquare Appointments
Starting price$12/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
CategoryCustomer SupportScheduling & Booking
Founded20112009

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Groove

  • Shared inbox
  • Knowledge base
  • Live chat
  • Automation rules
  • Reporting
  • Collision detection
  • Slack
  • Salesforce

Only in Square Appointments

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

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Groove

  • Shared inbox and help desk ticketing for small support teamsnot Square Appointments
  • Handling email, chat and messaging support in one queuenot Square Appointments

Square Appointments

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

Where each one falls short

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

Groove

  • Billed per ticket at $1 rather than per agent, so support cost scales with how many customers get in touch
  • A minimum of 250 tickets a month applies, which is a $3,000 annual commitment before any usage
  • A quiet month still pays the 250 ticket floor
  • No mailbox limit is published

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

Groove

$12/month
  • Standard$12/month
    • 1 mailbox
    • Knowledge base
    • Live chat
  • Plus$20/month
    • 5 mailboxes
    • Full reporting
    • Rules
  • Pro$35/month
    • 25 mailboxes
    • Salesforce
    • Enterprise SSO

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 Groove if

  • You need shared inbox.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want knowledge base.
Groove 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 Groove or Square Appointments better?
Neither clearly leads. Groove starts at $12/month and Square Appointments at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Groove or Square Appointments?
Square Appointments has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $12/month for Groove and Free for Square Appointments.
Does Groove or Square Appointments run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Square Appointments for free?
Yes. Square Appointments has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Groove starts at $12/month.
What is Groove best used for?
Groove is most often used for shared inbox and help desk ticketing for small support teams, handling email, chat and messaging support in one queue. Of those, shared inbox and help desk ticketing for small support teams and handling email, chat and messaging support in one queue are not what Square Appointments is typically brought in for.
What can Groove do that Square Appointments cannot?
Groove covers Shared inbox, Knowledge base, Live chat, Automation rules. Square Appointments covers Online booking, Client management, Point of sale, Payment processing. Both handle Web support.
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Related pages

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