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Namely vs Square Appointments

Namely logo

Namely

Software

The HR platform that employees love

From
$18/employee/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Square Appointments logo

Square Appointments

Software

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: Namely limited customization for complex HR processes: workflows and customization options are limited compared to enterprise solutions; Square Appointments the free plan is aimed at solo professionals; booking across multiple staff requires the paid Plus plan
  • They diverge on capability: Namely covers HR Management, Square Appointments covers Online booking.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Namely and Square Appointments differ
AttributeNamelySquare Appointments
Starting price$18/employee/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20122009

Identical on both: 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 Namely

  • HR Management
  • Payroll
  • Benefits Administration
  • Time Off Management
  • Performance Management
  • Onboarding
  • Slack
  • Google Workspace

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.

Namely

No use cases recorded yet. See the Namely review.

Square Appointments

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

Where each one falls short

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

Namely

  • Limited customization for complex HR processes: workflows and customization options are limited compared to enterprise solutions
  • Payroll limitations: better served for less complex organizations and struggles with complex time-and-attendance or multi-FEIN scenarios
  • Missing ATS and surveys: lacks built-in applicant tracking system and pulse survey capabilities
  • Slow support response times: pod-based support model has led to slow response times for customers
  • Designed for specific market segment: best fit is mid-sized companies with 50-350 employees

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

Namely

$18/employee/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Namely review.

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 Namely if

  • You need hr management.
  • You also want payroll.
Namely 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 Namely or Square Appointments better?
Neither clearly leads. Namely starts at $18/employee/month and Square Appointments at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Namely or Square Appointments?
Square Appointments has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $18/employee/month for Namely and Free for Square Appointments.
Does Namely or Square Appointments run on more platforms?
Namely runs on Web. Square Appointments runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Square Appointments for free?
Yes. Square Appointments has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Namely starts at $18/employee/month.
What can Namely do that Square Appointments cannot?
Namely covers HR Management, Payroll, Benefits Administration, Time Off Management. Square Appointments covers Online booking, Client management, Point of sale, Payment processing. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Namely: Does Namely support global payroll?

Namely primarily focuses on mid-sized US-based companies with 50-350 employees. While it can handle complex payroll scenarios, it is better served for less complex organizations and does not have extensive global payroll capabilities compared to enterprise platforms.

Source
Namely: What is included in Namely's Premium pricing?

Premium plans cost $18-24 per employee per month plus implementation fees of 10-25% of annual software costs. Plans include payroll, HR, benefits administration, time management, and talent management features.

Source
Namely: Does Namely include performance management features?

Yes, Namely offers customizable performance review modules enabling dynamic, ongoing feedback rather than traditional annual-only reviews. This is one of Namely's standout features.

Source
Namely: How long does Namely implementation typically take?

Namely is designed for mid-sized companies and implementation timelines vary based on complexity. The platform includes implementation fees of 10-25% of annual software costs in addition to monthly per-employee pricing.

Source
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