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Scheduling · head to head

Timely vs Zen Planner

Timely logo

Timely

Scheduling

Smart scheduling software with AI-powered features

From
$11/month
Rated
-
Zen Planner logo

Zen Planner

Sports

Member management for fitness businesses

From
$99/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Timely starter is capped at 20 projects and a maximum of 5 users, at $11 per user per month billed monthly or $9 billed yearly; Zen Planner limited staff app features compared to desktop version
  • They diverge on capability: Timely covers AI-powered scheduling, Zen Planner covers Member management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Timely and Zen Planner actually diverge.

Attributes where Timely and Zen Planner differ
AttributeTimelyZen Planner
Starting price$11/month$99/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb, iOS, Android
CategorySchedulingSports
Founded20152006

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Timely

  • AI-powered scheduling
  • Online booking
  • Automated reminders
  • Staff management
  • Client management
  • Resource allocation
  • Analytics and reporting
  • Mobile app

Only in Zen Planner

  • Member management
  • Automated billing
  • Class scheduling
  • Workout tracking
  • Marketing tools
  • Mailchimp
  • SugarWOD
  • Wodify

Both cover

  • Stripe

What people use each for

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

Timely

  • Team time tracking for professional servicesnot Zen Planner
  • Project billing and utilization reportingnot Zen Planner
  • Workforce capacity planningnot Zen Planner
  • Multi-team time management across currenciesnot Zen Planner

Zen Planner

  • Workout trackingnot Timely
  • Nutrition managementnot Timely
  • Health monitoringnot Timely
  • Fitness coachingnot Timely
  • Wellness improvementnot Timely

Where each one falls short

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

Timely

  • Starter is capped at 20 projects and a maximum of 5 users, at $11 per user per month billed monthly or $9 billed yearly
  • Premium is capped at a maximum of 50 users, at $20 per user per month billed monthly or $16 billed yearly
  • Unlimited users requires the Unlimited plan at $28 per user per month billed monthly or $22 billed yearly
  • Capacity management and reporting, overtime and undertime tracking, Azure user management and 50+ currencies are all on the Unlimited plan only
  • Team management, budgets and costs, and accounting and project management integrations are excluded from Starter
  • The Enterprise plan is contact sales only with no published price
  • Tasks is sold as a paid add-on rather than being included

Zen Planner

  • Limited staff app features compared to desktop version
  • System crashes and occasional bugs reported by users
  • Integration difficulties with certain third-party platforms
  • Customers report continued charges after completed cancellation

Pricing, plan by plan

Timely

$11/month
  • Starter$11/month
    • Up to 5 users
    • Up to 20 projects
    • Basic time tracking
  • Premium$20/month
    • Up to 50 users
    • Unlimited projects
    • All Starter features
  • Unlimited$28/month
    • Unlimited users
    • Unlimited projects
    • All Premium features
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • Custom pricing
    • All features

Zen Planner

$99/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Zen Planner review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Timely if

  • You need ai-powered scheduling.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want online booking.

Choose Zen Planner if

  • You need member management.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want automated billing.

Questions people ask

Is Timely or Zen Planner better?
Neither clearly leads. Timely starts at $11/month and Zen Planner at $99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Timely or Zen Planner?
Timely starts at $11/month and Zen Planner at $99/month.
Does Timely or Zen Planner run on more platforms?
Timely runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Zen Planner runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Timely best used for?
Timely is most often used for team time tracking for professional services, project billing and utilization reporting, workforce capacity planning, multi-team time management across currencies. Of those, team time tracking for professional services and project billing and utilization reporting are not what Zen Planner is typically brought in for.
What can Timely do that Zen Planner cannot?
Timely covers AI-powered scheduling, Online booking, Automated reminders, Staff management. Zen Planner covers Member management, Automated billing, Class scheduling, Workout tracking. Both handle Stripe.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Timely: Does Timely offer a free trial?

Yes, Timely provides 14 days of full feature access without requiring a credit card.

Source
Zen Planner: Does Zen Planner have a free tier?

No, Zen Planner does not offer a free tier. Pricing starts at $99 per month with no free trial mentioned in their standard offerings.

Source
Timely: What annual discounts does Timely offer?

Annual billing discounts range from 20% to 22% off monthly prices. Starter saves 20%, Premium saves 21%, and Unlimited saves 22% when billed yearly.

Source
Zen Planner: Can Zen Planner integrate with ClassPass?

Yes. ClassPass seamlessly integrates with Zen Planner, allowing gyms to sync their schedule and avoid overbooking when offering ClassPass to members.

Source
Timely: Can I add team members to the Starter plan?

Starter plan supports a maximum of 5 users. For larger teams, Premium supports up to 50 users and Unlimited supports unlimited users.

Source
Zen Planner: Does Zen Planner work with SugarWOD?

Yes. Zen Planner integrates with SugarWOD, making it a popular choice for CrossFit gym owners who want to manage both WOD tracking and gym operations in one system.

Source
Timely: What is the cost of Timely's Tasks feature add-on?

The Tasks feature starts at $5 per person per month and is available across all Timely plans.

Source
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