Disclosure: Mako CRM publishes this comparison and is one of the products discussed. This is vendor-authored analysis, not an independent review or hands-on product test.
Method: We checked the official sources below on September 1, 2026. Features, prices, fees, promotions, limits, and contract terms can change. Quote-only or unverified items should be labeled; absence from an official page is not proof that a feature is unavailable.
| Publisher | Source | What it supports | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setmore | Pricing for Appointment Scheduling Software | Free up to four users; booking payments reminders calendars classes video and branding features; multiple displayed Pro prices | Official page contains conflicting $5 $9 and $12 displays; platform region and billing period must be retained |
| Setmore | Setmore Frequently Asked Questions | Free staff limit; Pro $9 monthly or $5 annual display; cancel-anytime and feature statements | Conflicts with pricing page blocks; no universal regional or processor rate |
| Setmore | Setmore Premium Pro Pro Mobile | Mobile Premium Pro and Pro+ seat tiers and mobile-specific prices | Mobile and web subscriptions differ; up to six mobile users; do not generalize to web plan |
| Mako CRM | Pricing - Transparent Plans for Service Businesses | Public plan prices, annual totals, included team members, additional-location price, and month-to-month contract statement | Vendor-authored and changeable; checked date required; does not independently prove value, superiority, or competitor differences |
| Mako CRM | Invoicing and Payment Software for Service Businesses | Invoice creation, payment links, partial-payment tracking, reminders, recurring billing, Stripe processing, and Mako fee statements | Vendor-authored; Stripe fees can vary by market and account; sample collection and speed figures are not independent outcome evidence |
Setmore is a free appointment scheduler that a very large number of small service businesses use quite happily, and there is nothing wrong with that. Mako is the business platform underneath a service company — booking, payments, memberships, staff pay, retail, and financial reporting. The gap between them is enormous, and so is the gap in price. The useful question is which side of it your business is on.
Setmore: Free for up to four users, with online booking, a booking page, and calendar sync included. Pro is about $5/user/month paid annually, or around $12/user/month monthly.
Mako: Pulse is free. Basic at $139/month — the complete operational platform with three team members. Team at $249/month — fifteen team members, extra locations at $75/month each, advanced reporting, QuickBooks sync. Enterprise at $999/month — unlimited customers. Roughly 20% off annually, no contract.
Setmore is free and Mako is not. If a booking page is all you need, take the free one — we would rather tell you that than talk you into $139 for capability you will not use.
Setmore handles appointments. A service business eventually needs more than appointments, and the signs are specific:
None of that is a Setmore failing — it is a booking tool doing its job. It is a signal that the business has grown past the tool.
Four users, online booking, calendar sync, no cost. For a solo practitioner or a small team taking payment in person, that may genuinely be the whole requirement.
You can be taking bookings within the hour, with no configuration to speak of.
At $5/user annually, even a ten-person team is $50/month if all you need is a diary.
Card on file, deposits, packages, class credits with decrementing balances, invoicing, and a customer portal — rather than a booking and a separate payment problem.
Profit per service after staff pay and consumables, cash-flow forecasting, unit economics, LTV. This is the difference between running a diary and running a business.
Splits by service and staff member, tips, timesheets and payouts — native, and historically accurate.
Stock, low-stock alerts, consumables tied to services, and margin per product.
Automated win-back journeys, email and SMS automations, and free Pulse benchmarking that compares your retention against market averages and names who has gone quiet.
Pick Setmore if:
Pick Mako if:
Your business is a business. Not a hobby, not a side project, not a calendar with a cash register. It deserves software that treats it accordingly. If your platform cannot tell you whether you are financially healthy, it is not doing its job. And in 2026, you have better options.
Related reading: Calendly Alternatives When You Need to Take Payments.
See Mako in action — no sales call required
Mako is built for independent business owners who would rather spend their time on customers than on demo calls. Open the live demo, poke around, and see exactly how booking, payments, and financial intelligence come together in one place.
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