SlotsmithSlotsmith › Compare › Bookly alternative
Bookly Alternative for WordPress
Looking for a Bookly alternative? Slotsmith is a WordPress booking plugin with unlimited staff and services in its free version, and one Pro plan for payments, reminders and Google Calendar, without separate add-ons.
Checked on October 31, 2026 from each plugin's WordPress.org page and pricing page. Prices are regular (not sale) prices in US dollars. These plugins run sales often and change their plans, so check their sites before you buy.
Slotsmith vs Bookly at a glance
| Slotsmith | Bookly | |
|---|---|---|
| Staff in the free version | Unlimited | Limited; unlimited needs Bookly Pro |
| Services in the free version | Unlimited | Up to 5 |
| Online payments in the free version | No (Pro) | No (Bookly Pro) |
| Razorpay (UPI) | Pro (UPI, cards, netbanking, wallets) | Not among the gateways listed on its WordPress.org page |
| Google Calendar sync | Pro, two-way, per staff member | Bookly Pro |
| Price (regular) | $79 a year for 1 site, $149 for 5 sites, $299 for unlimited | From $99 a year (Pro, 1 site), or $129 once for a lifetime licence |
| Renewals | Same price every year | Yearly plans renew every year; a lifetime licence is paid once |
| Money-back guarantee | 14 days, no questions asked | See their site |
Bookly's free version
Bookly's free version allows up to five services. Its WordPress.org page says online payments, unlimited staff and services, and add-ons are not available in the free version: they need the paid Bookly Pro add-on.
Slotsmith's free version has no staff or service limit, so a salon with five stylists or a tutoring centre with twenty classes can take bookings without paying. Online payments, reminders and calendar sync are in Slotsmith Pro.
Bookly pricing vs Slotsmith
Bookly: From $99 a year (Pro, 1 site), or $129 once for a lifetime licence. Yearly plans renew every year; a lifetime licence is paid once.
Slotsmith Pro: $79 a year for 1 site, $149 for 5 sites, $299 for unlimited. Same price every year: what you pay in year one is what you pay in year two.
Three years, one website (regular prices): Slotsmith Pro $237 (1 site); Bookly $297 (Pro, yearly) or $129 once (lifetime).
When Bookly is the better choice
Bookly has been around since 2014 and has one of the biggest feature sets of any WordPress booking plugin: events, packages, waiting lists, multiple locations and many payment gateways (PayPal, Stripe, 2Checkout, Authorize.Net, Mollie and more). Its paid plans come in three tiers (Pro, Business and Ultimate), yearly or lifetime.
- You want to pay once. Bookly sells lifetime licences. Over three years, its lifetime Pro licence ($129 at the regular price) costs less than a Slotsmith Pro subscription ($237).
- You need its advanced extras. Waiting lists, packages, events and multiple locations are all part of Bookly's paid plans.
- You need a payment gateway Slotsmith doesn't have. Bookly lists 2Checkout, Authorize.Net, Mollie, Payson, PayUbiz and PayU Latam. Slotsmith has Razorpay, Stripe and PayPal.
Why people choose Slotsmith instead
- No staff or service limit for free. Bookly's free version allows up to five services and needs Bookly Pro for unlimited staff.
- Razorpay and UPI. Slotsmith Pro takes UPI, cards, netbanking and wallets through Razorpay, as well as Stripe and PayPal.
- WhatsApp and SMS reminders in Pro, through Meta's WhatsApp Cloud API and Twilio.
- One plan, everything included. Slotsmith Pro has no add-ons to buy: payments, reminders, Google Calendar, the admin calendar, coupons and extras are all in it.
- Customers reschedule themselves from a My bookings page, without creating an account.
What you get with Slotsmith
- Free, with unlimited staff and services: a three-step booking form (Booking form block or
[slotsmith]shortcode), a calendar that only shows free times, email confirmations, a secure cancel link for customers, approval or auto-confirm, and WordPress's privacy tools for customer data requests. - Slotsmith Pro: online payments or deposits with Razorpay (UPI, cards, netbanking, wallets), Stripe or PayPal, confirmed instantly by webhook and refunded automatically when you cancel; reminders by email, SMS or WhatsApp; two-way Google Calendar sync for each staff member; a drag-and-drop admin calendar; a "My bookings" page where customers reschedule or cancel without an account; breaks and special dates; service extras, coupons, extra questions and branded emails.
- Pricing: $79 a year for one site, $149 for five and $299 for unlimited. Renewals cost the same as your first year. 14-day free trial (no card) and a 14-day money-back guarantee. If you stop renewing, Pro keeps working; only updates and support stop.
How to switch from Bookly to Slotsmith
- Install the free Slotsmith plugin next to Bookly. They don't interfere with each other.
- Add your services (name, duration, price, buffer) and staff (photo, services, weekly hours, days off) under Slotsmith. Slotsmith doesn't import Bookly data, so this is done by hand; for most small businesses it takes 10 to 20 minutes.
- On your booking page, replace the Bookly form with the Booking form block, or the
[slotsmith]shortcode in a page builder. - Keep Bookly active until its last upcoming bookings have passed, then deactivate it.
- Need payments, reminders or Google Calendar? Start the 14-day Pro trial and connect Razorpay, Stripe or PayPal under Slotsmith → Pro settings.
Try Slotsmith free. The free plugin has no time limit, and you can try every Pro feature for 14 days without a card.
More comparisons
Bookly is a trademark of its owner, who is not connected with Slotsmith. Sources: Bookly on WordPress.org and its pricing page. Spotted something out of date? Email hello@roohsites.com and we'll fix it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free alternative to Bookly?
If you need more than five services or several staff on a free plan, Slotsmith's free version has no staff or service limit. LatePoint's free version is another option if you work alone and want free online payments.
Is Slotsmith cheaper than Bookly?
Yearly, yes: Slotsmith Pro is $79 a year for one site and Bookly Pro is $99 at its regular price. If you'd rather pay once, Bookly's lifetime Pro licence ($129) costs less over three years.
Does Slotsmith take Razorpay payments like Bookly?
Slotsmith Pro takes Razorpay (UPI, cards, netbanking, wallets), Stripe and PayPal. Razorpay isn't among the gateways listed on Bookly's WordPress.org page.
Can I move my bookings from Bookly to Slotsmith?
Slotsmith doesn't import Bookly data. Set up your services and staff in Slotsmith, swap the form on your booking page, and keep Bookly active until its upcoming bookings have passed.