The free plan is a user cap, not an appointment cap

Fetched from setmore.com/pricing on September 22, 2026. The Free card says up to 4 users at $0 per user / month. The same card lists unlimited appointments. A nail salon can take a full gel and dip book on Free and still be inside the plan, as long as the staff calendars stay at four or fewer.

Their FAQ defines a user as each staff member with their own profile. Each staff calendar counts even if that person cannot log in. A booth renter who only works Saturday still counts if she has a calendar. A front-desk profile with no login still counts. The free-plan math is calendars, not logins, and not tickets.

What the Free card lists

On the page we fetched, Free includes unlimited appointments, accept payments, a branded booking page, a branded mobile app, email reminders, email confirmations, integrations with leading apps, iOS and Android apps, and team collaboration tools. The comparison also lists a custom booking page, service links, and Reserve with Google in the brand section. We are not adding features that were not on that page.

Pro is where the page puts SMS and email reminders, recurring appointments, 2-way calendar sync, remove Setmore branding, block customers, Google Reviews, and priority support. If a shop’s “free plan” complaint is text reminders or removing the Setmore name, that complaint is about Pro’s list, not about the $0 price.

The full price table, including the Pro card’s $12 and $5 per user figures, is Setmore pricing.

What the fifth calendar does

Free stops at 4 users. Pro says unlimited users and still bills per user. The Pro card prints $12 and $5 per user per month, with helper copy that annual billing is $5 for the pro plan. We do not pick one of those figures and hide the other. A fifth nail tech does not stay on the $0 card.

Their FAQ also says you can try Pro and ask for a refund within 30 days. That is Setmore’s sentence. Bukkii does not match it with a trial. There is no free trial on AIVA.

A shop that is happy inside four calendars is not who this compare is trying to move. The page for “we do not want the per-user step” is a Setmore alternative and an unlimited-staff booking calendar.

Calendar does not have a four-user free tier

Bukkii Calendar is not a free plan. It is $20/month with unlimited staff, unlimited customers, a booking website, and Google Reserve. No per-tech line when the fifth, sixth, or Saturday calendar is added. It does not answer the phone. Get Calendar — $20/mo.

If four users on Setmore already cover the floor, stay. We do not claim you must delete a book the techs trust, and we do not claim two-way sync. The phone, during a fill, is still AIVA at $200 one-time. Get AIVA — $200.

See online booking for a nail salon and nail salon online booking. The app label is salon booking app.

Related guides

Two offers: AIVA on the phone, Calendar on the book

The calendar and the receptionist solve different leaks. Buy the one you are missing, or buy both. Neither is a footnote. Calendar does not answer the phone.

AIVA — the phone layer — $200 one-time

AIVA is the AI receptionist for inbound calls. She answers the shop number, books the service, and texts the appointment. $200 one-time. No monthly plan fee. No free trial. Get AIVA — $200. Hear her at (215) 791-6766.

Calendar — the booking layer — $20/month

Calendar is the booking website plus Google Reserve — the Book Online button on Google Maps. $20/month. Unlimited staff. Unlimited customers. It does not answer the phone. Choose it when the public book and Google are what you need, and you are keeping the checkout you already have. Get Calendar — $20/mo. Both cards are on pricing.

FAQ

Is Setmore’s free plan actually free?

On the pricing page fetched September 22, 2026, Free is $0 per user per month, up to 4 users. Unlimited appointments are listed on that card. The limit is the user cap, not a booking cap.

Who counts toward the 4 users?

Setmore’s FAQ says a user is each staff member with their own profile, and each staff calendar counts even if that person has no login permission. A Saturday tech with a calendar counts.

What happens when a nail salon adds a fifth tech?

Free is capped at 4 users. Pro is the unlimited-users card, and it is still priced per user. The Pro card prints $12 and $5 per user per month, with annual helper copy at $5. We do not collapse those figures.

Does the free plan include a receptionist?

No dollar for Live Receptionist appears on the Free card. That row is a separate plan, US only. Bukkii Calendar does not answer the phone either. AIVA is $200 one-time.

Is Bukkii Calendar a free Setmore replacement?

No. Calendar is $20 per month with unlimited staff, unlimited customers, and Google Reserve. It is not a free tier and it does not answer the phone. AIVA has no free trial.