Does Setmore charge monthly on the free plan?

Setmore's free plan is not a monthly subscription. Paid Setmore plans are. Confirm what is included on Setmore's pricing page, because free limits change.

Can I take deposits on Sway Free?

Yes. Deposits and full payment at booking are available on every Sway plan, including Free, once you connect Stripe.

Can I move from Setmore to Sway?

Yes. Create your services and hours on Sway, share the new booking link, and keep Setmore only until existing clients have the new page.

Customers Business

Guides · Comparisons

Sway vs Setmore for UK appointment businesses

Compare Sway and Setmore for UK salons and service businesses: free plans, service calendars, deposits, and when a paid plan is worth it.

Published 2 October 2026

Small service business ready for online bookings

Key facts

What Sway is: Sway is UK appointment booking and calendar software for service businesses such as salons, barbers, beauty, wellness, and fitness.
Free plan: The Free plan is free forever and does not need a credit card. It includes 1 staff member, up to 10 services, up to 50 bookings per month, 1 location, a public booking page, deposits, and optional online card payments.
Not included on Free: Individual adds: No service cap; Unlimited bookings; Embed booking on your website; Calendar subscription (Google, Apple, Outlook); Custom branding; Up to 5 booking locations; Gift vouchers, passes & memberships; Promo discount codes; Loyalty rewards; Automated appointment reminder emails; Priority support; Customer tags & email campaigns. Team adds: 2 staff members included (extra seats from £7/mo each); Staff calendars; Per-staff calendar subscription links; Roles and permissions; Team analytics.
Fees: There is no monthly subscription on Free. Sway charges a 2.4% platform fee only when you take online card payments, on top of Stripe's typical standard UK card fees (~1.5% + 20p*). *Standard UK cards. Premium and corporate cards cost more. Pay-at-venue bookings have no Sway platform fee. Individual's platform fee is 0.5% and Team's is 0.35%.
Paid plans: Individual starts at £14.99/mo and Team at £19.99/mo. Cancel anytime. No marketplace commission on new bookings.

At a glance

Setmore and Sway both let clients book services online, including on a free tier. Sway Free is aimed at UK businesses that want a booking page, deposits, and no monthly fee until the diary grows. Confirm Setmore's current free limits on their pricing page before you choose.

Sway is best for

UK salons, barbers, and wellness businesses starting without a monthly bill
Owners who want deposits on the free plan
Teams that later want staff calendars without marketplace commission

Setmore is best for

Businesses already set up on Setmore who are happy with its limits
Owners who want Setmore's paid add-ons and are fine comparing those prices directly

Watch out for

Free tiers on both products cap how far you can grow before a paid plan
Setmore pricing and free limits change — use their official pricing page
Card payment fees still apply when clients pay online, on either product

Pricing verified October 2026. Setmore pricing

Why people compare Sway and Setmore

Setmore is one of the names that comes up when a new business searches for free appointment booking software. Sway is the same kind of product: clients book a service from a calendar, not a meeting link.

The useful comparison is what you can run before you pay monthly, and what the upgrade is for.

Free plans

Sway Free is permanent. It includes one staff member, a capped service menu, a capped number of bookings each month, a public booking page, and deposits. There is no credit card to start. The exact caps are on the Free plan page and in the key facts on this guide.

Setmore also offers a free plan. Its staff, appointment, and feature limits are Setmore's to define and they change. Read Setmore's pricing page for the current free tier rather than relying on an old screenshot.

Deposits and payments

On Sway, deposits and online card payments are available on Free. Stripe processes the card. Sway adds a platform fee only on those online payments. If the client pays at the venue, there is no Sway platform fee.

Setmore can take payments too, on its own terms and payment partners. Compare the fee on a typical appointment, not only the monthly software price.

When a paid plan is worth it

Pay for Sway Individual when you need unlimited bookings, more services, booking on your own website, or calendar sync. Pay for Team when more than one person needs a calendar.

Pay for Setmore when you outgrow its free tier or need a feature that sits on a paid Setmore plan. Neither free plan is a substitute for a multi-staff salon.

Frequently asked questions

Both can start free. Sway Free is a UK booking page with deposits and no credit card. Check Setmore's current free limits on their site, then pick the cap you will not hit in the first few months.

Migration help

We'll help you switch

On Fresha, Booksy, Treatwell, Phorest, Square, Timely, or something else? Tell us what you use and we'll help you move your services, staff, and bookings.

Free, no obligation. We'll email you to plan the move.