Can I use Square for payments and Sway for booking?

Sway uses Stripe for online payments, not Square. You could use Sway for booking and take in-person payments separately, but online payments through Sway go via Stripe.

Does Square charge marketplace commission?

Square Appointments is not a consumer beauty marketplace like Treatwell or Fresha. You pay Square subscription and processing fees, not a per-booking marketplace cut for leads.

Is Sway better than Square for salons?

If you need deep booking features — group sessions, embeds, loyalty, team analytics — Sway is often a better fit. If you already run everything on Square POS, Square Appointments may be simpler to adopt.

Does Sway integrate with Square hardware?

No. Sway is booking-first with Stripe for online payments. Square hardware is part of Square's own ecosystem.

Can I switch from Square Appointments to Sway?

Yes. Set up your Sway services and staff, point your booking links to Sway, and run in parallel while clients adjust to the new page.

Customers Business

Guides · Comparisons

Sway vs Square Appointments for UK service businesses

Compare Sway and Square Appointments on UK pricing, booking features, payments integration, and which suits salons and wellness studios.

Published 25 June 2026

Card payment at a small business counter

At a glance

Square Appointments makes sense if you already run your till, inventory, and card readers on Square and want appointments in the same stack. Sway suits appointment-first businesses that want dedicated booking, wellness features, and no POS ecosystem lock-in.

Sway is best for

Salons and wellness studios focused on appointments, not retail POS
Owners who want group sessions, passes, and loyalty without Square hardware
Businesses wanting a calm booking page with flat Sway pricing

Square is best for

Shops already on Square POS and Square payments
Retail-plus-services businesses needing inventory and tills
Owners who want one vendor for payments and scheduling

Watch out for

Square's strength is the payments ecosystem — booking depth varies by plan
Multi-staff wellness scheduling may need careful comparison with Sway Team
Square is not a consumer beauty marketplace, but card fees still apply

Pricing verified June 2026. Square Appointments UK

Why UK owners compare Sway and Square

Square Appointments is often chosen by businesses already using Square for payments and point of sale. Sway is built for appointment-based UK salons and wellness studios that want booking, deposits, and staff scheduling without tying everything to Square hardware.

Who Square vs Sway is best for

Square wins when your business model mixes retail and services and you want one payments stack. Sway wins when online booking, group sessions, embeds, and predictable subscription pricing matter more than integrated tills.

Payments and ecosystem lock-in

Square Appointments is tightly integrated with Square payments and POS. That is convenient if you are all-in on Square, but switching later means moving payments and booking together.

Sway uses Stripe for card payments with a small Sway platform fee on online payments only. You are not tied to proprietary terminals and can take pay-at-venue bookings with no Sway platform fee.

Pricing comparison

Square: appointment software pricing varies by Square plan; card processing via Square rates.
Sway: free tier available; Individual from £14.99/mo; Team for multi-staff; no marketplace commission.
Compare total cost including hardware, processing, and per-staff fees for your real booking volume.

Worked example: what to compare

A solo massage therapist on Square pays for appointments plus card processing on every transaction. On Sway Free or Individual, software cost is predictable and you only pay platform fee when clients pay by card online.

A salon with retail and services may still prefer Square for the till — but many use Sway for booking and keep Square for in-store payments only.

Booking features in practice

Compare group sessions, staff calendars, deposits, website embed, calendar sync, and how clients browse before booking. Sway includes group multi-spot checkout, loyalty, passes, and vouchers on paid plans.

Square may be simpler if you only need basic one-to-one scheduling tied to your existing Square account.

Switching from Square to Sway

You can keep Square for in-person card payments while moving online booking to Sway. Update your website embed and social links, export clients from Square where possible, and run both for two weeks during the transition.

Side-by-side summary

The table below compares Sway with Fresha, Booksy, and Treatwell for marketplace-style tools. For Square, focus on the pricing and features sections above — Square is a payments-first stack rather than a beauty marketplace.

Sway pricing at a glance

No marketplace commission on new bookings.

Free £0/mo · Individual £14.99/mo · Team £19.99/mo (2 staff) · extra staff £7.99/seat/mo

Platform fee on online card payments only — from 0.35% on Team to 2.4% on Free. No fee on pay-at-venue bookings.

Feature	Sway	Fresha	Booksy	Treatwell
Solo — monthly software	£0/mo Free · £14.99/mo Individual	£14.95/mo min · 7-day trial only	£40/mo + VAT (all features)	Plan fee + marketplace commission
Team of 2 — monthly software	£19.99/mo · 2 staff included	~£19.90/mo (£9.95 × 2 staff)	£50/mo + VAT (2 staff)	Limited team tools
Team of 5 — monthly software	£43.96/mo · 2 staff + 3 add-on seats	~£49.75/mo (£9.95 × 5 staff)	£60/mo + VAT (5 staff)	Limited team tools
Marketplace commission on new bookings	None — including Sway marketplace	Up to 20% on new marketplace clients (min £4)	Optional Boost: 30% on first visit (min £5 + VAT)	35% on first booking from new marketplace clients (+ VAT)
Online payment platform fee	0.35%–2.4% on card payments · £0 on pay-at-venue (+ Stripe)	Card processing fees apply	Processing + subscription fees	Processing + booking fees
Free forever plan (not a trial)
Deposits & card payments on free plan
Your own branded booking URL				Marketplace listing only
Customers browse without an account	Sign in only at checkout	Account often required	Varies	Required
In-app customer messaging	Included	SMS / WhatsApp add-ons	Varies	Limited
Website embed on your site	£14.99/mo (Individual+)	Direct links · limited embed	Varies
Gift vouchers	Individual+			Varies
Prepaid passes	Individual+	Packages / memberships	Varies
Promo discount codes	Individual+	Limited	Varies	Varies
Loyalty rewards	Individual+	Limited	Varies
Team roles, staff calendars & analytics	Included on Team (£19.99/mo)	Per-seat subscription + add-ons	Higher tiers	Limited
Calendar sync (Google, Apple, Outlook)	Individual+ · per-staff on Team			Varies

Sway pricing and platform fees reflect current UK plans. Team includes 2 staff; additional seats are billed as add-ons. Competitor pricing verified June 2026 — confirm on each provider's site (Fresha, Booksy, Treatwell). VAT applies to competitor subscriptions where noted.

Frequently asked questions

Square offers appointment scheduling with varying pricing depending on your Square plan and features. Check Square's UK site for current appointment software costs — it is not the same as Sway's free-forever booking page.

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.