Timely alternative
Timely's own pricing page says its payments work in Australia, New Zealand, the USA, the UK, and most of the EU. Booklink takes deposits through Yoco, Paystack, PayFast, or iKhokha, sends WhatsApp reminders, and costs a flat R79/month.
Booklink is a strong Timely alternative in South Africa for providers who want to take deposits online. Timely is well-regarded salon software for hair and beauty professionals, and it does serve South African businesses: its pricing page lists South Africa among the countries with SMS campaigns. Outside its named regions it prices in US dollars per staff member, from $26 a month for one staff member on Build, with a 14-day free trial and no free plan. The catch is payments: Timely says they are only available in Australia, New Zealand, the USA, the UK, and most of the European Union. Booklink's Free plan covers 1 team member and 30 bookings a month, and the R79/month Pro plan adds deposits or full payment through your own Yoco, Paystack, PayFast, or iKhokha account, plus automatic WhatsApp reminders.
| Feature | Booklink | Timely |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | R0 or R79/mo | $26, $39, or $47 for 1 staff member, plus per extra staff |
| Free plan | ✓ 30 bookings/mo, 1 team member | ✗ 14-day free trial |
| Available in South Africa | ✓ Built in South Africa | ✓ Scheduling and SMS, not payments |
| Online payments in South Africa | ✓ Yoco, Paystack, PayFast, iKhokha | ✗ AU, NZ, US, UK, and EU only |
| Deposits | ✓ Per service (Pro) | ✗ Not in SA (no payments) |
| WhatsApp reminders | ✓ | Not stated (SMS + email) |
| Included messaging | WhatsApp reminders on Pro (fair use) | ✓ 100 to 350 per staff member/mo, by plan |
| Commission or per-booking fees | None | Not stated |
| Marketplace listing | ✗ | ✗ Not stated / no marketplace found |
| Team members | Up to 5 (Pro), flat price | Per staff member; fixed price from 8 staff on Elevate and Innovate |
| Multi-industry | ✓ Any service | Hair and beauty focus |
Timely's payments are not offered in South Africa. Booklink's Pro plan collects a deposit or full payment at booking through your own Yoco, Paystack, PayFast, or iKhokha account.
Timely includes SMS and email reminders. Booklink sends automatic WhatsApp reminders on the Pro plan, where South African clients already read their messages.
Timely charges for each staff member, part-time included. Booklink's Pro plan is a flat R79/month for up to 5 team members.
Outside its named regions, Timely prices in US dollars, so your cost moves with the exchange rate. Booklink bills a fixed amount in rand.
Timely offers a 14-day trial. Booklink's Free plan stays free for a solo provider with up to 30 bookings a month.
Timely's plans are written for hair and beauty professionals. Booklink also suits trainers, tutors, photographers, consultants, and other service businesses.
Timely lists US dollar prices for regions outside its named markets. Below is its entry Build plan for a 5-person team (matching Booklink Pro's 5-team-member cap), at the mid-market rate of about R16.30 per USD (xe.com, 26 September 2026).
| Tier | Booklink | Timely Build |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier available | Yes, R0 ยท 30 bookings/mo | No, 14-day free trial |
| Solo provider | R79/mo flat | $26/mo, about R424/mo |
| 5-person team | R79/mo flat | $122/mo, about R1,989/mo |
| Annual cost (5 people) | R948 | $1,464/yr, about R23,867 |
| FX risk | None, billed in ZAR | Priced in USD |
Timely pricing from gettimely.com/pricing (rest-of-world US dollar pricing), checked on 26 September 2026: Build is $26 for the first staff member and $24 for each additional staff member. Rand figures are estimates at the mid-market USD/ZAR rate on that date and will move with the exchange rate.
Timely has real strengths of its own. Here is where it beats Booklink.
You want SMS reminders and SMS marketing
Timely includes an SMS allowance per staff member that grows with its plans, and lists South Africa among the countries with SMS campaigns. Booklink focuses on WhatsApp reminders rather than SMS marketing.
You run a large salon team
From 8 staff, Timely's Elevate and Innovate plans move to a fixed monthly price. Booklink Pro covers up to 5 team members (contact us for more).
You do not need online payments
If you take payment in the salon and only need scheduling and reminders, the lack of Timely payments in South Africa matters less, and its deeper salon tooling may suit you.
Yes, for scheduling. Timely's pricing page says SMS is included in all countries except the UAE, Ghana, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, and lists South Africa among the countries where SMS campaigns are available. But it also says Timely's payments are only available in Australia, New Zealand, the USA, the UK, and most of the European Union, so a South African business cannot take payments through Timely. Booklink's Pro plan takes deposits through Yoco, Paystack, PayFast, or iKhokha.
Timely is salon software for hair and beauty professionals, billed per staff member in US dollars outside its named regions: Build is $26 a month for one staff member plus $24 for each extra. Booklink is built for any South African service provider: a flat R79/month Pro plan for up to 5 team members, local payment gateways at checkout, and automatic WhatsApp reminders.
Timely's pricing page describes included SMS (for example, 100 per staff member a month on Build) and email reminders. WhatsApp is not mentioned on the pages we checked. Booklink's Pro plan sends automatic WhatsApp reminders.
No. Timely offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required, then paid plans billed month to month. Booklink's Free plan stays free for 1 team member and 30 bookings a month.
Timely goes deeper on salon operations, with more plan tiers, included SMS allowances that grow with your team, and SMS marketing campaigns that its pricing page says are available in South Africa. It suits larger salon teams: from 8 staff, its Elevate and Innovate plans switch to a fixed monthly price. Booklink Pro covers up to 5 team members.
Yes. Set up your services, team members, and availability in Booklink (about 5 minutes), connect your South African payment gateway, then share your booking link on WhatsApp, Instagram, or your website. There is no direct import from Timely, so re-adding services and staff is a manual step.
Competitor facts on this page were checked on 26 September 2026 against the sources below. Prices and features change; tell us at [email protected] if something is out of date.
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Get started for freeLast reviewed: . Reviewed by Nico Huysamen, Founder & Director, Tora Technologies. Cape Town, South Africa.