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PandaCue vs Setmore at a Glance
PandaCue is the premium operating system for salons, spas, and med-spas that want to book fuller books and keep clients coming back. See how it compares to Setmore on retention, booking, and day-to-day operations.
PandaCue vs Setmore
Great for
PandaCue
Teams and multi-location salons that want booking, payments, marketing and messaging in one place.
Setmore
Small teams that want online booking, calendar, payments, reminders and team messaging in one place.
Pricing and Value
PandaCue
Free $0, Studio $197, Empire $397 monthly. Up to 3 locations, unlimited staff.
Setmore
Free $0 for up to 4 users. Pro $12 per user monthly, $5 per user on annual billing.
Top Features
PandaCue
Online booking, calendar, payments, CRM, unified inbox, forms, automations, marketing, gift cards, memberships and website builder.
Setmore
Online booking, calendar, payments, deposits, customer profiles, recurring appointments and video appointments.
Client Experience
PandaCue
Booking, payments, CRM, forms, memberships and every client conversation in one inbox, all in one place.
Setmore
Customer profiles with history, notes, labels, import and export, plus Google review requests.
Marketing and Automation
PandaCue
Marketing campaigns, automations and forms included on Studio, with 1,500 booking texts a month included.
Setmore
Google review requests on Pro, no marketing campaigns on the pricing page, reminders only.
Payments and Sales
PandaCue
Payments with 0% markup stated, gift cards and memberships, with no commission on any booking.
Setmore
Online and in-person payments, deposits on Pro, Tap to Pay and cash register on Pro.
Communication
PandaCue
One unified inbox for SMS, email, Instagram DM, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and live chat.
Setmore
Email reminders and confirmations, SMS reminders on Pro, internal team messaging, no unified inbox.
Integrations and Growth
PandaCue
Website builder, forms, automations and free data migration on Studio. Studio $197 a month, up to 3 locations.
Setmore
Square, Stripe, PayPal, LawPay, Mailchimp, Zapier, HubSpot, GA4 and API on Pro.
Bottom Line
PandaCue
Choose PandaCue for 2 or 3 locations, one inbox and no commission on any booking.
Setmore
Choose Setmore for a small team, low entry price, booking, payments and reminders.
Before PandaCue, we were jumping between different tools just to keep up with clients. Now our appointments, messages, payments, and follow-ups are all in one place. It’s made the day-to-day work much easier for our team.
Maya Thompson · Owner, Multi-Service Beauty Studio
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Setmore cheaper than PandaCue?
Setmore Pro starts at $12 a month per user, or $5 a month per user on annual billing, and Free allows up to 4 users. Enterprise is quote only. PandaCue Studio is $197 a month, and the difference is what is included. Studio covers up to 3 locations, unlimited staff, a unified inbox, website builder, forms and automations in one flat price, with no commission on any booking. Setmore is priced per user, so its price rises with every staff calendar.
Does Setmore charge per staff member?
Setmore is priced per user, and each staff calendar counts as a user, even without login permission. PandaCue Studio and Empire include unlimited staff, and Studio covers up to 3 locations for $197 a month flat, so the price does not rise when you add staff or a second or third location.
Does Setmore take a commission on bookings?
Setmore takes no cut from payments, and it has no marketplace commission. PandaCue also charges no commission on any booking, because it has no marketplace, and it states 0% payment markup on Studio.
Does Setmore have a free trial?
Setmore states no free-trial period. Its official FAQ says you can try Pro risk-free for 30 days and request a refund if not satisfied, which is a refund promise, not a trial, with no card requirement stated. PandaCue shows no trial on its live pricing page, but its Free plan is $0 a month, so you can start with online booking, calendar, payments, CRM, unified inbox, forms, automations, marketing campaigns, gift cards, memberships and a website builder without paying anything.
Which one is better for multiple locations?
PandaCue Studio covers up to 3 locations for $197 a month flat, and Empire covers unlimited locations for $397 a month. That flat price is the plus point, the price does not rise when you add a second or third location. Setmore handles extra locations through extra users, with no published per-location price.
Does Setmore have a free plan?
Yes, Setmore Free is $0 a month, with up to 4 users, unlimited appointments, email reminders, email confirmations, a Booking Page, online and in-person payments, and iOS and Android apps. PandaCue Free is $0 a month with 1 location, 1 staff, 50 bookings a month and 200 clients.
Which software is better for marketing?
PandaCue includes marketing campaigns and automations on Studio. Setmore has no marketing campaigns on its pricing page, only Google review requests on Pro, with Mailchimp as an integration.
What add-ons does Setmore offer?
Setmore lists Live Receptionist at $99 a month as a separate plan, US only, and extra SMS credits purchasable in-app for Pro, with no price published on its pricing page. PandaCue Studio has only two stackable extras, an extra phone number at $5 a month each and message credit top-ups.
Can I switch from Setmore to PandaCue?
No free data migration offer from Setmore was found on its official pricing page. PandaCue Studio includes free data migration.
How does Setmore count users?
Each staff calendar counts as a user, even without login permission, so a team of 5 costs $60 a month on monthly billing. PandaCue Studio is $197 a month flat for unlimited staff and up to 3 locations.
Your entire salon, perfectly managed in one place
From online booking to payments and staff scheduling, get everything you need to run and grow your business with complete ease
