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PandaCue vs Timely 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 Timely on retention, booking, and day-to-day operations.
PandaCue vs Timely
Great for
PandaCue
Teams and multi-location salons that want booking, payments, marketing and messaging in one place.
Timely
One salon that wants online booking, calendar, waitlist, deposits and client records in one place.
Pricing and Value
PandaCue
Free $0, Studio $197, Empire $397 monthly. Up to 3 locations, unlimited staff, no commission.
Timely
Build $26, Elevate $39, Innovate $47 monthly per bookable staff member, no annual discount stated.
Top Features
PandaCue
Online booking, calendar, payments, CRM, unified inbox, forms, automations, marketing, gift cards, memberships and website builder.
Timely
Online booking, calendar, waitlist, deposits, gift vouchers, packages, credits, loyalty and consultation forms.
Client Experience
PandaCue
Booking, payments, CRM, forms, memberships and every client conversation in one inbox, all in one place.
Timely
Client records with photos and history, waitlist, deposits, cancellation fees and mini-website booking.
Marketing and Automation
PandaCue
Marketing campaigns, automations and forms included on Studio, with 1,500 booking texts a month included.
Timely
Targeted SMS and email marketing, automated reminders, confirmations and automated marketing included.
Payments and Sales
PandaCue
Payments with 0% markup stated, gift cards and memberships, with no commission on any booking.
Timely
In-salon and online payments via TimelyPay, deposits, gift vouchers, packages and credits.
Communication
PandaCue
One unified inbox for SMS, email, Instagram DM, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and live chat.
Timely
SMS and email only, no unified inbox. SMS allowance 100 to 350 per staff member each month.
Integrations and Growth
PandaCue
Website builder, forms, automations and free data migration on Studio. Studio $197 a month, up to 3 locations.
Timely
Mini-website on a gettimely.com subdomain, with Xero, Mailchimp and Zapier integrations included.
Bottom Line
PandaCue
Choose PandaCue for 2 or 3 locations, one inbox and no commission on any booking.
Timely
Choose Timely for one salon, low entry price, booking, waitlist and payments in one place.
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 Timely cheaper than PandaCue?
Timely Build starts at $26 a month per bookable staff member, Elevate is $39 for one staff member and $28 per staff member for a team, Innovate is $47 for one staff member and $35 per staff member for a team. These prices were corroborated from October 2026 readings of the official pricing page, but they were not verified in the live text fetch today because the page is JavaScript rendered. 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.
Does Timely charge per staff member?
Timely is priced per bookable staff member, with part-time staff charged at the same rate as full-time staff. 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 Timely take a commission on bookings?
Timely has no marketplace and states no new client fees on every plan. PandaCue also charges no commission on any booking, because it has no marketplace, and it states 0% payment markup on Studio.
Does Timely have a free trial?
Yes, Timely offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. 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. Timely supports multi-location, with pricing per bookable staff member at each location.
Does Timely have a free plan?
No, Timely has no free plan, its lowest plan is Build at $26 a month per bookable staff member. 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. Timely includes targeted SMS and email marketing, automated reminders and confirmations, and SMS campaigns are charged separately and are not included in the monthly SMS allowance.
What add-ons does Timely offer?
Timely lists direct phone support at 20 pounds a month on Build or Elevate in the UK, included on Innovate, with no USD price verified. TimelyPay processing is 2.8% plus $0.30 online in the US. 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 Timely to PandaCue?
No free data migration offer from Timely was confirmed on the official pages read. PandaCue Studio includes free data migration.
Does Timely offer memberships?
No, Timely has no native membership feature. Its official help article states this plainly and offers workarounds using packages or credits. PandaCue includes memberships on Studio, with gift cards and packages in the same flat price.
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
