Cliniko vs Setmore: Which Is Better in 2026?

Cliniko is cloud-based practice management software for clinics and allied-health practitioners, handling everything a healthcare practice needs to run day to day — scheduling, patient records, online booking, telehealth, invoicing and payments — with security treated as a central feature rather than fine print.

What is Cliniko?

Cliniko brings the operations of a health practice into one secure system. Practitioners manage their calendar and appointments, patients book online, treatment notes and client documentation are kept digitally, telehealth enables remote consultations, and invoicing with payment collection closes the loop. Automated reminders reduce no-shows, and everything is designed around the confidentiality that health data demands.

Who it's for

Cliniko serves allied-health professionals — physiotherapists, chiropractors, psychologists and many other practitioners — from solo practices to multi-practitioner clinics. It suits any health or wellness practice that needs proper clinical records, scheduling and billing in one compliant, easy-to-use tool.

Key features

• Appointment scheduling and calendar management
• Online booking for patients
• Digital treatment records and client documentation
• Telehealth for remote consultations
• Invoicing and payment collection
• Automated appointment reminders (with SMS)
• Integrations with tools like Mailchimp and Xero

Security and privacy first

For a health practice, protecting patient data is non-negotiable, and Cliniko makes it a core design principle rather than an afterthought — "security isn't just fine-print for us: it's a central feature and shapes every decision we make." That posture matters when you are storing confidential clinical records, and it is a key reason practices across regulated markets trust it with sensitive information.

Everything a practice needs in one place

Rather than stitching together a calendar, a notes system, a billing tool and a reminder service, Cliniko unifies them. A booking creates an appointment, the practitioner writes treatment notes against the patient record, an invoice is raised and paid, and reminders go out automatically — all connected around one patient file. Telehealth is built in, so in-person and remote care run from the same system.

Less no-shows, smoother days

Cliniko's online booking lets patients schedule themselves at any hour, which fills the calendar without front-desk phone tag, while automated email and SMS reminders cut the no-shows that quietly cost a practice money. For solo practitioners especially, that automation is like having an extra staff member handling the diary, so more time goes to treating patients and less to admin. Integrations with tools like Xero and Mailchimp keep accounting and patient communication in sync with the rest of the practice.

Fair pricing and support

Cliniko's pricing scales by number of practitioners, starting around $45/month for a single practitioner and rising in clear tiers as a clinic grows, with a 30-day free trial and no hidden fees. It backs this with free 24/7 online chat and email support plus an active community forum, and it donates 2% of subscription revenue to charity — a values-driven touch that resonates with many practice owners. There are no long-term contracts, so a practice can start small and add practitioners only as it grows.

Why choose Cliniko

For an allied-health practitioner or clinic that wants clinical records, scheduling, telehealth and billing in one secure, well-supported platform, Cliniko is a leading choice. Its serious approach to privacy, its all-in-one coverage of a practice's daily needs, and its transparent, practitioner-based pricing make it a trusted foundation for running a modern health practice.

Setmore is free online appointment-scheduling software that lets service businesses take bookings around the clock, manage their calendar, send automatic reminders and collect payments — all without the back-and-forth of booking by phone or email. Built for service providers of every kind, it turns a business's availability into a self-service booking page customers can use any time.

What is Setmore?

At its heart, Setmore gives you a branded booking page where customers pick an open slot themselves, 24/7. Behind that page sits a unified calendar that syncs availability in real time, automatic email and SMS reminders that cut no-shows, and staff scheduling so a whole team's bookings stay coordinated in one place.

Who it's for

Setmore serves a wide range of service-based businesses: salons and barbershops, dental and medical offices, legal firms, fitness centers, photography studios, tutoring services and more. Essentially any business that books appointments and wants to stop managing them manually is a good fit.

Key features

• Custom branded booking page for 24/7 self-service scheduling
• Unified calendar with real-time availability syncing
• Automated email and SMS reminders and confirmations
• Online payment processing via Stripe, Square and PayPal
• Video-meeting integration with Zoom and Google Meet
• Staff scheduling and team collaboration tools
• Mobile apps (iOS/Android) plus desktop versions
• QR-code booking for in-person prompts

Cutting no-shows and admin

Two of Setmore's biggest practical wins are fewer no-shows and less admin. Automatic reminders and confirmations by email and SMS nudge customers before their appointment, which measurably reduces missed bookings, while self-service scheduling removes the phone tag that eats into a small team's day. The result is a fuller calendar with less effort spent managing it.

Payments and virtual appointments

Setmore lets customers pay when they book through Stripe, Square or PayPal, so businesses can take deposits or full payment up front — another lever against no-shows. For remote services, built-in Zoom and Google Meet integration attaches a video link to the booking automatically, making it just as easy to run online appointments as in-person ones.

Integrations

Setmore connects with the tools businesses already use, including Google Calendar, Outlook, Facebook, Instagram, Stripe, Square and Salesforce, among others. Social integrations let customers book directly from a business's Facebook or Instagram profile, meeting them where they already are.

Pricing

Setmore's free plan is genuinely useful — $0/month for up to 4 users with core scheduling — which makes it a standout for small teams and solo providers. The Pro plan adds unlimited users and more features at around $5/user/month billed annually. The company also runs a 1%-of-revenue tree-planting program, having planted over 1.65 million trees.

Works on every device

Setmore follows a business wherever it operates. Native iOS and Android apps let owners and staff manage their diary, take bookings and check the day's schedule from a phone, while desktop versions cover the front desk. A QR code can turn any physical touchpoint — a shop window, a business card, a flyer — into an instant booking prompt, so customers can schedule the moment they think of it rather than looking you up later.

Why choose Setmore

For any appointment-based business, Setmore removes the friction of manual booking with a free, capable, self-service system that customers can use any time. Between the branded booking page, automatic reminders, payments and video-meeting support, it covers the whole appointment lifecycle — and the generous free tier makes it an easy, low-risk choice to start.