Free vs paid online booking systems for an Australian small business
Updated November 2, 2026 · 2 min read
If you work alone or from one location, a free booking system is usually enough: Square Appointments’ free plan covers a single location with online booking, reminders and card-on-file cancellation fees, and Google Calendar’s appointment schedules work on a personal Google account. If you already pay for Microsoft 365 Business, Microsoft Bookings is included. Pay for a plan when you run several staff calendars across locations or need features such as waitlists: Square’s Plus plan is A$40 a month per location.
The options side by side
| Square Appointments | Google Calendar appointment schedules | Microsoft Bookings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free option | Yes, one location | Yes, with a personal Google account | No |
| Paid plans | Plus A$40, Premium A$90 a month per location | Some features need a paid Google Workspace or Google One plan | Included in Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Standard and Premium |
| Reminders | Text and email | Up to 5 reminders per appointment | Email and text |
| Taking payment | Yes: 1.6% in person, 2.2% online | Through a connected Stripe account | Not covered here |
| Cancellation fees | Card on file, charged for no-shows or late cancellations | Not built in | Not built in |
| Staff calendars | As many as you need | Your own calendar | Shared booking pages for a team |
From Square, Google and Microsoft, November 2026.
What to check before you choose
- Reminders by text, not just email. Texts get read. If they show your business name rather than a number, that name must be registered as a sender ID with your provider.
- Deposits and cancellation fees. Can you require a deposit or a card for some services and not others?
- Your existing calendar. Bookings should land in the calendar you already use, so you don’t double-book.
- Staff and rooms. Each person, chair or room usually needs its own calendar.
- Your customers’ data. Check you can export client details and booking history if you ever move.
- Total cost per year, including card fees, not just the monthly plan.
Cancellation fees that hold up
A cancellation fee has to be shown before the client books and be reasonable for what you lose, according to the WA Small Business Development Corporation’s guidance on cancellation policies. Put it on the booking page itself, not just in your terms.
When off-the-shelf stops fitting
A ready-made booking system fits most appointment businesses. It starts to strain when bookings depend on rules it can’t express: a treatment that needs a specific room and a qualified staff member, a class with a waitlist and member pricing, or jobs that must flow on into quotes and invoices. That’s the point to compare a custom system with stacking several apps together.
Sources
- Square: Appointments pricing (November 2026)
- Google Calendar Help: Appointment schedules
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Bookings (August 2026)
- WA Small Business Development Corporation: What to include in your cancellation policy
Prices and features were checked on 2 November 2026 and can change.
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