Bizzly vs SimplyBook.me: Two Different Approaches
Both Bizzly and SimplyBook.me handle online booking for service businesses. That is where the similarity ends. SimplyBook.me is a scheduling platform with over 60 optional add-on features. Bizzly is a bundled platform combining a website builder, booking system, and subscription billing engine in one.
The question for buyers is straightforward: do you want a modular tool where you pick the features you need, or an all-in-one platform where everything comes included? This article compares both approaches with verified pricing and features, checked in March 2026.
At a Glance
Bizzly vs SimplyBook.me: Feature Comparison
| Feature | Bizzly | SimplyBook.me |
|---|---|---|
| Full website builder | Booking page builder | |
| Custom domain | Pro plan | Add-on (€119 one-off) |
| Online booking | ||
| Booking widget for external sites | ||
| Subscription billing | Via Membership add-on | |
| One-off payments | ||
| Automated invoicing | ||
| Card payments (Stripe) | Multiple gateways | |
| Client management | (HubSpot CRM) | |
| Intake / contact forms | (HubSpot Forms) | |
| Coupons and gift cards | ||
| Loyalty points system | ||
| Waiting list | ||
| WhatsApp AI agent | ||
| WhatsApp notifications | Via WhatsApp AI | |
| AI Voice Booking | ||
| SMS notifications | ||
| Google Calendar sync | ||
| Outlook Calendar sync | ||
| Reserve with Google | ||
| Facebook/Instagram booking | ||
| SEO tools | Basic | |
| Google Business Profile integration | ||
| Google Analytics | ||
| Mobile admin app | Web app | |
| WordPress plugin | ||
| API access | ||
| White label | Add-on | |
| Free plan | 50 bookings/month | |
| Free trial | 14 days | 14 days |
| UK pricing (GBP) |
Bizzly: The Bundled Platform
Bizzly targets service-based SMBs in the UK. It bundles website building, online booking, subscription billing, invoicing, and client management into a single monthly subscription. No add-ons, no feature slots, no per-feature charges.
The website builder is a genuine differentiator. It is a drag-and-drop page builder with templates for 12+ service verticals (cleaning, beauty, fitness, tutoring, trades, and more). Base and Standard plan users get a yourname.bizzly.net subdomain. Pro plan users can connect a custom domain.
Subscription billing is built into every plan. Clients can subscribe to recurring service packages, pay by card, and manage their bookings through a customer portal. Bizzly tracks booking quotas per subscription automatically. This is the core of Bizzly's proposition for businesses that sell ongoing services rather than one-off appointments.
The Standard and Pro plans include a WhatsApp AI agent that handles booking enquiries and sends notifications outside office hours. HubSpot Forms are pre-integrated into website templates for contact and service enquiries, and HubSpot CRM integration is included for client management. Google Calendar sync, Google Business Profile integration, and SEO tools are included on higher tiers.
Where Bizzly falls short
No free plan. No coupon or gift card system. No loyalty points. No waiting list feature. No Facebook or Instagram booking integration. No Reserve with Google. No mobile admin app (it is a responsive web app, not a native app). No Outlook Calendar sync. If any of these are critical to your workflow, SimplyBook.me covers them.
- Pricing: £19 to £49/month, flat. No add-on fees. 14-day trial, no credit card.
- Best for: Service businesses that want website + booking + subscription billing in one place
SimplyBook.me: The Modular Scheduler
SimplyBook.me is one of the most established online booking platforms globally. It serves a wide range of industries from beauty salons to medical clinics to driving schools. The platform is built around a base scheduling system with over 60 optional “custom features” that you add based on what your business needs.
The free plan includes 50 bookings per month and 1 service provider. The Basic plan at £10.9/month bumps that to 100 bookings and lets you activate 3 custom features. The Standard plan at £20.8/month gives 500 bookings and 8 custom feature slots.
Custom features include intake forms, online payments, deposits, coupons, gift cards, a loyalty system, a waiting list, membership subscriptions, WhatsApp notifications, and AI Voice Booking (where clients book by speaking to an AI over the phone). The modular approach is flexible. You only activate what you need, and you can swap features in and out.
SimplyBook.me has strong social media integrations. Reserve with Google puts your booking button directly into Google Search results and Maps. Facebook and Instagram booking lets clients book from your social profiles without leaving the platform. These are genuine advantages for businesses that get most of their traffic from search and social media.
Where SimplyBook.me falls short
No full website builder. The booking page builder creates functional but limited pages focused on appointment selection. No subscription billing engine (the Membership add-on is more limited). No automated invoicing. No WhatsApp AI agent for handling conversations. The feature slot system means you may need to choose between features you want. On the Basic plan with 3 slots, activating payments, intake forms, and Google Calendar sync uses all your slots with nothing left for coupons or the waiting list.
Setup is also significantly more complex than most platforms in this space. SimplyBook.me has over 60 custom features, each with its own configuration. Getting everything working the way you want takes considerable time and effort. SimplyBook.me sells an onboarding service for this reason. If you are not technically confident, factor in that setup cost or time investment.
- Pricing: Free (50 bookings), Basic £10.9/month (3 features), Standard £20.8/month (8 features). Annual billing.
- Best for: Businesses that primarily need scheduling with selective add-ons
Pricing Comparison
| Item | Estimated Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bizzly Base | £19/month | 50 bookings/month, 1 calendar, 7 website pages, email support. No add-on fees. |
| Bizzly Standard | £29/month | 200 bookings/month, 3 calendars, 10 website pages, WhatsApp AI, priority support. |
| Bizzly Pro | £49/month | Unlimited bookings and calendars, unlimited pages, custom domain, branded emails. |
| SimplyBook.me Free | £0/month | 50 bookings/month, 1 provider, limited custom features. |
| SimplyBook.me Basic | £10.9/month | 100 bookings/month, 3 custom features (add-ons). Annual billing. |
| SimplyBook.me Standard | £20.8/month | 500 bookings/month, 8 custom features. Annual billing. |
Total cost of ownership
SimplyBook.me's sticker price is lower. But a service business typically needs more than scheduling. Consider the full stack:
- SimplyBook.me Standard + Wix Core + Xero Starter: £20.8 + £16 + £15 = £51.80/month for scheduling, a website, and invoicing
- Bizzly Standard: £29/month for scheduling, a website, invoicing, and subscription billing
If you only need scheduling and already have a website and invoicing sorted, SimplyBook.me is the cheaper option. If you are starting from scratch and need everything, Bizzly bundles it for less than the combined cost of separate tools.
When to Choose Each
Choose Bizzly if:
- You need a website and booking system in one
- Your business sells recurring subscriptions or packages
- You want flat monthly pricing with no add-on decisions
- You prefer a WhatsApp AI agent for handling enquiries
Choose SimplyBook.me if:
- You already have a website and just need scheduling
- Social media bookings (Facebook, Instagram, Reserve with Google) matter to you
- You want a free plan to start with
- Intake forms, gift cards, or a loyalty system are important
- You need a native mobile admin app
- You prefer to pick only the features you actually use
Verdict
SimplyBook.me is the better pure scheduling tool. It has more integrations, more platforms, and a modular design that lets you build exactly the feature set you want. Bizzly is the better all-in-one platform for service businesses that need subscription billing and a website alongside their booking system. Neither is universally better. The right choice depends on whether you want a single tool that does everything or the flexibility to bolt together a custom stack.
Compare Bizzly plans on the pricing page.