Bookafy vs Cliniko
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, ratings, and alternatives.
Bookafy is online appointment scheduling software that lets businesses embed a booking page or widget on their website for clients to book, reschedule, and pay for appointments in real time. It offers automated SMS reminders, two-way calendar sync, video conferencing integration, and CRM connections aimed at reducing no-shows and manual scheduling work.
Cliniko is practice management and EHR software for allied health practitioners such as physiotherapists, chiropractors, and podiatrists, covering scheduling, treatment records, invoicing, payments, and telehealth in one system. Every pricing tier includes the same full feature set; only the price changes as the number of practitioners on the account grows. All plans include unlimited admin and reception users, unlimited locations, unlimited file storage, and unlimited patient records, along with automatic backups and 24/7 monitoring. Cliniko connects to third-party apps including MailChimp and Xero, charges 10 cents per SMS reminder via pre-paid credits, and states that it donates 2% of subscription revenue to charity.
- Free plan available with unlimited appointment types
- Deep CRM integration options (Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho) on the Pro+ tier
- Reasonably priced per-user Pro plan compared to some competitors
- Embeddable widget makes it easy to add booking to any existing website
- Every plan includes the full feature set; only practitioner count changes the price, with no feature-gating by tier.
- Offers a genuinely free 30-day trial that does not require a credit card upfront.
- Unlimited patients, locations, and file storage are included on all plans.
- Emphasizes data security, 24/7 monitoring, and automatic backups on its marketing site.
- CRM and Zapier integrations are gated behind the higher Pro+ tier, not the base Pro plan
- The marketing site is protected by aggressive bot-detection, which can make it hard to reach directly for some users/tools
- Feature depth and UI polish are generally rated slightly behind larger competitors like Acuity in third-party reviews
- Pricing rises steeply with practitioner count, from $45/month for one practitioner up to $395/month for 26-200.
- Telehealth requires entering payment details to unlock, even during the free trial.
- SMS reminders are a metered extra cost (10 cents/message) rather than included in the base price.
More alternatives & similar tools
Alternatives to Bookafy
View all →Online appointment scheduling that lets clients book, pay, and reschedule 24/7.
Alternatives to Cliniko
View all →The Verdict
AI-generated from listing dataBookafy is a freemium, lightweight appointment scheduler best for small businesses needing simple booking widgets, while Cliniko is a paid, all‑in‑one practice‑management suite for health clinics that need EHR, invoicing, and telehealth.
Key differences
- •Bookafy offers a free tier with unlimited appointment types; Cliniko has no free plan.
- •Cliniko includes built‑in EHR, invoicing and unlimited patient records; Bookafy focuses only on scheduling and payments.
- •Cliniko’s telehealth and SMS reminders incur extra costs; Bookafy’s video‑link generation is included.
- •Bookafy provides deep CRM integrations (Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho) on higher tiers; Cliniko only lists MailChimp and Xero.
- •Pricing model: Bookafy charges per user; Cliniko charges per practitioner with steep scale‑up.
Pricing & value
Bookafy has a freemium tier and lower per‑user cost; Cliniko starts at $45/month per practitioner.
Ease of use / learning curve
Cliniko bundles scheduling, records, invoicing in one UI, reducing tool‑switching for clinics.
Features & depth
Cliniko includes EHR, unlimited patient records, invoicing, and telehealth; Bookafy is limited to scheduling and payments.
Integrations & ecosystem
Bookafy integrates with multiple calendars, Zoom, GoToMeeting, Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho, Zapier; Cliniko lists only MailChimp and Xero.
Scalability
Cliniko supports unlimited locations, patients, and file storage on all plans; Bookafy’s free tier is limited to individuals/small teams.
Support
Cliniko advertises unlimited free customer support; Bookafy’s support details are not specified.
Security & privacy
Cliniko emphasizes data security, 24/7 monitoring, automatic backups; Bookafy provides no security details.
Choose Bookafy if…
Small service businesses needing a simple, low‑cost booking widget with CRM sync.
Choose Cliniko if…
Allied‑health clinics requiring full practice management, EHR, invoicing, and telehealth.
Common questions
Can I start using the product for free?
Bookafy offers a freemium plan with unlimited appointment types; Cliniko has no free tier, only a 30‑day trial.
Do either tools include built‑in telehealth?
Bookafy auto‑generates Zoom/GoToMeeting links; Cliniko offers its own telehealth video, but you must enter payment details to unlock.
Which product integrates with my existing CRM?
Bookafy integrates with Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho, and Zapier (higher tier); Cliniko only lists MailChimp and Xero.
