Bella Booking vs Timely
Australian-made for Australian businesses.
An honest comparison to help you choose the right salon, spa or clinic software for your business - whatever its size.
Quick facts at a glance
A side-by-side overview of key differences
Prices shown in AUD (inc. GST)
Bella Booking: Starter plan for 1-3 team members, Professional for 4+ (unlimited). Competitor pricing from official sources, verified October 2026.
Which is right for you?
An honest look at when each platform makes sense
Consider Bella Booking if...
- Sydney-based company with responsive support across multiple timezones
- More affordable for small teams ($67 for 3 staff)
- Easy personal onboarding included
- Free data migration on Starter and Professional
- Simpler interface, less overwhelming
- Family/dependent booking (not available on Timely)
- Native memberships with auto-billing, 9 billing cycles, and client self-service portal (not available on Timely)
- Attendance tracking with time clock and PIN
- AI Assistant for business insights
- No contract lock-in
- Client confirmation system with one-click links
- Service-level deposit and cancellation policy overrides
- 30 reports with charts and comparison mode
- Clients can tip online after the appointment (Timely takes tips in person, on its terminal)
- Prepaid packages clients can buy and book online (Timely packages are sold and booked in-salon only)
- Client-visible treatment plans - a phased, personalised programme published to the client to book and buy from, revisited each visit (Timely has consultation forms only)
- Digital forms with e-signatures that send automatically per service on Professional (Timely sends forms automatically only on its Innovate plan)
- Accessibility & personalisation - dark mode, dyslexia-friendly fonts, colour themes, density modes
- Resource management with capacity controls and auto-assignment (not available on Timely)
Consider Timely if...
- You want native mobile apps
- You need TimelyPay terminal hardware for in-person payments
- You prefer an established, mature platform
- NZ-based support is acceptable (similar timezone)
We believe in helping you find the right fit, even if it's not us.
Detailed feature comparison
A comprehensive look at what each platform offers
Scheduling & Booking
Client Management
Team Management
Payments & POS
Communication
Business Management
Platform & Support
Unique Features
Pricing breakdown
What you'll actually pay
Prices shown are starting prices and include GST. Bella Booking Starter includes up to 3 team members; Professional includes unlimited team members. Competitor pricing may vary based on team size.
Bella Booking
Solo (1 team): A$25/month AUD • Starter (1-3 team): A$67/month AUD • Professional (4+): A$99/month AUD
Timely
Additional costs to consider
- • Excess SMS beyond the plan allowance: A$0.12 each
- • Direct phone support: A$30/month unless on Innovate
- • Every bookable staff member is charged in full - part-time counts the same as full-time
Pricing information based on publicly available data as of October 2026. Visit each provider's website for current pricing.
Cost comparison by team size
Team Size Pricing Comparison
Monthly cost for different team sizes
Note: how team member limits work
Plan limits count the team members on your Bella roster who are on the scheduler or bookable online: front desk, managers and bookkeepers don't count. The comparisons in this table assume everyone listed takes appointments.
| Team Size | Bella Booking | Timely | Savings with Bella |
|---|---|---|---|
1 person | A$25/mo(Solo) | A$46/mo A$46.2 (solo) | Save A$21/mo |
3 people | A$67/mo(Starter) | A$139/mo 3 × A$46.2 = A$138.60 | Save A$72/mo |
6 people | A$99/mo(Professional) | A$277/mo 6 × A$46.2 = A$277.20 | Save A$178/mo |
12 people | A$99/mo(Professional) | A$554/mo 12 × A$46.2 = A$554.40 | Save A$455/mo |
Annual savings with Bella Booking
For a team of 6-12 members
Up to A$5465
per year
Bella Booking: Official pricing (Starter A$67/mo, Professional A$99/mo)
Timely: Official pricing page • Last verified: October 2026
Pricing may change. Please verify current prices on official websites before making decisions.
What Timely does well
We believe in honest comparisons. Here's what Timely excels at:
- 1Well-established platform in ANZ market
- 2ANZ presence with local phone support
- 3Native mobile apps for iOS and Android
- 4TimelyPay with surcharging option (pass fees to clients)
- 5Sales reports by staff member
- 6Marketing tools included
- 7Part of EverCommerce family (stability)
Timely might be better if...
We believe in helping you find the right solution, even if it's not us. Here are some scenarios where other options might serve you better:
- 1Native mobile apps (iOS and Android)
- 2TimelyPay with in-person terminal hardware
- 3Marketing tools included
- 4More established platform (since 2012)
- 5Part of larger EverCommerce family
Still not sure? - we'll give you an honest assessment of whether Bella Booking is right for your business.
Rated 5.0 on Capterra
Switched from Timely
“The supportive & flexible system we have been asking for”
“Try Bella, You Won't Regret It!”
“Great support for small business”
Switching from Timely?
We make it easy. Free onboarding on every plan, with free data migration on Starter and Professional.
See the full guide to switching from Timely
Still comparing? More Timely alternatives
How to switch from Timely
Step-by-step guide to export your data and move to Bella Booking. We offer free onboarding on every plan, and free data migration on Starter and Professional.
- 1
Export your client list
Go to Reports > select "Customer List" or "Client Overview" > adjust parameters (date range, staff, location) > click View report > click CSV (or Excel/Word/PDF).
- 2
Export appointment and sales data
In the Reports section, select the relevant report type (e.g., Appointments, Sales) > set date range > View report > export in your preferred format (CSV, Excel, Word, or PDF).
- 3
Request a full data export (optional)
For a complete account data export including services, submit a help form via the Timely help centre. You will receive an email with a secure download link within 48 hours.
- 4
Send your exports to Bella Booking
Email your exported files to our onboarding team. We will import your clients, validate the data, and help set up your services and team schedules.
- 5
Update your booking links
Replace your Timely booking page links on your website, social media, and Google Business Profile with your new Bella Booking link.
A note on appointment history
We generally recommend not importing old appointment history. Importing past appointments can trigger unintended automated messages (reminders, review requests, reminders to rebook, follow-up messages) and cause data inconsistencies. Your clients and services are the essential data for a clean start. If you do want some history carried over, we recommend a tight recent range (e.g. the last 3 months), and our migration team will ensure no notifications are sent accidentally.
Good to know
Timely offers a full data export on request via their help centre - this is separate from the self-service report exports. The verification code for the download link is valid for 15 minutes.
Official export documentation: Timely help centre
Can't export your data?
No problem, we can work with anything. Screenshots of your service list, a link to your public booking page, a photo of your price board, or even a typed-up list. Send us whatever you have and we will build your account from it.
Need help with the migration?
Our team will handle the data import, set up your services, and walk you through everything. Onboarding help is free on every plan, and data migration is free on Starter and Professional. We accept data in any format: CSV, Excel, screenshots, photos, links, or anything else you can send.
Sources: Information gathered from www.gettimely.com. Last verified: October 2026.
Found an error? and we'll correct it promptly.
Important Notice
The information about Timely on this page is based on publicly available data as of October 2026 and is provided for general comparison purposes only. Pricing, features, and policies may change at any time without notice. We make reasonable efforts to keep this information accurate, but we cannot guarantee its completeness or current accuracy.
Always verify directly with Timely before making any business decisions. This comparison reflects our understanding and may not capture all nuances of their offerings.