Bella Booking
Bella Booking
vs
T
Timely

Australian-made for Australian businesses.

An honest comparison to help you choose the right salon software for your business.

Last updated: January 2026
Try Bella Booking free

Quick facts at a glance

A side-by-side overview of key differences

Prices shown in AUD (inc. GST)

Feature
Bella Booking
Timely
Founded
2024
2011
Headquarters
Sydney, Australia
Dunedin, New Zealand
Best for
Small to medium beauty businesses (up to 20 team members per location)
Hair and beauty professionals
Monthly Pricing
Starter/Professional
Per their pricing model
Solo (1 team member)
A$25You save
A$46+A$21/mo
6 team members
A$79You save
A$277+A$198/mo
12 team members
A$79You save
A$554+A$475/mo
Commission
0% (never)
0%

Bella Booking: Starter plan for 1-3 team members, Professional for 4+ (unlimited). Competitor pricing from official sources, verified January 2026.

Which is right for you?

An honest look at when each platform makes sense

Consider Bella Booking if...

  • Sydney-based company with global support team
  • More affordable for small teams ($47 for 3 staff)
  • Easy personal onboarding included
  • Free data migration assistance
  • Simpler interface, less overwhelming
  • Family/dependent booking (not available on Timely)
  • Client reviews included (Professional plan)
  • Loyalty programme included (Professional plan)
  • Attendance tracking with time clock and PIN
  • AI Assistant for business insights (Beta)
  • No contract lock-in
  • Client confirmation system with one-click links
  • Service-level deposit and cancellation policy overrides
  • 13 comprehensive reports included
  • SMS reminders included (50-500/month)

Consider Timely if...

  • You want native mobile apps
  • You need commission tracking for staff
  • You need TimelyPay terminal hardware for in-person payments
  • You want gift cards built-in
  • 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

Available
Partial / Limited
Not available

Scheduling & Booking

Feature
Bella Booking
Timely
Online booking (24/7)
24/7 self-service
Appointment scheduling
Drag-and-drop
Colour-coded calendar
Multi-service booking
Multi-staff parallel appointments
Multi-team-member simultaneous services
Waitlist management
Walk-in management
Recurring appointments

Client Management

Feature
Bella Booking
Timely
Client CRM
Profiles, history, notes, documents
Client history & notes
Photo storage

Team Management

Feature
Bella Booking
Timely
Team scheduling
1 for solo, up to 3 for starter, unlimited for professional
Role permissions
4 customisable roles, 30+ granular permissions across 15 modules
Staff pricing tiers
Customisable pricing tiers (e.g. Junior/Senior/Master)
Commission tracking

Payments & POS

Feature
Bella Booking
Timely
Online payments
Starter plan and above, via Stripe. Optional fee passing to clients
Via TimelyPay
Deposit collection
Fixed amount or percentage
POS hardware
Software-based checkout — cash, card, or Card on File (charge saved cards via Stripe); no integrated card reader
TimelyPay terminals
Surcharging (pass fees to clients)Both support passing processing fees to clients. Bella Booking offers per-service control in all regions; Timely is limited to ANZ.
All regions, per-service control
ANZ only
Gift cards
Coming soon
Packages & memberships
Service bundles only
Service add-ons
Optional or required per service, single/multi-select, price and duration
Extras with pricing, duration, and min/max

Communication

Feature
Bella Booking
Timely
SMS reminders
50-500/month included
Varies by plan
Email reminders
Custom message templates
With variables ({{FirstName}}, etc.)
Marketing tools

Business Management

Feature
Bella Booking
Timely
Sales tracking
Product inventory
Reporting & analytics
13 comprehensive reports
Staff performance reports

Platform & Support

Feature
Bella Booking
Timely
Mobile apps
PWA — installable on mobile
iOS and Android
Multi-location support
Per-location databases, copy services between locations
API access
Professional plan
Australian support team
Sydney-based, global support
NZ-based, ANZ phone support
Easy onboarding
1-on-1 setup and data migration assistance
Onboarding available
Free data migration
Migration tools available

Unique Features

Feature
Bella Booking
Timely
Family/dependent booking
Book for children, partners, parents, pets, and more
AI Assistant
Beta
Loyalty programme
Professional plan
Automatic waitlist slot matching
Automatic matching with team notifications
Activity logging (audit trail)
Full appointment audit trail
Multi-service appointment grouping
Grouped on scheduler with full-details tooltip
Attendance tracking (time clock)
Time clock with PIN, Professional plan
Client reviews
Verified appointments, AI moderation, Professional plan
Promotions & discounts

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 member)A$25
6 team membersA$79
12 team membersA$79
Commission on bookings0%
Payment processing (when used)
2.7% + A$0.301.7% + A$0.30 (Stripe) + 1% (Bella Booking)
SMS reminders50-500/mo included

Solo (1 team): A$25/month AUD • Starter (1-3 team): A$47/month AUD • Professional (4+): A$79/month AUD

Timely

Solo (1 team member)A$46
6 team membersA$277
12 team membersA$554
Pricing modelPer staff member (Build plan)
Commission0%
Payment processing (when used)1.6% + A$0.30

Additional costs to consider

  • SMS credits (pricing varies)

Pricing information based on publicly available data as of January 2026. Visit each provider's website for current pricing.

Cost comparison by team size

Team Size Pricing Comparison

Monthly cost for different numbers of bookable team members

Note: "Team members" means bookable staff

Team member limits apply to staff who can be booked for appointments. Non-bookable users (receptionists, managers who don't take appointments) don't count toward limits.

Team SizeBella BookingTimelySavings with Bella
1 person
A$25/mo(Solo)
A$46/mo

A$46.2 (solo)

Save A$21/mo
3 people
A$47/mo(Starter)
A$139/mo

3 × A$46.2 = A$138.60

Save A$92/mo
6 people
A$79/mo(Professional)
A$277/mo

6 × A$46.2 = A$277.20

Save A$198/mo
12 people
A$79/mo(Professional)
A$554/mo

12 × A$46.2 = A$554.40

Save A$475/mo

Annual savings with Bella Booking

For a team of 6-12 bookable members

Up to A$5705

per year

Sources:

Bella Booking: Official pricing (Starter A$47/mo, Professional A$79/mo)

Timely: Official pricing page • Last verified: January 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)
  • 5Commission tracking built-in
  • 6Gift cards included
  • 7Marketing tools included
  • 8Part 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
  • 3Commission tracking for staff
  • 4Gift cards built-in
  • 5Marketing tools included

Still not sure? - we'll give you an honest assessment of whether Bella Booking is right for your business.

Switching from Timely?

We make it easy. Free data migration and 1-on-1 onboarding included with every plan.

Free data migration
1-on-1 onboarding included
No credit card required
Start your free trial

Sources: Information gathered from www.gettimely.com. Last verified: January 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 January 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.