Quick answer
Choose Amelia if you manage several employees and locations, sell events as well as appointments, or want free Square payments. Choose Bookly if text reminders are your priority, you want a lifetime licence under $150, or you need packages and compound services.
If you want calendar sync, video links, payments and SMS reminders for less than either, Quill Booking (our plugin) includes all of them from $39 a year.
Amelia and Bookly are the two classic WordPress booking plugins for service businesses, with more than 90,000 and 60,000 active installs. Both manage employees, services and locations, and both sell their features in tiers.
We compared Amelia and Bookly on the eight things that decide which booking plugin fits a business, from the free version to security. Every price, plan limit and WordPress.org figure was checked on the vendors’ own pages and the WordPress.org directory on November 4, 2026.
Disclosure: We make Quill Booking, which we include as a third option. We are not affiliated with Amelia or Bookly, and we use the same facts and sources for all three plugins.
Amelia vs Bookly at a glance
| Amelia | Bookly | Quill Booking | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Salons, clinics and businesses with many staff | SMS reminders and add-on flexibility | Every Pro feature at the lowest price |
| Free version | Yes (Lite) | Yes, up to 5 services | Yes, one-on-one |
| Yearly from (1 site) | $49 (Starter) | $99 (Pro) | $39 |
| Sync, payments and SMS from | $99 (Standard) | $129 (Business) | $39 |
| Lifetime licence | $299 (Standard) | $129 (Pro) | $109 |
| Calendar sync | Standard plan | Google (Pro), Outlook (Business) | Pro |
| Zoom, Meet or Teams | Standard plan | Zoom, Meet (Pro) | Pro |
| Online payments | Square free; others Standard | Business plan | Pro |
| SMS / WhatsApp | SMS in Lite; WhatsApp Pro | Free (pay as you go) | Pro |
| Round-robin teams | Not listed | Not listed | Pro |
| Group bookings | Paid plans | Business plan | Pro |
| Recurring appointments | Standard plan | Business plan | Not listed |
| WordPress.org rating | 4.6★ (793) | 4.4★ (586) | 5.0★ (1) |
| Active installs | 90,000+ | 60,000+ | 70+ |
| Last updated | Oct 27, 2026 | Oct 26, 2026 | Feb 15, 2026 |
Which should you choose?
Amelia unlocks most of what a busy business needs on one plan, Standard at $99 a year: calendar sync, Stripe and PayPal, reminders, recurring appointments and multiple locations. Bookly needs its Business plan for online payments, group and recurring bookings, but it sends SMS and WhatsApp notifications even from the free version.
In the head-to-head below, Amelia comes out ahead on free version, calendar sync and video meetings, payments and staff, teams and group bookings; Bookly on reminders and notifications.
Amelia overview
Amelia is a booking system for businesses with employees, services and locations, and it also sells events. It is one of the most installed booking plugins on WordPress.org.
- Active installs
- 90,000+
- Rating
- 4.6★ (793)
- Yearly from
- $49 (Starter)
- Lifetime
- $299 (Standard)
Pros
- Strong employee, location and event management
- Square payments in the free version
- Large, active user base
Cons
- Reminders and calendar sync need Standard
- Customer panel is not in the free version
- Several serious security fixes in 2026, so keep it updated
Bookly overview
Bookly is one of the longest-running WordPress appointment plugins. It sells features in Pro, Business and Ultimate tiers plus a large add-on catalogue.
- Active installs
- 60,000+
- Rating
- 4.4★ (586)
- Yearly from
- $99 (Pro)
- Lifetime
- $129 (Pro)
Pros
- SMS and WhatsApp notifications without a paid plan
- Large add-on catalogue
- Lifetime licences available
Cons
- Stripe and PayPal need the Business plan
- Free version capped at five services
- Features are spread across many tiers and add-ons
Free version: Amelia vs Bookly
Amelia Lite includes a back-end calendar, events, email and SMS booking notifications and free Square payments. Reminders, the customer panel and unlimited employees need a paid plan.
Bookly’s free version is capped at five services and has no online payments, but it can send SMS and WhatsApp notifications through Bookly Cloud on a pay-as-you-go basis.
Quill Booking’s free version covers one-on-one meetings with availability rules, intake questions and email confirmations.
Edge: Amelia.
Pricing: Amelia vs Bookly
Amelia starts at $49 a year for Starter, but most businesses need Standard at $99 for calendar sync, payments and reminders; WhatsApp and the REST API need Pro at $199. A Standard lifetime licence is $299 at regular price.
Bookly Pro lists at $99 a year, but Stripe, PayPal, group and recurring bookings need Business at $129. Lifetime licences start at $129 for Pro and $149 for Business, and an autumn sale currently cuts Pro to $39 a year.
Quill Booking includes every Pro feature from $39 a year, or $109 for a lifetime licence.
Edge: Tie: both are equally strong here.
Calendar sync and video meetings: Amelia vs Bookly
Amelia syncs with Google, Outlook and Apple Calendar and adds Zoom, Google Meet and Teams links on the Standard plan.
Bookly Pro syncs with Google Calendar and adds Zoom and Google Meet; Outlook sync needs Business.
Quill Booking Pro syncs with Google, Outlook and Apple Calendar and adds Zoom, Meet and Teams links.
Edge: Amelia.
Payments: Amelia vs Bookly
Amelia takes Square payments even in the free version; Stripe, PayPal, WooCommerce, Mollie and Razorpay come with Standard.
Bookly’s free version takes local payments only. Stripe, PayPal and deposits need Business, while WooCommerce checkout comes with Pro.
Quill Booking Pro takes Stripe, PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay and WooCommerce payments.
Edge: Amelia.
Reminders and notifications: Amelia vs Bookly
Amelia Lite sends email and SMS booking notifications, while scheduled reminders and custom notifications need Standard and WhatsApp needs Pro.
Bookly sends email, SMS and WhatsApp notifications even from the free version, with text messages billed pay-as-you-go through Bookly Cloud.
Quill Booking sends email confirmations for free and Twilio SMS and WhatsApp messages on Pro.
Edge: Bookly.
Staff, teams and group bookings: Amelia vs Bookly
Amelia is built around employees, services and locations, with group bookings on paid plans and recurring appointments and multiple locations on Standard. Round-robin is not listed.
Bookly Pro unlocks unlimited staff and services; group bookings, recurring appointments, multiple locations and the customer cabinet need Business, and Ultimate adds packages and waiting lists.
Quill Booking Pro adds group, round-robin and one-off events.
Edge: Amelia.
Integrations: Amelia vs Bookly
Amelia offers webhooks on Standard, a REST API on Pro and WooCommerce checkout, plus page-builder support.
Bookly connects to WooCommerce on Pro and extends through a large catalogue of paid add-ons.
Quill Booking connects to Quill Forms for longer intake forms and sends bookings to other tools through webhooks.
Edge: Tie: both are equally strong here.
Updates and security: Amelia vs Bookly
Amelia is updated often (last on Oct 27, 2026) but Wordfence published about 20 vulnerability reports for it in 2025 and 2026, including a critical one fixed in September 2026.
Bookly is updated often (last on Oct 26, 2026) but Wordfence published about 20 vulnerability reports in 2025 and 2026, including a critical one fixed in September 2026.
Quill Booking has no Wordfence reports, but its latest WordPress.org release (February 2026) is tested up to WordPress 6.9.
Edge: Tie: both are equally strong here.
What you pay for the same features
Plan names hide the real cost. This is what each plugin charges for one site per year to unlock calendar sync, online payments and SMS reminders together, at regular prices.
| Plugin | Plan you need | Yearly price | Lifetime option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amelia | Standard | $99 | $299 (Standard) |
| Bookly | Business | $129 | $149 (Business) |
| Quill Booking | Pro (all plans include every feature) | $39 | $109 |
Quill Booking: the third option
Quill Booking is our scheduling plugin for WordPress. It takes the meeting-first approach of a Calendly-style tool and adds what service businesses ask for: group and round-robin events, Google, Outlook and Apple Calendar sync, Zoom, Meet and Teams links, Stripe, PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay and WooCommerce payments, and Twilio SMS and WhatsApp reminders.
Every Pro plan includes all features, so the only question is how many sites you need: $39 a year for one site, $59 for five and $109 for unlimited, or a lifetime licence from $109. Compared with Amelia and Bookly, that is the lowest price here for the full feature set.
Pros
- Every Pro feature from $39 a year
- Round-robin and group events
- Lifetime licence from $109
Cons
- Young plugin with a small WordPress.org user base
- Free version covers one-on-one meetings only
- Latest WordPress.org release is tested up to WordPress 6.9
Compare Quill Booking plansBooking pages, calendar sync, video links, payments and reminders on your own WordPress site.
See pricingAmelia vs Bookly: the verdict
Amelia is the better choice if you manage several employees and locations, sell events as well as appointments, or want free Square payments.
Bookly is the better choice if text reminders are your priority, you want a lifetime licence under $150, or you need packages and compound services.
If neither fits, or you want every Pro feature without paying for a higher tier, try Quill Booking. For the wider market, see our guide to the best WordPress appointment booking plugins.
More booking plugin comparisons
- FluentBooking vs Amelia
- LatePoint vs Bookly
- Amelia vs LatePoint
- Amelia vs Simply Schedule Appointments
- Bookly vs Simply Schedule Appointments
- 9 best WordPress appointment booking plugins
Frequently asked questions
Amelia or Bookly: which is better for a salon?
Amelia is usually the better fit for salons and spas, because employees, services, locations and the customer panel are central to how it works, and its Standard plan covers payments and reminders. Bookly works too, but the customer cabinet and online payments need its Business plan.
Which has more security issues, Amelia or Bookly?
Wordfence published about 20 vulnerability reports for each plugin in 2025 and 2026, including one critical issue each, fixed in later versions. Whichever you choose, turn on automatic updates.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Amelia and Bookly?
Yes. Quill Booking includes calendar sync, Zoom, Meet and Teams links, Stripe and PayPal payments, SMS reminders and round-robin events in every Pro plan, from $39 a year for one site or $109 for a lifetime licence.
Can I switch from Amelia or Bookly to another booking plugin?
Yes, but plan it. Recreate your services, availability and notifications in the new plugin, export your customer list, and keep the old plugin active until existing bookings have taken place. Test a few bookings before you change your public booking page.
Do Amelia and Bookly work with Google Calendar?
Yes, both sync with Google Calendar on a paid plan: Amelia on its Standard plan and Bookly on its Pro plan. Quill Booking syncs with Google, Outlook and Apple Calendar on every Pro plan.
Sources
Checked on November 4, 2026: the WordPress.org plugin directory; Wordfence Intelligence vulnerability pages; pricing pages for Amelia, Bookly and Quill Booking. Prices change often; if you spot an outdated figure, tell us and we will update this page.
