Quick answer
The best Amelia alternative is Quill Booking, our own plugin, which includes calendar sync, video links, payments and reminders from $39 a year. LatePoint is the strongest free alternative and has had no Wordfence reports in 2025 or 2026, DoubleScale adds a CRM, Bookly suits text-reminder-heavy businesses, and FluentBooking is better for meeting scheduling.
Amelia is one of the most popular booking plugins on WordPress, with more than 90,000 active sites. It is excellent for salons, clinics and studios with many staff, but many businesses pay for more than they use, or need reminders and calendar sync without moving to the Standard plan.
Disclosure: Quill Booking is our plugin, so we put it first. DoubleScale is a sister product from the same team. We list the same facts for every product, including what each one does not do well, so you can make your own call.
Compared at a glance
| Plugin | Best for | Free version | Paid from (1 site) | Lifetime from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quill Booking | Best overall Amelia alternative | One-on-one meetings | $39/year | $109 |
| LatePoint | Best free alternative | Yes, with payments | $99/year ($79 intro) | $249 ($199 intro) |
| DoubleScale | Best with a CRM | Yes, booking pages and group events | $99/year | $299 |
| Bookly | Best for text reminders | Yes, up to 5 services | $99/year (Pro) | $129 (Pro) |
| FluentBooking | Best for meeting scheduling | Yes, one-on-one | $79/year ($63 first year) | $249 |
| Salon Booking System | Best for salons | Yes, unlimited services and bookings | €89/year | None |
Why people look for Amelia alternatives
- Key features sit on Standard. Reminders, calendar sync and online payments other than Square need the $99-a-year Standard plan, and WhatsApp and the REST API need Pro.
- Security updates. Wordfence published about 20 vulnerability reports for Amelia in 2025 and 2026, including a critical one fixed in September 2026. Amelia is updated often, but it must be kept current.
- It is a lot of plugin. Amelia is built for multi-staff, multi-location businesses; solo professionals often want something simpler.
How we chose
We checked every product’s own pricing and feature pages and its WordPress.org listing, then judged it on what matters most for this use:
- Reminders and calendar sync: the features people use every day, and which plan unlocks them.
- Booking experience: a clean booking page, time zones, intake questions and self-service rescheduling.
- Payments: Stripe, PayPal or WooCommerce, and whether they need a paid plan.
- Teams: staff, round-robin and group events.
- Total cost: yearly and lifetime prices for one site, compared with per-seat pricing.
- Upkeep: how recently each plugin was updated and its security record.
1. Quill Booking: best overall Amelia alternative
Quill Booking includes the features Amelia keeps for Standard, calendar sync, Zoom, Meet and Teams, Stripe and PayPal, and reminders, in every Pro plan from $39 a year. It is simpler than Amelia, which suits consultants, coaches and small teams.
- Free version
- One-on-one meetings
- Paid from
- $39/year, or $109 lifetime
- Calendar sync
- Google, Outlook, Apple (Pro)
- WordPress.org
- 5.0★ (1 rating)
What you get
The free plugin covers one-on-one meetings with availability rules, buffers, booking questions and email confirmations and reminders. Pro adds group, round-robin and collective events, Google, Outlook and Apple Calendar sync, Zoom, Meet and Teams links, Stripe, PayPal and WooCommerce payments, Twilio SMS and WhatsApp, and Zapier, Make and webhooks. Every Pro plan includes every feature; plans differ by the number of sites.
Pros
- Every Pro feature from $39 a year
- Lifetime licence from $109, the lowest here
- Works with Quill Forms for longer intake forms
Cons
- Young plugin with a small WordPress.org user base
- Free version is limited to one-on-one meetings
- Latest WordPress.org release is tested up to WordPress 6.9
Best for: Best overall Amelia alternative. Visit Quill Booking
2. LatePoint: best free alternative
LatePoint is the closest like-for-like Amelia alternative for service businesses: staff, services and locations on Pro, and payments even in the free version. Wordfence lists no vulnerability reports for it in 2025 or 2026.
- Free version
- Unlimited appointments, payments
- Paid from
- $99/year ($79 intro)
- Calendar sync
- Google, Outlook, Apple (Pro)
- WordPress.org
- 4.9★ (107 ratings), 100,000+ sites
What you get
The free plugin includes unlimited appointments, events with capacity, a customer dashboard, email notifications and Stripe, PayPal and Razorpay payments with deposits. Pro adds multiple staff and locations, group and recurring bookings, rescheduling, calendar sync, Zoom, Meet and Teams, SMS and WhatsApp, custom fields and webhooks.
Pros
- Online payments in the free version
- Most installed booking plugin on WordPress.org
- No Wordfence vulnerability reports in 2025 or 2026
Cons
- Custom fields and rescheduling are Pro-only
- Email-only notifications in the free version
- Introductory price renews at full price
Best for: Best free alternative. Visit LatePoint
3. DoubleScale: best with a CRM
DoubleScale pairs bookings with a CRM, email marketing, invoices and a client portal, which many Amelia users otherwise build from several plugins.
- Free version
- Booking pages, group events
- Paid from
- $99/year, 1 site
- Calendar sync
- Google, Outlook, Apple (Basic)
- WordPress.org
- 5.0★ (7 ratings)
What you get
DoubleScale is a WordPress CRM with a built-in booking module, so every booking creates or updates a contact record. The free version includes one-to-one and group events, booking pages, buffers, attendee reschedule and cancel, and email reminders. The Basic plan adds round-robin and collective events, a waiting list, calendar sync, Meet, Zoom and Teams, custom booking questions, SMS and Stripe and PayPal payments.
Pros
- Bookings land in a full CRM with email and automations
- Group events and rescheduling in the free version
- Round-robin and collective team events
Cons
- Small user base
- Calendar sync and custom questions need Basic
- More than you need if you only want a booking page
Best for: Best with a CRM. Visit DoubleScale
4. Bookly: best for text reminders
Bookly also handles staff and services, and adds SMS and WhatsApp notifications from its free version. Payments and group bookings need its Business plan.
- Free version
- Up to 5 services
- Paid from
- $99/year (Pro); payments need Business
- Calendar sync
- Google (Pro), Outlook (Business)
- WordPress.org
- 4.4★ (586 ratings), 60,000+ sites
What you get
Bookly sells features in Pro, Business and Ultimate tiers plus add-ons. The free version allows five services with local payments and SMS and WhatsApp notifications through Bookly Cloud (pay as you go). Pro adds unlimited staff and services, Google Calendar, Zoom and Meet. Stripe, PayPal, group and recurring bookings and the customer cabinet need Business ($129 a year).
Pros
- SMS and WhatsApp notifications without a paid plan
- Large add-on catalogue
- Lifetime licences from $129
Cons
- Stripe and PayPal need the Business plan
- Free version capped at five services
- Features spread across many tiers and add-ons
Best for: Best for text reminders. Visit Bookly
5. FluentBooking: best for meeting scheduling
If you use Amelia mainly for calls and consultations, FluentBooking’s Calendly-style model with round-robin is a better fit.
- Free version
- One-on-one meetings
- Paid from
- $79/year ($63 first year)
- Calendar sync
- Google, Outlook, Apple (Pro)
- WordPress.org
- 4.7★ (46 ratings), 20,000+ sites
What you get
FluentBooking is a Calendly-style scheduler from the FluentCRM team. The free version covers one-on-one meetings with unlimited hosts and calendars, booking questions and native FluentCRM and Fluent Forms integrations. Pro adds group, round-robin and one-off events, two-way calendar sync, Zoom, Meet and Teams, Stripe and PayPal, Twilio SMS and WhatsApp, and Zapier, Make and webhooks.
Pros
- Unlimited hosts and calendars for free
- Deep FluentCRM integration
- Round-robin for sales teams
Cons
- Payments and calendar sync are Pro-only
- Best value only if you use other Fluent plugins
- First-year discount renews at full price
Best for: Best for meeting scheduling. Visit FluentBooking
6. Salon Booking System: best for salons
For hair salons and barbershops, Salon Booking System is purpose-built, with unlimited services and bookings in the free version.
- Free version
- Unlimited services and bookings
- Paid from
- €89/year (1 site)
- Built for
- Salons, barbers, spas
- WordPress.org
- 4.4★ (187 ratings)
What you get
Salon Booking System is made for hair salons, barbershops and spas. The free version includes a booking calendar, unlimited services and bookings and email notifications. Basic (€89 a year) adds online payments, advanced staff management and a staff app; Business (€169 a year, two sites) adds every add-on, multiple locations, white-label and WooCommerce checkout.
Pros
- Designed specifically for salons
- Unlimited services and bookings for free
- 15-day trial of the paid plans
Cons
- Small user base (2,000+ sites)
- Online payments need a paid plan
- Prices in euros, excluding VAT
Best for: Best for salons. Visit Salon Booking System
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free alternative to Amelia?
LatePoint. Its free version includes unlimited appointments, a customer dashboard and Stripe and PayPal payments, which Amelia Lite does not offer.
Is Amelia worth paying for?
Yes, if you run a business with several employees, services and locations, or you sell events. If you are a solo professional or a small team booking meetings, a simpler plugin usually costs less.
Is Amelia safe to use?
Amelia is actively maintained, but Wordfence published about 20 vulnerability reports for it in 2025 and 2026, all fixed in later versions. Keep it on automatic updates.
Which Amelia alternative is best for salons?
Salon Booking System is designed specifically for salons and barbershops. LatePoint and Bookly are good general-purpose options with staff and services.
Related guides
- How to add a booking calendar to WordPress
- How to reduce no-shows
- How to take payments for appointments in WordPress
- 9 best WordPress appointment booking plugins
Try Quill BookingBooking pages, calendar sync, video links, payments and reminders on your own WordPress site.
See pricingSources
Checked on November 5, 2026: the WordPress.org plugin directory and the official pricing or product pages of Quill Booking, LatePoint, DoubleScale, Bookly, FluentBooking, Salon Booking System. Prices change often; if you spot an outdated figure, tell us and we will update this page.
