Square Appointments vs PocketSuite
Both columns come from each company's own website. "Not published" means we could not find it there.
 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 3.6/5 (17 of 24 checks) | 3.4/5 (16 of 24 checks) |
| What it is | Booking, point of sale and card processing from Square, with a free plan and two paid plans | Mobile-first booking, payments and client messaging app for independent service professionals |
| Starting price | $0/mo per location; paid plans from $49/mo per location | $49.99/mo |
| How it charges | Monthly subscription per location (free plan available) plus a processing fee per transaction | Monthly subscription by plan, plus a card processing fee per transaction |
| Setup fee | Not published | None for payments |
| Extra costs | Processing fees from 2.6% + 15¢ in person and 3.3% + 30¢ online on the free plan; gift card load fee of 2.5% on Free and Plus; hardware sold separately | Card processing 2.9% + $0.30 card present and 3.2% + $0.30 card not present; Instant Payouts cost an extra 1% |
| Minimum term | No minimum stated; plans can be cancelled or switched at any time | No minimum stated; subscription plans can be cancelled at any time |
| Cancellation | Paid plans can be cancelled or switched at any time | Cancel at any time in the app; subscription fees are non-refundable once paid |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Free demo or audit | Yes | Not published |
| Coverage | United States (per the US user agreement) | United States (all 50 states) |
| Founded | 2009 | 2016 |
| Support | Phone, Email, Help center | In-app text messages, Email, Scheduled phone support, Knowledge base |
| Support hours | Phone 6am–6pm PT Monday to Friday on Free (first 90 days) and Plus; 24/7 on Premium | Scheduled phone support during business hours |
| Pricing transparency | 4.0 | 5.0 |
| Terms and commitment | 4.0 | 5.0 |
| Med spa fit | 4.0 | 1.0 |
| Proof and track record | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| Support and onboarding | 3.8 | 3.8 |
The short version
Square Appointments is booking and point of sale software tied to Square's card processing, sold per location on a free plan, two paid plans and a Square Pro plan for businesses processing over $250,000 a year. PocketSuite is a mobile-first app for booking, payments, forms, contracts and client texting, sold in monthly plans to independent professionals and teams. Both publish their plan prices, a free 30-day trial and a cancel-anytime policy, and neither states a minimum term. They differ elsewhere: Square has a med spa page that names a customer, while PocketSuite has no med spa page but does describe how you export your data.
Pricing
Square Free is $0/mo per location, Square Plus is $49/mo per location and Square Premium is $149/mo per location. Processing is charged per transaction: 2.6% + 15¢ in person on the free plan, 2.5% + 15¢ on Plus, 2.4% + 15¢ on Premium, and 3.3% + 30¢ online on the free plan. The pricing page also lists a 2.5% gift card load fee on Free and Plus, and hardware sold separately. Square's site does not state a setup fee.
PocketSuite publishes Premium at $49.99/mo, Team at $99.99/mo and Facility at $149.99/mo, with Enterprise priced on contact. Its payments page states no setup fees for payments, processing of 2.9% + $0.30 card present and 3.2% + $0.30 card not present, and an extra 1% for Instant Payouts.
Contract and cancellation
Both sites state you can cancel at any time, and neither states a minimum term. Square Appointments says you can cancel or switch plans anytime. PocketSuite's terms say subscription fees are non-refundable once paid and that plans are cancelled from within the app.
On data export, the two differ. PocketSuite describes data export from settings, with custom data exports on higher plans. Square's site does not state how you get your data out.
Built for med spas
Square's med spa page lists liability waivers and contracts sent before the visit, room and equipment assignment, and a connection to an EHR or EMR. It names LaserAway, described as a multilocation med spa, and says Square provides HIPAA-compatible payments, with a Business Associate Agreement linked from the user agreement. Clients can pay in four installments through Afterpay.
PocketSuite has no med spa page. Its beauty pricing page names med-aesthetic clinics among the businesses its plans serve. It states it offers a HIPAA compliant solution and that its HIPAA Statement serves as the Business Associate Agreement. Its site does not name a client. It lists Buy Now Pay Later payment plans through Affirm, Afterpay and Klarna.
On support, Square publishes phone hours of 6am–6pm PT Monday to Friday on the free plan's first 90 days and on Plus, and 24/7 on Premium. PocketSuite lists in-app text messages and email, plus scheduled phone support during business hours.
Which one to look at first
Look at Square Appointments first if you want to start on a free plan, keep card processing with the same company, and see published phone support hours before you sign up.
Look at PocketSuite first if you run the practice from a phone, want forms and two-way texting in the same app, and want a published data export path alongside a HIPAA statement the site says serves as a Business Associate Agreement.
Neither site publishes a case study with a stated result. Ask each for a reference practice of your size. See every option in booking and payments software.
Scores count what each vendor publishes, not how well it performs. How we score.
Questions and answers
Which is cheaper, Square Appointments or PocketSuite?
Square Appointments has a free plan, and its paid plans run $49/mo per location (Square Plus) and $149/mo per location (Square Premium), with a custom-priced Square Pro plan for businesses processing over $250,000 a year. PocketSuite publishes Premium at $49.99/mo, Team at $99.99/mo and Facility at $149.99/mo. Both charge a processing fee on every transaction, so price your card volume into both totals.
Do Square Appointments and PocketSuite require a contract?
Neither site states a minimum term. Square Appointments says you can cancel or switch plans anytime. PocketSuite's terms say subscription plans can be cancelled at any time from within the app, and that subscription fees are non-refundable once paid.
Are Square Appointments and PocketSuite HIPAA compliant?
Square's med spa page says Square provides HIPAA-compatible payments, and its user agreement links a HIPAA Business Associate Agreement. PocketSuite states it offers a HIPAA compliant solution and that its HIPAA Statement serves as the Business Associate Agreement. Ask each company for the agreement before you send patient data.
Which one is built for med spas?
Square Appointments has a med spa page that names LaserAway, described as a multilocation med spa, and lists waivers, room and equipment assignment and Afterpay. PocketSuite's beauty pricing page names med-aesthetic clinics among the businesses its plans serve. Its site has no med spa page and names no client.