subba / Compare / Setmore alternative
Setmore alternative
The Setmore alternative for UK businesses that answers the phone
Setmore is a well liked appointment scheduler with a genuinely free plan. It publishes its prices in US dollars, and its phone answering service uses people and is for US businesses only. subba is run from the UK: prices in pounds, deposits on every plan, and an AI receptionist that answers your chat and phone and books people in.
The short answer
Stay with Setmore if
- You want a free booking page for up to four people, and do not need texts or deposits.
- You want Reserve with Google, so people can book you straight from Google Search and Maps.
- You mostly need a diary, not a receptionist.
Switch to subba if
- Calls and messages go unanswered while you work, and you want them answered and booked.
- You want deposits and payments on every plan, straight into your own Stripe.
- You want UK pricing in pounds from a UK company.
subba vs Setmore at a glance
| Feature | subba | Setmore |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | From £9.99 a month for the whole team (50 AI enquiries). Pro £49.99 (300) | Free for up to 4 users. Pro $12 per user a month, or $5 billed yearly |
| Free trial | 30 days free | Free plan, and a 30-day money-back guarantee on Pro |
| Commission | None | None |
| Card payments | Stripe's fee only: 1.5% + 20p on UK cards. subba takes nothing | Your own Stripe, Square or PayPal, at their rates |
| Deposits | On every plan | Pro only |
| Reminders | Email reminders free. Texts from £9.99 for 250 | One email reminder on Free. Texts on Pro |
| AI receptionist | Website chat and contact forms on every plan. Phone add-on from £29.99 a month (100 minutes) | No AI. A human Live Receptionist is $99 a month, US only |
| Google review requests | Included | Pro only |
| Reserve with Google | No | Yes, on every plan |
| Contract | Monthly, cancel anytime | Cancel anytime |
Prices as each company published them on 29 September 2026. subba's are in pounds before VAT; Setmore's pricing page lists US dollar prices.
A diary, or a receptionist?
Setmore gives you a booking page and a diary, and does it well, with a free plan that covers up to four people. What it does not do is answer the people who ring, message or fill in a form instead of booking online. Its Live Receptionist service uses real people, costs $99 a month and is available to US businesses only (Setmore pricing).
subba does both jobs. Clients can book themselves in on your booking page, and subba's AI answers your website chat and contact forms on every plan, and your phone with the add-on from £29.99 a month. It knows your services and prices, checks your real availability and books the appointment, then sends the confirmation.
Deposits and reviews on every plan
On Setmore, deposits, text reminders and Google review requests come with Pro. On subba they come with every plan, including the £9.99 Starter: deposits and payments go straight into your own Stripe account, and the only fee is Stripe's own (1.5% + 20p on UK cards). Automatic Google review requests and a loyalty card are included too. Text reminders are an add-on from £9.99 for 250 texts; email reminders are free.
What subba does not do
subba has no free plan: after the 30-day trial it is £9.99 a month. It does not offer Reserve with Google, and it has no card machine for payments in person. If a free diary for a small team is all you need, Setmore's free plan is hard to beat, and that is fine.
Moving from Setmore to subba
Set subba up alongside Setmore, then switch your booking links over when you are happy.
- Start your 30 days free
Pick your trade and subba sets up typical services, prices and opening hours for you to adjust. Add your team, each with their own hours.
- Connect Stripe for deposits
Connect your own Stripe account, or set one up in a few minutes. Deposits and payments land with you, and subba takes nothing from them.
- Put your booking link everywhere
Swap the book button on your website, Instagram bio and Google Business Profile for your subba booking page, or add subba to your site with one line of code or the WordPress plugin.
- Bring your regulars with you
Keep a copy of your client list and add your regulars in subba's Customers tab. Everyone who books through subba is added automatically, with their history in one place.
- Let the booked-ahead appointments finish
Keep Setmore open until the appointments already booked there are done, or add them to your subba diary by hand. The two diaries do not sync, so block out times in both while they overlap.
Frequently asked
Is Setmore free?
Yes. Setmore's free plan covers up to four users with unlimited appointments and an email reminder. Text reminders and deposits need Pro, at $12 per user a month or $5 billed yearly (Setmore lists US dollar prices).
Does Setmore have an AI receptionist?
Not that we found. Setmore offers a Live Receptionist service run by people, at $99 a month, for US businesses only. subba's AI answers website chat and contact forms on every plan, and phone calls with the add-on from £29.99 a month.
Does subba charge a fee on payments?
No. Payments go to your own Stripe account and subba takes nothing from them. Stripe charges its standard fee, 1.5% + 20p on UK cards.
Is subba a UK company?
Yes. subba is run by Polarize Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales, and its prices are in pounds.
Try subba free for 30 days.
Set it up in an afternoon, run it alongside what you use now, and keep it only if it books you more work. No contract, cancel anytime.
How we compared
We read Setmore's pricing page on 29 September 2026 and compared it with subba's published prices. We are subba, so we have tried hard to be fair: Setmore does things subba does not, like a free plan and Reserve with Google, and we say so.
Spotted something out of date? Email [email protected] and we will check it and correct this page.
Setmore is a trademark of its owner. subba is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Setmore.