Comparison
VoxelBooking
vs SimplyBook.me
Own your booking system vs rent one.
Open source software vs hosted subscription.
Model
Open source vs hosted booking.
VoxelBooking
Install it on your server. Manage several businesses from one dashboard. Keep the source, data, and booking pages under your control.
AGPL-3.0 licensed. No product tiers.
SimplyBook.me
Use a hosted account with managed uptime, payments, custom features, intake tools, and booking limits tied to plans.
Strong for businesses that want managed infrastructure.
Features
Feature by feature.
| Feature | VoxelBooking | SimplyBook.me |
|---|---|---|
| Software model | Open source, self-hosted | Hosted SaaS |
| Booking patterns | Time slots, resources, capacity, events | Services, classes, providers |
| Multi-business | VoxelBooking supports multiple client businesses | Plan and account based |
| Branded booking pages | Custom colors, logo, cover image | Customizable booking page |
| Self-hosted | Your server, your data | SimplyBook.me hosted |
| Payment processing | Not available in v1 | Payments and deposits on paid plans |
| Staff management | Individual schedules per staff | Provider management |
| Customer CRM | Built-in with booking history | Client database |
| Email notifications | Confirmation, reminder, cancellation | Notification suite |
| Booking limits | Limited by your hosting | Plan-based monthly booking limits |
| Calendar view | Day and week views | Hosted booking calendar |
| Custom work | Full PHP source code access | Custom features by plan |
| GDPR tools | Consent, deletion queue, anonymization | Hosted privacy controls |
| Embed widget | JavaScript embed for any site | Website widget |
| Data ownership | Your server, your MySQL database | SimplyBook.me servers |
Their strengths
Where SimplyBook.me wins.
Payment processing
Accept payments at booking through Stripe, PayPal, or Square. Deposits, full payments, and no-show protection built in. VoxelBooking handles scheduling but does not process payments.
Plugin marketplace
SimplyBook.me has a large set of custom features for payments, intake forms, memberships, marketing, and integrations. VoxelBooking focuses on core booking with full source code access for custom extensions.
Managed hosting
Sign up and start booking. No server to manage. SimplyBook.me handles uptime, backups, and SSL. VoxelBooking requires you to set up your own PHP hosting.
Our strengths
Where VoxelBooking wins.
Multi-business from one installation
Manage ten businesses from one VoxelBooking installation. Each gets its own data, booking page, and branding. SimplyBook.me requires a separate account per business.
No booking limits
SimplyBook.me plans include monthly booking limits. VoxelBooking has no product-level booking cap, though your hosting still has real capacity limits.
Full source code
Modify anything. Add custom booking rules, integrate with your own payment system, or build features SimplyBook.me does not offer. You have the PHP source code. No API rate limits, no plugin fees.
Data sovereignty
Customer data and booking records stay on your server. No booking SaaS vendor sits between you and your booking data. Full GDPR compliance with consent collection and data anonymization.
Summary
The verdict.
Choose SimplyBook.me if you need payment processing, a plug-and-play setup with no server management, and an ecosystem of add-ons for marketing and client engagement. SimplyBook.me is well-suited for solo businesses that want everything managed.
Choose VoxelBooking if you manage multiple businesses, want bookings without plan-based caps, need full source code access for customization, and prefer owning your booking infrastructure instead of renting it. VoxelBooking is for freelancers, agencies, and businesses that want independence.
Also compare: SaaS vs self-hosted booking software
Get started
Own your booking system.
Full source code. Self-hosted control. No product tiers.