/staff
Per-staff pricing
Timely charges NZ$42–79/month for the first person, then NZ$42–65/month for every extra staff member (ex GST) — and part-time staff are billed as full bookable staff (per Timely's pricing FAQ).
COMPARE
A Timely alternative that doesn’t charge per staff member.
Timely — like most booking software — prices per staff member, so your bill grows with every hire. Porchlight is a flat NZ$59 per location for up to 8 staff. Do the maths below with your own numbers.
Savings calculator
NZ$40 is an example — enter your real per-staff rate. Timely’s published tiers run NZ$42–79 per staff member (ex GST).
PER-STAFF SOFTWARE
NZ$200/mo
PORCHLIGHT
NZ$59/mo
YOU KEEP
NZ$1,692/yr
Porchlight plan applied: Team, NZ$59/mo flat for up to 8 staff.
Why people look for a Timely alternative
$436+
Cost climbs as you grow
An 8-chair team pays $436–534 a month on Timely (ex GST, by tier). The more successful you get, the more the platform costs.
$65
Feature lock-in
Consultation forms, waitlists and SMS campaigns unlock on the Elevate tier — $65/month solo (ex GST). Porchlight includes intake forms and waitlists from Solo at $29.
Side by side
The big difference is how pricing scales.
| Timely | Porchlight | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly pricing | $42–79 solo, +$42–65 per extra staff (ex GST) | $0–$59/month (flat) |
| Cost as team grows | Scales with every staff member — part-timers billed as full bookable staff | Flat — one price up to 8 staff on Team |
| Free tier | No free plan — paid from day one | Yes — 1 staff, unlimited bookings |
| Intake / consultation forms | Elevate tier only ($65/month solo) | Included from Solo ($29) |
| Marketplace commission | 0% (Never) | 0% (Never) |
| SMS reminders | Per-staff monthly allowance; overage rate not published | 100 texts included on Solo, 250 on Team — then 15c each |
| Online booking | Included | Included |
| Calendar sync | Google Calendar | Coming Soon (Google Calendar) |
| Payment processing | Multiple providers | Stripe integration |
| Xero integration | Yes | Coming Soon (Team plan) |
| NZ-based support | Yes | Yes |
This comparison reflects Timely’s published pricing and plan facts as checked July 2026. Timely is a trademark of its owner — check Timely’s own site for current pricing and terms. We’ll always tell you the truth about both.
What your team size really costs
On Timely you pay for every seat; on Porchlight it’s one flat price for the whole team. From Timely’s published pricing:
| Team size | Timely, per month | Porchlight, per month |
|---|---|---|
| Just you | $42–79 by tier ($9 Base is a limited-time, solo-only teaser) | $0 (Free) or $29 (Solo) |
| 3 staff | From $126 on Build (higher tiers cost more) | $59 flat (Team) |
| 5 staff | From $210 on Build (higher tiers cost more) | $59 flat (Team) |
| 8 staff | $436–534 (Elevate–Innovate; Build unavailable) | $59 flat (Team) |
At 8 staff that’s $377–475/month — $4,524–5,700 a year — staying in your business instead.
Assumptions: monthly billing, standard non-promotional pricing, checked July 2026 on Timely’s pricing page. Timely prices ex GST; Porchlight prices are the final price — nothing is added. SMS costs excluded on both sides — Timely does not publish its overage rate; Porchlight SMS is prepaid credits. Timely currently advertises a “50% off for up to 5 months” promotion — figures shown use standard pricing. Timely bills part-time staff as full bookable staff (per its pricing FAQ).
Who should stay with Timely
An honest comparison cuts both ways. Timely is a mature, capable platform — stay with it if:
- You rely on Google Calendar sync or the Xero integration today — both are still “Coming Soon” on Porchlight.
- You want a choice of payment providers — Porchlight processes payments through Stripe only.
- You’re solo, don’t need forms or waitlists, and the limited-time $9 Base teaser works for you while it lasts.
If per-staff pricing is the problem — especially at 3+ staff — that’s where Porchlight’s flat $59 changes the math.
Switching is a CSV, not a saga.
Export your client list from Timely, import it into Porchlight, and your history comes with you. And because exports work the other way too, you’re never locked in with us either.
Need help migrating? NZ-based support — you talk directly to the people who build the product.
THE MOVE
- 1Export your data from Timely. Client list, booking history and service information from Timely’s export tools.
- 2Set up your Porchlight account. Get early access and we’ll set up your services, staff and business hours with you.
- 3Import your clients. Upload your exported client CSV — we map the columns with you.
- 4Update your booking link. Share your new Porchlight booking page with clients — update your website and social media.
One thing that can’t come with you: saved cards
For security reasons (PCI compliance), your clients’ saved card-on-file details are locked to Timely’s payment processor. Card tokens can’t be exported or moved to a new provider — nobody can migrate them, us included. Your clients simply re-enter their card the first time they pay or book through Porchlight. It’s a one-time step, then Porchlight saves it securely for next time.
Spotted an outdated price? Competitor pricing changes — email [email protected] and we’ll re-verify and correct it. Change history: August 2026 — consolidated our separate “Switch from Timely” page into this one. Timely facts last verified July 2026.
Keep the difference.
Porchlight is in early access to a small group of NZ salons and spas. Get in touch and we’ll help you move across from Timely.
Get early access