CLS Booking vs SimplyBook.me — Best for Multi-Room Venues
SimplyBook.me is a general-purpose booking system used by many types of businesses. CLS Booking is purpose-built for venues with multiple rooms. Here is how they compare for room-based scheduling.
Where SimplyBook.me Excels
SimplyBook.me is a flexible booking platform with a plugin-based architecture. You start with a base system and add features through plugins — payment processing, intake forms, memberships, gift cards, and more. This modular approach means you only pay for what you use. It supports multiple languages, custom booking pages, and integrates with numerous third-party tools. For businesses that want a customizable general-purpose booking system, SimplyBook.me offers strong flexibility.
Where SimplyBook.me Falls Short for Venues
SimplyBook.me takes a generalist approach. While it can handle multiple resources, it was not designed specifically for the multi-room workflow. There is no dedicated side-by-side room calendar view, and the drag-and-drop experience is not optimized for moving bookings between physical rooms. Per-room configuration requires navigating through multiple settings screens. The plugin-based model means room-specific features like deposit rules, waivers, and CRM all require separate add-ons, and the costs can add up quickly.
Feature Comparison
Feature CLS Booking SimplyBook.me
Multi-room calendar view Yes — side-by-side, built-in Resource view available Drag-and-drop between rooms Yes Limited Per-room pricing Yes — native Yes — via configuration Deposit collection Built-in Plugin add-on Digital waivers Built-in with e-signatures Via intake forms plugin Customer CRM Full CRM with notes, files, tags Basic client management AI Receptionist Yes (phone & chat) No WhatsApp notifications Yes Plugin add-on Free plan Yes — 50 bookings/mo Yes — 50 bookings/mo
When to Choose CLS Booking
Choose CLS Booking if you want a platform where multi-room scheduling is the core focus rather than an add-on capability. Everything you need — calendar, deposits, waivers, CRM, and notifications — is included without requiring plugins. The result is a simpler setup, a more cohesive experience, and predictable pricing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does SimplyBook.me support multi-room booking?
SimplyBook.me supports multiple resources which can represent rooms. However, the interface is not specifically designed for room-based venues, and you may need to add plugins to get features like deposits and waivers that are built into CLS Booking.
Which platform has better pricing for venues?
Both offer free plans with 50 bookings per month. SimplyBook.me paid plans start at $8.25 per month but many venue-essential features require paid plugins. CLS Booking paid plans start at $29 per month with all venue features included. Total cost depends on which plugins you need.
Is CLS Booking easier to set up than SimplyBook.me?
Yes, for multi-room venues. CLS Booking is pre-configured for the room-based workflow, so you simply add your rooms and start booking. SimplyBook.me requires more configuration to set up a room-based system because it is designed to be general-purpose.
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