The short version
Stay on Amelia if you need payments, Google/Outlook calendar sync, Zoom/Meet, events, tickets, packages, or recurring series today.
Try StudioSlot if you run a salon, spa, barbershop, nail, lash, skin, or massage studio; you want unlimited staff and services on WordPress; and booking simplicity matters more to you than payments or calendar sync right now.
StudioSlot Free is live. StudioSlot Pro is also available at $79/year for one active WordPress site, renewing annually until cancelled. It adds staff schedules, private appointment notes and optional email reminders. There is no public one-click importer or automatic switch.
At a glance
| StudioSlot Free | Amelia Lite | Amelia paid | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built for | Beauty and wellness appointments | Appointments and events for many industries | Same product, unlocked by plan |
| Staff | Unlimited, free | Unlimited employees not included in Lite | Multiple employees |
| Services / appointments | Unlimited | Service and event booking | Additional booking options by plan |
| Payments | Not included | Square | Additional gateways and paid features by plan |
| Calendar / meetings | Not included | No Google/Outlook/Zoom/Meet sync | Premium features; check current plan grid |
| Client, staff, and owner notices | Included | Custom and scheduled options by plan | |
| SMS | No SMS in Free | Confirmation SMS advertised | Scheduled/custom SMS; credits billed separately |
| Price | $0. Optional Pro: $79/year for one active site; renews annually until cancelled | Free | See Amelia's current pricing |
| Current directory details | StudioSlot releases and reviews | Amelia releases and reviews | |
| Switching to StudioSlot | No public one-click importer | Existing bookings do not transfer automatically | |
Adding staff to a free booking setup
Amelia's official WordPress listing excludes unlimited employees from Lite and lists multiple-employee management among its premium features. Check your installed version and current plan before deciding whether to change your booking setup.
StudioSlot Free does not put that feature behind Pro. Add your whole team under StudioSlot → Staff, choose which services each person performs, and clients can choose a professional on the booking form. Unlimited staff, services, and appointments are part of the live free plugin.
The paid ladder, without a remembered price grid
Amelia's paid catalog is broad. It is also sold in tiers, and the live pricing page uses changing promotions. Rather than publish stale or conflicting numbers, we link directly to wpamelia.com/pricing.
The practical question is what you need to unlock: additional employees, payment choices, calendar and meeting integrations, packages, recurring appointments, event tools, and other advanced features live somewhere on Amelia's paid ladder. Confirm the current plan and price on Amelia's site before buying.
When to stay on Amelia
- You take payment during booking today. Amelia Lite includes Square, and its paid plans add payment capabilities. StudioSlot Free and Pro do not collect appointment payments.
- You need Google Calendar, Outlook, Zoom, Meet, or Apple Calendar sync today. StudioSlot does not sync calendars yet.
- You run events, tickets, packages, or recurring series. Amelia is built for those jobs; StudioSlot is deliberately appointment-shaped.
- You value an established product. Check each plugin's current release history, support discussions and reviews before choosing. StudioSlot is a newer product.
- Your current Amelia setup already works. Switching for its own sake is not worth risking a working booking flow.
When to try a fresh StudioSlot setup
- You want unlimited bookable staff and services in a free WordPress plugin.
- You want a form that starts with service → professional → time and beauty-shaped defaults.
- You can take payment at the chair or separately for now.
- You do not need calendar sync this month.
- You are willing to re-enter services and staff manually.
Honest install path
This is a parallel setup, not a migration wizard. Leave Amelia installed while you test.
- In WordPress, go to Plugins → Add New, search for StudioSlot, then install and activate it.
- Open StudioSlot → Services and add the services you sell, with duration and price.
- Open StudioSlot → Staff, add yourself and your team, and choose who performs each service.
- Set business hours, minimum notice, and how far ahead clients can book.
- Put
[studioslot]on a test page. When you are satisfied, change the shortcode on your public Book Now page.
What StudioSlot cannot do yet
- No appointment payments, deposits, or card checkout in StudioSlot Free or Pro.
- No Google, Apple, Outlook, Zoom, or Meet sync.
- No SMS in Free.
- No events, tickets, packages, or recurring series.
- No SlotWorks-hosted SMS. Optional Pro texts require your own funded Twilio account and registered sender; provider fees are separate. Verify delivery and STOP handling before client use. Current integration coverage includes simulated-provider tests.
- No public self-service migration or automatic transfer of an existing booking system.
Try StudioSlot free
Start with unlimited staff and services in Free. Add Pro for staff schedules, private notes and optional email reminders at $79/year for one active site. Pro works alongside Free; your order includes a compatible Free companion, the Pro plugin, setup guide and license.
Checked September 16, 2026 against the current StudioSlot release and Amelia's official WordPress listing. Competitor plans and promotions change; verify Amelia's current pricing and feature grid before purchasing.