Avana Connect
Switch it on once for your Instagram. It answers clients with your own prices and free times and lets them book inside the conversation.
£9.99a month
Add Connect A Timely alternative where your team does not multiply the bill
Timely charges for every person who can be booked. Avana's plans include you and up to two colleagues, with VAT already in the price.
Free for 7 daysColleagues included in the planCancel any month
In shortChecked October 2026
Avana, by Sweeber Technologies, is a Timely alternative for UK salons that want one plan price in place of a price per staff member. Timely bills per bookable team member; comparison sites put that at roughly £22 to £39 a person each month, depending on the plan. Avana costs £15.99 a month for Business, £28.99 for Business Plus with one colleague and £55.99 for Business Max with two, VAT included, without commission or a contract.
| At a glance | Avana | Timely |
|---|---|---|
| How the price works | Per plan, colleagues included | Per bookable staff member |
| Salon of three people | £55.99 a month, VAT included | Three times the per-person price |
| Commission | None | None |
| Instagram DMs | Avana Connect books inside the chat | Book button |
Timely prices from comparison sites; Timely's own UK page could not be checked in full. Ask Timely for a written quote.
Why salons switch
Three things that change with Avana
Timely is good software. These are the reasons UK salons still pick Avana.
Your second chair is already paid for
Business Plus includes you and one colleague for £28.99 a month. A third person moves you to Business Max, and anyone beyond that is £5.99 each.
Instagram turns into bookings
Avana Connect answers your Instagram messages with your real prices and free times, and books the client in the same conversation.
Teach what you know
With the Avana Academy you sell courses with a practice day in your own calendar, from the same account you take bookings in.
Your own page
Clients book with you, even when your hands are full
Your booking page shows your treatments, your prices and your free times. You put the link in your Instagram bio, send it in a message and print a QR code for the front desk.
- Clients book without creating an account
- Open for bookings in the evening and at weekends
- Someone helps out on Saturdays? Add them with their own hours
Book · Studio Ivy
Balayage · 2.5 hours
09:0010:0013:30
Reminders
Clients stop forgetting their appointment
A confirmation goes out the moment someone books, and a reminder the day before with the time and your address. For clients who never open their email, you can send the reminder by text as well.
- Confirmation and reminder go out on their own
- Clients reschedule themselves if they need to
- Text messages come in packs, with no subscription
Reminder · Sophie W.Email and text
Studio Ivy · the day beforeSee you tomorrow at 10:00 for your balayage. 14 Market Street, Bristol.
Confirmation after bookingSent
Reminder the day before...
Timely next to Avana
Feature by feature
The everyday parts of running a salon, side by side.
| Timely | Avana | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per bookable staff member* | Per plan, VAT included |
| Online booking page | Yes | Yes |
| Deposits on bookings | Yes | Yes, per treatment |
| Email reminders | Yes | Yes |
| Text reminders | Yes, with credits per plan* | Yes, in packs with no subscription |
| Waiting list | Yes* | From Business Plus |
| Instagram DM booking | No | Avana Connect |
| Courses with a practice day | No | Avana Academy |
| Contract | Monthly* | Monthly |
*Based on Timely's public information and comparison sites, October 2026. Check current plans with Timely.
Being fair
Which one suits you?
Sometimes Timely is the better fit.
Choose Avana if
- you work alone or with one or two others
- you want a fixed price that already includes VAT
- a lot of your bookings start in Instagram messages
- you would like to sell a course one day
Choose Timely if
- you run a large team and need detailed staff reports
- the price per person works out fine for your size
What you get
Everything you need to open for bookings
Every Avana plan includes a booking page, a calendar, deposits, email reminders and client records from day one. Where something starts at Business Plus, it says so on the tile.
Your own booking pageTreatments, prices and free times on one link, with your photos. Clients book without making an account.Set up your page Your calendar on your phoneYour whole day at a glance, wherever you are. A new booking appears straight away, with who is coming and for what.Set your hours Pay in the salon or onlineClients pay at the desk as they always have. Online payment works too, by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.Turn on online payments Deposits against empty slotsAsk for an amount upfront on a long treatment. The slot is then properly held, and if nobody turns up, you keep the deposit.Set a deposit Email remindersA confirmation right after booking and a reminder the day before with the time and your address. You do nothing.Switch reminders on Text remindersFor clients who never read their email. Text messages come in packs from £4.99, with no subscription on top.Pick a text pack Your client recordsColour formulas, your notes and everything done before, per client. After the visit you invite them back with one tap.Import your clients A waiting list when you are fullSaturday fully booked? A client can join the waiting list, and the moment someone cancels, the next person gets an email.From Business PlusSet up the waiting list Someone helps out?If someone works with you on Saturdays or a few days a week, add them with their own hours and treatments.Add a team member
Also included
- Reviews collected after each visit
- Invoices for your accountant
- Discount codes for your clients
- A questionnaire before the first visit
- Your own cancellation rules
- Gift cards and product sales, from Business Plus
- Holidays and days off in one go
- A QR code for your front desk
- Your own wording in every email
- A clear view of how full your week is
What it costs
The price is right here on the page
Avana has three plans: Business at £15.99, Business Plus at £28.99 and Business Max at £55.99 a month, all with VAT included. There is no commission on your takings and no contract, and every plan starts with 7 days free without card details.
MonthlyYearly save up to £112
Business
For the independent salon that takes bookings seriously.
/month
£0.53 a day, and no commission on your revenue.
Start free- Unlimited online bookings
- Your own booking page and QR code
- Online calendar and services
- Mobile app for iPhone and Android
- Intake questions when clients book
- Confirmation and reminder emails
- Online payments and deposits
- Automatic invoices and a monthly export
- Booking widget for your own website
- Add-ons, client records and discount codes
- Loyalty card for regular clients
Most popular
Business Plus
For the salon that wants every gap in the week filled.
/month
£0.97 a day. One extra appointment a month covers it.
Start free- Mobile app for iPhone and Android
- Waitlist that fills cancelled slots
- Sell gift cards
- Sell products when clients book
- Cash book and end-of-day close
- Track expenses and stock
- Insights into how your salon is doing
- Discount campaigns with an end date
- Consent forms online
- Send documents with the confirmation
- Multiple locations
Business Max
For the salon that also teaches, with Avana Academy included.
/month
£1.87 a day, with Avana Academy included.
Start free- Mobile app for iPhone and Android
- 2 extra team members includedEach with their own calendar. After that, £5.99 a month per person.
- Avana Academy includedSell courses with certificates for your students.
- Treatment rooms in your calendarAdd the room or chair to each appointment, so two treatments never clash.
- 5 free SMS a month included
- Email campaigns
- Automatic birthday and win-back emails
- Use your own domain name
- Your own branding in campaigns
- Advanced settings
- Early access to new features
All prices include VAT. If you change plan, you only pay the difference.
Add when you need it
Three extras you can switch on
Avana Connect costs £9.99 a month, the Avana Academy £8.99 a month with a plan, and text messages come in packs from £4.99. They go on the same bill as your plan, and you can stop any month.
Avana Academy
Sell your own courses to people who want to learn your craft. Lessons are set up once, the practice day sits in your calendar and certificates go out on their own.
£8.99a month with a plan
Add the Academy Text message packs
Text reminders for clients who skip their email. You buy texts in packs, the credits never expire and there is no subscription.
from £4.99a pack
Pick a text pack Questions
Timely alternative: what salons ask
What is a good Timely alternative for a small salon?
Avana suits salons of one to three people well, because colleagues are included in the plan. You get a booking page, calendar, deposits, reminders and client records for £15.99 a month with VAT included, with no contract.
How much does Timely cost in the UK?
Timely charges per bookable staff member. At the time of writing (October 2026), comparison sites list roughly £22 to £39 per person a month depending on the plan, and Timely offers a 14-day trial. Ask Timely for a quote that includes VAT so you can compare like for like.
Does Avana charge per staff member?
Not for the first few. Business is for you alone, Business Plus includes one colleague and Business Max two. Every extra person after that is £5.99 a month, VAT included.
Can I import my clients from Timely?
If you can export your client list from Timely as a CSV or Excel file, Avana's import screen reads it. It recognises names, phone numbers, emails and notes, and asks about any column it is unsure of.
Does Avana have text reminders like Timely?
Yes, in the UK. Email reminders are included, and text reminders come in packs you buy when you need them, with credits that never expire.
Question not here? The help centre walks through every part of Avana step by step.
Timely or Avana
Timely or Avana: the price question
A search for a Timely alternative usually starts the month a new stylist joins. Per-person pricing is easy to understand and fair for a large salon, but for a small team it means every new chair adds to the bill before that person has taken a single booking.
Avana prices by plan. Business, Business Plus and Business Max include one, two and three people. Each plan has your booking page, deposits and reminders, with VAT included and no contract.
Before you move
Export your client list, check that every stylist's hours and services are clear, and pick a quiet week to send your regulars the new link. Want to compare more? See Phorest, Fresha or all alternatives.
Bring your whole team, pay one price
Set up Avana this afternoon and try it free for 7 days.
Start your free week