FullDiary vs Ovatu The simpler alternative to Ovatu.
FullDiary does the part you live in - the booking page, the live diary, deposits, reminders, messages and forms - from free, where Ovatu starts at 20 GBP a month plus texts. Here is the comparison, with Ovatu's own UK numbers, checked 5 November 2026.
- Fewer no-shows
- Set up in minutes
- No commission, ever
Free for 20 bookings a month. No card, no contract, no commission.
The numbers, side by side
Both columns, line by line.
Ovatu has two plans priced by the employee. Neat is 20 GBP a month for the first employee and 6 GBP for each one after, and Loaded is 30 GBP and 9 GBP, both 'Plus SMS'. FullDiary starts at nothing, and Pro is 9.99 a person that never goes above 39.99.
| FullDiary | Ovatu | |
|---|---|---|
| Software, one person | 9.99 GBP a month on Pro - or free for 20 bookings a month | 20 GBP a month on Neat, 30 GBP on Loaded, plus SMS, after a 30 day free trial |
| Software, five staff | 39.99 GBP a month - Pro never costs more, however big the team | 44 GBP a month on Neat (20 GBP, then 6 GBP for each additional employee), 66 GBP on Loaded, plus SMS |
| Software, ten staff | 39.99 GBP a month | 74 GBP a month on Neat, 111 GBP on Loaded, plus SMS |
| Free tier | 20 bookings a month, for as long as you like - reminders, messages and forms included | None - a 30 day free trial |
| Text reminders | On Pro, 50 a month for each person in the price, and more from 4p a text | 7p a message, 'in addition to your monthly plan' |
| Consultation forms | On every plan - asked on the booking page, with the answers on the client's record | Not included in Neat; on Loaded |
| Gift vouchers, packages and discount codes | On Pro, at 9.99 GBP a month a person | Gift cards, passes and promo codes are not included in Neat; on Loaded, from 30 GBP a month |
Software, one person
FullDiary
9.99 GBP a month on Pro - or free for 20 bookings a month
Ovatu
20 GBP a month on Neat, 30 GBP on Loaded, plus SMS, after a 30 day free trial
Software, five staff
FullDiary
39.99 GBP a month - Pro never costs more, however big the team
Ovatu
44 GBP a month on Neat (20 GBP, then 6 GBP for each additional employee), 66 GBP on Loaded, plus SMS
Software, ten staff
FullDiary
39.99 GBP a month
Ovatu
74 GBP a month on Neat, 111 GBP on Loaded, plus SMS
Free tier
FullDiary
20 bookings a month, for as long as you like - reminders, messages and forms included
Ovatu
None - a 30 day free trial
Text reminders
FullDiary
On Pro, 50 a month for each person in the price, and more from 4p a text
Ovatu
7p a message, 'in addition to your monthly plan'
Consultation forms
FullDiary
On every plan - asked on the booking page, with the answers on the client's record
Ovatu
Not included in Neat; on Loaded
Gift vouchers, packages and discount codes
FullDiary
On Pro, at 9.99 GBP a month a person
Ovatu
Gift cards, passes and promo codes are not included in Neat; on Loaded, from 30 GBP a month
Ovatu prices and fees are UK rates read from ovatu.com/pricing on 5 November 2026; they can change, so check their page before deciding. Ovatu is a trademark of its owner. FullDiary is made by Cynical Software Ltd, an independent company not affiliated with or endorsed by Ovatu.
The FullDiary column
Where FullDiary is better.
FullDiary is deliberately simpler. It is the booking page, the live diary, deposits, reminders, messages and forms, done properly - priced so the software bill stops growing at the fourth chair.
A price with a ceiling
Pro is 9.99 GBP a month a person and never more than 39.99 GBP. At five staff that is 39.99 against 44 on Ovatu's Neat plan and 66 on Loaded; at ten it is still 39.99, against 74 and 111.
Forms are not an upgrade
Patch tests, consent and intake forms are on every FullDiary plan, the free one included. On Ovatu's own comparison, consultation forms are not part of Neat.
Texts in the price
Pro includes 50 text reminders a month for each person, and email reminders are on every plan. Ovatu's page prices every text at 7p on top of the monthly plan.
A free tier that exists
20 bookings a month free, forever - the booking page, the live diary, the QR card, reminders, messages, forms and the client import included. Ovatu's trial lasts 30 days; quiet months here cost nothing.
Every claim above is the same enforced product the main FullDiary page sells, or the full matrix on the pricing page.
The real thing
The screen your shop lives on.
Every picture on this page is a capture of the working product, taken from a shop running on FullDiary. This one is a recording.
Someone running late? Their booking moves to another column or time with a drag, and one tap emails the customer the new time. (A real screen recording.)
- Bookings move with a drag, and the emails follow
- Walk-ins go in by drawing across an empty space
- Done, no-show or cancelled, marked as you go
- One tap makes it full screen for the tablet by the till
Your booking page
Your booking page. Your brand.
Make your booking page look like your business, not another generic booking app.
On every plan
- Your logo and brand colour
- Two designs, light or dark backgrounds
- A photo of your shop across the top
- Heading fonts and a note for your customers
On Pro
- A gallery of up to eight photos
- Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and website buttons
Savednow
Your page has its new look.
What comes with it
Everything in the FullDiary column.
The table prices the product. This is the product: every line below is live today, on the plans the pricing page says.
- A booking page in your coloursLogo, colour, photo, page style and font, with each person's photo and services. One link for the bio and the QR card.
- The live diaryEvery person a column, walk-ins drawn in, drag to move with the customer emailed, one tap to full screen for the screen by the till.
- Deposits into your own StripeA deposit or the full price as they book, on every plan. The slot is confirmed when it is paid and the money lands with you.
- Reminders on every planEmail the day before, or at the times you pick, and texts as well on Pro. Customers move or cancel their own booking from the confirmation.
- Messages, both waysMessage any booking, and they see it on their booking page and reply into your inbox. Every plan.
- Forms before the visitPatch test, consent, intake, pet details and more, asked on the booking page with a typed-name agreement. On the profile with a PDF.
- Visit records in your trade's fieldsColour formula, clipper grade, mileage, pain score, saved with each visit and there next time. Share with the customer if you choose.
- Two services, one visit, and a waiting listA cut and a beard in one booking. When a day is full, customers join the list and a cancellation offers them the slot.
- Packages and regulars on repeatSell a block of sessions paid up front on Pro. A regular's slot repeats itself weekly, fortnightly or every few weeks on every plan.
- Gift vouchersSold on your booking page or at the desk, emailed with a code, and spent on any booking until it runs out. On Pro.
- Discount codesWELCOME10 for a first visit or a code for a quiet Tuesday, off a booking or a package, with the limits you set. On Pro.
- Classes and group sessionsA bootcamp or a workshop on a timetable with a set number of places, booked one place at a time, with a waiting list when it is full. On every plan.
- Travel charges for mobile workGo to your customers? On Pro, your own price per mile goes on each booking, from the real driving distance, before they book.
- A login for everyone, with a ceilingEach person gets their own login and sees the day on their own phone. Pro is 9.99 GBP a month a person and never more than 39.99 GBP, so once you have four people, a new junior does not raise the bill.
- Reviews on your booking pageCustomers review a real visit from the thank-you email, and your stars show under your name. Every plan.
- No-show fees on a saved cardCustomers save a card as they book and see your fees first. You charge one only for a no-show or a late cancellation. Every plan.
- Jobs that take two of youA service can need two or more of your team, booked into each of their columns at once. On Pro.
- They come backA rebook reminder when the next visit is due and a review ask with your Google link, one email each.
- Bookings become invoicesOne click on the diary card turns a finished booking into a draft invoice. Quotes on the same login.
- The numbers, without a spreadsheetMoney in the book for the next 30 days, takings, busiest hours and what no-shows cost, live on the overview.
- The phone app, iPhone and AndroidFullDiary on the App Store and Google Play: the diary, messages, customers, invoices and reports in your pocket, with a push the moment a booking lands.
If you switch
An afternoon, start to finish.
- 01
Answer six quick questions
Your trade fills in the services, hours, forms and booking rules, and you change anything you like before going live. Your logo and colour can follow whenever you want. No card, and the free tier does not expire.
- 02
Bring your customer list
Your client list comes across as a CSV, with names, numbers, emails, birthdays and addresses. You check the columns first, nobody is added twice, and it is free on every plan.
- 03
Put your link where clients already find you
Google Business Profile, Instagram bio, the QR card by the mirror. Your regulars book the same shop at the same address - just without ringing you.
- 04
Run the day on the live diary
Walk-ins typed straight in, drag a booking when someone runs late, and every staff member sees the day on their own phone.
Bookings already made in Ovatu can finish there, or go into the FullDiary diary in a few taps with your regulars set to repeat; new ones come through your FullDiary link. Gift vouchers you sold before keep their code and what is left on them (on Pro), and anyone you type in once prefills forever.
FAQs
Questions about switching
What it costs, what happens to your clients, and how the switch works.
Something else on your mind? Ask us.
Is FullDiary affiliated with Ovatu?
No. FullDiary is made by Cynical Software Ltd, an independent UK company, and this page is not endorsed by Ovatu. The Ovatu prices and fees quoted were read from their public pricing page, with United Kingdom chosen, on 5 November 2026; prices change, so check ovatu.com/pricing before deciding anything.
Is FullDiary cheaper than Ovatu?
For one person, yes. It is 9.99 GBP a month on FullDiary Pro, or nothing on the free plan, against 20 GBP on Ovatu Neat. For five or more, yes. FullDiary never goes above 39.99 GBP a month, where Neat is 44 GBP at five staff and 74 GBP at ten. Texts are extra on Ovatu at 7p each; FullDiary Pro includes 50 a month for each person.
Can I import my client list from Ovatu?
Yes. Your clients come across from a CSV, with names, phone numbers, emails, dates of birth and addresses. The column mapping is shown so you can correct it, anyone already in FullDiary is matched rather than added twice, and any skipped row is reported with its line number. Nobody retypes 800 clients, and the import is free on every plan.
What about the bookings and gift vouchers I already have?
Bookings already made in Ovatu can finish there, or go into the FullDiary diary in a few taps, and a regular's slot can repeat weekly, fortnightly or every few weeks so it keeps itself. Gift vouchers your business sold before can be issued in FullDiary as Bought before FullDiary, keeping the old code, what is left on it and its use-by date (gift vouchers are on Pro). Old reminders are best switched off for anyone you move across, so nobody gets two. Moving to FullDiary, step by step
Do patch tests and consent forms come with it?
Yes, on every plan. The patch test, consent and intake templates are ready-made, and are asked on the booking page before the visit with a typed-name agreement. Every answer sits on the client's profile with a PDF. A patch test a client already had with you before the move can be marked as done for them, so they are not asked again until the date you choose.
What happens to the money when a client pays a deposit?
It lands in your own Stripe account - FullDiary never holds it. Stripe's standard processing rates apply and go to Stripe; FullDiary adds nothing on top and takes no commission on bookings, ever.
Is it really free to start?
Yes. 20 bookings a month are free, with the booking page, the live diary, the QR card, reminders, messages and forms included. No card to start, nothing expires, and Pro is 9.99 GBP a month a person, never more than 39.99 GBP, when you outgrow it.
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