Free plan or paid: what you get without paying
What actually works without paying for modules, where the line falls, and what costs money in any system
"Free" means three different things in this category and they are constantly confused: a trial that ends; a free tier with limits; and a marketplace where the software costs nothing because it earns a percentage of every booking you take. The third is the most expensive, though it looks the cheapest.
Three models of "free"
| Model | How it earns | What you pay with |
|---|---|---|
| Trial period | You pay when it ends | Time spent migrating, if it did not suit you |
| Free tier | You top up for modules and volume | Limits you discover as you go |
| Marketplace | A percentage of every booking | A share of revenue and access to the client |
The difference between the first and third only shows over time. A percentage feels small while volume is low; as you grow it becomes the largest line, and you cannot stop it without losing the bookings.
Where the line falls in Wlaunch
The basic version is not a demonstration and not a capped tier. It runs online booking, messages and reminders, stock control, the staff app, the backoffice, cash registers and payroll.
So a company that needs a schedule, reminders, money tracking and payroll runs on the basic version properly, with no separate module fee.
The extended version adds what not everyone needs: online payment, memberships and certificates, discounts and promotions, group classes, rentals, surveys, granular permissions, the company app, and blocking unwanted bookings.
What each version contains is shown on the pricing page, which is built from the same data as the site, so it cannot drift from reality.
What costs money regardless
This does not depend on which system you choose, and appears in no tariff comparison:
- Messages. Reminders cost money in any system, because a mobile operator is paid for the SMS. So the channel matters: Telegram cheapest, SMS the most expensive.
- The payment provider's commission, if you take payment online.
- A fiscal service, if you need a till.
When free genuinely is enough
The honest answer is: more often than people assume. The basic version suffices if you have:
- individual appointments with no group classes
- payment on the spot in cash or by terminal
- no memberships and no gift certificates
- a single location
- the same level of access for every member of staff
The moment one of those changes - a deposit at booking, selling memberships, a second branch, separating access - you need the matching module. That is the real line: not the number of clients, but the way you work.
What to avoid
Choosing a system because the home page says "free". It is more practical to run your daily scenario to the end and see at which step a limit appears. Registration needs no card, so this takes an hour to check.
Common questions
Is there a trial period?
Registration is free and needs no card, so the system is visible from the inside before any payment.
Is the number of clients limited on the basic version?
The price depends on the number of resources and branches, not on the size of your client list.
Can I add a single module rather than the whole extended version?
Yes, modules are chosen individually and the pricing calculator accounts for that.
Can I go back to the basic version?
Yes, but the data belonging to a module you switch off stops being used in day-to-day work, so export anything you need first.