Smart Clinic vs Pabau — which fits your clinic?
Pabau is a broad aesthetics platform sold with paid add-ons. Smart Clinic gives you published prices, a free plan, WhatsApp reminders on every plan, a waiting-room TV queue, a smart daily briefing and treatment plans patients accept online.
Features available out of 30 compared, based on each vendor's public information. Partial support isn't counted.
Included with Smart Clinic
Built in, with no add-ons to buy. Some tools unlock on higher plans.
Waiting-room TV queue
A live, privacy-safe queue on a wall screen, so patients know when it's their turn.
Tablet intake
Push intake and consent forms to a clinic tablet. No printing, no retyping.
Staff hours & leave
Work hours, vacations and sick days per employee, plus per-provider earnings reports.
Smart daily briefing
Flags unconfirmed visits, lapsed patients and unpaid invoices, with one-click actions.
SMS and WhatsApp reminders
WhatsApp first with automatic SMS fallback. Patients confirm straight from the message.
Plans patients accept online
Multi-session treatment plans the patient reviews and accepts from a link.
AI clinical notes
Structured clinical notes from the visit data in one click.
Rooms & equipment
Book rooms and shared devices with each appointment, never double-booked.
iPhone & Android app
Schedule, patient records, notes and tasks for the whole team, on the go.
- You want published prices and a free plan instead of a sales demo
- You want WhatsApp reminders included, not sold as an add-on
- You want a waiting-room TV queue and a smart daily briefing
- You want patients to accept multi-session treatment plans online
- Your team uses Android as well as iPhone
- You run a dental or multi-specialty clinic and need a dental chart
- You chart injections with batch numbers and stock deduction
- You bill UK insurers through Healthcode
- You want a phone system with an AI receptionist
Pricing at a glance
| Smart Clinic | Pabau | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes: 2 users, 50 patients | No (demo, no free trial) |
| Entry paid plan | $29/mo (Starter, 5 users) | From $62/mo for 1 user |
| Clinic with 5 staff | $29/mo | Not published (Medium plan, 4–5 users) |
| How it's priced | Flat price per clinic, by plan | Per location, sized by users; add-ons extra |
| Contract | Monthly or yearly | 30-day rolling, or prepaid 12–36 months |
| Setup fee | None | Setup and training fees; amounts not published |
Pabau prices are taken from its public website in September 2026 and may have changed. Smart Clinic prices are monthly in USD; yearly billing is cheaper.
Feature comparison
| Booking & scheduling | Smart Clinic | Pabau |
|---|---|---|
| Appointment calendar | ||
| Online self-booking | ||
| Cancellation waitlistPabau: staff send each opening to the client by hand | ||
| Permanent free plan |
| Patient communication | Smart Clinic | Pabau |
|---|---|---|
| SMS remindersPabau: paid with message credits | ||
| WhatsApp remindersSmart Clinic: connect your WhatsApp Business number; SMS fallback is automaticPabau: Engage Plus add-on | ||
| Email confirmations | ||
| Two-way patient messagingSmart Clinic: patient replies are saved to the patient file | ||
| Video consultationsSmart Clinic: runs on your Google Meet or Zoom accountPabau: unlimited video with the Care Plus add-on |
| Clinical & aesthetic | Smart Clinic | Pabau |
|---|---|---|
| Patient records & treatment notes | ||
| AI clinical notesSmart Clinic: Professional plan and upPabau: metered by credits; unlimited with the Care Plus add-on | ||
| Intake & consent forms with e-signature | ||
| Before & after photosPabau: photo compare is in the Care Plus add-on | ||
| Treatment plans patients accept onlineSmart Clinic: patients review and accept the plan from a linkPabau: quotes can be signed online; treatment plans aren't described | ||
| Prepaid treatment packages | ||
| Lab & external service ordersSmart Clinic: Professional planPabau: The Doctors Laboratory integration, UK only | ||
| Dental chartPabau: Pabau's own blog says its templates need customising for tooth-level charting | ||
| Face charting for injectablesPabau: injection plotting with batch numbers and stock deduction |
| Front desk & team | Smart Clinic | Pabau |
|---|---|---|
| Waiting-room TV queueSmart Clinic: Professional plan | Not stated | |
| Tablet intake in the waiting roomSmart Clinic: Professional planPabau: iPad only, in the Pabau GO app | ||
| Rooms & equipment booking | ||
| Staff hours, vacations & sick days | ||
| Per-provider earnings reports | ||
| Staff tasks & follow-upsSmart Clinic: with threaded team comments | ||
| Smart daily briefingSmart Clinic: flags unconfirmed visits, lapsed patients, no-shows and unpaid invoices | Not stated |
| Payments, apps & languages | Smart Clinic | Pabau |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated card paymentsSmart Clinic: via Tranzila, for clinics in Israel | ||
| Multi-location managementSmart Clinic: Clinic planPabau: Enterprise plan | ||
| Staff mobile appPabau: iPhone and iPad only | ||
| Data exportPabau: managed full export costs £450 + VAT | ||
| Right-to-left languages | Not stated |
Available Partial or limited Not available Not stated = not published by the vendor
Where they differ
Pricing you can see
Pabau doesn't show plan prices on its pricing page; its site describes plans as starting at $62 a month for one user, priced per location, with four optional paid add-ons. Smart Clinic publishes every price: free, then $29, $59 and $99 a month per clinic.
WhatsApp without the add-on
Pabau's shared inbox covers SMS, email and web chat, paid through message credits, and WhatsApp needs the Engage Plus add-on. Smart Clinic sends reminders by WhatsApp on every plan, with automatic SMS fallback, and patients confirm straight from the message.
Built for the front desk
Both track staff hours, rooms and earnings. Smart Clinic adds a waiting-room TV queue and a smart daily briefing that flags unconfirmed visits, lapsed patients and unpaid invoices. Pabau's waitlist has staff send each opening by hand; Smart Clinic notifies waiting patients when a slot opens.
Treatment plans and apps
Smart Clinic sends multi-session treatment plans as a link the patient reviews and accepts. Pabau sends quotes for online signature. Pabau's staff app runs on iPhone and iPad, and a managed full data export costs £450 plus VAT; Smart Clinic's app runs on iPhone and Android, and you export your own data to CSV.
Common questions
How much does Pabau cost?
Pabau shares exact prices after a demo. Its website describes plans as starting at $62 a month for one user, priced per location and sized by the number of users, with optional paid add-ons. Smart Clinic's plans are published: free, $29, $59 and $99 a month.
Does Pabau have WhatsApp?
Yes, through its Engage Plus add-on, which also adds Facebook and Instagram messaging. Smart Clinic includes WhatsApp reminders on every plan once you connect a WhatsApp Business number.
What does Smart Clinic include that Pabau doesn't list?
A waiting-room TV queue, a smart daily briefing, treatment plans patients accept online, a dental chart, a staff app for Android and a permanent free plan, with WhatsApp reminders on every plan.
Is Smart Clinic good for injectables clinics?
Yes. Smart Clinic handles booking, reminders, consent forms, before-and-after photos, treatment plans and prepaid packages for injectables clinics. Face charting with batch tracking isn't available yet.
Can I switch from Pabau to Smart Clinic?
Yes. Export your patient list from Pabau and import it into Smart Clinic from CSV or Excel. You can test everything on the free plan first.
Try Smart Clinic free
Start on the free plan, import your patient list, and see how reminders and online booking work for your clinic. No card needed.
Pabau details come from its public website and help center as of September 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.
Pabau is a trademark of its owner. Smart Clinic is not affiliated with Pabau.