NextMe or Waitlist Me?
For SMBs, choosing the right waitlist and appointment software can be intimidating. Despite both having “Me” in their name, there’s quite a difference between between NextMe and Waitlist Me, two of the top queue management solutions on the market.
Key considerations
When comparing waitlist software, it’s important to evaluate their features, usability, pricing, and support to determine which might be the best fit for your particular business. Our team at NextMe has been helping SMBs make these decisions for years, and we’re constantly adapting to the latest advancements in waitlist technology. While we believe our waitlist solution is a great fit for many businesses, our goal is to provide an honest and balanced view of your options. We hope this article is helpful in making your decision.
Overview
| NextMe | Waitlist Me |
| A modern virtual waiting room that makes it simple for businesses to manage their waitlist and serve more customers. Eliminate long lines and create amazing first impressions, all while saving money on outdated technology. | A waitlist management application for restaurants and other businesses that uses text and phone call notifications to alert customers when it is their turn. Waitlist Me is also commonly referred to as waitlist.me and WaitlistMe. |
Features
Both platforms offer basic waitlist and appointment management tooling. However, Waitlist Me does not offer many customization options or enterprise-friendly features for businesses looking to scale. It also lacks a Virtual Waiting Room to engage with guests while they wait. NextMe, on the other hand, does not offer table management for restaurants or an Android app at this time.
| Feature | NextMe | Waitlist Me |
| Industry Agnostic | ✅ | ✅ |
| Enterprise Friendly | ✅ | ❌ |
| SMS Messaging | ✅ | ✅ |
| Customizable Notifications | ✅ | ✅ |
| Customizable Queues and Fields | ✅ | ❌ |
| Appointment Scheduling | ✅ | ✅ |
| Self Check-in | ✅ | ✅ |
| Public Waitlist | ✅ | ✅ |
| Privacy Options | ✅ | ❌ |
| Repeat Guest Lookup | ✅ | ✅ |
| Estimated Wait Times | ✅ | ✅ |
| Web App | ✅ | ✅ |
| iOS App | ✅ | ✅ |
| Android App | ❌ | ✅ |
| Virtual Waiting Room | ✅ | ❌ |
| Table Management | ❌ | ✅ |
Usability
Ranks 4.9 out of 5 for ease of use based on Capterra reviews. NextMe is easy to use and train and this is a common source of praise relative to other competing tools. Usability is a frequent theme in NextMe’s positive reviews.
Ranks 3.8 out of 5 on the App Store and has no reviews on Capterra. Usability seems to be one of their biggest challenges. Apart from not appearing super sleek, the WaitlistMe user interface has plenty of room for improvement and doesn’t instill much confidence in the reliability of the platform. However, if a modern UI is not hugely important to your business, you may be fine with the experience they offer.
Pricing
NextMe offers a two week free trial to test drive all the features and a free version that includes SMS notifications. WaitlistMe offers neither of these, but their paid plan tiers are cheaper.
Overall, you’ll likely pay less for Waitlist Me but with fewer features and without the confidence of having tried things out beforehand. Please note, WaitlistMe plans to increase their pricing in September 2024. The pricing below reflects their new increased pricing model.
| Plan | NextMe | Waitlist Me |
| 14-Day Free Trial | ✅ | ❌ |
| Free | ✅ Up to 170 visits per month | ❌ The free plan does not come with the ability to send text notifications. |
| Starter | $49.99/mo when billed annually | $27.99/mo when billed annually |
| Business | $79.99/mo when billed annually | $47.99/mo when billed annually |
| Enterprise | Varies | Varies |
Support
NextMe offers quick and reliable phone and chat support. WaitlistMe requires you to contact them via email or submit a product issue report to get in touch. Both platforms have robust knowledge bases.
| Support | NextMe | Waitlist Me |
| Help Center | ✅ | ✅ |
| Chat Support | ✅ | ❌ |
| Phone Support | ✅ | ❌ |
| Personal Demos | ✅ | ❌ |
Conclusion
NextMe and Waitlist Me each have their own pros and cons as waitlist platforms. NextMe is ideal for businesses that need an easy to use, feature-rich solution with reliable human support. However, the paid plans are slightly more expensive than so you’ll need to be willing to pay a little extra for the improved experience. Also, NextMe does not offer robust table management at this time.
Waitlist Me offers cheaper paid plans, but no trial and a very limited free version. It’s interface is clunkier than most software on the market, so you’ll be sacrificing the user experience for a lower subscription cost. Support options are more limited so you may not receive immediate support if something goes wrong.
Ultimately, the choice will depend on your specific business needs, budget, and the complexity of the queuing system required. We hope this was comparison was a helpful tool in informing your decision!