Comparing systems
Looking for a Faces alternative?
This page makes no claims about another product. It explains what PillarClinic does for a UK aesthetic clinic, and gives you a set of questions to ask every system you shortlist — so the decision comes from demos and trials rather than marketing copy.
Who this page is for
- Injectors who started with a simple consent and booking setup and have outgrown it
- Clinics that now need prescribing, stock traceability and compliance in one place
- Practices adding a second practitioner, a reception desk or a second room
- Clinics that want their own branded booking page and messaging
- Owners who want the clinical record to survive a staff change
Why clinics look at alternatives
Growth is the usual trigger. The tool that suited a single practitioner working from one room starts to strain when there are staff, rooms, stock and paperwork obligations.
More people, more roles
Reception should see the diary and payments but not clinical notes. That needs real role separation, not shared logins.
Stock and batches enter the picture
Once you hold product, you need batch traceability and stock that moves when treatments complete.
Documentation obligations grow
Policies, staff acknowledgement and training records become part of running a clinic rather than an afterthought.
What PillarClinic covers
Diary, resources and online booking
Practitioner hours and time off, rooms and equipment, a branded booking page with deposits and a published cancellation policy.
Role-based access
Admin, practitioner, prescriber, reception and client roles, with clinical records restricted to clinical staff at the database level.
Clinical records and imagery
Episodes, session notes, clinical photos with comparison, and skin and treatment mapping stored with the client.
Consent and aftercare
Treatment-specific consent signed before arrival, and aftercare sheets matched to the treatment and sent afterwards.
Stock, prescribing and till
Product batches with automatic deduction, a distinct prescriber role, plus till, invoices, receipts and payment links.
Compliance and growth
Versioned policies with acknowledgement and training records, and retention tools like recalls, waitlist, memberships and vouchers.
A fair comparison framework
Use these on every shortlist, ours included. Fill in the third column from a live demo with your own treatments.
| Question to ask | PillarClinic | System you are comparing |
|---|---|---|
| Can reception be blocked from clinical notes? | Yes — reception is front-of-house only, enforced by database policies. | Ask the vendor |
| Can rooms and equipment be scheduled, not just people? | Yes — resources attach to services and block conflicting bookings. | Ask the vendor |
| Does stock reduce automatically when a treatment completes? | Yes — batch usage on the session deducts from stock. | Ask the vendor |
| Are clinical photos stored in the client record? | Yes — with comparison, annotation and clinic-scoped access. | Ask the vendor |
| Is there a compliance library with staff acknowledgement? | Yes — versioned policies, acknowledgements, training register, inspection pack. | Ask the vendor |
| Is the booking page and messaging branded as your clinic? | Yes — clinic branding on the booking page, email and SMS identity. | Ask the vendor |
| Can you export your records if you leave? | Yes — including per-client subject access exports. | Ask the vendor |
PillarClinic is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Faces. Product names are the trademarks of their respective owners. We publish no claims about another vendor's features, pricing or limitations — confirm those with them directly.
Made for UK aesthetic clinics
The product assumes UK private aesthetic practice throughout, rather than being a general booking tool with clinical fields added.
- Prescription-only medicine workflow with a prescriber role
- Deposits, cancellation windows and no-show handling
- Aesthetic policy and SOP templates as a starting point
- Pounds, UK dates and clinic-branded client messaging
- Retention and subject access handling built in
A treatment from start to finish
- 1
Booked
Slot held with a deposit, policy shown, consent and intake sent for that treatment.
- 2
Treated
Notes, photos, mapping and product batches recorded against the episode as you work.
- 3
Followed up
Aftercare sent, invoice raised, recall scheduled, and everything retained in the client's record.
Pricing philosophy
One monthly price covering the whole system, so a growing clinic does not pay again for each capability it grows into.
£49 per month, pro plan
- All modules on paid plans
- Unlimited appointments, forms and clients
- AI credits included monthly and carried over
- Payments through your own Stripe account, no booking commission
Questions clinics ask
- Is PillarClinic affiliated with Faces?
- No. PillarClinic is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Faces.
- Why does this page not compare specific features against Faces?
- We cannot keep another company's features and pricing accurate, and outdated comparisons mislead. Ask them for current details and score both against the framework above.
- Do I need to be a prescriber to use it?
- No. Non-prescribing practitioners can run the full clinical workflow, and a prescriber account can be added when prescribing is involved.
- How long does setup take?
- Most clinics get their services, hours and booking page live in an afternoon, then add consent templates and policies over the following week.
Who PillarClinic suits — and who may prefer another system
A comparison is only useful if it is honest about fit. This is written from what PillarClinic does today, not from any claim about Faces. If the right-hand column describes your clinic, keep looking.
PillarClinic tends to suit
- UK aesthetic clinics from a single room up to a small group of sites
- Prescribers and practitioners who want consent, notes, prescribing and aftercare on one record
- Clinics that need governance evidence — policies, training, risks, inspection packs — rather than a separate folder of documents
- Owners who want bookings, recalls and revenue reporting driven by real clinical activity
- Teams willing to move over with CSV exports of clients and appointments
You may prefer another system if
- You run a large multi-site group needing bespoke enterprise integrations or a dedicated account team
- Your business is mainly non-medical beauty, hair or spa retail rather than aesthetic treatment
- You depend on an existing integration or hardware we do not support — ask us before you assume either way
- You need a full accounting package rather than invoicing that syncs to Xero
- You want an on-premise install; PillarClinic is hosted only
Cost and plans are set out on the pricing and registration page, and how your data is held is documented in the trust centre.
Run your own comparison
Create an account, set up your two busiest treatments, and test the workflow against the questions above.