Capra and Pabau both run aesthetics, skin and wellness clinics; they differ in how patients book and reply, how far the software bends to your clinic, and what happens when you need a person. This comparison covers features, support and migration, and says where Pabau is the stronger choice.
Pabau covers more of the aesthetics workflow than most, and the reasons clinics give for leaving are about reliability and support: outages and glitches after updates, reminders sent for the wrong time, rooms and machines double-booked, email support that goes quiet for days, support outside UK hours, and a data extract on exit that takes months.
Fourteen rows on booking, messaging, records, locations, integrations and support. Features and support only; book a demo for a quote.
| Feature | Capra | Pabau |
|---|---|---|
| Online booking without a patient account | Yes | Yes |
| Self-serve cancel and rebook | Yes | Yes |
| WhatsApp Business shared inbox | Yes | Check with vendor |
| Two-way SMS | Yes | SMS credits |
| Email from your own domain | Yes | Yes |
| Reminder rules per appointment type | Yes | Partial |
| Clinical notes, templates and body charts | Yes | Yes |
| Online forms, consent and outcome measures | Yes | Yes |
| Patient portal with no app and no password | Yes | Yes |
| Video consultations built in | Yes | Telehealth add-on |
| Multi-location in one account | Yes | Yes |
| Reporting on diary use, rebooking and no-shows | Yes | Partial |
| Integrations built for you during onboarding | Yes | Fixed app integrations |
| Human support in UK and UAE hours | Yes | 24/7 chat; email slow in reviews |
Notes on the table: Pabau sends SMS from a credit balance and reviews describe reminders going out at the wrong time, so reminder rules are marked partial; telehealth is an add-on; reporting exists but reviews describe reports being unavailable during outages; integrations are a fixed app set; chat support runs around the clock while email support is described as slow.
Migration is part of onboarding: a named lead imports your data, checks it with you and stays your contact after go-live. Most clinics run both systems side by side for a couple of weeks before switching the old one off.
Your onboarding lead takes the export of patients, appointments, notes, documents and invoices from Pabau, or pulls it with you, and maps it field by field into Capra.
You review the imported records against the originals, and the clinic can run both systems side by side for a couple of weeks before the switch.
Reminders, booking and the inbox switch on, the integrations you agreed are built and tested, and your onboarding lead stays your contact afterwards, in UK and UAE hours.
Defence in depth, from the first message to the last record. This is how we operate, not a badge.
Connections use current TLS with HSTS, and stored data is encrypted with keys managed by our cloud provider.
Permissions come from defined roles, privileged access needs multi-factor authentication, and rights are reviewed regularly.
Security-relevant events are recorded, retained and reviewed so unusual activity can be investigated quickly.
Critical data is backed up regularly and protected like production, with processes to restore service after a disruption.
UK clinics are hosted in the UK by default; deployment in other regions, including the UAE, is available on request with the same protections.
Capra connects to the record, calendar, accounting, messaging and claims systems you already run; integrations are built with you during onboarding.
Yes. Capra is configured for aesthetics during onboarding: consent per treatment signed before the chair, photos and treatment notes on the record, deposits and packages, rooms and lasers as diary resources, WhatsApp and Instagram enquiries in one inbox and reporting per practitioner and room.
Pabau bundles stock and inventory, a loyalty programme, a card terminal, injection plotting, a photo comparison tool, lead management and marketing automation. A clinic that wants retail and marketing features from the same vendor may prefer it.
Rooms and machines as true diary resources, one reminder rule set per appointment type with delivery status per message, WhatsApp Business on the clinic number with a shared inbox, integrations built for you during onboarding, human support in UK and UAE hours, and a data export you can run yourself at any time.
Yes. Your onboarding lead takes the Pabau export of clients, treatment history, consent forms, packages and invoices, maps it into Capra and checks it with you before go-live.
Yes. Signed consent forms and photos are imported as documents on the client record, and new consent is signed on the client's phone before the appointment with the form version and time stored.
Most clinics are taking bookings, deposits and signed consent in Capra within a few days of the import. Payment, accounting and Instagram connections follow the onboarding plan agreed with your named lead.
Pabau offers chat around the clock, and reviews describe email support that goes quiet and time-zone gaps for clinics outside UK hours. Capra's support is human, in UK and UAE hours, from a named team, with an onboarding lead who stays your contact.
Yes. Clinics commonly run both for a couple of weeks after the import: bookings and reminders move to Capra first, notes follow once the team is comfortable, and your onboarding lead checks nothing has been left behind before Pabau is switched off.
Consent records and contact preferences are imported with each patient and stored on the record in Capra. Opt-outs are applied through suppression lists from the first send, so a patient who declined messages in Pabau is not messaged by Capra either.
Last reviewed 25 October 2026 by Capra Health team. Comparisons are updated quarterly; tell us at info@capra.health if something has changed.
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