Quick answer: keep the sheet if maintaining it is easy. Move admissions to Queues, Preorders, or Bookings when accepting someone requires more than adding a row. You can still export records for spreadsheet reporting.
A concrete change at the door
Imagine a barber maintaining a sheet with names and a waiting/finished column. Staff check who is next, contact that person, then update the row. That can work well with one operator and a short line.
With an Unwaited queue, a guest receives a ticket code and private status link. Staff call, serve, mark no-show, or remove a party from the dashboard. The guest's page updates automatically. Ending a visit frees one active-party place; a party-size answer does not turn this into a seat-allocation system. Unwaited has no SMS, kiosk, or staff scheduling.
| Feature | Unwaited | A spreadsheet |
|---|---|---|
| Setup and cost | Free includes 100 signups per account/month; Starter $30/month; Pro $50/month | Your spreadsheet software plus time spent maintaining the process |
| Capacity | Checked when admitting a signup, queue party, order, or booking | A manual process unless you build or connect an admission system |
| Live line | Queue ticket codes, call/serve actions, and automatically updating guest status pages | Staff maintain rows and communicate changes |
| Product quantities | Preorder quantities reserve batch stock | A stock sheet needs a process for checking and reserving units |
| Dated places | Single bookings or recurring enrollment in dated sessions | A roster needs a process for checking available places |
| Customer messages | Private links on screen; new confirmation emails on Starter and Pro | Your messaging process or connected automation |
| Data analysis | Dashboard views and CSV export; signed webhooks for Standard signups and preorders on Starter and Pro | Your formulas, filters, charts, and editable layout |
Match the count to the work
Use Standard signups to collect interest or registrations. They can have total or period capacity, but each entry counts as one signup regardless of quantity answers.
Use Preorders when an order for two loaves must reserve two units, and Bookings when someone needs a place in a dated session. Bookings can support recurring enrollment; later lessons do not each consume another signup. Neither workflow creates an automatic overflow waiting list.
This comparison assumes a manually maintained sheet. A spreadsheet with custom scripts or a separate booking system may already meet your requirements. Evaluate the whole process, including who maintains it.
Move without losing the old list
Keep a copy of the existing sheet under your retention policy. Pick a cutoff, tell staff where existing customers remain, and use the new page only for new admissions. There is no dashboard import, so do not promise that old rows become queue tickets or bookings automatically.
Unwaited's monthly allowances are shared across all pages: Free 100, Starter 3,000, Pro 10,000. Physical capacity is separate. Uncovered Standard entries are held from the owner; queues, preorders, and bookings pause new uncovered admissions after the account's one-time grace period. History has no plan-based expiry, but retention settings and deletion still apply. Read the usage guide.
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