# Software for piano tuners,  built by a piano tuner.

With 46 years of hands-on experience, I know what you need. I built the app I always wanted.

## From card box to code

My love for technology started early. As a teenager, I programmed BASIC late at night on a ZX Spectrum. Later, armed with my first Tulip PC, I wrote my first 'real' software: a digital customer database for my father.

In my youthful enthusiasm, I then threw away his physical card box — to his great dismay! Eventually I printed everything neatly for him on the dot-matrix printer, but the tone was set: I wanted to organize things faster, more efficiently, and better.

## What I tried

Every morning the same ritual: check Google Calendar, look up customer addresses, open Google Maps, figure out if another appointment fits between two others... And in the evening: manually send confirmation emails, update my Excel sheet with serial numbers, note when each piano needs tuning again.

| Tools          | Pros                        | Cons                          |
| -------------- | --------------------------- | ----------------------------- |
| Excel         |                            | No reminders                  |
| Google Calendar|                            | No customer info              |
| Gazelle       |                            | Expensive, US servers         |
| Calendly      |                            | Not for our profession        |
| ServicePlanner |                           | For HVAC technicians          |
| Paper diary    |                           | No backup, sync               |

After years of thinking "there must be a better way" I decided to build it myself.

## The collaboration

In my own practice, I hit walls for years. I worked with American software that didn't fully understand our market, or I juggled three different apps for calendar, invoicing, and routes. I thought: "This has to be smarter."

I have great interest in everything around business figures — we all know how complex the margin scheme can be. I wanted software that not only plans but also thinks along with my business operations.

When I decided to build the ultimate planner myself, I wasn't alone. I got to work with my skills and the advice of my children and stepchildren. One graduated as an IT specialist from HAN University. The other as a Game Developer & Sound Designer from HKU. With my hands-on experience and their knowledge of the latest technology and AI, we developed PianoPlanner together.

## Smart appointments

The core of PianoPlanner is simple: I want to see at a glance whether I'm making money or wasting time. I also don't want to spend too much time driving. That's why we developed Smart Appointments — each appointment automatically gets a color based on travel time:

- Fits perfectly in your route
- Watch your travel time
- Inefficient, costs you time

## Proudly Dutch

Unlike the big American players, I believe in local strength. PianoPlanner is an independent initiative. Your data is securely encrypted and stored on European servers, fully compliant with GDPR privacy regulations.

I'm proud of what we've built. A system for piano tuners, by a piano tuner.

## PianoPlanner vs Gazelle

Two platforms for piano technicians — which fits your workflow?

### ● PianoPlanner

🇳🇱 Netherlands · Made by a piano tuner

- Automatic route clustering with Smart Suggestions
- Google + Microsoft + Apple calendar sync (two-way)
- Online booking links for customers
- European servers — GDPR compliant
- 4 languages: NL, EN, DE, FR

### ● Gazelle

🇺🇸 USA · Founded in 2015

- Native iOS & Android apps
- Invoicing with QuickBooks integration
- Condition Reports (PDF piano reports)
- Large established customer base in the US
- Multiple languages available

| Feature | PianoPlanner | Gazelle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 📅 Planning & Routing |
| Route optimization | ✅ Smart Suggestions — AI automatically picks the best time slot based on travel time + existing appointments | Manual scheduling with map view + routing algorithm |
| Route Filling | ✅ Find customers near existing appointments who are due for tuning. Send invitations. | — |
| Customer Database Analysis | ✅ Scan your customer database, calculate distances, receive optimal travel time recommendation — one click | — |
| Theater mode | ✅ Separate hours for theaters & concert halls | — |
| 📆 Calendar & Sync |
| Google Calendar | ✅ Two-way sync (real-time) | One-way sync |
| Microsoft 365 / Outlook | ✅ Two-way sync | — |
| Apple Calendar | ✅ iCal feed | — |
| 🌐 Online Booking |
| Public booking link | ✅ pianoplanner.com/book/your-name | — |
| Smart Suggestions | ✅ 3 strategies: route, gap-filler, proximity | — |
| Confirmation | ✅ Instantly confirmed — customer knows right away | Approval required |
| 🎹 Pianos & Customers |
| Photos per piano | ✅ Up to 5 photos per piano — optimized with thumbnails | ✅ Photos with piano + condition reports |
| Workshop project planner | ✅ Projects, tasks, hour estimates, progress tracking | — |
| 💰 Billing |
| Invoicing | ✅ Included | Paid add-on |
| Accounting integration | ✅ Moneybird, Jortt, e-Boekhouden, Exact Online | QuickBooks / Xero (US-focused) |
| Mileage tracking | ✅ Automatically per appointment based on route | — |
| ⚙️ Technical |
| Privacy & data | ✅ EU/NL servers · GDPR compliant | US servers |
| Custom email domain | ✅ Custom SMTP + editable templates | — |
| Languages | ✅ NL, EN, DE, FR, IT, ES | EN + multiple languages |
| 💳 Pricing |
| Free version | ✅ Permanent — up to 25 customers | 30-day trial |
| Starting price | From €24.50/month (unlimited) | €67/mo (250 pianos) · €89 (350) · €115 (500) |
| Limits | ✅ Unlimited customers & pianos | Pay per 50 pianos + extra costs |
| 👥 Teams |
| Teams version | ✅ Multiple tuners per company · shared calendar · Smart Pick · iCal per tuner · €49,50/month | — |

### 🤝 Honestly: where Gazelle is stronger

- **Condition Reports** — Send customers detailed PDF reports about their piano's condition. PianoPlanner doesn't have this (yet).
- **Native apps** — Gazelle's iOS/Android apps may feel smoother than a PWA, especially on older devices.
- **US market presence** — Gazelle has been active longer and has a large network in North America.

## The fundamental difference

Why tuners switch to PianoPlanner

🧠

#### Automatically smart scheduling

Smart Suggestions analyzes your schedule, calculates travel times and automatically suggests the most efficient time slots. The system clusters on its own.

🔄

#### Triple calendar sync

As the only piano platform, PianoPlanner syncs two-way with Google Calendar, Microsoft 365 and Apple Calendar.

🔗

#### Customers book themselves

Each customer gets a personal booking link. They see their pianos, previous appointments and can pick a new time slot directly.

🇪🇺

#### European privacy

All data is stored on Dutch servers. Fully GDPR compliant. No data going to the US. Ideal for European technicians.

## Pricing comparison

What do you pay per month?

#### PianoPlanner

€0 – €89,50

per month

- Starter: free (up to 25 customers)
- Start: €24.50/month — unlimited
- Pro: €39.50/month — with calendar sync + invoicing
- No limit on pianos or customers
- 1 month free trial

#### Gazelle

€67 – €115+

per month (250–500 pianos, base plan only)

- 30-day free trial
- 250 pianos = €67/mo · 350 = €89 · 500 = €115
- Price per 50 active pianos — scales up fast
- Reminders, invoicing, SMS cost extra
- QuickBooks integration (add-on)

## Switching? Takes just 5 minutes.

Export your customers, pianos and appointments from Gazelle as CSV. Upload to PianoPlanner — done.

📤

1\. Export from Gazelle  
→

📥

2\. Upload to PianoPlanner  
→

✅

3\. Done!

I warmly invite you to experience it yourself.

Edward Meijer  
Piano Technician & Creator of PianoPlanner

## Ready to work smarter?

Start free with up to 25 customers. No credit card needed.