Soothe vs. Zeel: Which on-demand massage service is best? – CNET

Last-minute gift shopping is like a one-way ticket to feeling overwhelmed and frustrated — especially when you find yourself wading through overcrowded shopping centers. But there’s a healthy gift idea that virtually everyone will love that requires no time or wrapping paper — a massage gift card. Can you honestly think of one person who wouldn’t want one of those (especially during the busy holiday season?).

Massage services like Zeel and Soothe offer on-demand, in-home massages that make it easier and more convenient than ever to get a massage and feel relaxed fast. Long gone are the days of having to book a massage weeks in advance, and waste precious time commuting to and waiting in a spa. Now, you can get one in the comfort of your own home, with as little as 1 hour’s notice. 

Both Soothe and Zeel offer on-demand, in-home massages practically any time of the day and most days of the year (including holidays). And both services offer special membership pricing if you lock into a monthly or yearly subscription, letting you save a significant amount of money than if you were to book one-off massages. Keep reading for more details and how to decide which option is best for you or someone special in your life.

Soothe

Slightly cheaper than Zeel, more international location options

Soothe on-demand, in-home massage offers therapists that can come to you 7 days a week, and any day (including holidays). Soothe offers pretty flexible time slots, with the ability to book massages starting at 8 a.m. until midnight. And you only need about 1 hour’s notice to book a masseuse. Soothe offers six different types of massages, including sports massage, prenatal and couples massage options. Once you book through the app, you can expect a masseuse to arrive with everything you need for a spa-like in-home massage experience. They bring the table, sheets, lotion/oil and even provide relaxing music to make the experience complete. 

Although you can book a one-time massage through Soothe (and you can purchase a gift card for one), a membership can save you a significant amount of money in the long term. 

Soothe pricing  

This is the standard pricing that Soothe offers, but the rates are subject to change based on location/region. 

60-minute massage

• A one-time, 60-minute massage is $128 (no membership required) 
• $102.40 with a monthly membership
• $96 with an annual contract 

90-minute massage 

• $175 for a one-time massage (no monthly membership)
• $140 with a monthly membership
• $131.25 with an annual membership 

120-minute massage

• $225 for a one-time massage (no membership required)
• $180 with a monthly membership
• $168.75 with an annual membership

Soothe Plus Monthly and Yearly memberships offer you a significant discount and allow your massage credits to roll over if you don’t use them each month —  and they don’t expire (which is a huge plus). If you’re thinking about joining, you should know that you can cancel the monthly membership at any time, but you won’t be allowed to resubscribe for 6 months. If you cancel the yearly membership, you won’t be refunded and you can’t subscribe again for another 6 months. However, the yearly credits will remain on your account and you can still use the remaining credits. 

Soothe is available in 66 cities across the US, Canada, UK and Australia. If you travel a lot, this is a huge plus since you’ll have access to massage therapists almost anywhere.

Zeel

Better for people who travel often in the US

Zeel is pretty similar to Soothe in terms of services, availability and price, except for a few differences. You can still expect the same on-demand, in-home service, and you can book a massage up until midnight in most places. Similar to Soothe, Zeel offers membership options that allow you to save a significant amount on massages if you commit to a monthly or yearly plan. The biggest difference between Zeel and Soothe, is that you can’t book a one-time massage with Zeel and you have to commit to at least 2 months or two massages.

Zeel pricing

Like Soothe, Zeel’s pricing is based on location/region. The prices below are the rates for booking in the Chelsea area of Manhattan, in New York City. (Zeel does include tax and tip in the prices.)

60-minute massage

• $129 a month, with 2-month commitment required
• $99 a month for a 1-year commitment (plus you get a free massage table to keep at your place)

Like Soothe, Zeel does offer options for longer massages, but the monthly credit only covers 60 minutes, so you will have to pay more for a longer service (Zeel doesn’t advertise the cost for longer services). The credits you accrue each month for a massage do roll over if you don’t use them, and they don’t expire. Zeel has more locations (70+) than Soothe, but all of them are in the US. So if your travels don’t take you outside the country much, Zeel may be a better fit. 

Takeaways

Deciding which massage service is right for you or a loved one is all about personal preferences and lifestyle. If you’re willing to commit to a yearly membership and love the idea of having a professional massage table at your house, then Zeel may be right for you. But if you travel often, especially overseas and still want to take advantage of your monthly massage membership, than Soothe may be your best bet. Both services give you tons of options in terms of location, type of massage, and offer similar price points, with Soothe costing slightly less.