Barberly vs Booksy (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Barberly grades higher than Booksy: 2.8 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 24, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 24, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Barberly grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Barberly
Barbershop booking software with a branded mobile app
Booksy
Booking app and marketplace for barbers, salons and beauty pros
Which one is for you
Pick Barberly if
- Fits if you run a barbershop and want a walk-in queue
- Works for shops that want their own branded app
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free plan, as only a 30-day trial exists
- Pricey if you text a lot, at $0.03 a message past 500
- Tight if you run marketing campaigns, billed at $0.03 per message
- Watch out: billing is in arrears and the price shown is for the United States
Pick Booksy if
- Fits if you're a barber or independent beauty pro who runs your book from your phone
- Works for small salons that want every feature at one price instead of picking a tier
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you have a team, as each member beyond the first adds $20 a month to the $29.99 base, plus tax
- Watch out: card fees run from 2.49% + $0.10 on the reader to 2.69% + $0.30 keyed in, and 30-minute payouts cost 1.5%
- Watch out: card readers aren't included, at $53.10 for the M2 and $299 for the S710, plus shipping
- Pricey if you lean on Boost for new clients: it takes 30% of each one's first visit, up to $100
- Not for you if you need accounting software links or an API, as neither is on record
How we grade them
| 2.8GPABarberlyGood | 2.6GPABooksyGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B$25 a month for 1 team member and a $45 flat fee for 2 to 5, so five barbers pay $9 each. Inside the cheapest quarter for booking tools. | B$29.99 a month plus tax for one person with every feature, which is right at this category's cheaper quarter. Each extra team member adds $20, so five people pay $109.99. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 30-day trial with every feature and no card. No free plan. | CNo free plan, but a 14-day free trial with no credit card, and you can take bookings during it. |
| Features | BBranded mobile app, self check-in and queue, booking, payments, loyalty, memberships and a booking API. The gaps named are message costs. | BA marketplace profile, booking from Instagram, Facebook, Google and your site, a calendar with waitlists, 2,000 marketing texts a month, email campaigns, forms and waivers, deposits, gift cards and memberships. That's the whole booking job for a chair or a small salon. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Services, barbers and payments have to be set up. | CNo rating for the business app is on record, since the App Store listing found is the client-facing app. You set up services, staff and payments before taking bookings. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, iPhone, Android, Mac and Windows, with Square, Stripe, SumUp, WhatsApp and a booking API. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Instagram, Facebook, Reserve with Google and Stripe. No API or accounting links on record, and no desktop app. |
| Best for | a barbershop booking app with self check-in | barbers and beauty pros booking from a phone |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Barberly and Booksy. How we grade
Price against what you get
Barberly starts at $25 a month and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Booksy starts at $29.99 a month and scores 2.7.
Barberly scores higher and starts $4.99 a month lower. Of the other salon, spa and studio booking apps on the chart, 1 scores higher than Barberly for less, and 3 score higher than Booksy for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Barberly also covers reports and whatsApp messaging.
- Booksy also covers forms and email campaigns.
At a glance
| Barberly | Booksy | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $25 per month for 1 team member | $29.99 per month, plus $20 per extra team member |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial, no credit card required | 14-day free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Barberly | Booksy International Sp. z o.o. |
| Price read from | barberly.com | biz.booksy.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 24, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Barberly
- SMS beyond 500 messages a month costs $0.03 each; WhatsApp notifications are $0.01 a message.
- SMS and WhatsApp marketing campaigns are billed at $0.03 per message.
- Billing is in arrears: the invoice arrives on the first of the next month.
- The pricing page has a country selector; the prices above are the one shown for the United States.
Booksy
- Each team member beyond the first adds $20 a month to the $29.99 base, plus tax.
- Card fees: 2.69% + $0.30 for mobile and keyed-in payments, 2.49% + $0.10 on the card reader, and 2.49% + $0.20 with Tap to Pay. Payouts in 30 minutes cost 1.5%.
- Card readers are bought separately: the Stripe Reader M2 for $53.10 and the S710 for $299, plus shipping.
- Boost charges 30% of a new client's first visit, up to $100; clients from your own link or marketing carry no commission.
Key features
Barberly
- Branded mobile app
- A custom-branded app for clients, published to the App Store and Google Play at no extra fee, plus an app for team members.
- Self check-in and queue
- A self check-in kiosk, walk-in queue and an appointment board for a TV, with an app for Apple TV and Google TV.
- Booking and payments
- Online booking, deposits, a waitlist and scan-to-book QR codes. Payments run through Square, Stripe or SumUp.
- Loyalty and memberships
- A loyalty program and barbershop memberships are included in the subscription.
- Booking API
- A booking API is available so shops can connect their own tools to the booking system.
Booksy
- Booksy profile and marketplace
- Each business gets a profile on the Booksy marketplace and the free Booksy app for customers, plus booking from Instagram, Facebook, Reserve with Google and a website widget.
- Calendar and client records
- Manage the calendar, waitlists and client profiles from the Booksy Biz phone app, a tablet or the web.
- Text and email marketing
- Message blasts and automated campaigns by text and email, with 2,000 marketing texts a month included; confirmations and reminders are always free.
- Payments and no-show protection
- Take deposits and cancellation fees, sell gift cards, memberships and packages, and check out on a Booksy card reader or with Tap to Pay.
- Boost
- Turn on Boost for more visibility on the marketplace. It has no monthly fee but takes a one-time 30% of a new Boost client's first visit, capped at $100.
- AI Receptionist
- A beta AI receptionist answers calls and books appointments. Booksy says early sign-ups get it free for at least 12 months.
Plans
Barberly
1 team member$25
per month, flat fee
Every feature included. 500 SMS messages a month included.
2 to 5 team members$45
per month, flat fee
Every feature included, for shops of two to five barbers.
5+ team members$9
per barber / month
Every feature included. Enterprise pricing is offered above 20 team members.
Booksy
Booksy Biz$29.99
per month, plus $20 per extra team member
Every feature: unlimited bookings, reminders, 2,000 marketing texts a month, email marketing, forms and waivers, waitlists, gift cards and memberships.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Barberly or Booksy?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Barberly is cheaper to start with: $25 a month, against $29.99 a month for Booksy. Barberly starts at $25 per month for 1 team member, and Booksy starts at $29.99 per month, plus $20 per extra team member.
Which has a free plan, Barberly or Booksy?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Barberly nor Booksy has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do Barberly and Booksy run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Barberly lists macOS and Windows apps. Both list a web app and iOS and Android apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.