The Booksy Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Booksy in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Booksy
The Insider’s Guide
Booking app and marketplace for barbers, salons and beauty pros
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among salon, spa and studio booking apps, read from Booksy’s own pages.
Made by Booksy International Sp. z o.o. · checked Oct 24, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Booksy’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Booksy’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 24, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 12 of the 15 other salon, spa and studio booking apps we grade
Booksy is booking software for barbers, hair and nail salons, lash and brow artists, massage therapists and other beauty professionals. A business gets a Booksy profile on its consumer marketplace, online booking, a calendar, client records, text and email marketing and card payments, run mostly from a phone app. One monthly price includes every feature, with a charge for each extra team member.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Booksy, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No rating for the business app is on record, since the App Store listing found is the client-facing app.
- 1
Best for barbers and beauty pros booking from a phone
Booksy gives barbers and beauty pros a marketplace profile, online booking, a calendar, text and email marketing and card payments, mostly run from a phone, for $29.99 a month with every feature.
- 2
Paid plans start at $29.99 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $29.99 per month, plus $20 per extra team member.
- 3
You can try it first
14-day free trial, no credit card required
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 5
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.
- 6
Calendar and client records
Manage the calendar, waitlists and client profiles from the Booksy Biz phone app, a tablet or the web.
- 7
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.
- 8
A 2.6 GPA, above 12 of 15
That is against the other salon, spa and studio booking apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Booksy you would be making texts to thousands of numbers, registered with the carriers. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Booksy at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $29.99 per month, plus $20 per extra team member
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial, no credit card required
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Booksy International Sp. z o.o.
- Category
- Salon, Spa & Studio Booking
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for barbers and beauty pros booking from a phone
Booksy gives barbers and beauty pros a marketplace profile, online booking, a calendar, text and email marketing and card payments, mostly run from a phone, for $29.99 a month with every feature. The flat price stops at one person: each team member adds $20 a month, card readers are bought separately, and Boost takes 30% of a new client's first visit, up to $100.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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 | C | No free plan, but a 14-day free trial with no credit card, and you can take bookings during it. |
| Features | B | A 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 | C | No 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 | B | Web, iPhone and Android, with Instagram, Facebook, Reserve with Google and Stripe. No API or accounting links on record, and no desktop app. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Booksy is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Barbers and independent beauty pros who run their book from a phone
- Small salons that want every feature at one flat price
- Businesses that want new clients from a booking marketplace
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$29.99
A month to start
Booksy is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $29.99 per month, plus $20 per extra team member.
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.
Trying it first
14-day free trial, no credit card required
Read from biz.booksy.com on Oct 24, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android
Booking app and marketplace for barbers, salons and beauty pros. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, forms, email campaigns, appointment booking, sMS marketing.
That's the whole booking job for a chair or a small salon.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Reserve with Google
- Stripe
Booksy is made by Booksy International Sp. z o.o.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
12/15
Other salon, spa and studio booking apps it is graded above
Booksy's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 12 of the 15 other salon, spa and studio booking apps we grade, and level with 1.
It stands best on value for money (B, above 12 of 15) and worst on ease of use (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $29.99 a month, against a middle price of $49.45 for the category: 4 of the 13 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 16 salon, spa and studio booking apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Booksy’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 12 of 15
- CFree plan and trialAbove 4 of 15
- BFeaturesAbove 3 of 15
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 15
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 15
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 14 salon, spa and studio booking apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Booksy is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Booksy you would be making texts to thousands of numbers, registered with the carriers. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.6 is higher than 12 of the 15 other salon, spa and studio booking apps we grade. It costs $359.88 a year.
What you could make
- Appointment booking and forms: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Texts to thousands of numbers, registered with the carriers.
- Newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- Hooks into the device itself: widgets.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Booksy’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Fresha, Vagaro, GlossGenius, Square Appointments and Boulevard
The 5 tools Booksy is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.0GPA
Fresha
Free trial · from $19.95/mo
Salon and spa booking with a consumer marketplace for new clients.
- Booksy also covers forms and sMS marketing.
- Fresha also covers shift scheduling, inventory and review collection.
- 2.6GPA
Vagaro
Free trial · from $30/mo
Booking, payments and marketing for salons, spas and studios.
- Booksy also covers sMS marketing.
- Vagaro also covers payroll, inventory and class booking.
- 2.4GPA
GlossGenius
Free trial · from $24/mo
Booking, payments and marketing for salons, spas and medspas.
- GlossGenius also covers payroll, clinical notes and review collection.
- 3.2GPA
Square Appointments
Free plan · from $49/mo
Booking, point of sale and payments for appointment businesses.
- Square Appointments has a free plan. Booksy does not, though it has a free trial.
- Booksy also covers forms, email campaigns, appointment booking and sMS marketing.
- Square Appointments also covers booking links, invoicing and reports.
- 2.0GPA
Boulevard
From $143/mo
Booking, checkout and marketing for salons, spas and medspas.
- Booksy also covers sMS marketing.
- Boulevard also covers marketing automation and business texting.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Booksy free?
No, Booksy is a paid product, but you can try it first. 14-day free trial, no credit card required.
How much does Booksy cost?
Booksy lists one plan. Booksy Biz: $29.99 per month, plus $20 per extra team member.
What platforms does Booksy work on?
Booksy is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does Booksy have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 24, 2026. Booksy is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Booksy have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 24, 2026. Booksy is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Booksy open source?
Booksy is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 24, 2026.
What does Booksy integrate with?
Booksy's listing names Instagram, Facebook, Reserve with Google and Stripe.
Who makes Booksy?
Booksy is made by Booksy International Sp. z o.o.
What are the alternatives to Booksy?
The closest alternatives to Booksy in our directory are Fresha, Vagaro, GlossGenius, Square Appointments and Boulevard.
How does Booksy compare with other salon, spa and studio booking apps?
Booksy's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 12 of the 15 other salon, spa and studio booking apps we grade, and level with 1.
Is Booksy good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Booksy B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $29.99 a month, against a middle price of $49.45 for the category: 4 of the 13 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Booksy?
To replace Booksy you would be making texts to thousands of numbers, registered with the carriers.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Booksy’s own pages on Oct 24, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 24, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Booksy's own pages on 24 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Booksy International Sp. z o.o. Prices change, so check biz.booksy.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Booksy, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/booksy
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Booksy: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 24, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/booksy
Know someone choosing between salon, spa and studio booking apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/booksy/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded salon, spa and studio booking apps after Booksy, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Salon, Spa & Studio Booking Insider's GuideEvery one of the 16 salon, spa and studio booking apps we grade, compared
- Square Appointments Insider's GuideBooking, point of sale and payments for appointment businesses3.2 GPA
- Fresha Insider's GuideSalon and spa booking with a consumer marketplace for new clients3.0 GPA
- Vagaro Insider's GuideBooking, payments and marketing for salons, spas and studios2.6 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Booksy’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Booksy is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Booksy International Sp. z o.o. Prices and plans change: check biz.booksy.com before you buy.