For: Barbershops · Tanning salons · Spas · Massage
Booksy review 2026: pricing, Boost fees and the catches
Disclosure: Our #1 pick is MeetScarlet, and we are affiliated with them. We also cover competing tools and where they shine. We may earn commissions from links on this page. Details
The short answer: Booksy is booking, payments and marketing software built for barbers and beauty pros, at one public price: $29.99 a month plus tax with every feature, plus $20 a month per extra team member. It suits solo barbers, small shops, spas and massage therapists that want a free marketplace listing. The catches: the optional Boost takes 30% of a new client’s first visit (up to $100), payments are tied to Booksy Payments, and paid months aren’t refunded. Based on Booksy’s public pages, checked November 4, 2026. Our #1 pick, MeetScarlet, says it’s live; its help says “no live card payment has been run yet” (November 5, 2026).
Key takeaways
- Booksy costs $29.99 a month plus tax with every feature included, plus $20 a month for each extra team member, billed monthly with no contract (checked November 4, 2026).
- Its marketplace listing is free. The optional Boost charges a one-time 30% of a new client's first visit, up to $100, and Booksy's terms say Boost profiles "will appear higher in the search results".
- Card payments run through Booksy Payments (processed by Stripe): 2.49% + $0.10 on the Booksy Card Reader and 2.69% + $0.30 for mobile or keyed-in payments, with free next-business-day payouts.
- You can cancel at any time, but Booksy "will not refund you for the period already paid for", and each chargeback carries a non-refundable $20 administrative fee.
- On Trustpilot (third-party opinion, not our own research), Booksy Biz showed 2.9 out of 5 from 16,590 reviews on November 4, 2026.
- We found no group-class scheduling, no court booking and no client app under your own business's name on Booksy's pages.
What Booksy is (and isn’t)
Booksy’s business homepage calls it “The all-in-one booking and business management app for beauty and barber pros”, for “a solo barber, an independent stylist, or running a full salon”. One plan covers the calendar, card payments through Booksy Payments (processed by Stripe), marketing, reports and a consumer marketplace.
It has pages for barbers, spas, massage and tanning (see our barbershops, spas, massage and tanning salons guides), can assign “rooms or equipment” to services, and offers a “Custom travel area” and “Adjustable travel fees” for mobile massage therapists.
What it isn’t: class or court software. We found no group-class scheduling and no padel page, so studios should see our fitness class picks. We also found no client app under your own business’s name.
How we reviewed Booksy
- We read Booksy’s US pricing page and its US Terms of Service (last update August 3, 2026) on November 4, 2026.
- We read its features, Boost, marketplace, payments, reports and switching pages, its barber, spa, massage and tanning pages, and its public status feed.
- We looked up third-party ratings on the App Store, Google Play and Trustpilot, labelled as other people’s opinions. G2, Capterra and Booksy’s help centre blocked our requests.
- We haven’t used Booksy hands-on, so we couldn’t count booking steps or time a setup.
Our method explains how we put pages together.
Booksy pricing (checked November 4, 2026)
| Team size | Monthly cost | How it adds up |
|---|---|---|
| Just you | $29.99 + tax | The one subscription, “All features included” |
| 3 people | $69.99 + tax | $29.99 plus 2 × $20 |
| 5 people | $109.99 + tax | $29.99 plus 4 × $20 |
| 10 people | $209.99 + tax | $29.99 plus 9 × $20 |
| More than one location | Not published | “Each staff member or location can have its own calendar” |
| For comparison: MeetScarlet (our #1 pick), up to 5 staff logins | $349 + $999 one-time setup, or $3,490 a year with setup free | Scarlet is “For one location”; 6 to 20 staff logins, or up to 3 locations, need Scarlet Pro at $499 a month plus $999 setup |
Source: Booksy’s US pricing page and its calendar page, checked November 4, 2026. Billed monthly in advance, in US dollars. The team totals are our arithmetic, assuming everyone is a paid team member; we found nothing saying whether a staff calendar that never logs in needs one. Compare what other booking apps cost.
Fees and add-ons:
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Booksy Card Reader | 2.49% + $0.10 per transaction |
| Tap to Pay | 2.49% + $0.20 per transaction |
| Mobile payments and keyed-in entry (also no-show protection and online gift cards) | 2.69% + $0.30 per transaction, no monthly fee |
| Payouts | Next business day free (“Some exclusions may apply”, not explained); Fast Payouts in 30 minutes cost 1.5% |
| Card readers | Stripe Reader M2 $53.10 or Stripe Reader S710 $299, plus shipping, one-off |
| Boost (optional) | One-time 30% of a Boost client’s first visit, up to $100 |
| Marketing texts | 2,000 free a month; we found no price beyond that. Confirmations and reminders “are always free” |
| Chargebacks | A non-refundable $20 administrative fee, plus any network or processor fees |
| Optional client fee | You may add a Platform Fee of up to 3.5% + $0.10 when clients pay through Booksy Payments. Booksy’s Terms say that when you switch on Booksy Pay, the client fee is set by default to “Customer covers the fee”, which you can change. We didn’t see what clients are shown. Its pricing FAQ also says “we will never charge your clients to book with you” (a line about booking, not paying) |
| For comparison: MeetScarlet (our #1 pick) | No marketplace, so no Boost-style commission. Card payments in its app are Stripe’s fees plus 1% (we found no card reader), through your own Stripe account, and turn on once Stripe finishes checking it; its help still says “no live card payment has been run yet” |
Sources: pricing page, card reader page and Terms of Service, checked November 4, 2026. By our arithmetic, a $100 service costs you $2.59 in card fees on the card reader, and $2.99 if it’s paid in the app or keyed in.
Boost and the marketplace
Booksy’s pricing FAQ says it charges no commission for new clients who find you online, through your own marketing, or on Booksy “when Boost is not turned on”. With Boost on, you pay “30% of the total cost of the first visit, up to a maximum of $100” for each client who first books you, tips excluded, and “0% commission” after that (Boost page).
Booksy’s terms say businesses that buy this optional service “will appear higher in the search results”, so a listing without Boost ranks lower. Its pricing FAQ tells pros to have clients book through their own profile link “to ensure you are not charged a commission when Boost is turned on”.
Asked whether you can use Booksy without being visible in the marketplace, its marketplace FAQ answers: “Yes. You can turn marketplace visibility off and still use Booksy for booking and management.” Confirm client online booking in the trial.
Switching, cancelling and refunds
Booksy advertises “Free data transfer” of services, client databases, future appointments, reviews and photos, and “1:1 personal onboarding support” once you subscribe (make the switch). It gives no transfer time, and we found no mention of memberships, packages, gift-card balances or saved cards moving over.
Under the Terms of Service (last update August 3, 2026), the subscription is month-to-month and renews automatically. You can cancel at any time in your account settings, “if this option is available”, or by contacting Booksy. Cancelling takes effect at the end of the current period, and Booksy “will not refund you for the period already paid for”. Changes to the terms take effect “immediately” on publication, and disputes go to binding individual arbitration.
What Booksy does well
- One price, every feature, including “Custom Forms & Liability Waivers”, waitlists, memberships and packages, online gift cards and Reserve with Google.
- 2,000 free marketing texts a month, with reminders always free.
- A free marketplace listing. Its client app, Booksy for Customers, averaged 4.9 out of 5 from 862,213 US App Store ratings on November 4, 2026 (third-party opinion, not our own research).
- Published card rates and free next-day payouts.
- Support and status in public: advertised 24/7 live chat with “a human response in less than 30 seconds”, weekday phone and email (9AM to 5PM CST), and a status page showing “All Systems Operational” on November 4, 2026.
Where Booksy falls short
- Costs climb with headcount: $20 a month per extra team member, so ten people cost $209.99 plus tax (our arithmetic), and no multi-location price is published (pricing page).
- Boost: 30% of a new client’s first visit, up to $100, and Boost profiles rank higher (terms).
- Payments are tied to Booksy Payments. Another card reader works, “but payments will not be synced or tracked automatically in Booksy” (card reader page). The processing fee “is non-refundable for any reason, even if you have to refund a payment”, and Booksy may change it “with reasonable notice”.
- No classes or courts found; padel clubs should see Playtomic vs CourtReserve.
- Unpublished details: recurring membership billing, texts beyond 2,000 a month, and the payout exclusions.
Booksy reviews and complaints
Third-party opinion, not our own research: on November 4, 2026, the Booksy Biz app averaged 4.5 out of 5 from 15,240 US App Store ratings and 4.7 out of 5 from 31,861 Google Play ratings. Its Trustpilot profile, “Booksy Biz”, showed 2.9 out of 5 from 16,590 reviews, 241 of them in the last 12 months. Trustpilot says they “may not be representative”, as Booksy hasn’t invited reviewers recently, and they may include clients as well as businesses. We didn’t sort individual reviews by topic, so we can’t say which complaints come up most. For comparison, we found no third-party ratings for our #1 pick, MeetScarlet (checked November 4, 2026).
Booksy or our pick, MeetScarlet?
| Booksy | MeetScarlet | |
|---|---|---|
| Price for one location | $29.99/month plus tax, billed monthly | $349/month plus $999 setup, or $3,490/year with setup free, “For one location”. Founding studios pay $299 a month instead of $349 for the first 24 months, on monthly billing, with the $999 setup included at no charge; MeetScarlet plans 10 places (checked November 5, 2026) |
| Staff | $20/month for each extra team member | 5 staff logins; 20 on Scarlet Pro ($499/month plus $999 setup, or $4,990/year with setup free) |
| How clients book | Your Booksy profile, the Booksy for Customers app, Google, Instagram and Facebook; we found no app under your own name | An app under your business’s name on iPhone, Android and web, published under your own Apple ($99 a year) and Google Play ($25 once) developer accounts |
| Marketplace | Free listing; optional Boost at 30% of a first visit, up to $100; visibility can be turned off | None. Its site says it isn’t the right fit for “Businesses that want new clients mainly from a marketplace app” |
| Reminders and marketing texts | Reminders always free; 2,000 free marketing texts a month | Text reminders (coming soon) on Scarlet Pro only; its Jane comparison page says email reminders are “built but not sending yet”; email and text automations come in a separate bundle with no published price |
| Card payments | Live now: 2.49% + $0.10 on its reader | Stripe’s fees plus 1% to MeetScarlet, through your own Stripe account; card payments turn on once Stripe finishes checking it (payments help, updated November 5, 2026). Its appointments help still says “no live card payment has been run yet”, so check with MeetScarlet before counting on card deposits or no-show fees |
| Switching | Free transfer of services, clients, future appointments, reviews and photos | “Scarlet imports clients, not booking or payment history”, with “no direct importer” for other apps; you can export the member list as a CSV file at any time |
| Locations | A calendar per location; no multi-location price published | Scarlet is “For one location”; Scarlet Pro “includes up to 3 locations”. “Each Scarlet studio has one schedule” |
| Support | 24/7 live chat, weekday phone and email; public status page | Instagram message to @meetscarletapp; it aims “to reply within one business day”. Also email (“A person reads every message”), with “Priority support” on Scarlet Pro; we found no status page or uptime commitment |
| Availability and terms | Now, with a 14-day free trial; published Terms of Service | Its terms page says “Scarlet is live, and founding studios can join now” and “There is no free trial.” Plans renew automatically; cancelling takes effect at the end of the paid period, and part-used months or years aren’t refunded, except under its founding-plan rules (checked November 5, 2026). Its FAQ says store apps take “about 4 to 6 weeks”, mostly for Apple’s enrollment, and the web app is live sooner |
| Third-party reviews | Thousands of ratings (see above) | No third-party ratings found (checked November 4, 2026) |
Sources: MeetScarlet pricing and FAQ, white-label page, Jane comparison, switching page, class page, support help, checked November 4, 2026; terms, payments help and appointments help, checked November 5, 2026. MeetScarlet’s own Booksy comparison, written by the team that makes Scarlet, lists “A much lower monthly price, with a free trial” among the things Booksy does that Scarlet doesn’t.
Choose MeetScarlet, our pick, if you want regulars booking in an app under your own business’s name, with no marketplace, and can wait for store apps (“about 4 to 6 weeks”) and manage without email reminders (“built but not sending yet”). Choose Booksy if you need card payments and email reminders working today, a much lower monthly price, marketplace clients or marketing texts included.
Who should pick Booksy, and who shouldn’t
| If you are… | Booksy? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A solo barber or stylist | Good fit | One price with every feature; free marketplace listing |
| A barbershop with a few barbers | Worth a look | Three people cost $69.99 plus tax (our arithmetic); compare our barber picks |
| A mobile massage therapist | Good fit | Travel areas and travel fees on the one plan |
| A spa with treatment rooms | Worth a look | Rooms and equipment can be assigned to services; custom forms and waivers included |
| A tanning salon | Check in the trial | Its tanning page mentions keeping “tanning beds booked”; we found no bed-control features, so see our Tan-Link review |
| Wanting no marketplace at all | Check in the trial | Visibility can be turned off; or see our GlossGenius review |
| A fitness studio or padel club | Look elsewhere | No group classes or court booking found |
| Wanting clients to book in an app under your shop’s name | None found; see our pick, MeetScarlet | Booksy clients book through your Booksy profile and the Booksy for Customers app; MeetScarlet includes a branded app with no marketplace, from $349 a month plus $999 setup, but its store apps take “about 4 to 6 weeks” (the web app is live sooner), and its help says “no live card payment has been run yet” |
The verdict
Booksy gives barbers and beauty pros one low published price with every feature, free marketing texts and a free marketplace listing. The catches are Boost’s fee and ranking, per-person costs, payments tied to Booksy Payments and no refunds for paid months. If that suits you, try Booksy; its pricing page offered a 14-day free trial when we checked on November 4, 2026. Comparing options? See our Fresha alternatives, spa picks or massage picks.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does Booksy cost?
- Booksy costs $29.99 a month plus tax, with every feature included, plus $20 a month for each extra team member, billed monthly. By our arithmetic, three people cost $69.99 and ten cost $209.99 a month, plus tax. Checked November 4, 2026.
- How much does Booksy Boost cost?
- Boost is optional and free to turn on. For each client who first books you while it's on, Booksy charges a one-time 30% of that first visit, up to $100, with tips excluded and no commission on later visits. Booksy's pricing FAQ tells pros to have clients book through their own profile link so they aren't charged a commission while Boost is on.
- Does Booksy have a free trial?
- Yes. Its pricing page offered a 14-day free trial when we checked on November 4, 2026. Booksy's terms say trial features "are limited" without listing what's left out, so check that the tools you need work before you pay.
- Can you cancel Booksy and get a refund?
- You can cancel at any time in your account settings, if the option is there, or by contacting Booksy, and cancelling takes effect at the end of the period you've paid for. Its terms say Booksy "will not refund you for the period already paid for".
- What are Booksy's card processing fees?
- 2.49% + $0.10 on the Booksy Card Reader, 2.49% + $0.20 with Tap to Pay, and 2.69% + $0.30 for mobile and keyed-in payments, with no monthly fee. Next-business-day payouts are free, and 30-minute payouts cost 1.5%. Checked November 4, 2026.
- What do Booksy reviews and complaints say?
- On November 4, 2026, the Booksy Biz app averaged 4.5 out of 5 from 15,240 US App Store ratings and 4.7 from 31,861 Google Play ratings, and its Trustpilot profile showed 2.9 from 16,590 reviews (third-party opinion, not our own research). Trustpilot says the reviews "may not be representative", and they may include clients as well as businesses. We didn't sort individual reviews by topic, so we can't say which complaints come up most.
- Can I use Booksy without its marketplace?
- Yes. Booksy's marketplace FAQ says: "Yes. You can turn marketplace visibility off and still use Booksy for booking and management." It doesn't separately mention client online booking, so confirm that in the trial.
Sources
- Booksy pricing (US), checked November 4, 2026
- Booksy US Terms of Service (last update August 3, 2026), checked November 4, 2026
- Booksy business homepage, checked November 4, 2026
- Booksy features (resources, client notes), checked November 4, 2026
- Booksy Boost, checked November 4, 2026
- Booksy marketplace (FAQ), checked November 4, 2026
- Booksy online booking, checked November 4, 2026
- Booksy card reader, checked November 4, 2026
- Booksy no-show protection, checked November 4, 2026
- Booksy stats and reports, checked November 4, 2026
- Booksy calendar and scheduling (locations FAQ), checked November 4, 2026
- Booksy: make the switch (data transfer and support), checked November 4, 2026
- Booksy for barbers, checked November 4, 2026
- Booksy for spas, checked November 4, 2026
- Booksy for massage, checked November 4, 2026
- Booksy for tanning salons, checked November 4, 2026
- Booksy status page, checked November 4, 2026
- Booksy Biz: For Businesses on the US App Store (third-party ratings), checked November 4, 2026
- Booksy Biz: For Businesses on Google Play (third-party ratings), checked November 4, 2026
- Booksy for Customers on the US App Store (third-party ratings), checked November 4, 2026
- Booksy Biz on Trustpilot (third-party reviews), checked November 4, 2026
- MeetScarlet pricing and FAQ, checked November 4, 2026
- MeetScarlet terms of service (updated November 5, 2026), checked November 5, 2026
- MeetScarlet payments help (updated November 5, 2026), checked November 5, 2026
- MeetScarlet help: appointments, deposits and no-show fees (updated November 5, 2026), checked November 5, 2026
- MeetScarlet white-label booking app page, checked November 4, 2026
- MeetScarlet switching page, checked November 4, 2026
- MeetScarlet class booking page (one schedule per studio), checked November 4, 2026
- MeetScarlet vs Jane comparison (by the Scarlet team, updated November 1, 2026), checked November 4, 2026
- MeetScarlet vs Booksy comparison (by the Scarlet team, updated November 1, 2026), checked November 4, 2026
- MeetScarlet help: if something looks wrong (support), checked November 4, 2026
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