Booksy Pricing 2026: Real Costs & Hidden Fees

PRICINGUpdated September 11, 2026✓ Fact-checked: 100/100
Flat illustration of stacked salon booking costs with coins and price tags highlighting Booksy's hidden fees.

Booksy costs $29.99/month plus tax for one provider, with each additional team member adding $20/month — so a 5-person salon pays $109.99/month before payment processing (2.49% + 10¢ to 2.69% + 30¢), optional hardware ($53.10–$219.85), and Boost commissions (30% of a new client's first visit). If you want booking, a website, CRM, and AI follow-up bundled in one managed system instead of per-provider fees, AI Business Sites offers a done-for-you setup at $1,497 plus $497/month.

Bottom line: Booksy is a fair deal for solo beauty pros who want marketplace exposure, but per-staff fees, processing costs, and Boost commissions stack up for growing teams. Whether it's 'worth it' depends entirely on team size and how much you value the 40-million-user marketplace.

TL;DR

  • •Booksy's base subscription is $29.99/month plus tax for one user, with every additional team member costing $20/month.
  • •A 3-person salon pays $69.99/month ($839.88/year); a 5-person salon pays $109.99/month ($1,319.88/year) — subscription only, before processing and extras.
  • •Payment processing is extra: 2.49% + 10¢ (card reader), 2.49% + 20¢ (Tap to Pay), or 2.69% + 30¢ (keyed-in/mobile).
  • •Optional Boost marketing charges a one-time 30% of a new client's first visit (reported as $10 min / $100 max); it's free to turn off and rebookings are commission-free.
  • •Card hardware is sold separately: Stripe Reader M2 at $53.10 or BBPOS WisePOS E at $219.85, plus shipping.
  • •All features are included in the single plan — no tiers — and the plan includes 2,000 free SMS marketing messages per month; appointment reminders are always free.
  • •There is no free plan, no custom website creation, and clients must create a Booksy account to book — a known drop-off point.
Booksy Pricing 2026: Real Costs & Hidden Fees — pricing and features for Booksy vs AI Business Sites, verified against vendor sources.
DimensionBooksyAI Business Sites
Starting price$29.99/mo + tax (1 user)winner$1,497 setup + $497/mo
Per-staff cost$20/mo per additional team member3 user seats included; no per-staff feewinner
Payment processing2.49% + 10¢ to 2.69% + 30¢ depending on methodStripe card payments built in (Stripe's standard rates apply)
Free trial14 days, no credit cardwinnerNone (demo mode available)
WebsiteNo custom website creationCustom 85+ page site at launch, 14+ new pages/monthwinner
Marketing includedEmail/SMS blasts (2,000 SMS/mo), social post creator, marketplace listing; Boost costs 30% of new client's first visit14+ SEO content pieces/month, daily industry news, GBP review management; Lead Generation add-on $149/mo
ContractMonth-to-month, cancel anytimeMonth-to-month, 30 days' notice
OwnershipSoftware subscription — you rent the platformYou own the code, content, data, and domainwinner
Booksy7/10
Pricing
6
Features
8
Transparency
6
Support
5
Flexibility
8

Booksy is appointment scheduling and business-management software for beauty, wellness, and health businesses — barbershops, hair salons, nail studios, massage, and spas. It combines 24/7 online booking, calendar and client management, built-in marketing tools (email and SMS blasts, social post creator, automated marketing), payments, waitlists, no-show protection features, online gift cards, memberships, and a free listing on the Booksy consumer marketplace, which the company says reaches 40 million users. Booksy uses a single-plan model: every feature is included in the core subscription with no higher tiers or feature add-on fees. Booking integrations include Instagram, Reserve with Google, Facebook, QR codes, and a website widget. The platform is month-to-month with no commitment, offers a 14-day free trial without a credit card, and includes 2,000 free SMS marketing messages per month. It does not include payroll, custom website creation, loans, or expense management, and clients must create a Booksy account to book an appointment.

Pricing:from $29.99/mo✓ verified on vendor site
PlanPriceWhat you get
Booksy Biz (1 user, all features)$29.99/moOne provider; +tax; unlimited bookings; 2,000 SMS marketing messages/month included
Additional team member$20/moPer additional staff member with individual calendar and login
Booksy Card Reader (hardware)$219.85/one_timeBBPOS WisePOS E terminal, plus shipping; processing 2.49% + 10¢
Stripe Reader M2 (hardware)$53.1/one_timeCard reader hardware, plus shipping

Pros

  • +Single plan with every feature included — no feature tiers or add-on subscription fees
  • +Low entry cost for solo providers at $29.99/month, roughly $1/day
  • +Month-to-month with no commitment and a 14-day free trial requiring no credit card
  • +Free marketplace listing gives exposure to consumers already searching for beauty services
  • +Boost commission is performance-based: $0 when off, charged only on a new client's first visit, and rebookings are commission-free
  • +Unlimited bookings with no per-booking or client booking fees

Cons

  • −Per-staff fees stack quickly: $20/month each means a 10-person team pays $209.99/month before processing
  • −Payment processing is extra and higher than some competitors — 2.49% + 10¢ up to 2.69% + 30¢ depending on method
  • −No free plan and no free-forever option
  • −No custom website creation, payroll, or expense management
  • −Clients must create a Booksy account to book, adding a step that can cause booking drop-off
  • −Optional Boost charges 30% of a new client's first visit when enabled, and hardware costs $53.10–$219.85 extra

Best for: Solo barbers, stylists, and beauty pros — and small salons — who want all-in-one booking, marketing, and payments plus marketplace exposure at a low solo price.. Avoid if: You have a large or growing team (per-staff fees stack), need a custom website, want the lowest possible processing rates, or dislike requiring clients to create a Booksy account to book..

AI Business Sites

aibusinesssites.com ↗

AI Business Sites (built by AIQ Labs) is a done-for-you AI business operating system for local and regional service businesses: a custom website plus an AI back office, live in 7 days, with the client owning everything. The $1,497 one-time setup (a $500 deposit, $997 due at launch) delivers a custom site with 85+ pages at launch — 25–30 hand-crafted core pages and 60 AI-generated SEO pages — plus chat and voice agents, a booking calendar, lead capture, CRM, and full Google setup. The $497/month managed subscription includes hosting, 14+ new SEO content pieces every month, daily industry news, 24/7 chat and voice on the website, the Jobs & Estimates field-service module (AI-drafted quotes, job board, invoices with online card payment, automated review requests), online selling with Stripe, and a team that manages and monitors the whole system. Optional add-ons are Lead Generation ($149/mo), Outreach ($229/mo), Social Content ($299/mo), and AI Receptionist ($199/mo). It's month-to-month with 30 days' notice, and departing clients leave with the code, content, and data.

Pricing:from $497/mo✓ verified on vendor site
PlanPriceWhat you get
Setup (one-time)$1497/one_time$500 deposit, $997 due at launch; 85+ pages live in 7 days; 3 user seats
Managed subscription$497/moHosting, 14+ content pieces/month, 24/7 chat & voice, CRM, Jobs & Estimates, Stripe selling — everything except the four add-ons

Pros

  • +Done-for-you: no technical setup, no DIY stack to maintain — the team runs the system
  • +Website, booking, CRM, AI chat/voice, content, and reviews in one monthly price instead of per-provider seats
  • +14+ SEO content pieces every month plus an 85+ page site at launch
  • +True ownership: code, content, data, and domain belong to the client; month-to-month with 30 days' notice
  • +Online selling with Stripe built in for businesses that sell products, food, or bookable services

Cons

  • −Higher entry cost: $1,497 setup plus $497/month versus Booksy's $29.99/month for a solo provider
  • −No free trial period
  • −Not for DIYers who want to run their own software stack
  • −Add-ons like the AI Receptionist ($199/mo) and Social Content ($299/mo) cost extra

Best for: Local service business owners who are great at their trade but don't want to run websites, marketing tech, or follow-up — and want to own everything they pay for.. Avoid if: You want the cheapest possible booking app, you're a solo stylist who just needs a calendar, or you enjoy building and running your own tools..

The real Booksy bill: subscription math by team size

Booksy's headline price is $29.99/month plus tax for one user — roughly $1/day, and $359.88/year for a solo professional. But every additional team member adds $20/month, so the math scales linearly: 2 users pay $49.99/month, a 3-person salon pays $69.99/month ($839.88/year), 5 users pay $109.99/month ($1,319.88/year), and a 10-stylist shop pays $209.99/month. Third-party reviewers note the $20 staff fee is one of the highest per-staff surcharges in the scheduling category. These figures cover the subscription only — taxes, card processing, hardware, fast payouts, and Boost commissions all sit on top. Before signing up, count every person who needs an individual login or calendar and calculate the annual total rather than the monthly headline. The flip side: Booksy includes every feature in that single plan, so there are no tier upgrades to budget for, and unlimited bookings mean costs don't rise with booking volume.

The add-on costs: processing, hardware, and Boost

Payment processing is where Booksy's real cost diverges from its sticker price. Card reader transactions run 2.49% + 10¢, Tap to Pay 2.49% + 20¢, and keyed-in/mobile payments 2.69% + 30¢ — rates that third-party comparisons describe as above industry averages and higher than several salon-software rivals. Hardware is sold separately: the Stripe Reader M2 at $53.10 plus shipping or the BBPOS WisePOS E terminal at $219.85 plus shipping. Next-business-day payouts are free, but 30-minute fast payouts carry a 1.5% fee. Then there's Boost, the marketplace visibility feature: free to turn on with no monthly fee, but it charges a one-time 30% commission on a Boost client's first visit (reported at a $10 minimum and $100 maximum), with rebookings commission-free. Booksy notes that clients who book via your direct Booksy Profile Link aren't charged the commission — so sharing your profile link with existing clients is the standard workaround.

What's included — and what isn't

Booksy's single-plan model is genuinely generous on features: unlimited bookings, appointment confirmations and reminders (always free), waitlists, no-show protection features, online gift cards, memberships and packages, custom forms and liability waivers, reporting, Reserve with Google, email marketing, and 2,000 free SMS marketing messages per month are all in the core subscription. There are no feature tiers and no monthly add-on subscription fees. What's not included: payroll, custom website creation, loans, and expense management — capabilities some competitors offer at comparable prices. One workflow limitation worth knowing: clients must create a Booksy account to book an appointment, which adds friction that third-party reviews flag as a drop-off point. For businesses that want a real website, SEO content, and an AI back office rather than a marketplace profile, a done-for-you alternative like AI Business Sites ($1,497 setup + $497/month, 85+ pages at launch, 14+ new content pieces monthly, client owns everything) fills the gaps Booksy leaves — at a much higher price point that only makes sense for owners who want the whole system run for them.

Which should you choose?

If you You're a solo barber, stylist, or beauty pro who wants the cheapest full-featured booking app — choose Booksy — $29.99/month with every feature included, a 14-day free trial with no credit card, and a free marketplace listing for new-client discovery..

If you You rely on marketplace discovery for new clients — choose Booksy — Its consumer marketplace reaches a reported 40 million users, and Boost only charges 30% of a new client's first visit — $0 when off, and rebookings are commission-free..

If you You run a growing team of 5–10+ providers — choose AI Business Sites — Booksy's $20/staff/month stacks to $109.99–$209.99/month before processing, while AI Business Sites includes 3 seats and a full website with no per-staff fee..

If you You want a real website, SEO content, and AI chat/voice booking rather than a marketplace profile — choose AI Business Sites — Booksy doesn't offer custom website creation; AI Business Sites launches an 85+ page site in 7 days with 14+ new SEO pieces monthly and 24/7 AI chat and voice..

If you You want to own your digital assets outright — choose AI Business Sites — You own the code, content, data, and domain and can leave with everything after 30 days' notice — Booksy is a rented subscription..

If you You want to test before committing any money — choose Booksy — The 14-day trial requires no credit card, and the subscription is month-to-month with no commitment..

Frequently asked questions

How much does Booksy cost per month?

Booksy costs $29.99 per month plus tax for one user, and $20 per month for each additional team member. A solo provider pays $359.88 per year; a five-person salon pays $109.99 per month, or $1,319.88 per year, before payment processing, hardware, and optional Boost commissions.

Does Booksy have hidden fees?

Booksy includes all features in its core subscription with no feature tiers or add-on subscription fees, and unlimited bookings. However, costs beyond the subscription exist: payment processing (2.49% + 10¢ to 2.69% + 30¢), card hardware ($53.10–$219.85), a 1.5% fee for 30-minute fast payouts, and Boost's 30% commission on a new client's first visit when the feature is enabled.

What is Booksy Boost and is it worth it?

Boost is Booksy's optional marketplace visibility feature. It's free to turn on with no monthly fee, but charges a one-time 30% of a new client's first visit (reported $10 minimum, $100 maximum); rebookings are commission-free. It can pay off if marketplace discovery brings you clients you wouldn't otherwise get — but share your direct Booksy Profile Link with existing clients so their bookings never incur the commission.

Is there a free plan or free trial?

There is no free plan. Booksy offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card or commitment required, and you can start taking bookings during the trial. The customer-facing Booksy app is free for your clients to book with.

How does Booksy pricing compare to alternatives?

Booksy's $29.99 entry price sits above some rivals — Square Appointments has a $0 plan, GlossGenius starts at $24, and Fresha at $19.95 solo — and its $20 per-staff fee is among the highest in the category. Its in-person processing (2.49% + 10¢) is competitive with Square's 2.6% + 15¢ but above Fresha's 2.29% + 20¢. Booksy's differentiator is the consumer marketplace rather than the price.

When does a done-for-you alternative make more sense than Booksy?

If you need more than scheduling — a custom website, ongoing SEO content, AI chat and voice handling leads 24/7, and a managed CRM — Booksy doesn't cover those (it offers no custom website creation). A managed service like AI Business Sites bundles an 85+ page site, 14+ monthly content pieces, booking, and an AI back office for $1,497 setup plus $497/month, which suits owners who want the whole system run for them rather than paying per provider for software they operate themselves.

Sources

  1. 1.Booksy Pricing - All features included | No hidden fees — used for: pricing, features
  2. 2.Booksy pricing page — used for: features
  3. 3.Booksy plans page — used for: features
  4. 4.Booksy pricing (2026): Plans, costs & fees explained — used for: pricing, features, reviews
  5. 5.How Much Does Booking Software Cost per Month? — used for: pricing
  6. 6.Booksy Costs, Fees and Features Explained for Salons — used for: pricing, features
  7. 7.Booksy Pricing Guide 2026 (SchedulingKit) — used for: pricing
  8. 8.Best Salon Software in 2026: 10 Platforms Compared — used for: pricing, features

Pricing verified as of 2026. Always check the vendor's site.

Related reading

Want a site that runs the business — not just a brochure?

AI Business Sites builds your custom site and runs your AI back office — done for you, live in 7 days. $1,497 setup + $497/mo, everything included.

Start Your Build →