Booksy vs GlossGenius
Booksy has a consumer app where clients search for barbers, costs 29.99 dollars a month plus 20 per extra team member, and takes a one-time commission on clients Boost introduces. GlossGenius gives independents their own booking website from 24 dollars a month per location. Shops needing the app to fill chairs pick Booksy; stylists with their own clientele pick GlossGenius.
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Choose Booksy ifyou run a barbershop or rent chairs, your clients already look for you in the Booksy app, and each person paying for their own seat makes sense.
Choose GlossGenius ifyou are an independent stylist or small American salon with your own clients who wants a branded site, deposits and payments on a flat published plan.
Booksy and GlossGenius side by side
| Booksy | GlossGenius | |
|---|---|---|
| Our salon and spa rank | #10 of 18 | #5 of 18 |
| Established in | Poland | United States |
| Pricing | $29.99 per month plus $20 per additional team member, published; optional Boost commission on new clients | Flat monthly plans per location from $24 billed annually, published; 2.6% card processing on top |
| List price, 30 September 2026 | $29.99/month plus $20/month per additional team member | $24/month per location billed annually ($28 billed monthly), plus 2.6% card processing |
| Free tier | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Self-hostable | — | — |
| Built for | Barbershops and independent stylists whose clients book on a phone | Independent stylists and small American salons wanting bookings and payments quickly |
| Not for | Spas with treatment rooms, packages and retail stock | Multi-site groups or European salons needing local payment providers |
Both are reviewed in full in our salon and spa ranking: Booksy and GlossGenius.
Where they differ
Booksy 1 · GlossGenius 2 · open 2- 01
Where new clients come from
Booksy's consumer app is where barbering clients already search, which is why it dominates with barbers and independent stylists, and its optional Boost feature promotes a business there. GlossGenius provides a custom booking website for clients you send there yourself, with Google booking added on the Gold plan. If empty chairs are the problem, Booksy brings demand that a booking page alone does not.
Edge: Booksy
- 02
The cost of each new client
Booksy's Boost has no monthly fee but takes a one-time commission of 30 percent of a new client's first visit, capped at 100 dollars, and it is optional. GlossGenius lists only its monthly plan and a flat 2.6 percent card rate. A stylist who fills the diary through referrals keeps costs steadier with GlossGenius, or with Booksy and Boost switched off.
Edge: GlossGenius
- 03
Per chair or per location
Booksy bills 29.99 dollars a month plus 20 for each additional team member, a natural fit for a shop of chair renters where everyone covers their own seat. GlossGenius bills per location, 24 or 48 dollars on annual billing for teams under ten. Beyond two people GlossGenius Standard is the lower figure, but the right meter follows how you split costs.
Depends on the buyer
- 04
Past the appointment book
Booksy is weak on stock control, treatment rooms and commission payroll compared with its appointment side. GlossGenius includes inventory that adjusts at sale, barcode scanning and low-stock alerts on every plan, and sells payroll as an add-on, though its commission tiers and multi-site reporting are thinner than the salon suites. Of the two, GlossGenius does more beyond booking.
Edge: GlossGenius
- 05
Card processing fees
GlossGenius charges a flat 2.6 percent with nothing added for tap to pay or keyed cards. Booksy charges 2.49 percent plus 10 cents on its card reader, 2.49 percent plus 20 cents for tap to pay and 2.69 percent plus 30 cents for mobile and keyed payments. Booksy's reader is cheaper on large tickets, GlossGenius on small ones.
Depends on the buyer
When neither fits
A salon of five or more staff paying tiered commission and selling retail will outgrow both; Phorest is built for that and for rebooking. Benelux salons wanting published pricing with no booking commission at all should look at Salonized.
Booksy or GlossGenius: questions
4 answersDoes Booksy or GlossGenius charge commission on new clients?
Booksy does, if you turn on Boost: a one-time 30 percent of the new client's first visit, capped at 100 dollars, with no monthly fee for the feature. GlossGenius lists only its monthly plan per location and a flat 2.6 percent card processing rate.
Is Booksy or GlossGenius better for barbers?
Booksy. It is dominant with barbers because its consumer app is where those clients already search, and pricing per team member suits a shop of chair renters. GlossGenius targets independent stylists and small salons who want their own branded booking site.
Which handles stock and commission pay better, Booksy or GlossGenius?
GlossGenius has the edge: inventory that adjusts at sale, barcode scanning and low-stock alerts are on every plan, and payroll is an add-on.
Booksy is weak on stock, rooms and commission payroll. For tiered commission across a larger team, a suite such as Phorest goes further than either.
How much do Booksy and GlossGenius cost per month?
Booksy lists 29.99 dollars a month plus tax, and 20 dollars for each additional team member, month to month.
GlossGenius lists Standard at 24 dollars a month per location on annual billing or 28 monthly, and Gold at 48 or 56. Both offer a 14-day free trial.
Sources
Checked 30 September 2026- Booksy pricing page: subscription and per-team-member price, Boost commission, card rates, trial.
- GlossGenius pricing page: plan prices, per-location billing, team limits, 2.6 percent processing, trial.
- GlossGenius features page: inventory features on all plans and payroll add-on.