Booksmith › Compare › Booksy
An honest comparison
Booksy grew up as a barber marketplace with per-staff-member pricing and a Boost programme that takes a large cut of a new client's first visit. Booksmith is flat-priced booking software with no marketplace at all. Which is right depends on whether you need Booksy's audience or you're just renting its calendar.
A pricing model that charges per bookable team member means your software bill climbs every time you fill a chair, before any marketplace commission. If your shop's demand already comes from Google, Instagram and reputation, the calendar shouldn't cost more because the team got bigger.
Side by side
| Booksmith | Booksy | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | £75 flat, unlimited staff and bookings | Tiered per team size; sources report roughly £30–£40 for the first member plus a fee per additional member |
| New-client commission | None. There is no marketplace | Boost: around 30% of a new marketplace client's first appointment, where enabled |
| Whose brand and address | Your domain, your colours, or embedded in your site | Your profile inside the Booksy app |
| Your client list | Your own private database; export any time; deleted if you leave | Managed within the Booksy platform |
| Brings you new customers | No. It converts the demand you already have | Yes, via the marketplace and Boost; that's what the fees fund |
| Setup | Built for you, live within 48 hours | Self-serve |
| Contract | None, cancel any time | Varies by agreement |
Booksy's published UK pricing varies by team size and promotion, and sources differ; figures above are as reported on 25 August 2026. Verify current rates on booksy.com before deciding; compare real numbers, always.
The honest verdict
In some cities the Booksy marketplace genuinely delivers walk-in-replacement volume, especially for newer shops. If a meaningful share of your diary starts inside their app, the fees are buying something real.
Established shops whose bookings come from regulars, Google and Instagram are paying marketplace-era fees for a calendar. Flat £75, every chair included, deposits and reminders built in, and your client list in your own database. Our barbershop page shows the day-to-day.
Whichever you pick, your Google Business Profile is the asset that compounds. Booksmith's review engine feeds it after every appointment; that's the moat no app can repossess.