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Travel · head to head

Bokun vs GlossGenius

Bokun logo

Bokun

Travel

Tour and activity booking platform tied to Viator distribution, from free to $499 a month

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
GlossGenius logo

GlossGenius

Scheduling

Beautiful booking for beauty pros

From
$28/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Bokun has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Bokun viator bookings are exempt from the booking fee while your own direct bookings are not, so the pricing structure rewards selling through the parent marketplace rather than through your own site.; GlossGenius card payments are charged at a flat 2.6 percent, and instant payouts cost a further 1.8 percent
  • They diverge on capability: Bokun covers Channel manager, GlossGenius covers Custom booking pages.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bokun and GlossGenius actually diverge.

Attributes where Bokun and GlossGenius differ
AttributeBokunGlossGenius
Starting priceFree$28/month
Pricing modelPer month plus a booking feesubscription
Free tierYesNo
CategoryTravelScheduling
FoundedUnknown2016

Identical on both: platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Bokun

  • Channel manager
  • Booking widgets
  • Marketplace
  • Product and availability setup
  • Offline bookings
  • Vouchers and redemption

Only in GlossGenius

  • Custom booking pages
  • Payment processing
  • Client management
  • Automated reminders
  • Marketing tools
  • Website builder
  • Reports & insights
  • Gift cards

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Bokun

  • An operator already doing significant Viator volume who wants that channel to cost nothing in software feesnot GlossGenius
  • A city tour company reselling partner products and taking commission through the Bokun marketplacenot GlossGenius
  • An operator wanting a fixed monthly subscription rather than a percentage of every booking as FareHarbor chargesnot GlossGenius
  • A business taking most bookings by phone, which incur no Bokun booking fee at allnot GlossGenius

GlossGenius

  • Appointment booking and calendar management for salonsnot Bokun
  • Card payments and tipping at the chairnot Bokun
  • Client records, forms and waiversnot Bokun
  • Memberships and prepaid packagesnot Bokun
  • Medspa charting and photo markup on the clinical plansnot Bokun

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Bokun

  • Viator bookings are exempt from the booking fee while your own direct bookings are not, so the pricing structure rewards selling through the parent marketplace rather than through your own site.
  • The booking fee sits on top of the monthly subscription, so an operator on Start pays $49 plus 1.5% of direct online revenue and the plan price alone understates the cost.
  • The free plan is limited to a single user and constrained features, so any business with staff has to move to a paid tier almost immediately.
  • Adopting it deepens commercial dependence on Tripadvisor and Viator, which is uncomfortable if your strategy is reducing OTA commission exposure.
  • Reporting and back-office depth are lighter than dedicated operator platforms, so businesses with complex resource scheduling or multi-site operations often need workarounds.

GlossGenius

  • Card payments are charged at a flat 2.6 percent, and instant payouts cost a further 1.8 percent
  • Forms and waivers, waitlists and Google booking need the Gold plan at $56 a month
  • Team analytics, custom commissions and unlimited team members require Platinum at $168 a month
  • The medspa plans start where the beauty Platinum plan does, at $168 a month, rising to $298 for the full clinical suite
  • Payroll is a separate add-on at $40 a month plus $6 per staff member

Pricing, plan by plan

Bokun

Free
  • FreeFree
    • One user
    • No monthly fee
    • No Bokun booking fee
  • Start$49/month
    • Up to 5 users
    • 1.5% booking fee on direct online bookings
    • No booking fee on Viator bookings
  • Plus$149/month
    • Up to 10 users
    • 1.25% booking fee on direct online bookings
    • No Bokun fee on Viator bookings
  • Premium$499/month
    • Unlimited users
    • 1% booking fee on direct online bookings
    • No Bokun fee on Viator bookings

GlossGenius

$28/month
  • Standard$28/month
    • Custom booking website
    • Unlimited client notifications
    • Email and text marketing
  • Gold$56/month
    • All Standard features
    • Supports up to 9 staff members
    • Forms and waivers
  • Platinum$168/month
    • All Gold features
    • Supports teams of 10 or more
    • Team goal setting
  • Practice Essentials$168/month
    • EMR compliance tools for aesthetics practices
    • Most popular for medspa and aesthetics tier

Which should you pick?

Choose Bokun if

  • You need channel manager.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want booking widgets.
Bokun review

Choose GlossGenius if

  • You need custom booking pages.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want payment processing.
GlossGenius review

Questions people ask

Is Bokun or GlossGenius better?
Neither clearly leads. Bokun starts at Free and GlossGenius at $28/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bokun or GlossGenius?
Bokun has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bokun and $28/month for GlossGenius.
Does Bokun or GlossGenius run on more platforms?
Bokun runs on Web, iOS, Android. GlossGenius runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Bokun for free?
Yes. Bokun has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. GlossGenius starts at $28/month.
What is Bokun best used for?
Bokun is most often used for an operator already doing significant viator volume who wants that channel to cost nothing in software fees, a city tour company reselling partner products and taking commission through the bokun marketplace, an operator wanting a fixed monthly subscription rather than a percentage of every booking as fareharbor charges, a business taking most bookings by phone, which incur no bokun booking fee at all. Of those, an operator already doing significant viator volume who wants that channel to cost nothing in software fees and a city tour company reselling partner products and taking commission through the bokun marketplace are not what GlossGenius is typically brought in for.
What can Bokun do that GlossGenius cannot?
Bokun covers Channel manager, Booking widgets, Marketplace, Product and availability setup. GlossGenius covers Custom booking pages, Payment processing, Client management, Automated reminders.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bokun: Are Viator bookings really free of Bokun fees?

Yes on the paid plans. Direct online bookings through your own widget carry 1% to 1.5% depending on tier.

GlossGenius: How much does GlossGenius cost?

GlossGenius Standard plan is $28 per month, Gold is $56 per month, and Platinum is $168 per month for beauty and wellness businesses. For medspa and aesthetics, Practice Essentials is $168 per month and Practice Advanced is $298 per month.

Source
Bokun: Can I pass the booking fee to customers?

Yes, on the paid plans the fee can be added to the customer price rather than absorbed.

GlossGenius: What are the annual billing savings?

Switching from monthly to annual billing saves 12-14% on your subscription cost. For example, Gold drops from $56 per month to $48 per month when billed annually.

Source
Bokun: Who owns Bokun?

Viator, which is part of Tripadvisor.

GlossGenius: Is there a free trial for GlossGenius?

GlossGenius offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required.

Source
Bokun: Is the free plan usable in a real business?

Only for a solo operator. It is one user with limited features.

GlossGenius: What are GlossGenius payment processing fees?

GlossGenius charges a flat 2.6% payment processing rate. Free same-day payouts are available Monday through Thursday, and instant payouts can be requested at a 1.8% fee.

Source
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