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Scheduling & Booking · head to head

Booksy vs Phorest

Booksy logo

Booksy

Scheduling & Booking

Book local beauty services

From
$29.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Phorest logo

Phorest

Beauty & Salon

Salon software that grows your business

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Booksy the Boost marketplace feature charges a one time 30% fee on the first visit cost for each client it brings in; Phorest no price is published for any of the seven plans, and every route ends at a quote request
  • They diverge on capability: Booksy covers Online booking, Phorest covers Appointment booking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Booksy and Phorest actually diverge.

Attributes where Booksy and Phorest differ
AttributeBooksyPhorest
Starting price$29.99/month$99/month
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android, Api
CategoryScheduling & BookingBeauty & Salon
Founded20142003

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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 Booksy

  • Online booking
  • Calendar management
  • Client database
  • Automated reminders
  • Marketing tools
  • Reviews management
  • Mobile apps
  • Analytics dashboard

Only in Phorest

  • Appointment booking
  • Client management
  • Point of sale
  • Marketing automation
  • Reputation management
  • Staff management
  • Inventory tracking
  • Business reports

Both cover

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Google My Business
  • Stripe
  • SSL encryption
  • GDPR compliant
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Booksy

  • Appointment booking and client management for salons and barbersnot Phorest
  • Taking payments and deposits against bookingsnot Phorest

Phorest

  • Salon and spa appointment booking with client recordsnot Booksy
  • Marketing, memberships and staff management for beauty businessesnot Booksy

Where each one falls short

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

Booksy

  • The Boost marketplace feature charges a one time 30% fee on the first visit cost for each client it brings in
  • Additional team members are $20 a month each on top of the $29.99 base
  • Card processing runs from 2.49% plus $0.10 to 2.69% plus $0.30 depending on how the payment is taken
  • Getting paid out within 30 minutes costs a further 1.5%
  • Card readers are bought separately at $53.10 or $219.85 plus shipping

Phorest

  • No price is published for any of the seven plans, and every route ends at a quote request
  • There is no free trial at all, which the company states plainly
  • The product is described as suited to 3 or more staff, so a solo operator is outside the intended range
  • The branded booking app requires the Ultimate plan, and two way SMS, memberships, lead management and the ads manager are all Elite only

Pricing, plan by plan

Booksy

$29.99/month
  • Solo$29.99/month
    • Unlimited bookings
    • Client management
    • Mobile app
  • Team$49.99/month
    • Everything in Solo
    • Multiple staff
    • Staff scheduling
  • Business$79.99/month
    • Everything in Team
    • Multi-location
    • Priority support

Phorest

$99/month
  • Grow$99/month
    • Appointment booking
    • Client management
    • POS
  • Elevate$179/month
    • Everything in Grow
    • Advanced marketing
    • Online booking
  • Innovate$299/month
    • Everything in Elevate
    • Multi-location
    • Advanced analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose Booksy if

  • You need online booking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want calendar management.
Booksy review

Choose Phorest if

  • You need appointment booking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want client management.
Phorest review

Questions people ask

Is Booksy or Phorest better?
Neither clearly leads. Booksy starts at $29.99/month and Phorest at $99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Booksy or Phorest?
Booksy starts at $29.99/month and Phorest at $99/month.
Does Booksy or Phorest run on more platforms?
Booksy runs on Web, Ios, Android. Phorest runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
What is Booksy best used for?
Booksy is most often used for appointment booking and client management for salons and barbers, taking payments and deposits against bookings. Of those, appointment booking and client management for salons and barbers and taking payments and deposits against bookings are not what Phorest is typically brought in for.
What can Booksy do that Phorest cannot?
Booksy covers Online booking, Calendar management, Client database, Automated reminders. Phorest covers Appointment booking, Client management, Point of sale, Marketing automation. Both handle Facebook, Instagram, Google My Business, Stripe.
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