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Scheduling · head to head

Booksy vs SimpleSalon

Booksy logo

Booksy

Scheduling

Book local beauty services

From
$29.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SimpleSalon logo

SimpleSalon

Beauty

Powerful yet simple salon software

From
$20/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; SimpleSalon the $20 Starter plan includes no SMS credits and charges 14 cents per SMS
  • They diverge on capability: Booksy covers Calendar management, SimpleSalon covers Appointment scheduling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Booksy and SimpleSalon actually diverge.

Attributes where Booksy and SimpleSalon differ
AttributeBooksySimpleSalon
Starting price$29.99/month$20/month
CategorySchedulingBeauty
Founded20142010

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

  • Calendar management
  • Automated reminders
  • Marketing tools
  • Reviews management
  • Analytics dashboard
  • Google Calendar
  • Apple Calendar
  • Facebook

Only in SimpleSalon

  • Appointment scheduling
  • Point of sale
  • Stock management
  • Marketing automation
  • Reporting
  • Xero
  • MYOB
  • Mailchimp

Both cover

  • Online booking
  • Client database
  • Mobile apps
  • Stripe
  • SSL encryption
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support
  • Ios 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 SimpleSalon
  • Taking payments and deposits against bookingsnot SimpleSalon

SimpleSalon

  • Appointment booking and rostering for hair and beauty salonsnot Booksy
  • Salon point of sale, stock and client historynot Booksy
  • SMS appointment reminders and marketing to salon clientsnot 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

SimpleSalon

  • The $20 Starter plan includes no SMS credits and charges 14 cents per SMS
  • Pricing is charged per operator, capped at 7 operators, so a two person salon pays twice the listed rate
  • SMS remains chargeable on every plan once the included 200 credits per operator on Pro or 300 on Max are used, at 10 and 9 cents each
  • The free trial runs 14 days

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

SimpleSalon

$20/month
  • Starter$20/month
    • 0 SMS included
    • Additional SMS: $0.14 each
    • No new client fees
  • Pro$34/month
    • Most Popular option
    • 200 SMS per operator included
    • Additional SMS: $0.10 each
  • Max$41/month
    • 300 SMS per operator included
    • Additional SMS: $0.09 each
    • WhatsApp access included

Which should you pick?

Choose Booksy if

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

Choose SimpleSalon if

  • You need appointment scheduling.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want point of sale.
SimpleSalon review

Questions people ask

Is Booksy or SimpleSalon better?
Neither clearly leads. Booksy starts at $29.99/month and SimpleSalon at $20/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Booksy or SimpleSalon?
Booksy starts at $29.99/month and SimpleSalon at $20/month.
Does Booksy or SimpleSalon run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
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 SimpleSalon is typically brought in for.
What can Booksy do that SimpleSalon cannot?
Booksy covers Calendar management, Automated reminders, Marketing tools, Reviews management. SimpleSalon covers Appointment scheduling, Point of sale, Stock management, Marketing automation. Both handle Online booking, Client database, Mobile apps, Stripe.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Booksy: How much does Booksy cost?

Booksy pricing information is not available on their public website. Contact Booksy directly for pricing on appointment scheduling and booking management solutions.

Source
SimpleSalon: How much does Simple Salon cost?

Simple Salon offers three plans starting at $20/month for Starter, $34/month for Pro (most popular), and $41/month for Max. Yearly billing saves 2 months' cost. Pricing scales with operator count but caps at 7+ operator rates.

Source
Booksy: Does Booksy offer a free plan?

Free plan details for Booksy are not publicly documented. Reach out to Booksy sales for information on free trial or freemium plan options.

Source
SimpleSalon: Is there a Simple Salon free trial?

Yes. Simple Salon offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required.

Source
SimpleSalon: What is included in SMS credits?

SMS allowances are pooled account-wide, not locked to individual operators, and can be used for appointment reminders and marketing messages. The Starter plan includes 0 SMS, Pro includes 200 per operator, and Max includes 300 per operator.

Source
SimpleSalon: Are there contracts or setup fees for Simple Salon?

No. Simple Salon has no contracts, no fixed-term requirements, and no sign-up fees.

Source
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