Software · head to head
Doodle vs Booksy
The short version
- Only Doodle has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Doodle free plan restricted to one active poll and one booking page with 10-slot limit; Booksy the Boost marketplace feature charges a one time 30% fee on the first visit cost for each client it brings in
- They diverge on capability: Doodle covers Group polls, Booksy covers Online booking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Doodle and Booksy actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Doodle
- Group polls
- 1:1 scheduling
- Booking pages
- Calendar sync
- Time zone support
- Outlook
- Zoom
- Microsoft Teams
Only in Booksy
- Online booking
- Calendar management
- Client database
- Automated reminders
- Marketing tools
- Reviews management
- Mobile apps
- Analytics dashboard
Both cover
- Google Calendar
- Web support
- Ios support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Doodle
- Schedulingnot Booksy
- Appointment bookingnot Booksy
- Time trackingnot Booksy
- Resource managementnot Booksy
- Team coordinationnot Booksy
Booksy
- Appointment booking and client management for salons and barbersnot Doodle
- Taking payments and deposits against bookingsnot Doodle
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Doodle
- Free plan restricted to one active poll and one booking page with 10-slot limit
- Free users see excessive advertisements on booking pages
- Limited customization options for poll types and response formats
- Mobile app experiences bugs and has less polished interface than desktop version
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
Pricing, plan by plan
Doodle
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Doodle review.
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
Which should you pick?
Choose Doodle if
- You need group polls.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Mobile (iOS, Android).
- You also want 1:1 scheduling.
Choose Booksy if
- You need online booking.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want calendar management.
Questions people ask
- Is Doodle or Booksy better?
- Neither clearly leads. Doodle starts at Free and Booksy at $29.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Doodle or Booksy?
- Doodle has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Doodle and $29.99/month for Booksy.
- Does Doodle or Booksy run on more platforms?
- Doodle runs on Web, Mobile (iOS, Android). Booksy runs on Web, Ios, Android.
- Can I use Doodle for free?
- Yes. Doodle has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Booksy starts at $29.99/month.
- What is Doodle best used for?
- Doodle is most often used for scheduling, appointment booking, time tracking, resource management. Of those, scheduling and appointment booking are not what Booksy is typically brought in for.
- What can Doodle do that Booksy cannot?
- Doodle covers Group polls, 1:1 scheduling, Booking pages, Calendar sync. Booksy covers Online booking, Calendar management, Client database, Automated reminders. Both handle Google Calendar, Web support, Ios support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Doodle: Does Doodle offer a free plan?
Yes. Doodle's free plan includes one active group poll, one booking page, and one 1:1 meeting, limited to 10 slots per poll with ads displayed. Premium plans start at $15/month.
SourceDoodle: What are Doodle's pricing plans?
Professional plan costs $15/month (or $132/year). Team plan costs $19.95/user/month (or $8.95/user/month billed annually) with a two-seat minimum.
SourceDoodle: Does Doodle integrate with calendar apps?
Yes. Doodle integrates with Google Calendar and Outlook Calendar to prevent double-bookings. Slack integration allows poll creation and sharing directly in Slack channels.
Source