The main Booksy alternatives for UK salons are Fresha and Treatwell if you want to stay on a consumer marketplace, and Timely, SalonIQ or Daviana if you do not. Booksy itself is fair value: £40 a month plus £5 per extra team member, no commitment, and an app that brings new clients. Salons usually look elsewhere because of the Boost commission, VAT on top of the headline price, or wanting software that is not built around a marketplace. Here is where each alternative wins.
Superscripts link to the sources at the foot of the page.
| Price | Contract and new-client fee | |
|---|---|---|
| Booksy (for reference) | £40 a month plus £5 a month per extra team member, plus VAT; 7-day free trial1 | Contract: None; cancel any time1 New clients: Only with Boost on: 30% of a new client's first visit, minimum £5, plus VAT1 |
| Fresha | £14.95 a month on your own; £9.95 a month per bookable team member on Team2 | Contract: None; cancel any time2 New clients: 20% one-time commission on new marketplace clients, minimum £42 |
| Treatwell | Monthly fee not published on its pricing page3 | Contract: 30 days' notice, per its partner terms4 New clients: 35% commission on a new marketplace client's first booking; 0% on repeat bookings; 2.5% plus VAT on online prepayments3 |
| Timely | From £4, £7 or £9 a week by plan, adjusting with the bookings you take; unlimited team members5 | Contract: None; 14 days' notice5 New clients: No new client fees5 |
| SalonIQ | From £47 a month for a solo stylist; setup fee from £175 plus VAT6 | Contract: 12-month initial term, then 90 days' written notice, per its terms7 New clients: No marketplace |
| Daviana | £80 a month including VAT for the diary and till; first month free | Contract: None; cancel any month New clients: None. No marketplace and no commission on bookings |
Start with what Booksy actually costs you, not the £40 headline. Take your own numbers from last month:
In that example the month comes to £217.20 before card fees, and most of it is Boost. Now ask how many of those six clients came back. If the answer is most of them, Booksy is earning its fee and a marketplace alternative may be the better swap. If your diary is full of regulars and Boost is off, the question is only the subscription, and a no-marketplace system may do more for the money. Ask each supplier to look at a real export of your client data before you sign. Our 12 questions to ask before switching salon software covers the rest, and the UK salon software guide compares the wider field.
Usually because of Boost or VAT rather than features. The £40 a month is before VAT, each extra team member adds £5 plus VAT, and with Boost on Booksy takes a one-time 30% of a new client's first visit, with a £5 minimum. Salons that no longer need marketplace clients often want software that is not built around one.
Only when you turn Boost on. Booksy then charges a one-time fee of 30% of the total cost of a new client's first visit, with a minimum of £5, plus VAT. Clients who find you through your own marketing, your Booksy profile link, or the marketplace with Boost switched off carry no commission, according to Booksy's UK pricing page.
No. Booksy's UK pricing page says VAT is added to the final price, so the subscription is £48 a month for one person, plus £6 a month for each extra team member once VAT is added.
On published prices for a small team, Fresha (£14.95 a month on your own) and Timely (from £4 a week) start lowest. Fresha charges a one-time 20% fee on new marketplace clients, minimum £4, while Timely has no new client fees. Run your own team size and bookings through each one before deciding.
Usually, but it depends on what you can export. Ask any new supplier to look at a real export before you sign, including client notes and any colour formulas, which are the easiest data to lose. The Daviana team moves your clients and prices across for you.
Thirty minutes, your services and your numbers. We will tell you if staying on Booksy makes more sense.
Book a demoBooksy, Fresha, Treatwell, Timely and SalonIQ are trademarks of their owners. We are not affiliated with any of them. Prices and terms change, so check with each company before deciding.