Best Booksy Alternatives: Five Scheduling Apps Worth Considering
Booksy is one of the most popular scheduling tools for small business owners, especially beauty & wellness professionals. With its sleek interface, mobile-first design, and built-in marketing features, it’s easy to see why so many stylists, barbers, and estheticians rely on it to keep their calendars full and clients coming back.
But no tool is perfect.
Some users have run into issues with customer support, calendar syncing, or payment processing, and others are simply looking for a platform that better fits their growing team or specific needs. Whether you’re scaling your business, craving more customization, or just exploring your options, there are several great alternatives out there that could be a better match. We know that sometimes the hardest transition from pen & paper to online scheduling is finding the right scheduling tool.
In this article, we’ll walk you through the top five Booksy competitors worth considering. Each of the platforms is offering its own spin on scheduling, payments, and client management.
What to Look for in a Booksy Alternative
If you are new to the whole online scheduling market, you might struggle to decide what to look for, but don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. If you are already a Booksy user, you might know what features you should be looking for when searching for an alternative, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves and start with the basics.
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to choosing your scheduling software. Here are some features that should be non-negotiable.
Ease of use
You already know how important it is for an app to be user-friendly, so why should it be any different for your customers? They want simplicity. And so do you.
After all, what’s the point of switching from pen and paper to a digital scheduler if it’s just going to complicate your life?
Ease of use is personal, so test the waters. Most tools offer free trials. Sign up, poke around, and see what fits. But here’s the part many forget: don’t just test it from your side. Pretend you’re the client. If it feels clunky, if they have to create an account, remember a password, or jump through hoops just to book, you’ve already lost them.
We’re all a little spoiled these days. If something isn’t instant, we move on.
Payments & POS
Money, as we have mentioned on several occasions, is not the easiest topic people are willing to talk about.
The payment system is a paramount feature of the chosen scheduling app. Why, you might ask, do clients pay you anyway?
While that is correct, it has been proven that upfront payments reduce no-shows. But that’s not all. If you want to avoid price haggling, display your prices clearly at the time of booking. Transparency builds trust, and when clients know exactly what they’re signing up for, everyone wins.
Reminders & notifications
Almost all the scheduling apps have reminders and notifications, but how good are they? What is the time cadence at which they get sent?
Do the notifications remind your customers about the upcoming appointment, or do they annoy them?
Much like choosing the app that is the easiest to use, you will need to take some time to test the reminders and see which one feels better. You might want to think about personalization here.
While we are all automating and making our work smoother, we don’t want to know that the other side is doing the same because we want to feel special. You can’t afford to lose the personal touch when it comes to reminders. Keep that in mind when testing.
Client management
We all know how special we feel when our favorite brand sends us a gift card for our birthday, or when the barista in the local coffee shop remembers our order so we don’t have to ask. As a service provider, this is exactly what you need to give to your customers. So, how do you do this with an online scheduling tool? Simple, the tool is supposed to gather data on your customers, so you know what appointments they usually book, how frequently they visit your place, and it allows you to prepare small surprises for them, all while building loyalty. We know it sounds like a dream, but it’s a reality. So, when looking for Booksy alternatives, check how the client management system works.
Mobile apps
Most of the customers nowadays book everything from their phone. According to research, over 64% of all internet traffic comes from mobile devices.
So the scheduling app that you choose needs to look great on mobile. You can’t be testing things just from your desktop and thinking you’ve found the one, because most of your customers will be booking from their phones.
If the app is not stable and keeps on crashing, you will be losing customers, but that’s not all. If the booking system looks great on desktop but makes them go through hoops on mobile, they will drop. So remember to test desktop and mobile, there is no skipping.
Customization
We have briefly mentioned the customization part in the reminders feature. Why is it important for your scheduling app to be customizable? Simply because nowadays, customers want a unified experience from start to finish. What does this mean in simple terms?
Your brand experience should feel seamless from the first click to the final “thank you.” Whether it’s your logo, colors, tone, or booking flow, your scheduling tool should reflect your business, not some generic template.
Think of it this way: if your booking page doesn’t feel like you, you’re sending mixed signals to your clients. And in a crowded market, that’s a risk you don’t want to take.
Support
In the perfect world, nothing goes wrong ever, but in the world we live in, things go south more often than we like to admit.
When that happens, do you want to be stuck with a chatbot that is pointing you to an outdated FAQ section, or do you want a human being who can understand your problem and relate to the panic you are feeling? Let us take an educated guess here, you want the human.
So when choosing the app, check reviews of their existing customers. PRO tip: don’t check the ones they put on their website, also check the ones on independent platforms such as Capterra.
Top Five Booksy Alternatives
To save you time and effort, we have tested several different scheduling tools and prepared an extensive list of their pros and cons. But we would like to remind you that there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to scheduling apps, so choose wisely.
Based on the main features, we created a list of the top five Booksy alternatives you can take a look at.
Bookedin: Best for simplicity and automated reminders
Bookedin was built with solo service providers and small teams in mind. If you’re tired of jumping through hoops just to book an appointment, this is the kind of straightforward, clutter-free solution that won’t drive you or your clients crazy.
Why we love it:
- Free trial options: With the free trial, you get to experience everything a paying user gets for two whole weeks. No hidden fees, no need to add credit card details.
- Easy to use: Its clean, intuitive interface makes it easy to manage your schedule without needing a PhD in tech. It even got awarded for ease of use by Capterra.
Automated reminders: Sends texts and email confirmations, so clients show up (and you don’t have to chase them). - Calendar sync: Works with your personal calendar, so everything stays aligned and organized.
- Built-in payments: Clients can pay upfront, which means fewer no-shows and fewer awkward money chats.
- Free SEO boost: If you have a website or blog, Bookedin’s internal linking setup helps boost your SEO and therefore rank higher on Google, which should result in an increased number of bookings, assuming you are making your brand look good online.
What could be better:
- If you’re big on aesthetics or obsessed with tweaking every pixel of your booking page, you may find the design options a bit limited.
✅ Best for: independent service providers, small teams, and anyone who wants to spend more time with clients and less time wrangling software.
Fresha: Good for Salons, But Mind the Commission
Fresha’s pitch is pretty compelling: no monthly fees, a built-in POS, and a marketplace where clients can find you. Sounds great, right? It is, with a catch.
Highlights:
- No subscription fees: Many of the core features are free, which is great for new or budget-conscious businesses.
- All-in-one POS: Booking and payment processing in one place.
- Marketing tools included: Handy email campaigns and client notifications.
- Inventory tracking: Keeps tabs on your retail products and sales.
The trade-offs:
- That 20% commission on new clients through the marketplace can sting, especially when you’re working hard to build your own brand.
- Customization is limited, and branding options feel a little cookie-cutter.
- Customer support reviews are mixed, so it might not be the smoothest ride when issues pop up.
Vagaro – Feature-Rich, But Can Be Overwhelming
Vagaro is a powerhouse, and they know it. If you’re running a large or multi-location business and want all the bells and whistles (and are ready to pay for them), it might be your match.
What stands out:
- Comprehensive feature set: Scheduling, POS, marketing, payroll, you name it.
- Multi-location support: Designed for businesses with more than one location.
- Custom branding: Branded booking pages help keep your business identity intact.
- Robust client profiles: Dive deep into your client history and preferences.
The fine (but important) print:
- It’s not the most beginner-friendly tool. There’s a learning curve here, so be ready to invest time & resources upfront.
- Many useful features come with extra costs. Want forms? A branded app? You’ll have to pay more.
- Hardware (like POS terminals) can also be pricey if you need it.
GlossGenius: Stylish & Sleek, but Missing Depth
GlossGenius is kind of the cool kid of the booking world. It looks good, it’s smooth to use, and it’s great for beauty professionals who want their booking page to match their brand vibe.
Why it’s popular:
- Beautiful booking pages: Fully customizable to reflect your personal style.
- Low-fee payments: Integrated payments with competitive rates.
- Marketing tools: Built-in email campaigns and reminders.
- User-friendly: Easy for both service providers and clients.
Where it falls short:
- You won’t get much in the way of third-party integrations.
- No inventory management, so it’s not ideal if you sell retail products.
- Missing features like loyalty programs and advanced reporting make it less attractive for growth-focused businesses.
Setmore – Great Starter Tool with Room to Grow
Setmore is a solid pick if you’re just getting started and want something functional (and free) without a lot of fluff. It’s flexible, integrates well, and gives you a decent amount of value even on the free plan.
What we like:
- Free plan available: Covers basic scheduling for up to four users, perfect for small teams.
- Third-party integrations: Connects with Google Calendar, Zoom, Instagram, and more.
- Cross-device access: Works well on both desktop and mobile.
Limitations:
- Free tier features are, understandably, limited. You’ll need to upgrade for things like SMS reminders.
- Reporting tools are pretty basic, so if you love data, you may find yourself wanting more.
- Customization is fine, but not super flexible.
So, which is the right scheduling tool for you?
There’s no magic formula when it comes to choosing the perfect scheduling app, it really comes down to what you need. Are you running a high-volume salon with multiple staff? Or flying solo with a loyal list of clients and a packed calendar? Maybe you’re somewhere in between.
All of the apps we’ve covered are solid Booksy competitors in their own right. Some lean heavily on aesthetics, others are loaded with features, and a few are great budget-friendly options. But the right fit depends on what makes your day easier and keeps your clients coming back.
Looking for a reliable, easy-to-use alternative?
Try Bookedin free today—no credit card, no fuss, just smooth scheduling that works the way you do.
