Booksy Alternative for Barbers: Keep Your New Clients Without the 30% Fee

Why barbers look for a Booksy alternative

Booksy is the biggest name in barber booking, and for a lot of barbers it works. The questions usually start when the bills come in. As of October 2026, Booksy's own pricing page lists $29.99 a month plus $20 a month for each additional team member, and its Boost marketplace feature charges a one-time fee of 30% of a new client's first-visit cost, capped at $100.

Boost is optional and Booksy says it doesn't charge commission on clients who find you on their own. But if most of your growth comes through the marketplace, that 30% adds up fast — on a $40 cut, that's $12 out of your first visit with every new client.

What Book My Barber SBS does differently

SBS is also built to do the marketing for you on the Local Service plan ($149/month): AI-written posts to Instagram and Facebook, booking funnels, and an SEO blog. SBS also includes Chair-Filler, an assistant that texts clients when they're due for a cut and offers open spots to your waitlist.

• No commission on new clients — ever. Clients who find you through Book My Barber cost you $0 beyond your plan.
• Plans start at $29/month with your first chair included; extra chairs are $19.
• Your clients are yours: your client list, visit history, and booking page stay with you, and favorites follow the barber if you change shops.
• Clients book without downloading an app or making a password, and can save up to three favorite barbers in a free profile.
• Booth rent tracking, commission visibility, and a free Now Hiring board for shop owners are built in.

Switch without losing a single appointment

The hardest part of leaving any booking app is the overlap: clients still booking the old way while you set up the new one. The Booking + Calendar Sync plan ($44/month) connects the calendars you already use — including Booksy, through your Google Calendar — so appointments from both places land on one SBS calendar. Run both side by side, move your regulars over at your own pace, and turn the old one off when you're ready.

Your booking link changes once. Put your new bookmybarbersbs.com link in your Instagram bio, your Google Business Profile, and your text signature, and your clients follow it.

Booksy vs. Book My Barber SBS at a glance

Prices change — always check each company's current pricing page before you decide. Competitor prices above are from Booksy's pricing page as of October 2026.

• Monthly price: Booksy $29.99 + $20 per extra team member · SBS $29 with first chair included, $19 per extra chair
• New-client marketplace fee: Booksy Boost 30% of first visit (up to $100) when Boost is on · SBS none
• Client app required: No for either; SBS clients book in any browser with no password
• Run alongside your current app: SBS Booking + Calendar Sync plan ($44)
• Done-for-you social posting and SEO blog: SBS Local Service plan ($149)

Is Book My Barber SBS right for you?

If the Booksy marketplace brings you most of your new clients and you're happy with the fees, it may still be worth keeping. If you already have a following — Instagram, word of mouth, walk-ins — and you're paying a cut on clients you'd have gotten anyway, SBS keeps that money in your pocket and gives you the tools to keep those clients coming back.

Start with the plan that matches what you need today. You can try it next to your current app before you commit to anything.