Best Booksy Competitors & Alternatives in 2026: Compare Features, Pricing, & More

Key Takeaways

Pabau is an all-in-one practice management system with clinical records, marketing, and operations built in

Square Appointments offers simple scheduling with integrated payments for small service businesses.

StyleSeat focuses on marketplace-driven booking for independent beauty professionals.

Mindbody is built for fitness and wellness businesses running classes and memberships.

We heard you’re searching for the best Booksy competitors.

Explore our list of the top six options with detailed feature comparisons, pricing insights, and real user feedback. 

By the end, you’ll know exactly which platform fits your workflows, budget, and growth plans.

Side-by-Side Comparison: 7 Best Booksy Competitors in 2026

Pabau: Best for practices looking for more than a booking tool

Pabau is a Booksy alternative built for medical and aesthetic practices that have outgrown basic appointment tools.

Unlike Booksy, which focuses primarily on scheduling and marketplace discovery, Pabau combines:

• Online booking
• Electronic Medical Records (EMR)
• Automated marketing
• Digital forms
• Client communication
• Advanced reporting

It’s designed for practices that need clinical depth alongside business growth tools.

Key features

These are the features that most often push clinics to choose Pabau over Booksy.

• Advanced client records & EMR tools

Pabau includes detailed client records with:

• Treatment history
• Clinical notes
• Before-and-after photos
• Medical documentation

You can access a complete patient timeline from consultations through follow-ups, all stored in one place.

• Online booking + full practice management

Pabau combines booking with complete business management tools:

• Staff calendars
• Service management
• Room scheduling
• Treatment protocols
• Automated workflows

• Built-In payments, packages & memberships

Pabau includes everything you need to take payments and sell plans in one place:

• Integrated payment processing
• Prepaid packages
• Gift vouchers
• Recurring memberships

That means higher upfront revenue, easier long-term plans, and no reliance on third-party tools.

• Automated marketing & client communication

Pabau includes built-in tools to manage client communication:

• SMS and email reminders
• Follow-ups and recall campaigns
• Review requests and rebooking prompts
• Client segmentation

Everything is managed inside the platform, so you don’t need separate marketing software.

Pricing

All plans include access to core features like EMR, online booking, payments, and marketing tools.

You can see the full breakdown on Pabau’s pricing page.

Where Pabau shines

• Clinical depth: EMR, treatment notes, photos, and compliance tools built into daily workflows.
• All key features included: No locked features or pricey add-ons.
• Built to scale: Multi-location support, permissions, and advanced reporting in one system.

Where Pabau falls short

• Not salon-first: Clinical features may feel unnecessary for beauty-only businesses.
• Onboarding training required: Teams need time to fully adopt workflows and automation.
• Premium positioning: Higher starting price than basic booking tools like Booksy or Square Appointments.

For details, check out our full Booksy pricing breakdown.

Customer reviews

“I love how intuitive Pabau is for managing patient journeys. The integrated appointment scheduling, clinical notes, and treatment photos make it simple to track patient progress and ensure high-quality care.” – Olena K., verified G2 reviewer

“Pabau is user-friendly, keeps all my business management needs in one place, and 24/7 support is available.” – Ollie G., Capterra reviewer

Who Pabau is best for

• Medical and aesthetic clinics: Teams running regulated treatments like injectables, laser, or IV therapy.
• Growing teams: Clinics that need marketing, reporting, and clinical records in one system.
• Multi-location operators: Owners who want centralized visibility and control across sites.

Curious how Pabau compares with Booksy and Fresha? We’ve laid it out here.

Vagaro

Vagaro is a booking and business management platform. It’s mainly used by beauty salons, wellness, and fitness businesses.

Like Booksy, it offers marketplace-driven booking. It also includes payroll processing, inventory management, and more flexible pricing. 

Key features

• Vagaro Marketplace: Client discovery through the consumer-facing marketplace with built-in booking
• Payment processing and payroll: Integrated payments with built-in payroll, time tracking, and commission calculations
• Inventory and retail management: Track product sales, stock levels, and supplier orders

Pricing

Where Vagaro shines

• Affordable entry point: Low starting price with broad features included.
• Marketplace exposure: The Vagaro app can drive new client discovery similar to Booksy.
• Flexible setup: Works for beauty, wellness, fitness, and multi-service businesses.

Where Vagaro falls short

• Basic reporting: Limited insights and customization for forecasting or multi-location oversight.
• Costs add up: Processing fees and paid add-ons increase total spend over time.
• Limited scalability: Fewer options for complex memberships, pricing rules, or clinic-specific workflows.

Customer reviews

“I really love automated forms and making it easy for clients to reach us via digital forms.” – verified G2 reviewer

“There is not a way to create one invoice with multiple dates.” – verified G2 reviewer

Who Vagaro is best for

• Beauty salons and wellness businesses: Hair salons, spas, and fitness studios that don’t need medical-grade features.
• Small teams: Practices with 1–7 staff members looking for affordable, flexible pricing.
• Multi-service providers: Businesses offering services, retail, and classes from one platform.

Check out the detailed Vagaro vs Booksy comparison. 

Square Appointments

Square Appointments is scheduling software built by Square. 

It combines online booking, appointment management, and built-in payments in one simple system. Discovery is optional through Square’s marketplace app.

If you’re already using Square for payments, it fits naturally into your setup.

Key features

• Online booking and calendar sync: Self-service booking with Google Calendar and iCloud integration.
• Client management: Basic profiles, appointment history, and automated reminders.
• Point-of-sale (POS) integration: Works with Square hardware for in-person checkout and retail sales.

Pricing

Where Square Appointments shines

• Free option available: Solo providers can start at no monthly cost.
• Payment integration: Seamless connection to Square payments with unified financial reporting.
• Simple setup: Quick to launch with minimal configuration needed.

Where Square Appointments falls short

• Per-appointment fees on free plan: Costs add up quickly for busy practices.
• Limited marketing tools: No native email campaigns, recall automation, or client segmentation.
• Basic client records: Lacks clinical documentation, treatment notes, or medical history.

Customer reviews

“Quick and easy to sync with Google Calendar. We use it for multiple appointments.” – Tomm N., Capterra reviewer

“I didn’t like how the appointment scheduler was limited; it seems to be challenging to set the appointments up to vary from day to day.” – Iatoya B., Capterra reviewer

Who Square Appointments is best for

• Solo providers: Independent practitioners who want free or low-cost scheduling.
• Small service businesses: Teams of 1–5 people offering simple appointment-based services.
• Existing Square users: Businesses already using Square for payments who want unified systems.

Acuity Scheduling

Acuity Scheduling is online booking software owned by Squarespace.

As a Booksy competitor, it’s built around straightforward appointment management and scheduling. Marketplace discovery and full practice management aren’t really the focus.

It’s known for customizable booking flows and strong calendar integrations.

Key features

• Calendar sync: Connects with Google Calendar, Outlook, iCloud, and Office 365.
• Payment collection: Accepts deposits, prepayments, and online payments via Stripe, Square, or PayPal.
• Client self-scheduling: Real-time availability with packages, memberships, and class scheduling.

Pricing

Where Acuity Scheduling shines

• Highly customizable: Flexible booking rules, intake forms, and scheduling logic.
• Strong integrations: Connects with calendars, payments, video conferencing, and email marketing tools.
• Affordable pricing: Lower cost than full practice management systems.

Where Acuity Scheduling falls short

• No clinical workflows: No medical records, treatment notes, or compliance tools.
• Limited marketing: Requires third-party tools for email and SMS.
• Weak mobile experience: Desktop-first with a less practical mobile app.

Customer reviews

“The primary function is straightforward, and there’s plenty of room for customisability when new and old clients view the scheduling page.” – Capterra reviewer

“Acuity Scheduling have limited and basic reporting features, which sometimes feel insufficient.” – Saksham G., verified G2 reviewer

Who Acuity Scheduling is best for

• Solo providers: Coaches, therapists, consultants, and independent practitioners.
• Small teams: Businesses with up to 6 staff members that only need scheduling.
• Service businesses: Non-medical practices focused on appointments rather than clinical care.

See how Acuity Scheduling and Pabau compare.

StyleSeat

StyleSeat is a marketplace-led booking platform built for independent beauty professionals. 

Stylists, barbers, and nail techs use it to attract new clients and showcase their work. It also handles appointments without the overhead of full salon or clinic software.

Key features

• Client Connection marketplace: Consumer-facing app drives discovery with profile promotion and search visibility.
• Portfolio and gallery: Showcase work with before-and-after photos to attract bookings.
• Online booking and reminders: Self-service scheduling with automated confirmations and SMS reminders.

Pricing

Where StyleSeat shines

• Marketplace exposure: Large consumer app can drive new client discovery for independent professionals.
• Mobile-first design: Strong mobile app optimized for professionals working on the go.
• Simple pricing: Flat $35/month subscription with all basic features included.

Where StyleSeat falls short

• High marketplace fees: 30% commission on new clients can add up quickly.
• Poor customer support: Email-only support with reported 5-day response times and no phone option.
• Not for medical practices: No clinical documentation, EMR, treatment protocols, or compliance tools.

Customer reviews

“I love the fact that stylist will promote you and help you get new clients I was a new braider when I signed up and it help bring a lot of new people.” – Shondriale W., Capterra reviewer

“It can be quite expensive to use compared to other client booking platforms on the market and the features offered.” – Chermaine C., Capterra reviewer

Who StyleSeat is best for

• Independent beauty professionals: Solo stylists, barbers, nail techs, and lash artists.
• Mobile service providers: Professionals who travel to clients or work from home.
• New businesses seeking exposure: Professionals who want marketplace visibility to build their client base.

Rosy Salon Software

Rosy is salon and spa management software built specifically for the beauty industry.

Its focus is on providing salon-specific features like color formulas, service customization, and stylist management.

The platform includes built-in inventory tracking for retail products and salon supplies, helping teams manage stock alongside services.

Key features

• Salon-specific scheduling: Appointment booking with service customization, color formulas, and treatment notes.
• RosyPay: Card-on-file payments, deposits, and contactless checkout.
• Staff management: Schedules, performance tracking, and payroll integration.

Pricing

Where Rosy shines

• Industry-specific features: Built for salons with tools like color formulas and service customization.
• Easy to use: Intuitive interface designed for salon workflows.
• All-in-one setup: Combines appointment scheduling, payments, inventory, and marketing.

Where Rosy falls short

• Salon-only focus: Not suitable for medical, aesthetic, or wellness practices.
• Limited scalability: Less robust for large multi-location operations.
• Basic reporting: Lacks deep operational analytics and business intelligence.

Customer reviews

“Rosy sends my clients a reminder of their appointment, which cuts down the number of no-shows that I have.” – Susan Y., Capterra reviewer

“I just wish there was a better report for referrals. And I wish it was simpler to close the books for certain days or have them auto open 6 weeks out, etc.” – Nicole D., verified G2 reviewer

Who Rosy is best for

• Hair salons: Traditional salons focused on cuts, color, and styling services.
• Day spas: Spas offering massage, facials, and beauty treatments without medical procedures.
• Small salon teams: Businesses with 1–10 staff members.

Explore how Vagaro, Rosy, and Pabau compare.

Mindbody

Mindbody is a business management platform for fitness, wellness, and beauty businesses.

Compared to Booksy, it’s better known for class management and membership models than individual appointment booking. 

It offers a large consumer marketplace and extensive integrations.

Key features

• Class and membership management: Built for fitness studios, yoga, pilates, and group wellness services.
• Integrated payments and billing: Recurring billing, memberships, packages, and automated renewals.
• Marketing suite: Email marketing, SMS campaigns, automated workflows, and review management (on higher plans).

Pricing

Mindbody uses a quote-based pricing model across all plans (Starter, Accelerate, Ultimate).

You’ll need to contact their sales team for specific costs based on your business size and needs.

Where Mindbody shines

• Marketplace exposure: The Mindbody app is widely used and can drive new client discovery.
• Class management: Purpose-built for memberships, group classes, and recurring visits.
• Extensive integrations: Connects with hundreds of apps and business tools.

Where Mindbody falls short

• Dated interface: Booking and navigation feel clunky compared to modern alternatives.
• Feature gating: Core marketing and automation tools require plan upgrades.
• High cost: Quote-based pricing tends to be expensive, especially for smaller businesses.

Customer reviews

“A well-rounded app for fitness business management, including class and training booking and more.” – Ashley A., verified G2 reviewer

“On the staff side, the interface seems outdated and confusing.” – verified G2 reviewer

Who Mindbody is best for

• Fitness studios: Gyms, yoga, pilates, and class-based wellness businesses.
• Membership-driven models: Teams built around recurring visits, packages, and subscriptions.
• Wellness businesses: Spas and wellness centers offering group services.

Reasons to consider an alternative to Booksy

Booksy works well for basic appointment scheduling and marketplace discovery.

Teams typically start exploring alternatives when they need clinical documentation, built-in marketing tools, or better control over pricing and growth.

Limited clinical documentation

Booksy’s client profiles cover basic service history, not medical-grade records.

For med spas and aesthetic clinics, that creates workflow gaps and compliance risk.

Pabau includes a complete EMR with notes, photos, digital consents, and full patient timelines in one record.

Add-ons drive up the total price

Booksy’s base plan starts at $29.99/month and includes most core features.

Extra costs come from:

• Boost marketplace fees: 30% commission (up to $100) on new clients.
• Payment processing: 2.49–2.69% + $0.10–$0.30 per transaction.
• Additional staff: $20/month per team member.

Teams relying on Boost and payments often see their effective costs double or triple.

Pabau includes payments, marketing automation, and unlimited staff access in transparent plan pricing. There are no commissions or per-user charges.

You can check how that looks in practice with a quick Pabau demo.

Marketplace dependency limits growth

Booksy relies heavily on marketplace discovery for client acquisition.

That can help early on, but it creates dependency. You compete alongside other providers, and client ownership sits with the platform.

Pabau includes native marketing tools:

• Email and SMS campaigns
• Automated recalls
• Review requests
• Loyalty programs

This lets you build direct relationships and control client retention.

Want more control over your growth? See Pabau’s marketing tools in action.

Manage Scheduling, Staff & Patients – All in One With Pabau

Most Booksy competitors focus on one piece of the puzzle, like scheduling, payments, or marketplace discovery. Few cover the full workflow without extra tools.

Pabau brings everything into one platform:

• Scheduling and staff management
• Clinical records and treatment documentation
• Payments and packages
• Patient communication and intake
• Marketing automation

For medical and aesthetic practices, it’s one system to run both care and operations.

Book a demo to explore Pabau further.