Looking for a Booksy alternative without commissions? What to compare

Booksy is one of the best-known booking apps for barbers, and for many shops it is a good fit. But a lot of owners start looking for an alternative once they add up what they pay, or once they notice that the app is built around online bookings while their shop runs on walk-ins.

This guide is about how to compare, not about telling you Booksy is bad. It isn't. It is about knowing which costs and features matter for your shop.

What Booksy does well

To be fair about it:

• A consumer marketplace. Clients can discover your shop inside the Booksy app. If you are new and need to be found, that reach is worth something.
• Payments. Card readers, tap to pay and in-app payments are built in.
• A mature product with mobile apps for barbers and clients.

If finding new clients through a marketplace is your main problem, that is a real reason to stay.

Where the costs add up

According to Booksy's own pricing page (checked in October 2026):

• The plan is $29.99 per month for one user, plus $20 per month for each additional team member, plus tax. A shop with four barbers pays for four seats.
• Boost, the optional marketplace promotion, takes a 30% commission on a new client's first visit through Boost. Later visits from that client are commission-free.
• Card payments carry processing fees (for example 2.49% + $0.10 per transaction on their card reader).

None of this is hidden, and Boost is optional. But per-seat pricing grows with every barber you hire, and a percentage on new clients is a cost that scales with your success. That is usually what pushes owners to compare.

Questions to ask any alternative

Before switching, write down what your shop actually needs:

1. How do you get clients today? If most come from walk-ins, Instagram and word of mouth, you may be paying for a marketplace you don't use.
2. How is pricing structured? Per seat, per booking, a percentage of new clients, or a flat monthly price? Do the math for your team size next year, not just today.
3. How does it handle walk-ins? Many booking apps treat walk-ins as an afterthought. If your counter is busy, you need a real queue with turn numbers, not a fake "appointment now".
4. Does it only offer times you can really serve? Online booking should respect each barber's hours and the services they perform.
5. Can your team work from a phone? The front desk is often a phone propped on a shelf.
6. Can you leave? Check that you can export your customer and visit data.

A quick comparison

	Booksy	BarberNexa
Pricing model	$29.99/mo + $20 per additional user	Flat: $19/mo (one barber) or $39/mo (team)
Commission on new clients	30% of first visit, only with Boost (optional)	None
Consumer marketplace	Yes	No — clients book on your own page
Built around	Online bookings and discovery	Walk-ins and bookings in one queue, with daily turn numbers
Payments processing	Built in	Not included

Prices are in USD as published by each company in October 2026 and may change.

When BarberNexa is the better fit

BarberNexa is a focused tool for shops where walk-ins and appointments share the same chairs. Walk-ins get a turn number in seconds; booked clients join the same queue when they arrive. Your booking page is your own — clients book you directly, and there is no commission on any booking, new or returning.

The whole app works in English, Spanish and French.

It is not an all-in-one: there is no marketplace and no payment processing. If you need those, Booksy or a similar platform may serve you better. If you mostly need a fair queue, honest online booking and a flat price that doesn't grow with each barber, it is worth a look.

Both plans include a 14-day free trial, and there is a public demo shop you can explore. For the walk-in side, read how to run a walk-in queue with turn numbers.