A Booksy alternative for sole traders
Booksy is a capable product and it is not cheap: £40 a month plus VAT, before extra staff. If you are one person who wants a booking page rather than a business suite, here is an honest comparison, including the parts where Booksy is the stronger choice.
What each one costs
Booksy
No free plan, 7-day trial as of 10 August 2026
- Booksy Biz - £40 / month + VATOne plan, all features. 7-day free trial.
- Extra staff member - £5 / month each
On top of that
- New client via Boost (optional, off by default): 30% one-time, minimum £5
- Bookings with Boost switched off: No commission
- Mobile card payment: 1.29% + £0.20 + VAT
- SMS beyond 500 a month: 5p each
Seatbooker
Free for 12 months, one person, no card - then from £19 / month
- Starter - £0One person, 12 months, no card required. Ends on 31 December 2026 at the latest.
- Professional - £19 / monthReminders, discount codes, page themes.
- Plus - £29 / monthExtra staff seats, priority ranking, Instagram.
On top of that
Nothing. We take no commission on your bookings, on any plan. We are not VAT registered, so there is no VAT to add either.
Figures for Booksy were read from their published pricing page on 10 August 2026, and each price above is stated on the basis its own publisher states it. Booksy states its price excluding VAT, added at checkout. Prices change, so check before deciding.
Where Booksy is the better choice
For a lot of businesses it will be, and it is worth being clear about that before you move anything.
- Their commission is opt-in, and ours does not exist because our marketplace barely does. Booksy only charge on new clients while Boost is switched on. If you leave it off you pay no commission either. The difference between us on that point is much smaller than it first looks.
- One plan, everything in it. Payments, a till, stock, marketing and 500 SMS a month, without working out which tier you need. Seatbooker has none of those, and reminders only start on our £19 plan.
- Real marketplace traffic, especially for barbers. Booksy is well established with UK barbershops and their app brings clients through the door. Our directory is new and small. If Boost is filling your chairs, leaving costs you that.
- It is proven. Booksy has years of trading behind it. Seatbooker launched in August 2026.
Where Seatbooker suits you better
Essentially one argument, and it is about fit rather than quality.
- You are paying suite prices for a booking page. £40 a month plus VAT is around £576 a year before extra staff. If you do not use the till, the stock control or the marketing, that is the cost of a diary and a booking link.
- If you are not VAT registered, their VAT is a real cost to you. Booksy list £40 excluding VAT, so a VAT-registered business reclaims the £8 and a sole trader below the threshold does not - it is £48 a month either way, but only one of you gets it back. Seatbooker is not VAT registered, so £19 is £19 for everybody.
- Your clients already come from Instagram and word of mouth. A marketplace is worth paying for when it brings you people. If yours already know you, it is a feature you are funding and not using.
- You would rather try something without handing over a card. Starter asks for no card, so there is no 7-day trial to remember to cancel.
- You want it set up today. Add your services, set your hours, share your link. About five minutes, because there is far less product to configure.
Common questions
Does Booksy have a free plan?
Not as of 10 August 2026. Booksy's published pricing is £40 a month plus VAT for one plan with all features, plus £5 a month for each extra staff member, with a 7-day free trial. There is no permanent free tier. Prices change, so check their pricing page for the current position.
Does Booksy take commission on bookings?
Only if you switch Boost on. Boost is their marketplace promotion, and while it is on they charge a 30% one-time fee (minimum £5) on a first-time Boost client's visit. With Boost off, Booksy charge no commission on your bookings. That is a genuinely fairer arrangement than a marketplace fee you cannot turn off, and it is worth knowing before you switch away.
So why would I move to Seatbooker?
Price and simplicity, and only if the fit is right. Booksy is a full business suite: payments, a till, marketing, stock, a marketplace. If you use those, £40 a month plus VAT is reasonable value and you should probably stay. If you are one person who wants clients to book a time slot without phoning you, most of that is product you are paying for and not opening. Seatbooker is free for 12 months with no card, then £19 a month.
Is Seatbooker free forever?
No. Starter is free for 12 months with no card required, and nothing is charged when the year ends - your page simply stops taking new bookings unless you pick a plan. It is a limited offer with a fixed number of places and it closes on 31 December 2026 at the latest. After that, plans start at £19 a month.
What does Seatbooker not do that Booksy does?
A great deal. Booksy has card payments and a point of sale, stock control, marketing tools, an SMS allowance, and a consumer marketplace with real traffic among UK barbers in particular. Seatbooker has none of those. It is a booking page, a diary and reminders. We are also a much newer product, which is a real risk you should weigh.
Try it free for 12 months
No card, no commission, and nothing charged when the year ends.
Start freeAlso worth reading: how we compare with Fresha, or the full pricing.