Platform Comparison · 2026

Every Booking App's Fees,
Compared Side by Side

HairDid, Booksy, StyleSeat, Fresha, Vagaro, GlossGenius, Square Appointments. Commission rates, monthly costs, hidden fees, and your real take-home at $3K, $5K, and $8K/mo.

Last updated: May 2026

Full Platform Fee Breakdown

All fees a working stylist actually pays — not the marketing headline.

Fee Type HairDid ✦ Booksy StyleSeat Fresha Vagaro GlossGenius Square Appts
Monthly subscription $0 $0–$50/mo $35–$48/mo $0 $30–$90/mo $24–$48/mo $0 (free tier)
Commission on bookings 10% flat 25–30% new clients¹ 0% (sub covers it) 20% new clients² 0% (sub covers it) 0% (sub covers it) 0%
Smart / Dynamic pricing fee None ✗ None ✗ Up to 25% markup kept by platform ✗ None ✗ None ✗ None ✗ None
Payment processing Included 2.49%–2.99% 2.75% 1.29% + 20¢ 2.75% + 15¢ 2.6% + 15¢ 2.6% + 10¢
Annual subscription cost $0 $0–$600 $420–$576 $0 $360–$1,080 $288–$576 $0 (free tier)
Calendar / scheduling ✓ Included ✓ All plans ✓ All plans ✓ All plans ✓ All plans ✓ All plans ✓ All plans
Client messaging ✓ Included ✓ All plans ✓ All plans ✓ All plans ✓ All plans ✓ All plans Limited free
No contract / cancel anytime ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Marketplace / discovery ✓ Included ✓ Boost (paid) ✓ Included ✓ Marketplace Limited Limited ✗ None
Portfolio / gallery ✓ Included ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Basic

¹ Booksy Boost commission applies to new clients introduced by Booksy's platform; repeat clients from your own base are not subject to this commission.
² Fresha's new-client fee applies to first bookings from clients found via Fresha Marketplace; returning clients book for free.
Rates as of May 2026. Platform pricing may change — verify on each provider's pricing page before deciding.

Your Real Take-Home, by Revenue Tier

Monthly stylist take-home after platform fees. Select your monthly revenue.

Calculations assume 30% of monthly bookings are new clients (subject to platform new-client fees where applicable). Monthly subscription at mid-tier plan. Card processing at published rates.

Common Questions

HairDid charges the lowest effective rate for most stylists: 10% flat per booking, no monthly subscription, no hidden fees. Fresha is also low-cost if you have few new clients from their marketplace, but their 20% new-client acquisition fee adds up if you're actively using Fresha to grow.
StyleSeat's Smart Pricing automatically marks up your listed service price by up to 25% for new clients — and StyleSeat keeps the entire markup. So a client sees $125 for your $100 service, pays $125, and you receive $100. It's not a visible commission — it's a hidden platform markup. Four independent stylists have called it out in App Store reviews as deceptive. See the full StyleSeat vs HairDid fee breakdown for App Store complaint quotes and earnings comparisons.
Booksy Boost is a paid feature that promotes your profile to find new clients. When Booksy brings you a new client, they charge a commission of 25–30% on that first service. Stylists report this commission cap has risen over time from $50 to $100+ per booking. Your own existing clients do not pay this commission. Read the detailed Booksy vs HairDid commission comparison with real stylist earnings examples.
Fresha has no monthly subscription fee, but it's not entirely free. You pay a 20% new-client fee on the first booking from clients discovered through Fresha Marketplace, plus a 1.29% + 20¢ payment processing fee on every transaction. If you're mostly serving existing clients and using Fresha as scheduling software, the cost is minimal. If you're relying on Fresha to grow your client base, the new-client fee is significant.
Yes. HairDid has no exclusivity clause. Many stylists keep their existing platform active while setting up HairDid and migrating clients gradually. Since HairDid has no monthly fee, there's no cost to run both in parallel during your transition.

Full fee analysis with real stylist reviews and earnings calculators.

Platform Comparison · 6 min
Booksy vs HairDid: Commission Comparison for Independent Stylists (2026)
Real Booksy Boost fee breakdown, App Store complaints, and take-home earnings at $3K–$8K/mo.
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StyleSeat vs HairDid: Fee Breakdown for Independent Stylists (2026)
Smart Pricing exposed: how StyleSeat keeps your markup, what stylists are saying, and the real numbers.