Booking systems comparison for salons
A comparison by publicly available pricing, features and terms. Every system is assessed by the same criteria — including YourSalon, which we operate.
YourSalon is also the operator of the product being compared. To limit the conflict of interest, we assess YourSalon by the same public criteria as other systems and disclose areas where its information or features are limited. YourSalon therefore does not win this comparison automatically.
Competitor facts come from their official public pages (pricing, features). Where a fact is not publicly stated, we write "Publicly not stated" — we don't fill in guesses. Prices change; always verify the current pricing with the provider.
Quick summary
There is no single "best" system for everyone. They differ in focus: some build on their own marketplace (Booksy, Fresha), others on a standalone system with no client commission (YourSalon, SimplyBook.me, Reservio, Bookio).
If you want to win new clients from a large platform, a marketplace makes sense (Booksy, Fresha) — but budget for a commission on first visits. If you mainly want to manage your own clientele with no commission and a lower monthly cost, a standalone system fits better.
A free start is offered by YourSalon, Reservio, Bookio and SimplyBook.me. Booksy and Fresha do not list a permanent free plan on their pages (only a trial period).
Who each system suits
YourSalon
Small and mid-sized Central-European salons wanting booking, a website, POS and deposits in CZK/EUR/PLN and a free start with no client commission.
Reservio
General-purpose booking across industries with a free plan; good when you don't need narrow beauty specialisation.
Bookio
Central-European businesses (SK/CZ) wanting booking, reminders and deposits with a free plan.
Booksy
Salons and barbers who want to benefit from a large marketplace and win new clients from the app.
Fresha
Salons and wellness looking for a global platform with POS, payments and a marketplace.
SimplyBook.me
Businesses wanting a highly customisable system with a free plan and no booking commission.
Feature comparison
Editorial assessment from publicly available information (YourSalon own audit, checked 29 Jun 2026). "Yes/No/Partial" is our summary of public pages, not a contractual promise by the provider.
| Criterion | YourSalon | Reservio | Bookio | Booksy | Fresha | SimplyBook.me |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online booking 24/7 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Own client marketplace | No | Publicly not stated | Publicly not stated | Yes | Yes | No |
| Reminders (SMS/email) | Yes | Yes (SMS paid) | Yes (SMS paid) | Yes | Yes (SMS paid) | Yes (SMS paid) |
| Deposits / prepayment | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial |
| POS (point of sale) | Yes | Publicly not stated | Publicly not stated | Yes | Yes | Publicly not stated |
| Client database | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Team & calendar management | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Website / booking page | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | Publicly not stated | Yes | Publicly not stated | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Data export | Publicly not stated | Publicly not stated | Yes (Excel) | Publicly not stated | Publicly not stated | Publicly not stated |
Pricing transparency
Prices and fees as providers publicly state them (checked 29 Jun 2026). Currencies and rates vary by market; verify the current pricing with the provider.
| Criterion | YourSalon | Reservio | Bookio | Booksy | Fresha | SimplyBook.me |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes (free plan) | Yes (40 bookings/30 days, 100 clients) | Yes (100 bookings/mo, 1 user) | No (14-day trial) | No (no permanent free plan listed) | Yes (50 bookings/mo, 1 provider) |
| Cheapest paid plan | CZK 299/mo (EUR 12.50 · PLN 54.99) | Publicly not stated (Starter, per pricing + VAT) | from EUR 6.90/mo annually (CZK 169/mo annually, excl. VAT) | USD 29.99/mo + tax | Independent EUR 14.95/mo | Basic EUR 13.90/mo (11.90 annually) |
| Client / marketplace commission | None (no marketplace) | Publicly not stated | Publicly not stated | Boost: one-time 30% of a won client's first visit | Marketplace: one-time fee per new client (amount not stated) | No booking commission |
| Payment fees | No own commission; payment-gateway rates per provider | Per plan (approx. 1.19–3.00% + fixed) | Payment commission (% not stated); SMS paid | Approx. 2.49–2.69% + fixed per transaction | Online 1.29% + EUR 0.15 · in person 0.59% + EUR 0.15 | No SimplyBook commission; payment processor charges |
Legend
- Yes / No — The feature is / is not available per the public pages.
- Partial — The feature exists with a limit or only on a higher plan.
- Publicly not stated — We did not find the fact publicly on the official pages. It is not a claim that the feature is missing.
Free plan and its limits
A free plan is a great way to start, but read the limits. Booking systems usually cap the number of bookings per month, the number of staff or access to advanced features.
Per public pricing (29 Jun 2026): YourSalon has a free plan; Reservio 40 bookings/30 days and 100 clients; Bookio 100 bookings/month and 1 user; SimplyBook.me 50 bookings/month, 1 provider and 1 custom feature. Booksy and Fresha do not list a permanent free plan (they offer a trial).
When evaluating a free plan, calculate how many bookings you really have per month — exceeding the limit pushes you to a paid plan or to SMS charges.
Commissions and other costs
The monthly subscription isn't the only cost. Watch three more items: commission on clients won via the marketplace, payment-processing fees and the price of SMS reminders.
A marketplace (Booksy, Fresha) can bring new clients but charges for it. Per its pricing, Booksy takes a one-time 30% of the first visit of a client won via Boost; Fresha lists a one-time fee per new marketplace client. Standalone systems (YourSalon, SimplyBook.me) have no booking commission.
SMS reminders are charged separately by many systems (Reservio, Bookio, Fresha, SimplyBook.me state this). If you send a lot of SMS, factor them into the monthly cost.
Localisation for CZ / PL / DE / SK
For a Central-European salon, language, currency and local conventions matter. Below is a summary of publicly stated information (29 Jun 2026).
| Criterion | YourSalon | Reservio | Bookio | Booksy | Fresha | SimplyBook.me |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Czech language | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Publicly not stated | Publicly not stated (multilingual) |
| CZK currency | Yes | Yes | Yes | Publicly not stated | Publicly not stated | Publicly not stated |
| EUR/PLN currency | Yes | Publicly not stated | Yes (EUR) | Yes | Yes | Publicly not stated |
| Number of languages | 7 | Publicly not stated | 6 (SK/DE/EN/HU/PL/CS) | Publicly not stated | Publicly not stated | Multilingual |
Own client database and data portability
Your client database is one of a salon's most valuable assets. Before choosing a system, check whether the data is truly yours and whether you can export it if you ever want to move.
Under GDPR Article 20, the data subject has the right to receive the personal data they provided to a controller in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format and to transmit it to another controller. This also applies to your client data in a booking system.
Among the compared systems, Bookio publicly states data export (to Excel). For the others we did not find a specific export description on their public pages — we recommend verifying directly with the provider before signing.
Strengths by category
We assign a category only where public data supports it. This is not an absolute ranking — a different system may win for each salon.
Strongest international ecosystem and marketplace
Booksy, Fresha
Large client marketplace, global reach, POS and payments — at the cost of a commission on first visits.
Free start available
YourSalon, Reservio, Bookio, SimplyBook.me
All list a permanent free plan (with limits) on their public pricing.
No client commission
YourSalon, SimplyBook.me
Per public pages, they charge no commission on bookings or first visits.
Designed for small Central-European salons
YourSalon
CZK/EUR/PLN, 7 languages, website, POS, deposits and a free start. Assessed by the same criteria as the others.
Most clearly published fees
Fresha, SimplyBook.me
They state payment and SMS rates with concrete numbers right on the pricing page.
Pros and limits of each system
YourSalon
www.yoursalon.czSmall and mid-sized Central-European salons.
- Free start and paid plans from CZK 299/mo (EUR 12.50 · PLN 54.99).
- 7 languages and CZK/EUR/PLN currencies — designed for Central Europe.
- Booking, website, POS, deposits and a client database in one.
- No own marketplace = no commission on your clients.
- A newer platform with less brand recognition than the global players.
- No own client marketplace — you won't win new clients from the platform.
- Fewer public reviews than established international systems.
- Some features (e.g. a publicly described export, mobile app) are still expanding.
If your main goal is winning new clients from a large marketplace or global brand recognition, consider Booksy or Fresha.
Reservio
www.reservio.comGeneral-purpose booking across industries.
- Free plan (40 bookings/30 days, 100 clients).
- Established, well-known system with an app.
- Booking website and mobile app.
- Not narrowly beauty-specialised.
- Exact paid price shown only with VAT/addendum on the pricing page.
- SMS reminders are a paid add-on.
Bookio
www.bookio.comCentral-European businesses (SK/CZ).
- Free plan (100 bookings/mo).
- Deposit payments and reminders.
- Data export to Excel; 6 languages.
- SMS notifications are paid.
- Payment commission % not publicly stated.
- Less beauty specialisation.
Booksy
booksy.comMarketplace-oriented salons and barbers.
- Large international marketplace for winning clients.
- POS, payments and a mobile app.
- 2,000 SMS marketing messages per month included.
- No permanent free plan listed (trial only).
- Boost: one-time 30% of a won client's first visit.
- Extra staff USD 20/mo; costs grow with the team.
If you don't want to pay a client commission and your own clientele is enough, consider a standalone system (YourSalon, SimplyBook.me, Reservio).
Fresha
www.fresha.comSalons and wellness seeking a global platform.
- Global platform with marketplace, POS and payments.
- Clearly published payment rates (1.29% online / 0.59% in person + EUR 0.15).
- Mobile app.
- No permanent free plan listed (7-day trial for teams).
- Marketplace: one-time fee per new client.
- Less local (CZ) approach; SMS paid.
SimplyBook.me
simplybook.meBusinesses wanting a highly customisable system.
- Free plan (50 bookings/mo).
- No booking commission.
- High customisation and multilingual.
- Free plan has only 1 provider and 1 custom feature.
- SMS/WhatsApp credits charged separately.
- No own marketplace for winning clients.
How to choose a booking system
1. Calculate the real monthly cost
Add subscription + SMS cost + any marketplace commission. A cheap plan with a high commission can cost more than a pricier plan with none.
2. Decide about a marketplace
A marketplace (Booksy, Fresha) brings new clients but charges a commission on first visits. If you already have a clientele, a standalone system is usually cheaper.
3. Verify data portability
Check whether you can export client data (GDPR Art. 20). This avoids lock-in to a single vendor.
4. Test the free plan or trial
Try real operations: booking speed, reminders, POS. The free-plan booking limit hints at when you'd move to a paid plan.
5. Read the contract and cancellation terms
Before signing, check the commitment length, cancellation and what happens to your data after you leave.
Comparison methodology
The comparison draws on providers' publicly available official pages (pricing, features), which we opened and verified on 29 Jun 2026. We do not use review portals or search snippets as a source of facts.
The "Yes/No/Partial" assessment is our editorial summary of public information (YourSalon own audit), not a contractual promise by the provider. Where a fact was not publicly stated, we write "Publicly not stated".
We assess YourSalon by the same criteria as the others and disclose its limits too. Prices and fees change — always verify the current pricing directly with the provider before deciding.
Sources (providers' official pages)
The public pages the comparison draws on. Checked 29 Jun 2026.
- YourSalon — pricingChecked 2026-06-29
- Reservio — pricingChecked 2026-06-29
- Bookio — pricing & featuresChecked 2026-06-29
- Booksy Biz — pricingChecked 2026-06-29
- Fresha — pricingChecked 2026-06-29
- SimplyBook.me — pricingChecked 2026-06-29
FAQ
Which booking system is best for a salon?
There is no single best for everyone. For winning clients from a marketplace, Booksy or Fresha fit; for managing your own clientele commission-free with a free start, YourSalon, SimplyBook.me, Reservio or Bookio. Your priorities and the real monthly cost decide.
Is there a free booking system?
Yes. Per public pricing (29 Jun 2026), YourSalon, Reservio, Bookio and SimplyBook.me offer a free plan — always with limits (bookings, staff or features). Booksy and Fresha do not list a permanent free plan.
Do marketplaces charge a commission?
Yes. Per its pricing, Booksy charges a one-time 30% of a Boost-won client's first visit; Fresha lists a one-time fee per new marketplace client. Standalone systems without a marketplace have no booking commission.
How is YourSalon treated in this comparison?
YourSalon is our product. We assess it by the same public criteria as the others and disclose its limits too (newer platform, no own marketplace, fewer public reviews). It does not win automatically.
Can I take my client data with me?
Under GDPR Article 20 you have the right to receive personal data in a machine-readable format and transmit it elsewhere. Verify the specific export with the provider — Bookio states it publicly (Excel); for the others we did not find a public export description.
Related pages
Try YourSalon — or calculate your costs first
A free start, CZK/EUR/PLN and no commission on your clients. Decide by the numbers.