Booksy is one of the best-known online booking systems in the UK, loved for its marketplace and client app. SmartBook takes a different approach: online booking and a CRM for businesses that already have their own clients, with no marketplace and no commission. Below is an honest comparison of pricing and features so you can pick what really fits your business.
In short
- Booksy suits you if you want new clients from the Booksy marketplace and are happy to pay per staff member plus a commission on clients brought in by Boost.
- SmartBook suits you if you already have clients (regulars, Instagram, Google) and want easy booking, a client database, packages, loyalty points and payroll for a small fixed fee with no commission.
Monthly cost (UK)
| Staff | SmartBook | Booksy |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | £5 | £40 + VAT |
| 3 people | £5 | £50 + VAT |
| 5 people | £5 | £60 + VAT |
| 10 people | £15 | £85 + VAT |
Booksy: £40 per month plus £5 per month for each extra user, plus VAT (from the Booksy pricing page, checked 26.09.2026). SmartBook: monthly plan for up to 5 or up to 10 staff, up to 40% cheaper when you pay for six months or a year, see pricing.
Commission and extra fees
| SmartBook | Booksy | |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Fixed, based on the number of staff in the plan | Per staff member |
| Commission on new clients | None | Boost (optional): one-time 30% of a Boost client's first visit, minimum £5 |
| Online payments | Prepayment or deposit when clients book online | Mobile payments 1.29% + 20p + VAT, Tap to Pay 0.99% + 20p + VAT |
| Notifications | Email free, WhatsApp via your own WhatsApp Business account, SMS charged separately | 500 SMS per month included, then 5p each |
| Free trial | 21 days, up to 10 staff, no card | 7 days, no card |
Features
| SmartBook | Booksy | |
|---|---|---|
| 24/7 online booking | Your own booking page, link and QR code | Profile in the Booksy marketplace and app |
| Client marketplace and app | No, clients book through your link without installing an app | Yes |
| Calendar, staff, schedules and time off | ||
| Client database and visit history | ||
| Gift cards |
On top of that, every SmartBook plan includes packages, loyalty points, staff payroll and commission, multiple locations, client segments and an RFM report, group classes, no-show tracking and automatic review requests.
When Booksy is the better choice
- You are just opening, have no client base yet and want a stream of new people from a marketplace.
- Your clients are used to booking through the Booksy app.
- You want to take card payments on your phone (Tap to Pay).
When SmartBook is the better choice
- You have regular clients and don't want to pay commission on people who come to you anyway.
- You have several staff: with SmartBook the price doesn't go up with every new person.
- You sell packages, reward loyalty points or pay staff a percentage of their services.
- Your team works in several languages: the dashboard is available in 10 languages.
How to switch from Booksy to SmartBook
- Sign up for SmartBook: 21 days of full access for free, no card needed.
- Ask Booksy support to send you your client list as a CSV file.
- Upload the file to SmartBook: Clients section, import from CSV or Excel.
- Add your services, staff and working hours, then put your booking link on Instagram, Google and your website.
- Let your regular clients know the new booking link.