Best salon booking systems in 2026: honest comparison

If you are searching for a salon booking system, you have probably noticed the options range from simple calendar apps to full marketplace platforms that charge commission on every new client. This guide cuts through the noise.

We looked at the main options available to UK salon owners in 2026 — what they cost, what they include, and where each one makes sense. No sales language. Just what you actually need to know before you sign up for anything.

What to look for in a salon booking system

Before comparing platforms, it helps to know what a good booking system actually needs to do. Most salon owners want the same things:

• Online booking that clients can actually use — 24/7, no login required, no app download, no phone call
• Your own booking page or website — not just a listing on someone else's marketplace
• Client records — history, notes, contact details in one place
• Card payment processing — accepting payments through your own setup, not routed through a third party
• No commission on bookings — a flat monthly fee you can predict, not a percentage cut every time someone books
• Appointment reminders — automated emails the day before to reduce no-shows

The platforms below vary significantly on these points, particularly around commission and whether you get your own website or just a marketplace listing.

The main salon booking systems in the UK (April 2026)

System	Own website	Commission	Starting price	Card payments
DoTheBeauty	Yes (AI-built in 10 min)	0% always	From £19.95/mo	Stripe Connect (direct to you)
Treatwell	No (marketplace listing)	35% on new clients	Monthly fee + commission	Via Treatwell
Fresha	No (marketplace listing)	Fees on new-client bookings	From $19.95/mo + 20% new-client commission	Via Fresha
Booksy	Profile page only	Subscription, no commission	Check booksy.com	Via Booksy
Salonized	No	No commission	Check salonized.com	Via integration

Last verified: 2026-04-10 | Competitor pricing correct as of 10 April 2026. Verify current pricing at each provider's website before signing up.

Treatwell

Treatwell is a marketplace — clients find you through the Treatwell app and website, then book. It puts your salon in front of a large audience, which can help when you are starting out and have no client base to speak of.

The cost: Treatwell charges a 35% commission on first bookings from new clients they send you via the marketplace. There is also a monthly software fee on top. Repeat clients do not attract the commission, which is how most salons justify staying on the platform long-term.

What Treatwell does not include: your own salon website. You get a listing on their platform, not a standalone site with your own domain. If a client searches for your salon by name on Google, they may find a Treatwell page rather than your own.

For salons that rely on Treatwell for new client discovery, the commission is a real cost. A £60 colour appointment from a new Treatwell client means £21 goes back to the platform. Over time, that adds up.

Commission rate sourced from treatwell.co.uk/partners/pricing, verified 10 April 2026.

Fresha

Fresha started as a fully free platform and built a large base of salon users on that premise. They have since introduced subscription fees. As of April 2026, Fresha charges $19.95/month for independent stylists or $14.95/month per bookable team member for multi-person salons. On top of the monthly subscription, they apply a 20% commission (minimum $6 per client) on first-time bookings from clients who discover you through the Fresha marketplace. Returning clients: no commission.

Like Treatwell, Fresha is primarily a marketplace with booking software attached, rather than a standalone salon appointment software you own and control. There is no website builder — your salon appears on Fresha's platform, not on a site of your own.

Fresha's pricing model has changed several times. Current plans verified at fresha.com/pricing on 10 April 2026: Independent $19.95/mo, Team $14.95/mo per member, Enterprise custom. Marketplace commission on new clients: 20% (minimum $6). Returning clients via marketplace: no commission. Payment processing: 2.79% + $0.20 online. Always confirm on fresha.com before signing up.

Booksy

Booksy is widely used in the US and has expanded into the UK market. It runs on a subscription model — you pay a monthly fee and there is no commission on bookings. Salons get a Booksy profile page that clients can book through, but there is no standalone website builder included.

Booksy works well for salons that want a simple booking page and client management without commission. The app is polished. Check booksy.com for current UK pricing, as plans vary by region.

Salonized

Salonized is a Dutch-built salon management software that has been running for over a decade. It covers appointment management, client records, and online booking. There is no marketplace component and no commission — you bring your own clients and the software helps you manage them.

What it does not include: a website builder. If you need a professional salon website, you would need to set that up separately, then link your Salonized booking page to it. For salons that already have a website and want solid back-office software, it is worth a look. Check salonized.com for current pricing.

DoTheBeauty: salon booking software with an AI website builder

DoTheBeauty is different from the marketplace platforms above. It is a standalone salon booking software that gives you your own website, your own booking system, and your own client relationships — with no commission on any booking, ever.

The AI website builder is the feature that stands out. You answer 9 questions about your salon — services, pricing, your style — and the platform builds a complete professional website, including a live booking system, in under 10 minutes. It is not a template you spend weeks finishing. It is a working website with your own content, live on the internet.

From there, you get:

• 24/7 online booking without clients needing an account or an app download
• Automatic booking confirmation emails after every appointment
• Appointment reminder emails the evening before (fewer no-shows)
• Full client database — every booking, every contact detail, all in one place
• Mixed bookings — multi-stylist appointments where clients can book two stylists in one session, with smart scheduling that only shows slots when all stylists are available simultaneously
• Product inventory management with stock tracking and barcode scanning
• Card payments via Stripe Connect — your own Stripe account, so payments go directly to you, not through a platform intermediary

Because payments go through Stripe Connect rather than a marketplace wallet, you keep 100% of each booking fee. The only deductions are Stripe's standard card processing fee and your DoTheBeauty monthly subscription.

Pricing starts at £19.95/month for salons with up to 2 staff. There is a 7-day free trial.

How Bonnie Reid launched her salon website in 10 minutes

Bonnie Reid runs a hair salon in Kuta, Lombok. She had no website. Clients found her through word of mouth and WhatsApp. That worked until the admin became too much to manage alongside the actual work of running a salon.

When she tried DoTheBeauty, she was sceptical. Ten minutes sounded like marketing language. She answered a few questions about her salon, uploaded some photos, and the platform built her a complete website — homepage, services, booking system, contact details, Google Maps embed. She picked a theme, checked the result, and went live.

"I didn't expect it to be that quick. I answered some questions, uploaded a few photos, and it just.. built my website. The booking system was included. It looked professional. I didn't have to do anything technical."

Bonnie Reid, Bonnie Reid Hair, Kuta, Lombok

Since going live: clients book online 24/7, automatic reminders go out the evening before each appointment, and she pays 0% commission on every single booking. Her flat monthly cost is €19.95. She keeps everything else.

Bonnie is in Kuta, Lombok — not a major city with web design agencies on every corner. For small salon owners in locations where hiring a developer is not a realistic option, an AI-built website changes what is possible.

Which salon booking system is right for your salon?

The right choice depends on where your salon is right now and what problem you are actually trying to solve:

• You need new clients and have no existing base — Treatwell or Fresha can bring discovery. The cost is their commission on those new bookings. Budget for it and treat it as a marketing spend.
• You have clients but need better organisation — Any standalone system (Salonized, Booksy, DoTheBeauty) works here. Compare what is included at your price point.
• You have no website and need one fast — DoTheBeauty is the only option in this comparison that builds a complete website and booking system together, with no technical knowledge needed.
• You want card payments without routing money through a marketplace — DoTheBeauty uses Stripe Connect, so card payments go to your Stripe account directly. Treatwell and Fresha route payments through their own systems.
• You want to know your costs exactly, every month — Flat-fee software (DoTheBeauty, Booksy) is predictable. Commission-based platforms are not — your bill scales with every new client booking.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best salon booking system in the UK?

The best system depends on your needs. If you want a standalone salon booking system with your own website and 0% commission, DoTheBeauty covers all of that from £19.95/month. If you need a marketplace to find new clients, Treatwell or Fresha are options, though both charge fees on new-client bookings. Booksy and Salonized are good for appointment management without commission if you already have a client base.

How much does salon booking software cost?

Prices vary. Standalone software like DoTheBeauty starts at £19.95/month with no commission. Marketplace platforms like Treatwell charge a monthly fee plus 35% commission on new client bookings sourced from their marketplace. Some platforms like Fresha have a free tier but charge per-booking fees for marketplace-sourced clients. Always check current pricing at each provider's website before committing.

Can I accept card payments through my salon booking system?

Yes. DoTheBeauty uses Stripe Connect, which links your own Stripe account directly to your booking system. Card payments from clients go straight to your account, with no platform taking a cut of your payment revenue. Standard Stripe processing fees apply. Treatwell and Fresha route payments through their own platforms.

Do I need a website as well as a booking system?

Most salon appointment software does not include a website. You would need to build or commission one separately, then embed or link a booking widget. DoTheBeauty is the exception — the AI website builder creates a complete salon website with a live booking system built in. Your clients book through your own website at your own domain, not through a third-party marketplace page.

What is the difference between a salon booking system and a marketplace like Treatwell?

A salon booking system is software you use to manage appointments, clients, and payments. A marketplace like Treatwell is a platform where clients discover and book salons. Most marketplace platforms include booking software, but you appear on their platform rather than on a site of your own. The trade-off is new-client discovery versus commission costs and ownership of the client relationship. A standalone system like DoTheBeauty gives you full ownership — your website, your clients, your data — with no commission taken on any booking.