Your customers book you — not a marketplace of three shops nearby.
Booksy is a booking app with a consumer marketplace: real discovery, but your clients browse other pros too, and 'Boost' visibility costs 30% of a new client's first visit. HotSeat sends customers to your own branded link, keeps them yours, and takes 0% — no marketplace, no boost fee.
Choose HotSeat to be booked directly, not shopped in a marketplace.
Booksy's consumer app and marketplace genuinely drive new-client discovery, and it includes payments and no-show protection. The trade-off is that the same marketplace shows your clients other professionals, and its 'Boost' visibility costs a one-time 30% fee on a Boost client's first visit — a real cut of new revenue. HotSeat makes the opposite bet: your own branded link, customers who are yours from the first visit, guest checkout, and no marketplace or boost fee.
HotSeat is best for
Independent barbershops, salons, and nail studios that want to own their customer list, keep 100% of their booking revenue, and get a branded booking link live fast — not run a marketplace listing or configure a full commerce suite.
Booksy is best for
Beauty and barber professionals who want marketplace and consumer-app discovery, built-in payments, and no-show protection, and will pay for Boost visibility to win new clients.
HotSeat keeps the booking path closer to your brand.
On HotSeat your customers book you on your own link — not in a marketplace app where they can browse three other shops nearby, and where 'Boost' visibility costs a 30% cut of a new client's first visit.
Keep 100% of your booking revenue — a flat monthly subscription with 0% commission, no per-booking fee, and no cut of your sales.
Customers book on your own branded link with guest checkout — name and phone, no app or account to download.
What changes in day-to-day use.
| Feature | HotSeat | Booksy |
|---|---|---|
| Customer path | HotSeatCustomers book on your own branded HotSeat link with guest checkout — just name and phone, no app or account — and the relationship stays yours. | BooksyBooksy lists your shop in its consumer marketplace and 'Booksy for Customers' app, where clients browse and book other professionals too; 'Boost' improves your marketplace visibility for a one-time 30% fee on a new client's first visit. |
| Platform scope | HotSeatA focused booking engine: online booking, staff, services, customer records, and automated reminders that end the confirmation-call loop — no commerce suite to configure. | BooksyBooksy includes booking, a marketplace, marketing, client and calendar management, no-show protection, payments, memberships, packages, and gift cards. |
| Setup motion | HotSeatAdd your services, staff, and hours and share a live booking link the same afternoon — no implementation project. | BooksyBooksy has a quick sign-up and a trial, with marketplace and app presence built into the setup. |
| Pricing shape | HotSeatOne flat monthly subscription by team size. HotSeat takes 0% — no marketplace commission, no per-booking fee, and no cut of your sales. | BooksyBooksy lists a US$29.99/month core subscription plus US$20/month per extra staff member, card-processing fees on transactions, and the optional Boost fee (30% of a Boost client's first visit). |
| Best-fit operator | HotSeatAn independent barbershop, salon, or nail studio that wants to own its customers, keep its revenue, and start taking bookings fast. | BooksyA provider who actively wants marketplace and consumer-app discovery as part of how they win new clients. |
You want to own the customer relationship and keep 100% of your booking revenue — no commission, no per-booking fee, no cut.
You want a branded booking link live fast and a focused tool, not Booksy's broader platform to learn and configure.
Guest checkout matters: your customers book in seconds with name and phone, no account or app to download.
Booksy's consumer app and marketplace genuinely surface you to new clients actively searching — discovery HotSeat does not offer.
Booksy includes card payments and no-show protection; HotSeat leaves payments to you.
If marketplace visibility is central to how you grow, Booksy (and Boost) is built for exactly that.
Source-backed, not savings math.
Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's official site before switching tools.
Booksy lists its core subscription at US$29.99 per month plus tax, with extra staff members at US$20 per month each.
Booksy 'Boost' is free to turn on but charges a one-time 30% fee based on the total cost of a Boost client's first visit — a cut of new-client revenue that HotSeat does not take.
Booksy card-processing rates vary by method (roughly 2.49%–2.69% plus a per-transaction fee), and it includes no-show protection.
Competitor prices are as of July 10, 2026 and shown in the currency each vendor lists (US$ unless marked CA$). Vendors localize and change pricing often — confirm current pricing, in your own currency, on the vendor's page before switching.
Common switching questions.
Is HotSeat a Booksy alternative?
Yes, if your priority is being booked directly. Booksy adds a marketplace and consumer app (and a 30% Boost fee); HotSeat keeps customers on your own branded link and takes no cut.
Does HotSeat charge a marketplace commission or take a cut of my sales?
No. HotSeat charges a flat monthly subscription and takes 0% — no marketplace commission and no per-booking cut, so you keep 100% of your booking revenue. HotSeat does not process payments between you and your customers, so there are no HotSeat processor fees; you collect payment in person or with your own processor.
When is Booksy the better choice?
Beauty and barber professionals who want marketplace and consumer-app discovery, built-in payments, and no-show protection, and will pay for Boost visibility to win new clients.
What should I check before switching?
Confirm current subscription pricing in your currency, any marketplace or per-booking fees, payment processing rates, messaging limits, add-ons, and data-export options — and whether your team needs marketplace discovery and in-app payments or a direct, owned booking flow.