Bookings on YOUR domain (not booksy.com), AI receptionist for Instagram DMs, walk-in queue with QR, and no 30% commission on new clients. Built for barbershops, lash, and nail studios.
Servegalo | Booksy | |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest paid tier | $49/mo | $29.99/mo |
| Most popular tier | $99/mo | $59.99/mo + add-ons |
| Booking fee from new clients Booksy charges a 30% commission on the first booking from any client found through their marketplace. | None on paid plans | 30% on first marketplace booking |
| Per-staff fee | Up to plan max | +$10/each |
| Setup time | Under 5 minutes | 1-2 days |
| Embed widget on your website | ✓ | Link only |
| Bookings on your own domain | ✓ | — |
| CSV import from Booksy | ✓ | — |
| AI chat receptionist | ✓ | — |
| Missed-call text-back | ✓ | — |
| No-show recovery SMS | ✓ | — |
| Rebook reminder automation | ✓ | Basic |
| Industry-aware AI tone | ✓ | — |
| Walk-in queue with QR | ✓ | — |
| Fill cycle automation (lash/nail) | ✓ | — |
| Group / bridal bookings | ✓ | Manual |
| Deposits configurable per service | ✓ | ✓ |
| Built-in CRM | ✓ | ✓ |
| Client conversation history | ✓ | — |
| Custom client tags | ✓ | Limited |
Booksy's value proposition was the marketplace — a discovery network that brings new clients to your door. For shops that built their early business on Booksy discovery, that was a real value. The problem is the 30% commission on every first booking from a marketplace client. Even at modest volume — say, 10 new clients a month at $80 average ticket — that's $240/mo paid to Booksy on top of the subscription.
The thing that's changed in the last few years: most new clients now come from Google and Instagram, not from booking-platform marketplaces. Servegalo's AI receptionist captures Instagram DM inquiries and missed calls — the two channels where modern barbershops, lash artists, and nail techs actually get new clients. Bookings happen on YOUR domain, your card is saved, your repeat customers are yours.
Migration is fast. Export client + appointment history from Booksy, run it through the migration wizard, and you're operating on Servegalo in under 30 minutes. The one thing you trade off is the Booksy marketplace itself — if discovery there is truly material to your business, keep Booksy alongside Servegalo for marketing purposes only.
If marketplace discovery is bringing you a meaningful number of NEW clients, then yes — the 30% on the first booking pays for itself. If most of your new bookings come from Instagram, Google, or word-of-mouth (which is the case for most barbershops, lash artists, and nail studios), you're paying the marketplace tax for distribution you're not actually using. Servegalo's AI receptionist captures those Instagram/Google inquiries directly.
Your existing clients book directly via your booking page (yourbusiness.com/book) or by phone — Booksy's marketplace is only for net-new discovery. Existing client relationships move with you. The marketplace discovery is what you lose; most studios find that Google + Instagram more than fills the gap when paired with Servegalo's AI receptionist for handling DMs.
Export your client list and appointment history from Booksy as CSV. Upload to our migration wizard at /migrate. Most studios complete the switch in under 30 minutes. Existing recurring appointments and gift card balances need a brief support handoff — email support@servegalo.com.
Yes — we have dedicated landing pages and onboarding templates for each: /barber-booking-software, /lash-booking-software, /nail-salon-booking-software. The industry-aware AI receptionist tone is tuned per vertical. Self-rebook flows, fill cycle automation, and walk-in queue features are built specifically for these businesses.
Servegalo's staff portal is a responsive web app that works on any phone (no app install required). It shows each staff member their schedule, client notes, and includes a tap-to-text "on my way" feature. The functional difference vs. Booksy's native app is minimal — and Servegalo doesn't require a Booksy account to use.
A 20-minute demo with a test widget pre-loaded for your industry — walk-in queue, fill reminders, AI Instagram handling.