RetentionTek vs Booksy
RetentionTek vs Booksy
Booksy is a low-cost booking app for independent stylists and barbers, with a consumer marketplace that finds new clients. It is $29.99 a month, no commitment, and honest about it. It does not measure whether anyone returned. RetentionTek is the $199 layer that does, for a business that already has bookings coming in.
Where they are strong
Where Booksy is strong
- A price floor of $29.99 a month, and no commitment at all. It matches our best term.
- A consumer marketplace that brings new clients in, which is acquisition rather than retention.
- A card-free 14-day trial, so the entry cost is genuinely zero. Ours requires a card.
- A large review base, 482 Capterra reviews at 4.5, which reads as safe to a first-time buyer.
- A mobile-first flow that a solo stylist can run from a phone.
Where we differ
Where RetentionTek differs
- Retention measurement. Booksy fills the calendar; it does not score whether the same client came back.
- A queue with evidence, so a follow-up starts from the visit history rather than a hunch.
- No new-client commission. Booksy Boost takes 30% of a new client's first visit, $10 to $100, when it is on.
- A Retention Score withheld below 30 mature customers instead of a confident zero.
- Segments computed from visit patterns, at-risk, lapsed and churned, rather than tags you maintain.
Side by side
The differences that decide it
| Axis | Booksy | RetentionTek |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $29.99/mo + $20 per extra member | $199/mo, no per-seat charge |
| Contract | None, cancel anytime | Monthly, cancel any time |
| New-client fee | Boost: 30% of first visit, $10 to $100 | None |
| Retention score | None | RS-1.0 from completed visits |
| Marketplace | Yes, consumer discovery | No |
| Best for | Solo, new-client flow | Repeat-visit retention |
Price reality
Two different jobs, two different prices
Booksy publishes $29.99 a month plus $20 per additional member, no commitment, cancel anytime, with a card-free 14-day trial. Boost, its new-client feature, takes 30% of a new client's first visit between $10 and $100.
- A solo stylist: $29.99/mo, no commitment.
- A three-chair salon: about $69.99/mo before Boost.
- Boost on ten new clients at a $60 average visit: about $180 in commission.
- RetentionTek alongside: $199/mo, no commission, no per-seat charge.
Booksy is the cheapest way into a calendar and it is honest about the terms. That makes it a good first tool and a poor last one: once the calendar is full, the money is in the second visit, and nothing here measures it.
See the whole price scheduleKeep your booking system
Keep Booksy. The layer is about the second visit
If Booksy brings you clients, keep it. Export completed visits, import the file, and the queue shows who came once and stopped. That is the exact population a marketplace cannot help with, because they are already in your book.
Frequently asked questions
Practical answers
Does RetentionTek replace Booksy?
No. Booksy is a booking app with a marketplace. RetentionTek is a retention layer over imported visits. Booksy finds the first appointment; we work on the second. If your calendar is already full, that is the only job left.
Is Booksy cheaper than RetentionTek?
Yes, at $29.99 against $199, and for a solo stylist starting out that gap is real. The comparison changes once the problem is repeat visits rather than new ones. Budget both only if the calendar is full enough that a lost regular costs more than $199.
What is the 30% Boost fee?
Boost is Booksy's new-client feature: it takes 30% of a new client's first visit, with a $10 minimum and $100 maximum, and costs nothing when it is switched off. RetentionTek takes no commission on any visit, new or returning.
How do I export visits from Booksy?
Export a completed-visit file and import the CSV or XLSX. The import needs customer identifiers, visit dates, attendance, location and service, up to 2 MiB, 5,000 rows and 80 columns. If your export is appointment-level, check the attendance column before importing.
Does RetentionTek work for a solo stylist?
It works, and the price is per location rather than per chair, so one chair and three cost the same. But at one chair with a thin client list the score may be withheld for a while, because it needs 30 mature customers per component. You still see the raw history and the overdue list in the meantime.
Do you send texts?
Not yet. SMS is not active in the current release. When you turn it on there is a one-time $99 managed registration, charged then and non-refundable, and carrier approval usually takes 7 to 14 days. Email runs through a connected Google or Microsoft mailbox today. Booksy already sends reminders if that is what you need.
Keep reading
Related comparisons
Add the layer it does not have
Start your 14-day free trial
Import completed visits. Get your Retention Score. See who is overdue. Draft your first win-back message.
$199 a month after the trial, one location included. Card required, monthly, cancel any time.
Sources
Booksy prices, the no-commitment term, the trial and the Boost commission are published on its pricing page, captured 28 October 2026. The review count is from its public profile. Confirm current plans with Booksy.
Booksy is a trademark of its owner. RetentionTek is not affiliated with Booksy and does not claim endorsement. Vendor features and prices are described from dated public sources and third-party analyses captured 28 October 2026; confirm current plans and terms with the vendor before deciding.