We know running a beauty and wellness business is a lot. Whether it’s figuring out ways to manage client relationships, your schedule, or your team, finding the right software for your needs can feel super overwhelming – especially for small businesses looking to build from the ground up.

That’s why we’re taking two of the most popular beauty and wellness software options on the market today, GlossGenius and Booksy, and diving into their features, pricing, customer support, and reviews to see what’s right for your business.

GlossGenius vs. Booksy Key Takeaways

Booksy is a scheduling software designed for organizing and managing online appointments. Tailored for small and midsize businesses in the beauty and wellness sector, it helps automate scheduling and bookings. For businesses looking for pure scheduling features, Booksy might be the right fit.

GlossGenius is purpose-built for businesses in the self-care and beauty industry. Reviewers appreciate its modern aesthetics and design touches, as well as its ease of use. It has some features specific to beauty and wellness as well, such as processing time for salons. 

GlossGenius still has some features it’s building out but it offers one of the best payment processing rates in the industry – flat 2.6% – with its POS system. Compare that to Booksy’s processing rates which range from 2.49% + 10¢ up to 2.69% + 30¢. GlossGenius’ subscription plan prices with the features included, and its payment processing often make GlossGenius the more affordable option.

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GlossGenius vs. Booksy Subscription Plans

Just as not all business management software is the same, subscription plans will vary by platform, so reviewing the included features in each plan is crucial. You don’t want to pick a plan that doesn’t have critical features for your business. 

GlossGenius, unlike Booksy, offers different subscription plans to pick from, so you can pick the best one for your business and budget needs. You can also switch your plan at any time on either GlossGenius, so as your business needs grow and change, you can adapt your software.

GlossGenius plan options

GlossGenius’ subscriptions start at $24 per month. The Standard plan includes many of the features you need to run an individual beauty or wellness business. From online scheduling to a custom website builder. GlossGenius even has calendar management tools, built-in POS, unlimited appointment reminders, and client notes. 

GlossGenius has other subscription plans that include more premium features, such as automated waitlists, built-in forms and waivers, and an AI assistant to help you craft marketing messages. GlossGenius also doesn’t charge add-on fees for almost any feature. That means that different subscription plans automatically unlock all the features associated with the plan at no extra cost.

Booksy plan options

Booksy has one subscription tier - $29.99 for all available features, with each additional team member costing $20 a month. That team member fee is one of the highest in the industry we’ve found.

Like GlossGenius, Booksy also offers a 14-day free trial for users looking to test out the platform before making a decision. This is a great option for anyone who wants to test out which platform is right for their needs.

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GlossGenius vs. Booksy Feature Breakdown

Features are one of the most important things to consider when picking software to run your beauty or wellness business. What features a software offers and how easy they are to use can be critical to how much time you spend on regular business tasks. 

Think of it this way: Let’s say your booking system doesn’t have waitlists. The impact on your efficiency is huge. Your team can spend hours on the phone trying to fill last minute calendar spaces. If your software does offer a waitlist option but it’s super confusing for your team and/or your clients, that’s even more time and frustration.

Check out this comparison of the features between GlossGenius and Booksy:

*100% chargeback protection on payments processed using the GlossGenius card reader and Tap to Pay on iPhone available on the GlossGenius Gold and Platinum plans.

Booksy comes with some important features like email and text marketing but it's missing features that can help your business double down on its branding and style. When comparing paid plans, GlossGenius’ base plan comes with stylish card readers and a custom website creator for $24 a month. Booksy does not feature these, flat out - the features it does offer, however, are offered by GlossGenius for $5 dollars more. 

Although both Booksy and GlossGenius are created for beauty and wellness businesses, GlossGenius understands that your business needs aesthetically important features like the ones listed here. And most importantly, all these are included in subscription and not as add-ons.

• Stylish credit card readers
• Modern and customizable booking site templates
• Easy-to-use waitlists
• A forms and waivers builder
• Marketing tools

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GlossGenius vs. Booksy Payment Processing Fees

Both GlossGenius and Booksy offer POS systems. Although payment processing fees may not be glitzy or the first thing that comes to mind when considering software, if you are considering Booksy or GlossGenius to process your payments, they are super important to consider.

GlossGenius

GlossGenius has a flat payment processing fee of 2.6% across all payment types and subscription plans. That means there are no additional transaction fees, or different rates based on whether you’re using a card on file or a physical card in your place of business. This is one of the better payment processing rates in the beauty and wellness industry, and it’s easy to understand.

Booksy

Booksy payment processing fees vary based on your subscription plan and payment type. The Booksy’s free subscription plan has a higher payment processing fee for in-person transactions compared to their Plus or Premium plans. All 3 subscription plans also charge higher rates for online payments (2.9% + 30¢), which includes things like pre-paid appointments, and manually entered, or card on file charges (3.5% + 15¢). 

Check out this table that compares Booksy and GlossGenius processing rates. Here is a full breakdown of Booksy pricing.

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POS Hardware Comparison

Especially when you have a lot of first-time business, it’s important to invest in a card machine so you can quickly check out clients before or after their appointments. Also, if you’re using Booksy for payments, its fees are lower for in-person transactions where you use a payment device compared to card on file ones. 

GlossGenius

GlossGenius has two POS device options, a small card reader called the Tap & Go and a larger handheld payment terminal that has a client-facing screen called the Pro Reader. GlossGenius’ Tap & Go Reader comes in a variety of colors and designs, so you can pick one that reflects your unique style and brand.

• GlossGenius Tap & Go Reader - $49
• GlossGenius Pro Reader - $299

Booksy

Booksy has two POS hardware options: The BBPOS WisePOS E for front desk payments, and a Stripe Reader M2 for mobile device payments. Both are available for additional costs:

• BBPOS WisePOS E - $219.85 + Shipping
• Stripe Reader M2 - $53.10 + Shipping

GlossGenius vs. Booksy Customer Support

Booksy customer support

Booksy has a few customer support options. You can reach the support team through live chat or email. The live chat support is 24/7, but customers have complained about the quality and response time of customer support.

GlossGenius customer support

GlossGenius’ customer support line is available Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, and Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, through phone and text.

GlossGenius vs. Booksy Review Comparison

GlossGenius

The overall sentiment around GlossGenius is positive. Reviewers are satisfied with GlossGenius – particularly booking and scheduling. Some reviewers ask for specific features they’d like GlossGenius to add as it continues to grow its platform.

Booksy

The overall sentiment around Booksy is mixed. Reviewers are satisfied with the ease-of-use Booksy offers, but have strong feelings about the customer support response time and quality.

Final Thoughts

The short of it? The most important differences between GlossGenius and Booksy are aesthetics, features, and price.

Booksy has all the basic features you need for a beauty and wellness business. It’s an affordable option if you run a solo business, or maybe have 1-2 other team members. It lacks features for employee and finance management, such as payroll and expense reports, and it has one of the more expensive fees for additional members that we’ve seen amongst beauty and wellness platforms. 

Ultimately, a tool should work as a tool that helps manage your day-to-day business needs, but also put you in a position where growth and success are encouraged. When you have no access to offerings that are growth-oriented, your small business is less likely to take that next step. 

GlossGenius is a growing name in the software space so some of its functionality is still being built out but if aesthetics and employee management are important to you, GlossGenius could be it. Their software was built specifically for beauty and wellness businesses and offers a sleek and modern feel that can also be customized to fit your brand. GlossGenius also offers features like payroll and financial reporting for more advanced businesses. If you’re looking for a POS system that is built into your system, GlossGenius will often have the lower payment processing rate between the two.

For customers transitioning from other related software, like Booksy, GlossGenius offers free data transfers for new users. GlossGenius will transfer all appointments, client lists, services, and products from your current booking system, no matter what it is, over to GlossGenius for free. GlossGenius also offers a 14-day free trial so you can see how GlossGenius can work for your business without any upfront commitment.

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NOTE: All prices and feature comparisons are as of August 12, 2024. GlossGenius has no affiliation, sponsorship or endorsement with Booksy, Inc. or its affiliates. 

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Gartner Digital Markets reviews are shared across its different brands sites and constitute the subjective opinions of individual end-users based on their own experiences and do not represent the views of Gartner or its affiliates.