Sway vs Booksy for UK barbers and salons

Why UK barbers and salons compare Sway and Booksy

Booksy is popular with mobile barbers and salons, combining appointment booking with marketplace discovery and marketing tools. Sway focuses on calm scheduling, flat monthly pricing, and no marketplace commission.

If you are deciding between the two, consider how you get clients today and whether you want to pay optional Boost marketplace fees on top of a subscription.

Who Booksy vs Sway is best for

Booksy wins on consumer app reach and an all-in-one feature set at a single subscription price. Sway wins when you want to own the client journey on your own URL, avoid Boost commission, and keep software costs predictable as you grow.

Discovery vs owning the client journey

Booksy includes a marketplace listing in its core subscription. Optional Boost promotes your shop in the Booksy app and charges a one-time 30% fee on a new client's first visit (minimum £5 + VAT in the UK) when enabled.

Sway gives you a dedicated booking page at your own URL and growing marketplace discovery as more businesses join — with no marketplace commission on any booking channel.

Subscription, fees, and predictability

• Booksy UK: £40/mo + VAT for one provider, £5/mo + VAT per additional staff; optional Boost commission on new marketplace clients.
• Sway: free tier available; paid plans from £14.99/mo; platform fee on online card payments only (not on pay-at-venue).
• Owners who rely on direct marketing often prefer knowing their monthly software cost upfront rather than reconciling Boost fees each month.

Worked example: monthly cost

A three-chair barbershop on Booksy pays roughly £50/mo + VAT subscription, plus card processing on every card payment. If Boost brings 15 new clients at £30 average, commission could add £135 or more before VAT. Sway Team with two included staff starts lower and has no marketplace commission.

Turning Boost off removes commission but also reduces discovery in the Booksy app — many shops keep Boost on and treat it as a marketing cost.

Booking features in practice

Both support online booking, payments, and staff scheduling. Compare website embed options, group session support, calendar sync, and how clients browse before booking.

Sway lets customers view services without creating an account first. Embeds and calendar subscription feeds are available from Individual; Team adds per-staff calendar links.

Switching from Booksy to Sway

Run Sway alongside Booksy while you update your Instagram bio, Google Business Profile, and website booking link. Export your client list from Booksy and import contacts where possible. Most shops switch links over a weekend rather than cancelling Booksy immediately.

Side-by-side summary

See how Sway and Booksy compare on commission, pricing, embeds, and more in the table below. Confirm current Booksy pricing on their site before you switch.