9 Contenders Ranked in the Top Hair Stylist Booking Apps UK Price Comparison

Choosing a booking app is one of the first practical decisions a self-employed hairdresser makes. The right system can make it easier to take deposits, reduce diary messages, present a professional booking journey and keep client details organised as the business grows.

This top hair stylist booking apps UK price comparison ranks nine platforms for independent hairdressers, chair renters, mobile stylists and home salon owners. Pricing, payment charges and marketplace fees can change, so it is sensible to confirm the latest terms directly with each provider before choosing.

UK booking app prices compared

App	Monthly price	Fees on bookings and card payments	Checked
JENA	Starter £9, Pro £29, Max £49, including VAT	No booking commission and no new client fee. Card processing from 1.5% + 30p	September 2026
Square Appointments	Free £0 for one location, Plus £29, Premium £69 per location	No booking commission. In person 1.75% on Free, 1.6% on paid plans. Online 1.4% + 25p for UK cards	27 Sep 2026
Timely	Run from £4, Boost from £7, Thrive from £9 a week, plus VAT. The bill rises and falls with bookings	No commission or new client fees. In person 1.59% + 5p, online 1.85% + 30p	27 Sep 2026
Goldie	No GBP pricing published. USD only: free, $19.99 and $39.99	Not included	Jul 2026
Fresha	Independent £14.95 plus VAT (£17.94 including VAT)	20% of a new marketplace client's first visit, minimum £4 plus VAT. None on returning or direct clients. Online payments 1.40% + 25p, in person 1.19% + 20p	10 Sep 2026
Ovatu	Neat £20, Loaded £30 for the first bookable employee, plus VAT	No commission listed. SMS 7p each	24 Aug 2026
SimplyBook.me	Free plan, £7.50 to £10.90/month Basic plan, £20.80 to £20.90/month Standard plan, £41.90 to £49.00/month Premium, and a custom pricing option.	Payment-provider processing fees may apply	October 2026
Booksy	£40 plus VAT. Each extra user £5 plus VAT	Marketplace bookings free while the optional Boost is off. With Boost, 30% plus VAT of a new client's first visit, minimum £5. Payments 1.29% + 20p plus VAT	23 Aug 2026
Treatwell	Monthly fee by quote only (Freelancer and Advanced plans)	35% plus VAT on a new marketplace client's first booking, subject to location and the partner agreement. 0% on repeat and direct bookings. Online prepayments 2.5% plus VAT	24 Aug 2026

1. JENA

JENA is a strong starting point for independent hairdressers who want their booking system to feel like part of their own business rather than a marketplace they rent space on. It brings appointments, payments, client management and business tools together under one clear subscription.

Clear Monthly Pricing for Independent Hairdressers

JENA’s plans begin at £9 per month including VAT for Starter, with Pro at £29 and Max at £49 per month including VAT. There is no booking commission, which can make costs easier to forecast as a diary becomes fuller. Card processing and SMS marketing are charged separately.

A Booking Journey That Supports Your Own Brand

For a newly independent stylist, Starter can be a practical choice when the priority is getting bookings into one organised place. Pro and Max are more suited to businesses that want a branded website and custom-domain support alongside their diary and client tools.

Online booking can reduce back-and-forth messages.
Deposits and cancellation settings can help protect appointment income.
Free setup and switching support can make the move more manageable, with checks before going live.
The Max plan adds AI-assisted support for booking, admin and coaching alongside contactable human help.

The overall appeal is control. A hairdresser can build a familiar, professional booking experience around their own services and client relationships, without adding a commission to every booking.

2. Square Appointments

Square Appointments is a natural option for hairdressers already using Square for card payments or point-of-sale tools. Its booking and payment features sit within the wider Square ecosystem, which can simplify daily administration for some businesses.

A Familiar Choice for Square Payment Users

Square offers a free appointment plan, alongside paid tiers for businesses needing additional features and staff functionality. Its paid plans have historically been structured per location, so it is worth checking the current UK plan details and payment-processing rates before signing up.

Best for Payment and Booking in One Ecosystem

The platform can suit a sole trader who wants booking, checkout and payment reporting to work closely together. It may be especially useful for a stylist who takes card payments in person as well as online.

Square Appointments is a practical contender where payments are central to the setup. Independent professionals should compare the value of the paid booking features against the wider payment tools they actually expect to use.

3. Timely

Timely is a salon and beauty software platform with booking, client management and operational features designed for service businesses. It is often considered by established independents and smaller salons that want a broad set of scheduling tools.

Tiered Plans for Growing Service Businesses

Timely’s weekly price varies by plan and total bookings across the team, with unlimited team members. Each team member’s bookings contribute to that total. Timely’s plans include Run, which starts from £4, Boost from £7, and Thrive from £9 a week + VAT.

Useful When Client Experience Is a Priority

Features such as online booking, reminders, client records and business reporting can help create a polished customer experience. Hairdressers should review which features sit within each current plan, particularly if they need deposits, marketing or team scheduling.

For a self-employed stylist with a busy, established client base, Timely can offer useful depth. The key is selecting a plan that matches the current business rather than paying for a larger salon setup too early.

4. Goldie

Goldie is aimed at independent beauty and personal-care professionals who want a straightforward way to manage appointments and clients. Its mobile-first approach can be appealing to mobile hairdressers and chair renters who run most of the business from a phone.

Accessible Entry Pricing

Goldie has offered a free version alongside paid subscription options for additional automation and business features. This makes it a platform many professionals may explore when they want to start digitally without committing to a higher monthly cost immediately.

Designed for Day-to-Day Appointment Management

The app focuses on calendars, reminders, client information and payment-related tools. For a hairdresser who is frequently travelling between appointments, having the main diary in a mobile app can be particularly convenient.

Goldie is worth considering for professionals looking for a simple, mobile-led booking tool. Before relying on it as a long-term business hub, check whether the selected plan covers branding, website needs and the booking workflow clients expect.

5. Fresha

Fresha is widely known in the beauty and wellness sector as both booking software and a consumer marketplace. Its visibility can be attractive to hairdressers who want the possibility of being discovered by new clients.

Low Upfront Cost, Different Fee Considerations

Fresha's Independent plan costs £14.95 per month plus VAT, which is £17.94 including VAT. It also charges 20% of a new marketplace client's first visit, with a minimum of £4 plus VAT, and nothing on returning or direct clients. Card payments cost 1.40% + 25p online and 1.19% + 20p in person. Prices checked 10 September 2026.

Marketplace Reach Can Be Valuable for New Client Acquisition

A stylist who is newly launching in an area or has appointment capacity to fill may value marketplace exposure. On the other hand, a professional with an established returning clientele may want to look closely at how marketplace-led bookings fit their preferred margins and client strategy.

Fresha can be a useful option for businesses that place a high value on discovery. It is important to model the likely mix of returning and newly acquired clients rather than comparing only the headline software price.

6. Ovatu

Ovatu is a booking and client-management platform used by beauty, wellness and service businesses. It is often selected by professionals who want detailed appointment controls and a more tailored customer-booking process.

Subscription Pricing With Feature Depth

Ovatu has typically offered multiple subscription levels, with cost increasing as businesses add features, users or locations. The best value tends to depend on the complexity of the diary and the level of automation required.

Strong Consideration for Detailed Booking Rules

The platform can appeal to stylists who need specific booking rules, reminders, client communications and service management. Those controls can be helpful, although a new sole trader may not need every advanced setting from the outset.

Ovatu is a credible choice for a hairdresser who enjoys shaping the detail of their booking workflow. A short trial and a test booking journey can help determine whether the interface feels suitably straightforward for daily use.

7. SimplyBook.me

SimplyBook.me is a general appointment scheduling platform used across many industries, including beauty and wellness. Its flexibility can make it appealing to hairdressers who want to configure a booking site around a particular way of working.

Flexible Plans Based on Booking Volume and Features

SimplyBook.me has offered a free plan and paid tiers that generally scale according to booking volume, users and optional features. This can work well for a business that wants to begin leanly and add functionality as demand increases.

A Configurable Option for Independent Businesses

The platform supports online booking and can be adapted through optional features, making it useful for professionals with specific requirements. The trade-off is that more configuration can mean more time spent setting up the system.

SimplyBook.me may suit a stylist who wants flexibility and is comfortable choosing settings carefully. It is worth checking whether the required payment, reminder, website and branding functions are included within the intended plan.

8. Booksy

Booksy is a booking platform with a strong presence in hair, barbering and beauty. Like other marketplace-enabled platforms, it can be appealing to professionals who want booking software alongside potential exposure to people searching for local services.

Subscription-Led Pricing for Beauty Professionals

Booksy costs £40 per month plus VAT, with each extra user £5 plus VAT. Marketplace bookings carry no fee while Booksy's optional Boost feature is off. With Boost on, Booksy charges 30% plus VAT of a new client's first visit, with a minimum of £5. Payments cost 1.29% + 20p plus VAT. Prices checked 23 August 2026.

A Well-Known Name Among Client-Facing Booking Apps

The consumer app can make Booksy familiar to clients who are used to finding and booking local hair and beauty services online. This can be valuable for visibility, especially where a stylist is actively trying to build a newer client base.

Booksy remains a relevant contender for professionals who want marketplace visibility as part of their booking approach. For a fully booked independent stylist, the most useful comparison is likely to be between its recurring costs, booking control and the value of any client acquisition.

9. Treatwell

Treatwell is a recognised beauty booking marketplace in the UK, connecting salons and independent professionals with consumers looking for appointments. It is most often considered where new-client discovery is a major commercial priority.

Marketplace Economics Need Careful Review

Treatwell’s costs are commonly linked to the way bookings are generated, particularly for new clients coming through the marketplace. This structure can be useful for filling availability, but it should be compared carefully with a fixed-subscription platform when protecting margin is the main concern.

Useful for Visibility in Competitive Local Markets

A hairdresser entering a busy local market may appreciate the opportunity to appear where clients are already searching for services. The platform can complement a business-development period, particularly when there is space in the diary.

Treatwell can make sense when attracting new clients is worth the associated marketplace model. Hairdressers with a loyal returning clientele should assess how it fits with their longer-term goal of maintaining a direct, branded relationship with clients.

The Best Booking App Is the One That Fits How You Work

For most self-employed hairdressers, the strongest choice is not simply the app with the lowest starting price. It is the one that helps them take bookings professionally, protect income with the right deposit approach, keep client relationships in their own hands and spend less of the evening answering diary messages. JENA stands out for those wanting predictable subscription pricing, no booking commission and a branded foundation that can grow with an independent business.