Salon booking software without commission: what marketplace fees really cost you

Short answer: the big US beauty marketplaces don't take a cut of every booking, but they do take a share of a new client's first appointment, usually 20% to 30% depending on the platform. Whether that is a good deal comes down to one question: are those clients genuinely new people you would never have reached, or people who would have found you anyway? Commission-free software swaps that percentage for a fixed monthly price, and you bring in clients through your own link.

How marketplace pricing works

Booksy, Fresha and StyleSeat each run two businesses at once. One is booking software you use to run your schedule. The other is a consumer app where people search for a service near them and pick from a list of pros.

The software side is normally a subscription. The marketplace side is where commission comes in: when the app sends you a client you didn't have before, it charges a fee on that client's first booking. Repeat visits from the same client are usually commission-free.

That model is fair in principle. It is a finder's fee. The questions worth asking are how big the fee is, and who counts as "new."

What each platform publishes

The figures below come from each company's own pages, checked in October 2026. Platforms change pricing often, so confirm the current terms before you decide anything.

Booksy. Booksy's paid marketplace feature is called Boost. You pay 30% of a new client's first visit when they find you through the Booksy marketplace while Boost is on; after that, the client books commission-free. Booksy's pages for different countries list different minimums, so check the US figure in your own account.

Fresha. Fresha used to be free and now charges a monthly subscription for the software. On top of that it charges a one-time fee on the first booking of a new client who discovers you through the Fresha marketplace. Its published US rate is 20% of that booking with a minimum of $6 per client, and Fresha says the fee doesn't apply to returning clients or to bookings through your own website or social links.

StyleSeat. StyleSeat's New Client Connection fee is 30% of a brand-new client's first appointment, with a maximum of $50 per client, according to StyleSeat's own help articles. You can switch the feature off if it doesn't suit your business.

What "new client" means in practice

This is where the real cost hides. Each platform has its own definition, and none of them can see into your book.

• A client who follows you on Instagram but happens to search the app first may count as new.
• A regular who books through the app instead of your link, maybe because the app is already on their phone, may trigger a fee if they aren't matched to your existing client list.
• Some definitions reset after a stretch without a booking, so a client returning after a long gap may count as new again.

None of this is hidden, but it is easy to miss when you sign up. Read the definition in your own terms, and keep your existing client list in the system so returning clients are recognized.

The math over a month

Take an example salon. It gets eight first-time clients a month through a marketplace, and the average first appointment is $80.

That is before any minimum fee and before the subscription itself. A high-ticket first visit, like a $250 color correction, makes the percentage hurt more, which is why a cap (where there is one) matters.

Now compare that with commission-free software. Avana's Business plan is $20.99 a month, tax included, whether you get eight new clients that month or eighty. Card payments have processing costs on every platform, so leave those out of the comparison and the picture is clear: the commission line simply isn't there.

Questions to ask before you sign up for a marketplace

If you are considering a marketplace, these questions get you the real cost quickly. Ask them in writing and keep the answers.

1. What percentage do you charge on a new client's first booking, and is there a minimum or a cap?
2. How do you decide whether a client is new? What happens with clients already in my records who book through the app?
3. Does a returning client ever count as new again, for example after a long gap?
4. Are bookings through my own link or website ever charged?
5. What happens to the fee if the client cancels or no-shows?
6. Can I export my client list, with contact details, if I leave?

That last question matters more than it looks. If your client list lives only inside one app, leaving later means starting over.

When paying commission is still worth it

It would be dishonest to say marketplaces are never worth it. They can make sense when:

• You just opened and nobody knows you exist yet. A finder's fee on a client who stays for years is cheap marketing.
• You work in a dense city where people really do search an app for "lashes near me" and book whoever is open.
• You have openings you can't fill any other way. A commission-carrying booking still beats an empty chair.

They make less sense when most of your clients come from referrals, Instagram or regulars. Then you are often paying a finder's fee for people who found you on their own.

A middle route: marketplace for discovery, your own link for everything else

Plenty of salons and booth renters combine the two:

1. Stay listed on one marketplace while you need the visibility.
2. When a new client comes in, give them your own booking link (on a card at your station, in your aftercare text, in your Instagram bio).
3. Their next visit runs through your own page, with no commission.
4. Once most of your book comes from your own link, decide whether the marketplace still earns its fee.

What changes when you book through your own page with Avana

Avana is booking software without a marketplace attached, so there is no new-client fee to calculate.

• Your own booking page and link, for your Instagram bio, Google Business Profile and text messages. Clients book around the clock and see only you, with no list of nearby competitors underneath.
• One fixed monthly price. The amount is the same however busy you are. The plans are on the pricing page.
• Your client list stays yours. Every booking lands in your own client records, with history and notes, and you can import the clients you already have.
• Deposits and reminders built in, so leaving an app doesn't mean losing its no-show protection. Our guide to reducing no-shows explains how to set them up.
• Help switching. If you are moving from another system, we can help you set things up during the free trial; the contact page is the quickest way to reach us.

You can see everything included on the features page, or start the free trial and add your own services.