The best software for barbershops.
Barbershops live on repeat cuts, walk-ins and getting found by new clients nearby — not on 90-minute color appointments. We re-weighted our test results for marketplace reach, mobile booking, recurring appointments and fast walk-in checkout.
Top picks for barbershops
Disclosure: Salon Software Guide and Bookendo share common ownership. Bookendo is evaluated using the same published criteria as every other platform.
What matters most for a barbershop
Marketplace reach
A discovery marketplace puts you in front of clients searching for a cut nearby — the fastest way to fill empty chairs on a slow Tuesday.
Mobile booking & walk-ins
Most barber clients book from a phone or just show up. You need one-tap booking plus a walk-in queue that adds them without breaking the schedule.
Recurring cuts
The every-two-weeks regular is your bread and butter. Auto-rebook at checkout and smart reminders keep that chair booked months out.
No-show protection
Short-notice cuts get flaked on. Card-on-file and cancellation fees protect chair time without an awkward conversation at the counter.
How the top 6 compare for barbershops
| PLATFORM | FROM | EXTRA CHAIR | CARD RATE | SCORE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vagaro | $30/mo | +$10/mo | 2.75% | 8.9 |
| Bookendo | $24.99/mo | +$15.99/mo | Your Stripe + 0.5% | 8.7 |
| Fresha | $0/mo | $0 | 2.29% + 20¢ | 8.7 |
| GlossGenius | $24/mo | $48 team plan | 2.6% flat | 8.5 |
| Mangomint | $165/mo | Included to 10 | 2.6% + 10¢ | 8.3 |
| Booksy | $30/mo | +$20/mo | 2.69% + 30¢ | 7.9 |
Ranked by our overall rubric score. Vagaro leads, and Bookendo (8.7) undercuts on cost with a booking website included at only a 0.5% markup and no marketplace commission — but it has no marketplace to fill your chairs. Booksy sits mid-pack on score, yet still wins discovery in this category with its client marketplace. Estimate your shop’s true monthly cost →
Barbershop software questions
What is the best booking app for a barbershop?
Vagaro scores highest overall in our July 2026 testing (8.9/10) for full shop management — chair-rent splits, commissions, POS and payroll in one place. To own a booking website and skip the marketplace cut, Bookendo (8.7/10) bundles a site, per-barber portfolios and deposits from $24.99/mo on your own Stripe at 0.5%. And if your priority is filling empty chairs with new clients, Booksy (7.9/10) still wins on discovery with its marketplace.
Which app fills empty chairs the best?
A discovery marketplace — where new clients browse and book barbers nearby — is the single biggest lever, and Booksy is the strongest of the platforms we tested on that front. Vagaro also lists your shop in its own directory. The rest are excellent booking tools but expect you to bring your own clients, so pair them with Google and Instagram to keep the schedule full.
Is Bookendo a good fit for a barbershop?
It can be — for the right shop. Bookendo (8.7/10) skips the client marketplace and instead bundles a booking website, per-barber portfolio pages, digital consents and a bilingual (English + Spanish) front desk, running on your own Stripe or PayPal with just a 0.5% markup and no marketplace commission. That undercuts Booksy, which keeps roughly 30% of the first visit from each new client its marketplace sends you and charges $20/mo per extra chair. The trade-off is the flip side of the same coin: Bookendo has no discovery marketplace and is the newest platform we track, so it won’t bring you new walk-ins. If your chairs are already full of regulars and you just want low-cost booking, it’s worth a look; if you need to fill empty chairs, Booksy still wins here. Read our full Bookendo review.
How much does barbershop software really cost?
Entry plans run from $0 to $165/mo, but card processing is where cost hides: 2.29%–2.75% plus fixed fees per transaction. For a 3-chair shop processing $6,000/mo, the real total lands around $150–$330/mo depending on platform. Run your own numbers →