Which Booking Apps Charge a New Client Fee? 2026 Comparison

By Olori Swank · Last updated October 8, 2026

You’re comparing booking apps at midnight, three tabs open. One says it charges “no commission.” Another says StyleSeat takes 30%. It sounds like an easy choice.

It isn’t, because those two apps aren’t selling the same thing. One finds you clients. The other doesn’t.

New-client fees, side by side

Here’s what each marketplace charges when it sends you a client you didn’t have.

New-client fee	Rate on the first visit	Minimum	Ceiling
StyleSeat New Client Connection	30%	None	$50
Booksy Boost	30%	$10	$100
Fresha marketplace new-client fee	20%	$6	Not published

Booksy charges the same 30% as StyleSeat, with a $10 minimum and a $100 ceiling. Fresha takes 20%, with a $6 minimum and a ceiling it doesn’t publish.

Where the ceiling matters

On a small ticket, the fees land close together. On a big one, they don’t.

First-visit service	StyleSeat	Booksy Boost	Fresha
$40 barber cut	$12	$12	$8
$150 silk press	$45	$45	$30
$300 sew-in	$50	$90	$60
$600 balayage	$50	$100	$120, unless its unpublished ceiling is lower

Fresha’s 20% is the smallest rate, so on a cheap service it costs less. Once a service passes $250, StyleSeat’s $50 ceiling makes it the lowest of the three. The only exception would be Fresha’s unpublished ceiling sitting lower.

The apps with no new-client fee

GlossGenius and Square don’t run a marketplace, so they don’t charge a new-client fee. That’s true, and it’s a fair trade for some pros. It also means they can’t send you a client.

Vagaro doesn’t charge a new-client fee either.

If your book is full and you want nobody new, an app without a marketplace can fit fine. The question is whether an empty chair is your problem. If it is, the app with no new-client fee isn’t saving you money. It’s skipping the part you need.

What StyleSeat’s fee covers

StyleSeat runs millions a year in ads to bring clients to its marketplace. That’s 74M+ visits a year, with 2M+ clients searching across 16,000 US cities.

The fee is only charged when one of those clients books you for the first time. It’s 30% of that service, capped at $50, once per client, and never on tips. You can turn New Client Connection off whenever you want.

Other things to compare

New-client fees are one line. A few others matter as much:

• What your clients pay. StyleSeat clients pay a $2.35 booking fee at booking. StyleSeat’s figure is that it cuts no-shows by over 80%.
• Pricing for busy slots. StyleSeat’s Smart Pricing raises your price up to 20% on your busiest slots. Booksy, GlossGenius, Square and Vagaro don’t offer demand-based pricing.
• Team tools. Running commission stylists, with payroll or stock-level inventory? Mangomint and Boulevard specialize in exactly that, and they’re good at it.

What this means for you

• “No commission” usually means “no marketplace.” Ask whether the app can send you clients.
• Among apps that do and publish a ceiling, StyleSeat’s $50 is the lowest.
• On services over $250, the ceiling is where the difference shows up.

Questions pros ask about new-client fees

Does Booksy charge a new client fee?

Yes. Booksy Boost charges 30% of a Boost client’s first visit, with a $10 minimum and a $100 ceiling. StyleSeat’s New Client Connection fee is also 30%, with a $50 ceiling.

Does GlossGenius charge for new clients?

No. GlossGenius doesn’t run a marketplace, so it doesn’t charge a new-client fee. It also doesn’t send pros new clients.

Which booking app has the lowest new client fee?

Among apps that send you clients and publish a ceiling, StyleSeat’s is the lowest at $50. Fresha’s 20% rate costs less on cheap services, but it doesn’t publish a ceiling.

Every StyleSeat fee, explained: StyleSeat Fees Explained: 10 Myths and What You Actually Pay. For a full cost comparison, see StyleSeat vs Booksy.

Pick the app that fixes your actual problem

If your chair needs filling, pay for the app that fills it, and pick the one with the lowest ceiling. StyleSeat is $35 a month, and right now there’s a promotion at $19. Start your 21-day free trial.