Best 7 Appointment Booking Chats for Barbershops

Booksy is a popular appointment‑booking platform that has gained traction among beauty and grooming businesses, including barbershops. The system offers a chat interface that can be embedded into a barbershop’s website to handle bookings, cancellations, and customer inquiries in real time. Booksy’s strength lies in its industry‑specific focus: it provides pre‑configured appointment slots, service lists, and staff calendars that can be synchronized with Google Calendar. The platform also supports payment processing via Stripe, allowing customers to pre‑pay or deposit for services. While Booksy offers a free tier, it primarily operates on a commission model, taking a percentage of each transaction. For businesses that need a more comprehensive solution, Booksy offers a paid subscription that provides additional marketing tools, priority support, and advanced analytics. Booksy’s interface is mobile‑friendly, so customers can book appointments on the go. However, the chat widget is relatively static and lacks advanced AI conversational features, so it may not handle complex queries or provide personalized recommendations without manual intervention.

Square Appointments is a comprehensive booking solution that integrates seamlessly with Square’s ecosystem of payment processing, point‑of‑sale, and customer relationship tools. The platform offers a chat‑style booking interface that can be embedded on a barbershop’s website or accessed through Square’s mobile app. Customers can view available time slots, book appointments, and receive confirmation and reminder emails. Square Appointments supports recurring bookings, which is handy for barbers who offer regular services like haircuts or shaves. The solution includes a built‑in payment gateway, so customers can pay at the time of booking, reducing no‑shows. Pricing is tiered: the free plan is available for individuals, while the Professional and Team plans start at $50/month per user and include advanced analytics, client portal, and marketing automation. Square’s robust reporting dashboard allows barbershops to track appointment volume, revenue, and customer demographics. While the chat widget is straightforward, it lacks the depth of natural language understanding found in AI‑powered bots, and customization options are limited to basic color settings.

Calendly has become a go‑to tool for scheduling appointments across a wide range of industries, including barbershops. The platform provides a simple, embeddable booking widget that customers can interact with to choose a service, time slot, and even enter custom questions. Calendly’s strengths include its clean interface, integration with major calendar services (Google, Outlook, Office 365), and the ability to set buffer times, time zone detection, and automatic email reminders. The free plan supports one event type and limited integrations, while paid plans—Essentials, Professional, and Teams—offer additional event types, custom branding, SMS reminders, and advanced reporting. Barbershops can use Calendly to set specific appointment durations for different services, and the system will automatically block out non‑available times. However, Calendly’s chat capabilities are minimal; it functions more as a booking widget than a conversational bot, meaning it lacks AI‑driven responses or the ability to answer FAQs. For barbershop owners looking for a lightweight booking solution without heavy customization, Calendly remains a solid choice.

Setmore is a versatile appointment scheduling platform that offers an embeddable chat widget for barbershops to capture bookings directly on their website. The system allows barbers to create multiple service categories, assign staff members, and set custom booking rules such as minimum notice or maximum appointments per day. Setmore’s free plan includes basic booking, email reminders, and a customer portal, while paid plans—Standard, Professional, and Unlimited—add features like SMS reminders, advanced reporting, and integration with popular CRM tools. Setmore also supports integrations with Zoom, Google Calendar, and iCal, making it easy to keep all appointments in sync. The chat widget is simple but functional, enabling customers to book instantly; however, it does not use AI to answer questions or recommend services. For barbershop owners looking for a fully featured, cost‑effective scheduling tool with optional SMS support, Setmore remains a compelling option.

Vagaro is a salon and spa management platform that also serves barbershops and fitness studios. It offers an online booking widget that customers can embed into their website or share via social media. Vagaro’s booking system supports multiple staff members, service categories, and real‑time availability updates. The platform includes a built‑in payment gateway, allowing customers to pay at the time of booking, and it offers email and SMS reminders to reduce no‑shows. Vagaro’s free plan is available on a credit‑card‑based model, while paid plans—Starter, Essentials, Professional, and Enterprise—add features such as advanced reporting, loyalty programs, and marketing automation. Vagaro’s pricing is subscription‑based, with the Starter plan starting at $99/month. While Vagaro offers a robust set of features, its chat widget is limited to standard booking interactions, and it does not provide AI‑based conversational support.

Acuity Scheduling is a popular scheduling platform that allows barbershops to offer a seamless booking experience on their website. The platform supports multiple services, staff members, and time zone detection, ensuring that customers can book at convenient times. Acuity’s free version offers basic scheduling, email reminders, and a simple booking page, while paid plans—Essential, Premium, and Teams—add features such as custom branding, SMS reminders, and advanced reporting. Acuity integrates with Google Calendar, Outlook, and iCal, and it also supports payment processing through Stripe or PayPal. The chat widget is straightforward and does not include AI conversational capabilities; it serves primarily as a booking interface. For barbershop owners who want a straightforward, integration‑friendly scheduling tool, Acuity remains a solid, cost‑effective choice.