The main event · Reviewed April 2026
Booksy books haircuts. LVL2 runs tattoo businesses.
Booksy was built for salons — $29.99/mo + $20/user (a 5-artist shop is $110+/mo for scheduling alone), plus 30% on first visits if you run Boost, and zero tattoo tools. LVL2 gives artists one workflow: booking, deposits, kiosk, merch, AI booking, and 60+ features Booksy doesn't have.
Booksy public pricing & pages + LVL2 repo-verified data
TALE OF THE TAPE
Round by round, side by side.
Reviewed April 2026 · Booksy details from public pricing & product pages · LVL2 rows repo-verified
THE DECIDING ROUNDS
Where the fight is actually won.
Hidden marketplace fees
Booksy is $29.99/mo + $20 per staff member, and Boost takes 30% of each new client's first visit. A 5-artist shop pays $110+/mo just for scheduling. Any LVL2 fee only lands on the deposit.
Tattoo is not a haircut
Booksy was designed for salons and barbershops. No intake forms, no reference uploads, no stencil tools, no flash workflow. Tattoo artists need purpose-built features.
AI-powered everything
LVL2's AI booking bot handles SMS, qualifies leads, and books automatically. LVL2b0t assists with business and tattooing. Booksy gives you a calendar.
GIVING BOOKSY ITS DUE
Where Booksy takes the round.
Booksy has a large consumer marketplace. If you're a barber or salon stylist who wants new leads from that marketplace, Booksy can deliver them. The booking calendar works, auto-reminders work, and multi-artist team management is functional. It's a solid salon scheduling tool.
But if you're a tattoo artist, you're using a salon tool — and if you run Boost to grow, you pay 30% on each new client's first visit. LVL2 gives you the same one-tap booking plus everything else on this page, with fees that only apply to deposits and no Boost commissions eating into new-client revenue.
PURSE & FEES
More features. Less money. No commissions.
LVL2
Starter: Free forever · 9.8% booking fee on client-paid deposits only
Pro: $39/mo + 4.5% on client deposits only
Studio: Custom operator plan · zero LVL2 booking fees
Every feature on this page is included at every tier. No per-user charges. Deposits run through Stripe.
Booksy
Solo: $29.99/mo + $20 per additional user
Boost: 30% of the first visit from Boost-acquired clients
Placement: Extra fees for promoted marketplace spots
A 5-artist shop runs $110+/mo for scheduling before tattoo workflow even enters the picture.
FAQ
Common questions.
Is LVL2 or Booksy better for tattoo artists?
LVL2. Booksy was designed for salons — no intake forms, no stencil tools, no flash workflow, no convention mode, no merch shop, no POS kiosk. LVL2 has all of those plus 60+ more features, and any LVL2 booking fee only applies to the deposit, not the full tattoo total.
Does Booksy charge commissions?
Booksy's base plan is $29.99/mo flat with no per-booking commission on organic bookings. But if you use Booksy Boost (their optional advertising), they charge 30% of the first visit's revenue from Boost-acquired clients. LVL2 only applies booking fees to deposits, so there's no cut of the full tattoo total.
Does LVL2 have an AI booking bot?
Yes. LVL2's AI booking bot handles SMS conversations, collects request details, and creates booking requests. Plus LVL2b0t is trained on business and tattooing. Booksy doesn't have AI tools.
Is LVL2 cheaper than Booksy?
Starter is free forever for artists. Booksy starts at $29.99/mo + $20/user per staff member — a 5-person shop pays $110+/mo just for scheduling, before you compare tattoo-specific workflows.
Who built LVL2?
A tattoo artist who still tattoos every single day. Not a beauty-tech startup. Every feature exists because it solved a real problem in the chair.