Booksy Books Haircuts.
LVL2 Runs Tattoo Businesses.
Booksy was built for salons and barbershops. It charges $29.99/mo + $20/user (a 5-artist shop is $110+/mo for scheduling alone), plus 30% on first visits if you use their Boost advertising feature — and has zero tattoo-specific tools — no intake forms, no reference uploads, no stencil generation, no flash workflow, no convention mode. LVL2 is a full tattoo business operating system with booking fees that only apply to deposits, a merch shop with real shipping, POS kiosk, AI booking bot, LVL2 Bot, memberships, gift certificates, digital products, expense tracking, tax reports, and 60+ features Booksy doesn't have. Built by a tattoo artist who still tattoos every day.
Reviewed March 25, 2026 · Booksy public pricing/pages + LVL2 repo-verified data
Hidden Marketplace Fees
Booksy Boost charges 30% on new clients' first visit (optional). Base plan is $29.99/mo + $20 per staff member. With LVL2, any booking fee only applies to the deposit and every client is yours from day one.
Tattoo Is Not a Haircut
Booksy was designed for salons and barbershops. No intake forms, no reference image uploads, no stencil tools, no flash workflow. Tattoo artists need purpose-built features, not a salon scheduler.
AI-Powered Everything
LVL2's AI Booking Bot handles SMS conversations, qualifies leads, and books appointments automatically. The LVL2 Bot assists with business, tattooing, and art theory. Booksy gives you a calendar.
// Who built this
Built by a tattoo artist.
Not a beauty-tech startup.
Booksy was built by a tech company to serve the beauty and wellness marketplace. LVL2 was built by a working tattoo artist who still tattoos every day. Every feature exists because it solved a real problem in the chair, not because a product manager at a beauty startup guessed what artists might need. When you use LVL2, you're supporting a tattoo artist, not funding another tech company.
Who each tool is best for
Choose LVL2 if you're…
• A tattoo artist who wants tools built for tattooing
• Done paying $20/user/mo and 30% Boost fees for new clients
• Ready to sell merch, digital products, or memberships
• Looking for POS, convention mode, or studio management
• Wanting AI tools that actually understand your industry
• Building a real business, not just filling a calendar
Choose Booksy if you're…
• A barber or salon stylist who just needs a calendar
• Fine paying $29.99 + $20/user/mo and want Boost-powered lead discovery
• Only need basic booking and appointment management
• Looking for a general beauty/wellness marketplace listing
• Don't need intake forms, stencils, or flash tools
• Don't need a merch shop, POS, or business operations
60+ features Booksy can't touch
Booksy handles booking for salons. These are the features LVL2 has that Booksy doesn't — and they're the ones that let you run a tattoo business, not just a calendar.
POS Kiosk
Turn your iPad into a full POS kiosk. Walk-in check-ins, ID verification, digital waivers, and payments — all from one screen at your shop or convention booth. Booksy doesn't have this.
Your Own Merch Shop
Sell prints, apparel, flash, stickers, whatever you want. Product variants, inventory tracking, buyer reviews, shipping, and a real storefront. Booksy is a scheduling tool — no shop, no commerce.
Shipping Integration
Real shipping for your merch shop. Shipping rates, label generation, tracking numbers. Ship products to clients anywhere. Booksy can't ship anything because there's nothing to ship.
Digital Products
Sell digital art, courses, tutorials, flash packs, stencil files — anything downloadable. Instant delivery, download tracking. Booksy has no concept of digital products.
SMS Booking
Clients book via text message. No app download, no login, no marketplace. Just a text and they're booked. The fastest booking flow in the industry. Booksy requires clients to use their app.
AI Booking Bot
LVL2's AI Booking Bot handles SMS conversations, qualifies leads, collects deposits, and books appointments automatically. Booksy gives you a calendar widget. Not the same thing.
Custom Intake Forms
Build intake forms with whatever fields you need. Different forms for different services. Clients fill them out before they arrive. Booksy has no intake forms — because salons don't need them.
Stencil Generation
Generate stencils from designs right in the platform. Border customization, sharing, daily challenges. A real tattoo tool. Booksy doesn't know what a stencil is.
Flash Sheet Upload
Upload a whole flash sheet with numbered pieces. Clients pick by number before the appointment — no guessing, no back and forth. Booksy has no flash workflow at all.
Flash Marketplace
All flash drops across the platform in one browsable marketplace. Clients find your flash even if they don't follow you yet. New eyeballs on your work. No per-lead fees ever.
Convention Mode
Switch to convention mode when you're on the road. Queue management, walk-in flow, flash-only checkout, booth payments. Booksy has no concept of conventions.
LVL2 Bot
Your own AI assistant trained on business operations, tattooing, and art theory. Helps with client communication, booking management, and creative workflow. Booksy doesn't have AI tools.
AI Tattoo Ideas
Clients describe what they want, AI helps generate tattoo concepts. Speeds up consultation and gets everyone on the same page before the appointment. Credits-based, built in.
Ink Studio
Mix and save ink color recipes. Browse ink brands, create custom formulas, organize your ink library. Know exactly what colors you used on every piece.
Client Portal
A full portal your clients actually use — appointment history, forms, payments, healing journey, mood boards, tattoo passport, everything in one place. Not just a booking confirmation email.
Social Feed
Built-in social where you connect with other artists. Post work, follow artists, comment, react, save posts. A real community, not just a marketplace where you're a listing.
Memberships
Sell monthly memberships to your clients. Recurring revenue, automatic billing, tiered benefits, VIP access. Predictable income every month. Booksy doesn't support memberships.
Gift Certificates
Let clients buy gift certificates for their friends. Custom amounts, beautiful delivery, wallet redemption at checkout. Built-in, not a third-party workaround.
CRM + Client History
Every client, every appointment, every note, every payment, every message. Full client profiles with session history, preferences, and spending data. Booksy has basic contacts.
Invoices
Generate and send professional invoices with PDF export. Track what's paid, what's pending, send reminders. No more chasing payments in DMs.
Estimates & Quotes
Send professional estimates before work begins. Price breakdowns, AI-assisted pricing, client approval flow. Set expectations before anyone sits in the chair.
Waitlists
Real waitlist management with automatic matching, offers, and campaigns. Not a spreadsheet, not a DM thread. Organized, automated, and trackable.
Guest Spots
List guest spots, manage availability at other shops, let clients find you wherever you're working. Applications, approvals, and scheduling built in.
Expense Tracking
Track every business expense with categories, receipt uploads, and reporting. Know exactly what you're spending on supplies, rent, travel. Tax time is handled.
Tax Summary & Reports
Generate tax reports for your business at any time. Income, expenses, net profit, all organized and ready for your accountant.
Healing Journey & Tattoo Passport
Clients track their healing with check-ins, milestones, and aftercare reminders. Plus a tattoo passport — a record of every piece they've ever gotten.
Waivers & Consent Forms
Digital waivers clients sign before their appointment — or on the kiosk when they walk in. Templates, versioning, PDF generation. No more paper forms.
Loyalty & Rewards
XP system, tiered loyalty, achievements, badges. Clients earn rewards for booking, buying, referring friends. Retention on autopilot.
Campaigns
Run marketing campaigns from inside LVL2. Target client segments, track engagement and conversions, automate follow-ups. Built-in, not bolted on.
Abandoned Cart Recovery
Client adds merch to their cart and bounces? Automatic recovery emails bring them back to finish the purchase. Revenue you'd otherwise lose.
No Cut of the Tattoo Total
LVL2 doesn't take a cut of the full tattoo total. Starter and Pro only apply a client-paid fee to the deposit. Booksy's Boost feature charges 30% on a new client's first visit, and a 5-artist studio pays $110+/mo just for scheduling.
Supply Store
Order needles, ink, machines, aftercare right from LVL2. Browse the catalog, checkout, and earn referral commissions. One platform for everything.
Custom Domain
Get your own domain on any LVL2 vertical — leveltwo.app, lvl2.ink, lvl2.tattoo, lvl2.hair, and more. A clean, professional URL that's yours.
Where Booksy is solid
Booksy has a large consumer marketplace. If you're a barber or salon stylist and want new leads from the marketplace, Booksy can deliver that. The booking calendar works, auto-reminders work, and the 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 use Booksy Boost to grow your clientele, you pay 30% on each new client's first visit. LVL2 gives you the same booking simplicity — client clicks your link, books, pays the deposit, done — plus everything else on this page. Purpose-built, with booking fees that only apply to deposits and no Boost commissions eating into new client revenue.
Marketplace scheduler vs
tattoo business OS.
| Feature | LVL2 | Booksy |
|---|---|---|
| Online booking page | ||
| Calendar sync (Google/Apple) | ||
| Auto SMS reminders | ||
| Review collection | ||
| Team / multi-artist support | ||
| Artist portfolio / gallery | ||
| Tattoo-native platform | ||
| Custom intake forms | ||
| Reference image uploads | ||
| Flash workflow (numbered pick) | ||
| Stencil generation | ||
| Convention mode | ||
| Walk-in mode & queue | ||
| Fee only applies to deposit | ||
| No per-booking commission fees | Boost only | |
| Automated deposit collection | Limited | |
| AI Booking Bot (SMS) | ||
| LVL2 Bot (AI assistant) | ||
| AI tattoo idea generation | ||
| POS kiosk (iPad check-in + payments) | ||
| Merch shop (sell anything) | ||
| Digital products (art, courses, tutorials) | ||
| Shipping integration (rates + tracking) | ||
| BNPL (Affirm, Klarna, Afterpay) | ||
| Payment plans (split pay) | ||
| Client CRM with tags | Basic | |
| Client portal | ||
| Full client history | ||
| Invoices (generate + send + PDF) | ||
| Estimates & quotes (AI-assisted) | ||
| Flash sales & walk-in queue | ||
| Social feed (artist community) | ||
| Followers (clients subscribe to artists) | ||
| Memberships (recurring revenue) | ||
| Gift certificates | ||
| Client referrals (track + reward) | ||
| Loyalty program & rewards (XP) | ||
| Waitlists (organized + automatic matching) | ||
| Guest spots | ||
| Collabs (multi-artist pieces) | ||
| Ink Studio (color mixing + ink recipes) | ||
| Exchange (artist-to-artist marketplace) | ||
| Art School (learn tattooing + art theory) | ||
| Apprenticeship management | ||
| Healing journey & aftercare tracking | ||
| Tattoo passport (client tattoo record) | ||
| Waivers & consent forms (digital) | ||
| Video consultations | ||
| Mood boards (shared with clients) | ||
| Artist discovery map | ||
| Analytics dashboard | ||
| Expense tracking (receipts + categories) | ||
| Tax summary & reports | ||
| Campaigns (marketing automation) | ||
| Lifecycle automation (client journeys) | ||
| Two-way client messaging | ||
| Mobile app with push notifications | ||
| Client wallet & credits | ||
| Instant payouts | ||
| Booking widget embed | ||
| Booking page customization (themes + animated backgrounds) | ||
| QR code generation | ||
| Business card generator + digital business cards | ||
| Supply store (needles, ink, machines) | ||
| Profile branding & themes | ||
| Custom domain | ||
| Artist verification system | ||
| Studio directory listing | ||
| Auto booth rent collection | ||
| Centralized studio booking page | ||
| Next-available artist routing | ||
| Collaborative studio workspace | ||
| Time tracking | ||
| Featured marketplace placements | ||
| Owner reports (PDF export) | ||
| 1099-NEC tax summary |
More features. Less money. No commissions.
LVL2 Pricing
Starter: $0/mo — 9.8% booking fee on deposits only, 0% platform fee
Pro: $39/mo — 4.8% booking fee on deposits only, 0% platform fee
Studio: $99/mo — Stripe fees only, 0% platform fee
Starter and Pro booking fees are client-paid and only apply to deposits, not the full tattoo total.
Booksy Pricing
Solo: $29.99/mo + $20/additional user
Marketplace: Boost advertising: 30% on first visit from Boost-acquired clients
Boost: Extra fees for promoted marketplace placement
LVL2 Starter is free. Booksy starts at $29.99/mo — and $20/mo per additional staff member. Add team members and Booksy charges $20 per additional user. Add Boost (their paid advertising) and pay 30% on each new client's first visit on top of that. With LVL2, Starter and Pro only apply a client-paid fee to deposits, not the full tattoo total, and you get 60+ more features.
And for that lower price, you get everything on this page. Every feature above — merch shop with shipping, POS kiosk, memberships, gift certificates, digital products, AI booking bot, LVL2 Bot, stencil generation, Ink Studio, expense tracking, tax reports, campaigns, loyalty rewards, convention mode, and the entire tattoo business toolkit Booksy was never designed to have.
Common Questions
Is LVL2 or Booksy better for tattoo artists?+
Does Booksy charge commissions?+
Can I use Booksy for tattoo booking?+
Does LVL2 have a merch shop?+
Does LVL2 have an AI booking bot?+
Can I use LVL2 as a POS at my shop?+
Is LVL2 cheaper than Booksy?+
Who built LVL2?+
Does LVL2 work for studios?+
Can I sell memberships and gift certificates?+
Stop renting your clients
from a marketplace.
Deposit-only booking fees. No per-user charges. 60+ features Booksy doesn't have. POS kiosk. Merch shop with shipping. Memberships. Gift certificates. Digital products. AI booking bot. LVL2 Bot. Stencil generation. Ink Studio. Convention mode. Expense tracking. Tax reports. Campaigns. Loyalty rewards. Supply store. Built by a tattoo artist. Set up in minutes.