# Best Barbershop Check-in Apps, Compared | NextUp Walk-in Source: https://nextupwalkin.com/compare/best-barbershop-check-in-apps > Barbershop check-in apps side by side: price, free plan, texts and who each suits, from their own pricing pages. Alphabetical, not ranked, with sources. # Best barbershop check-in apps, compared A barbershop check-in app lets walk-ins put their name down from a QR code, a tablet at the door or a link, and tells them when the chair is close. Here are the apps barbers look at most, with prices from their own pages and who each one honestly suits. ## What to look for ### Walk-in line or appointment book Some apps are built around the walk-in line, others around the appointment book with a waitlist for openings. If most of your clients walk in, check that the app shows each person their live place and wait. ### Check-in at the door A QR code covers clients with a phone; a tablet at the door covers the rest. Check whether the tablet check-in is included or an add-on. ### The whole monthly price Look past the headline price: fees for each extra barber, text allowances, marketplace commissions on new clients and card fees all add up. ## Our app: NextUp Walk-in We make this one, so it isn’t ranked against the others. A walk-in line first: customers join from a QR code or a link with no app to download and follow their live place on their phone, a now-serving TV display shows who is up next, and a door tablet checks in walk-ins without a phone. The Walk-in plan is $29 a month for the first location and $19 for each one after, with 3 team members included at each; Pro ($59) adds online booking and deposits beside the line. Tips and card payments go through your own Stripe account; NextUp Walk-in’s card fee is 0.5% of each card payment, never on tips, at most $1. Texting is on paid plans (text alerts coming soon). [See pricing](https://nextupwalkin.com/pricing) ## The apps, A to Z - ### [Barber-OS](https://nextupwalkin.com/compare/barber-os) **Good fit for:** Shops that want a point of sale and retail inventory with their booking; its walk-in kiosk is a $49 a month add-on. Starting price Solo $29/month (one barber); Elite (Shop) $89/month Free plan or trial A free online booking plan; a 7-day free trial of Solo and Elite Texts Two-way messaging and blast campaigns in its plan comparison; allowances not found on the pages checked Built for Barbershops and salons: booking, point of sale, inventory and team pay, with a walk-in kiosk add-on ($49/month) From [Barber-OS's pricing page](https://www.barber-os.com/pricing), as of Oct 20, 2026. [NextUp Walk-in vs Barber-OS](https://nextupwalkin.com/compare/barber-os) - ### [Barbershop Manager](https://nextupwalkin.com/compare/barbershop-manager) **Good fit for:** One barbershop that wants 500 texts a month included today, with optional check-in stations sold by the company. Starting price $99/month, or $891 a year, for one shop Free plan or trial No: a 14-day free trial (card required) Texts 500 SMS a month included; more at 2¢ a text (1,000 minimum) Built for Barbershops, one shop at a time: check-in tablet, live waiting list, barber app and shop website From [Barbershop Manager's pricing page](https://barbershopmanager.com/pricing), as of Oct 20, 2026. [NextUp Walk-in vs Barbershop Manager](https://nextupwalkin.com/compare/barbershop-manager) - ### [bavoli](https://nextupwalkin.com/compare/bavoli) **Good fit for:** A free walk-in check-in page with a few texts a month; it is built for restaurants first. Starting price Plus $30/month or $300 a year (a Free plan too) Free plan or trial Yes: Free at $0, with texts for the first 25 parties a month Texts Plus texts up to 500 parties a month, Pro ($60) up to 1,500 Built for Restaurants first (waitlist, reservations, ordering), with a walk-in check-in page for barbershops From [bavoli's pricing page](https://www.bavoli.com/pricing), as of Oct 20, 2026. [NextUp Walk-in vs bavoli](https://nextupwalkin.com/compare/bavoli) - ### [Booksy](https://nextupwalkin.com/compare/booksy) **Good fit for:** Barbers who want new clients from a marketplace app; each extra staff member is $20 a month. Starting price $29.99/month plus tax, plus $20/month for each additional staff member Free plan or trial No: a 14-day free trial Texts Confirmations and reminders included, plus 2,000 marketing texts a month Built for Beauty and wellness: barbers, hair and nail salons, spas and massage From [Booksy's pricing page](https://biz.booksy.com/en-us/pricing), checked October 2026. [NextUp Walk-in vs Booksy](https://nextupwalkin.com/compare/booksy) - ### [Ozync](https://nextupwalkin.com/compare/ozync) **Good fit for:** A low flat price for a kiosk, QR sign-in and TV queue, with texts included and free for the first 100 guests. Starting price $15/month billed annually, or $20 month to month, in the US (one plan) Free plan or trial Free for your first 100 guests in total (not per month), every feature, no card Texts SMS or WhatsApp notifications included, with no per-text charge Built for Salons, barbershops, tattoo studios and other walk-in businesses: check-in kiosk, QR and NFC sign-in, TV queue and digital waivers From [Ozync's pricing page](https://ozync.com/support/plans-and-billing), as of Oct 25, 2026. [NextUp Walk-in vs Ozync](https://nextupwalkin.com/compare/ozync) - ### [Squire](https://nextupwalkin.com/compare/squire) **Good fit for:** Appointment-first barbershops that want booking, payments at the chair and shop management, with a front-desk kiosk. Starting price $30/month (Independent, one barber) Free plan or trial No: a 14-day free trial Texts Email and text reminders included Built for Barbershops: booking, payments at the chair and shop management From [Squire's pricing page](https://getsquire.com/pricing), checked October 2026. [NextUp Walk-in vs Squire](https://nextupwalkin.com/compare/squire) - ### [theCut](https://nextupwalkin.com/compare/thecut) **Good fit for:** Barbers who each keep their own book and want new clients from theCut’s app, where clients search for barbers nearby. Starting price Pro $25/month for a barber (Free is $0); the owner’s Shop account is $0/month Free plan or trial Yes: Free for barbers at $0 and a $0 Shop account for owners; a 30-day Pro trial, no card Texts Text appointment updates on Pro; push and email on Free Built for Barbers and barbershops: booking, mobile pay and an app where clients find barbers From [theCut's pricing page](https://thecut.co/pricing), as of Oct 24, 2026. [NextUp Walk-in vs theCut](https://nextupwalkin.com/compare/thecut) - ### [thewaitlist](https://nextupwalkin.com/compare/thewaitlist) **Good fit for:** Running one walk-in line for free today, with 300 texts a month on its Free plan. Starting price $0/month (Free); Pro is $29/month Free plan or trial Yes: Free is $0/month, not a trial, with no card. Its first 10 shops get Pro free for a year Texts 300 texts a month on Free; 1,000 a month on Pro, then 2¢ a text Built for Walk-in shops running a walk-in line From [thewaitlist's pricing page](https://www.thewaitlist.com/pricing), checked October 2026. [NextUp Walk-in vs thewaitlist](https://nextupwalkin.com/compare/thewaitlist) - ### [WaitLink](https://nextupwalkin.com/compare/waitlink) **Good fit for:** A low-cost walk-in line in the browser, with text alerts on its $15 Pro plan. Starting price Pro $15/month (Starter is free) Free plan or trial Yes: Starter at $0 a month Texts Automated SMS alerts on Pro; monthly allowance not found on the pages checked Built for Walk-in lines in the browser for barbershops, clinics, salons and restaurants, with tablet and lobby TV screens From [WaitLink's pricing page](https://waitlink.app/), as of Oct 20, 2026. [NextUp Walk-in vs WaitLink](https://nextupwalkin.com/compare/waitlink) - ### [WaitQ](https://nextupwalkin.com/compare/waitq) **Good fit for:** Walk-in queues and bookings in one dashboard, with SMS or WhatsApp credits on every plan. Starting price Starter $27/month billed annually (1 location, 5 staff accounts); Grow $49, Business $119 Free plan or trial No free plan found on the pages checked; a free 7-day trial Texts 100 SMS or WhatsApp credits a month on Starter, 400 on Grow, 1,000 on Business; email and push unlimited Built for Walk-ins and bookings for restaurants, barbershops, salons, hotels, clinics and retail, with a TV screen for the line From [WaitQ's pricing page](https://waitq.app/pricing), as of Oct 25, 2026. [NextUp Walk-in vs WaitQ](https://nextupwalkin.com/compare/waitq) Listed alphabetically, not ranked. Prices change, so check each app’s own page for today’s. Names are trademarks of their owners; NextUp Walk-in isn’t affiliated with them. ## Common questions How did you pick these apps? They are the barbershop check-in and walk-in apps we have full comparison pages for, each checked against the app’s own pricing page on the date shown. They are listed alphabetically, not ranked. We make NextUp Walk-in, so it is shown separately and labelled as ours. Do clients need to download an app to check in? Not with NextUp Walk-in: clients join from a QR code or a link in the browser, and a door tablet covers anyone without a phone. Each app’s own page says how its clients join; open the comparison for the details. [Every walk-in waitlist app, compared](https://nextupwalkin.com/compare) ## Try it on a Saturday 14 days free, with every Pro feature. Set up a location in about two minutes. [Start your free trial](https://nextupwalkin.com/signup) [Take the tour](https://nextupwalkin.com/product)