Gratsio

Overview

Gratsio is a browser-based booking and business platform for beauty and wellness providers, from solo practitioners to multi-location teams. It is best suited to businesses that want appointments, client records, payments and customer messaging working together. The compromise is that its most useful client-management and back-office tools begin at Studio, not on the lowest-cost plans.

Key features

Clients can book around the clock through the web, Gratsio marketplace and social links, with availability coordinated by staff, room and service. That combination gives businesses multiple routes to bookings while accounting for more than one provider’s schedule. Calendar sync works with Google, Apple iCloud, Microsoft 365, CalDAV and plain .ics links; it reads busy time without event titles, which helps avoid conflicts without exposing calendar details.

The searchable CRM keeps client history, notes, preferences and spend together, giving staff useful context for repeat visits. However, full CRM is included with Studio, rather than Free or Pro. Payments bring online prepayment, in-person card payments, gift cards, packages and memberships into one flow. Gratsio uses Helcim for card processing and Stripe for payouts, and automatically issues and renews HTTPS certificates for connected domains.

The AI receptionist answers chats and can book, reschedule and cancel appointments, then hand a conversation to a person with its thread intact. It can work on a salon website, Telegram, WhatsApp, Instagram and SMS, useful for businesses receiving enquiries across several channels. Unlimited AI messages are included with Pro and Studio; Free does not include that allowance. Browser access means bookings, payments, memberships and client chat can be opened without downloading or updating an app, alongside Android and iOS availability.

Studio and higher add back-office functions including payroll, bonuses, POS, accounting, inventory and price tags. Chain adds API access for custom integrations. Gratsio also supports commission tracking, tip calculation and payroll reports, but not tax filing. Businesses retain ownership of their client base and can search and export it; bulk export and spreadsheet import are not combined into a single feature, which may complicate larger migrations.

Pricing

Gratsio has a free plan and a 7-day trial. The Free plan costs nothing and allows 3 listings/month, 10 product listings/month, 25 store products, 2 blog posts/month and one staff seat. Service bookings carry a 10% commission and product sales a 20% commission. It is a way for a solo operator to start with modest volume, but those commissions and caps make it a poor fit for a growing shop.

Pro costs $9 a month, billed Billed $108 for 12 months. It raises the limits to 10 listings/month, 100 product listings/month, 300 store products, 5 promotions/month and 4 blog posts/month, with unlimited AI messages and 0% service-booking commission. It still has one staff seat and does not include full CRM, so its lower price suits a solo provider prioritizing more marketplace capacity and no service-booking commission over team management.

Studio costs $29 a month, billed Billed $348 for 12 months. It includes 20 listings/month, 500 product listings/month, 2,500 store products, 10 promotions/month, 6 blog posts/month, unlimited AI messages, full CRM and 0% service-booking commission. For a studio that needs client records and back-office operations, this is the clearest fit; its higher cost buys a substantial step up from the solo-focused Pro plan.

Chain costs $149 a month, billed Billed $1,788 for 12 months. It supports up to 12 masters, 30 listings/month, 2,000 product listings/month, 10,000 store products, 15 promotions/month, 12 staff seats and API access, with 0% service-booking commission. It is aimed at larger teams needing more seats or custom integrations, though its staff allowance is still finite. Premium has custom pricing and includes Google reviews import, a before-and-after works gallery and free custom site design on annual billing.

Platforms

Gratsio is available on Android, iOS and the web. Its browser access is particularly practical for clients and staff who need bookings, payments, memberships or chat without installing or updating software.

Who it's for

Gratsio targets beauty salons, barbershops, nail and spa studios, massage practices, medical spas, fitness businesses and other studios. Solo providers can use Free or Pro, while businesses that need the full CRM and back-office functions should budget for Studio. Chain is the more relevant tier for teams needing API access or multiple staff seats. Businesses whose priority is tax filing, or whose team cannot work within the plan’s seat limits, should look elsewhere.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Round-the-clock booking spans web, marketplace and social links, with availability checked across staff, rooms and services.
• Pros: The AI receptionist can handle appointment changes across several messaging channels and preserve the full thread when passing work to a person.
• Pros: Studio consolidates CRM and back-office tools with multiple payment methods and no service-booking commission.
• Cons: Free charges commissions on service bookings and product sales, while its listing, product and staff limits constrain growth.
• Cons: Full CRM and back-office features start at Studio, and Pro remains limited to one staff seat.
• Cons: There is no tax filing, and bulk export and spreadsheet import are not packaged as one feature.

Alternatives

For another freemium option, SalonApp has a free tier capped at 15 clients, 20 appointments/month and one staff member, with a Starter plan at $39 a month billed monthly for up to five staff members. Consider it when those explicit client and appointment caps, or the larger Starter team allowance, better match your needs.

Salonist offers a free Marketplace Listing plan with 50 appointments/month, online booking and calendar scheduling; its Essential plan costs $79 a month. It is worth comparing if a 50-appointment free allowance is more useful than Gratsio’s commission-based Free tier.

Tersavia offers free-forever booking and client management for every location, with no per-seat charge or contract; website-builder hosting costs $30 a month. Choose it when unrestricted locations and seats matter more than Gratsio’s integrated payments and messaging.

SalonWings is a paid option with a quarterly plan at ₹5,500, paid once, valid for 90 days, with 18% GST extra and unlimited users and clients. It may suit a business that values those stated user and client allowances.

Spa/Salon Manager is paid and offers a cloud plan at $74 a month for one employee and one terminal, with owner access. It is an alternative for a business specifically comparing an employee-and-terminal plan.

DaySmart Salon has a paid Basic plan at $29 a month for one user, with online booking, appointment confirmations, Instagram and Facebook booking, and payments. Consider it if that stated booking and confirmation set is the closer fit.

Insight Salon Software is a paid alternative with a Solo Edition at $25 a month for one employee. It may suit a single-employee business comparing a lower stated monthly price.

GlossGenius is paid, with a Standard plan at $28 a month that includes a custom booking website, unlimited client notifications, email and text marketing, and inventory and retail. Compare it if those website and marketing tools are the priority.

For a focused comparison of payroll tools, see Salon Payroll Software.

Verdict

Gratsio is a strong fit for beauty and wellness businesses that want booking, payments, client communication and operational tools in one service, especially once they need Studio’s CRM and back office. The free tier offers a low-commitment start, but its sales commissions and caps make it better for testing modest volume than running a busy business. Choose another service if tax filing is essential or if the required team size exceeds Gratsio’s plan allowances.