Gratsio

Overview

Gratsio is a booking and business-management service for beauty and wellness businesses, from independent professionals to salons and studios. It is a strong fit for operators who want bookings, payments and client communication in one browser-based workflow. Solo users can start free, but commissions and a single staff seat make that plan a narrow starting point.

Key features

Clients can book at any time through the web, Gratsio marketplace and social links, with availability checked across staff, rooms and services. That range suits businesses that want several routes to bookings; providers who do not need marketplace discovery may get less benefit from that reach. The searchable CRM keeps client history, notes, preferences and spend together, helping staff carry useful context from one visit to the next.

Payments cover online prepayment, in-person card payments, gift cards, packages and memberships in one flow. The AI receptionist can answer chats, book, reschedule or cancel appointments, then hand the conversation to a person with the full thread. It works across a salon website, Telegram, WhatsApp, Instagram and SMS, a useful breadth for studios fielding enquiries across channels.

Calendar sync supports Google, Apple iCloud, Microsoft 365, CalDAV and plain.ics links. It reads busy time without event titles, which can help avoid schedule conflicts without exposing calendar details. Studio and higher plans add payroll, bonuses, POS, accounting, inventory and price tags; these bundled back-office tools matter most to businesses that want more than appointment management. Chain adds API access for custom integrations. Gratsio uses Helcim for card processing, Stripe for payouts, and automatically issues and renews HTTPS certificates for connected domains.

Businesses retain ownership of their client base and can search and export it. Commission tracking and tip calculation are supported, and payroll reports are available; tax filing is not. Bulk export and spreadsheet import are not yet combined into a single feature, which may complicate moving larger data sets. Partner support offers live chat replies within five minutes and email replies within a day.

Pricing

The Free plan costs nothing. It allows 3 listings/month, 10 product listings/month, 25 store products, 2 blog posts/month and 1 staff seat, while charging a 10% service-booking commission and 20% product-sales commission. It is best for a solo provider testing a small operation, not a business whose bookings or product sales make those commissions costly.

Pro costs $9 a month, billed $108 for 12 months. It raises the caps 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 retains 1 staff seat and does not include the full CRM, so it suits a solo operator prioritizing more listings and commission-free service bookings over client-management tools.

Studio costs $29 a month, billed $348 for 12 months. It adds the full CRM and back-office features, with 20 listings/month, 500 product listings/month, 2,500 store products, 10 promotions/month, 6 blog posts/month, unlimited AI messages and 0% service-booking commission. This is the most compelling tier for a studio that needs the business-management tools as well as booking.

Chain costs $149 a month, billed $1,788 for 12 months. It includes API access, 12 staff seats, up to 12 masters, 30 listings/month, 2,000 product listings/month, 10,000 store products, 15 promotions/month and 0% service-booking commission. It is aimed at larger operations needing integrations and more capacity; its price is difficult to justify for a solo provider.

Premium has custom pricing and includes Google reviews import, a before-and-after works gallery, and free custom site design on annual billing. Gratsio offers a 7-day trial. The free plan and trial let a business begin without a long commitment, while paid plan rates above are billed for 12 months.

Platforms

Gratsio runs on Android, iOS and the web. Bookings, payments, memberships and client chat work in any browser without a download or update, which helps clients and staff access those workflows across devices.

Who it's for

Gratsio targets beauty salons, barbershops, nail and spa studios, massage practices, medical spas, fitness businesses and other studio operators. It is particularly suited to teams that want self-service bookings, client records, payments and messaging connected, and to studios ready to use Studio-level back-office tools. It is less suited to solo providers who need more than one staff seat on an entry plan, or businesses that need tax filing built into the service.

Pros and cons

Pros: Booking availability accounts for staff, rooms and services, while clients can arrive through the marketplace and social links.

Pros: Payments cover prepayment, card payments, gift cards, packages and memberships; the AI receptionist can manage appointment changes across several messaging channels.

Pros: Studio bundles full CRM and substantial back-office functions, and Chain includes API access.

Cons: Free charges 10% on service bookings and 20% on product sales, and both Free and Pro are limited to 1 staff seat.

Cons: Full CRM and back-office tools start at Studio, so the lower-cost tiers leave a meaningful gap for businesses needing client-management features.

Cons: Tax filing is not included, and bulk export and spreadsheet import are not yet a single feature.

Alternatives

SalonApp is worth considering for a very small operation: its free plan caps usage at 15 clients and 20 appointments/month with 1 staff member, while its listed Starter plan costs $39 a month for up to 5 staff members.

Salonist offers a free Marketplace Listing plan with 50 appointments/month, online booking, calendar and scheduling; it may suit a business focused on those basics. Its Essential plan costs $79 a month.

Spa/Salon Manager is a paid option with a free trial and desktop platforms including Mac and Windows; its Cloud Version — 1 Employee costs $74 a month for one employee, one terminal and owner access.

DaySmart Salon is another paid choice, with a Basic plan at $29 a month for one user and online booking, appointment confirmations, Instagram and Facebook booking, and payments.

Insight Salon Software may suit a solo operator seeking a paid desktop option: its Solo Edition (Insight Cloud) costs $25 a month for a single employee.

GlossGenius is a paid alternative at $28 a month for Standard, which includes a custom booking website, unlimited client notifications, email and text marketing, and inventory and retail.

Kitomba is an alternative for buyers comparing salon software plans.

Meevo is an alternative for buyers comparing salon and spa software plans.

For a broader category comparison, see Salon Payroll Software.

Verdict

Gratsio is a strong choice for beauty and wellness studios that want booking, client management, payments and messaging under one roof, especially once they can justify Studio. Its main draw is the breadth of the connected workflow, while its main drawback is the gap between a commission-bearing, single-seat entry and the full CRM and back-office package. Solo providers can start free, but businesses needing full client records, more seats or tax filing should weigh the higher tiers and alternatives carefully.