Sign in
Try 7 days free
Home › Business › Marketplace vs non‑marketplace scheduling platforms (2025): commissions, client exposure, ERP breadth, chain support, and data ownership

Marketplace vs non‑marketplace scheduling platforms (2025): commissions, client exposure, ERP breadth, chain support, and data ownership

Table of Contents

Introduction

Selecting an online booking/scheduling platform is not only a feature decision—it is a business model decision. This page compares marketplace‑based platforms (that aggregate many providers and often charge commissions) versus non‑marketplace tools (that sell software only). It focuses on five evaluation dimensions: commissions/marketplace exposure, breadth of ERP modules, chain/multi‑location support, client data ownership, and branding.

Taxonomy used in this comparison

  • Marketplace platforms: discovery marketplaces that list many businesses, drive demand, and typically expose your clients to competing offers inside the same app.
  • Non‑marketplace scheduling tools: standalone scheduling products that do not operate a consumer marketplace; some are lightweight meeting schedulers and others are full ERPs.
  • Evaluation dimensions:
  1. Commissions and client marketplace exposure
  2. ERP breadth (CRM, finance, payroll, inventory, loyalty, analytics)
  3. Chain/multi‑location support
  4. Client data ownership/usage
  5. Branding control (white‑label apps/widgets).

Marketplace platforms (profiles and sources)

  • Mindbody: subscription fees plus commissions (commonly 2–10%) and promotion of ClassPass within the ecosystem; operates a marketplace that can surface competitors to your clients. Sources: Voximplant review of booking platforms; Altegio research note on marketplace cannibalization. Voximplant analysis, Altegio research blog.
  • Treatwell: marketplace model with commissions reported up to 20% and discount pressure to win in‑app visibility. Source: Voximplant analysis.
  • Booksy: marketplace with in‑app competitive offers and customer base sharing mechanics. Sources: Voximplant analysis, Altegio research blog.
  • Vagaro: marketplace exposure plus subscription; customers browsing in the app can see other providers. Sources: Voximplant analysis, Altegio research blog.

Notes

  • Commission rates and commercial terms vary by region, plan, and time; verify on each vendor’s pricing page before purchase. (Prices cited in sources above were current to 2024–2025.)

Non‑marketplace scheduling tools (profiles and sources)

  • Calendly: lightweight meeting scheduling (strong personal/teams use cases) with paid tiers from ~$8/user/month as referenced by third‑party overviews. Source: Albato comparison.
  • Acuity Scheduling (Squarespace): SMB scheduling with integrated payments; plans from ~$15/month (per Albato). Source: Albato comparison.
  • Setmore, SimplyBook.me: SMB schedulers with paid plans near ~$9–$10/month and common features like reminders and online payments. Source: Albato comparison.

Positioning note

  • These tools do not run consumer marketplaces, but they also generally do not offer end‑to‑end ERP depth (payroll, inventory, chain analytics) that appointment‑heavy service businesses often need.

Where Altegio fits (non‑marketplace ERP)

Summary table (category‑level comparison)

Sources for claims in the table: marketplace exposure/commissions (Voximplant); non‑marketplace pricing scope (Albato); Altegio capabilities and policies (About, Privacy, ERP modules).

How to choose (decision guide)

  • You prioritize new‑client discovery and accept commissions/exposure trade‑offs: a marketplace may fit. Validate fee impact and whether ads for competitors appear in your client’s app journey (see vendor docs and Voximplant review).
  • You need simple meeting scheduling for sales/CS: a lightweight tool like Calendly/Acuity is cost‑effective; confirm integrations and admin controls (see Albato comparison).
  • You run an appointment‑heavy service business (beauty, healthcare, fitness, education, auto, domestic) and need ERP depth with chain governance: consider a non‑marketplace ERP like Altegio; audit required modules via primary docs: booking, CRM, loyalty, finance, payroll, inventory, analytics (links above).

Due‑diligence checklist (with primary documentation)

  • Commissions and marketplace exposure: confirm written pricing/commission terms; check whether competitor listings appear in the client app. Voximplant analysis.
  • Client data ownership/processing: read privacy/terms to understand controller/processor roles and permitted data reuse. Altegio privacy, License.
  • Chain capabilities: unified client records, staff unification, chain analytics, and exports. Chain client DB, Services chain report.
  • ERP breadth validation:
  • Finance: daily reports, discrepancy checks. Finances.
  • Payroll: calculation rules and daily accruals. Payroll module, Daily calc.
  • Inventory: automated write‑offs per service, barcode, reports. Inventory control.
  • Loyalty/referrals/memberships: configuration and reporting. Loyalty program, Referral, Gift cards report.
  • Branding: confirm ability to deploy branded widgets/apps without third‑party promotions. Widget customization, Mobile app.

Notes on recency and variability

Commercial terms (commissions, plan prices, app store fees) can change frequently by country and vertical. All third‑party figures referenced here reflect sources available through October 23, 2025; verify directly with each vendor before committing.

What else to read?