Treatwell is the largest beauty marketplace in Europe. Bober is a salon CRM built for independent barbershops and beauty businesses. They solve different problems, and understanding the difference will save you money and frustration.
This is not a "one is better" comparison. It is a breakdown of two fundamentally different tools so you can decide which model fits your business.
The Core Difference
Treatwell is a marketplace. Clients discover your salon through the Treatwell platform, similar to how diners find restaurants on TheFork. Treatwell drives traffic to you and takes a commission on each booking that comes through their marketplace.
Bober is a CRM. You manage your own clients, your own booking page, and your own brand. There is no marketplace. You bring the clients — Bober gives you the tools to retain them.
These are complementary models, not competing ones. Some salons use both. But if you only need one, the right choice depends on where you are in your business.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Bober | Treatwell |
|---|---|---|
| Primary model | Salon CRM + booking system | Marketplace + booking software |
| Client acquisition | You handle it (your website, social, walk-ins) | Marketplace drives new clients to you |
| Pricing | €29/month flat | Monthly fee + commission on marketplace bookings |
| Commission on bookings | None, ever | Yes, on marketplace-sourced bookings |
| Per-seat charges | No | Depends on plan |
| Multi-branch management | Yes, with network-wide client cards | Yes, multi-location support available |
| Online booking widget | Yes, embed on your own website | Yes, plus marketplace listing |
| Client database ownership | Fully yours | Shared — marketplace clients belong to Treatwell ecosystem |
| SMS reminders | Yes | Yes |
| WhatsApp reminders | Yes | Limited |
| Languages supported | 11 (TR, UK, EN, DE, FR, ES, IT, JA, ZH, RU, PL) | Major European languages |
| GDPR compliance | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes, no card required | Varies by market |
| Contracts | No lock-in | Varies by plan and country |
| Brand control | Full — your domain, your widget, your look | Limited — clients book through Treatwell branding |
Pricing Breakdown
Bober - €29/month, flat - Unlimited staff, unlimited bookings, unlimited branches - No commission on any booking, ever - No credit card required to start - Cancel anytime
Treatwell - Monthly software fee (varies by country and plan) - Commission on marketplace bookings, typically a percentage of service value - Rates differ across UK, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, France, and Spain - Some plans offer lower commission with higher monthly fees - Contact Treatwell for current pricing in your market
The commission model means your cost scales with your bookings. For a busy salon getting significant marketplace traffic, commissions can add up quickly. For a salon that primarily relies on its own client base, the marketplace fee may not deliver proportional value.
When Treatwell Makes More Sense
You need new clients. If your chairs are empty and you need foot traffic, Treatwell's marketplace puts you in front of people actively searching for beauty services in your area. That visibility has real value, especially for new salons without an established reputation.
You are in a strong Treatwell market. Treatwell has significant consumer adoption in the UK, Netherlands, Germany, and Italy. In these markets, being on the platform means being where clients already search.
You are willing to trade margin for volume. The commission model is a marketing cost. If each marketplace booking leads to a returning client, the acquisition cost may be justified.
When Bober Makes More Sense
You already have clients. If your business runs on referrals, social media, and repeat visitors, you need a CRM to manage them — not a marketplace to find them. Paying commission on clients you already earned does not make sense.
You want predictable costs. €29/month is €29/month whether you do 50 bookings or 500. No surprises on your invoice.
You run multiple branches. Bober's network architecture gives you unified client cards across locations. A client who visits your second branch sees their full history. No duplicate records, no data silos.
You want to own the client relationship. When clients book through your Bober widget on your website, they are your clients. You control the communication, the branding, and the data. With a marketplace, the platform sits between you and your clients.
You operate in markets Treatwell does not prioritize. Treatwell's strength is Western Europe. If you are in Turkey, Ukraine, Poland, or other markets where Treatwell has limited presence, the marketplace offers little value.
Can You Use Both?
Yes. Some salons use Treatwell for client acquisition and a separate CRM for client management and retention. If you go this route, be mindful of:
- Double bookings. Sync your availability or manage calendars carefully.
- Commission costs. Track which clients came from the marketplace versus your own channels.
- Data ownership. Keep your own client database up to date regardless of where the booking originated.
The Bottom Line
Treatwell answers the question: "How do I get new clients to find me?"
Bober answers the question: "How do I manage and retain the clients I have?"
If your chairs are empty, a marketplace might be worth the commission. If your chairs are full and you need a system to manage bookings, track client history, send reminders, and run multiple branches without per-booking fees — that is what Bober does.
Try Bober free — no card, no commission, no contracts. €29/month when you are ready.