vs theCut
theCut's free plan is real.
So is what it charges around you.
theCut has a genuinely free tier and the biggest barber marketplace app. The fine print: $10 per discovered client on Free, a $0.95 fee your clients pay on in-app payments, and 2.75% processing. Mane is $19/mo and your clients never pay a platform fee.
Side by side.
| Mane (Pro $19/mo) | theCut | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly base | $19/mo (free tier: 20 bookings) | $0 free tier · $25/mo Pro |
| What your client pays | $0 — ever | $0.95 processing fee on in-app payments |
| New-client discovery | No marketplace — bring your own | Marketplace: included on Pro, $10/client on Free |
| Payment processing | Card fees only — Mane adds 0% | 2.75% per transaction |
| Instant payout fee | Stripe's standard instant rate | 1.5% (standard payout free, 1–2 days) |
| Client app required | No — opens in any browser | App-centric; booking link exists, discovery is in-app |
| Who owns your client list | Yours. Export anytime. | Export terms not published |
| Text your whole book | Included on Pro | Varies by plan |
| Contract | Month-to-month | No credit card to start |
The receipt
60 clients paying in-app on theCut: they pay $0.95 each = $57/mo out of your clients' pockets to pay you.
theCut Pro $25/mo + that client friction. Mane Pro $19/mo, clients pay $0.
On theCut Free, 5 discovered clients = $50 that month — double Pro's price.
Common questions.
- Isn't free better than $19?If you're starting from zero clients, theCut's free tier plus its marketplace is a real on-ramp, and we'd rather say so than pretend otherwise. Once you have your own book, the math flips: your clients pay $0.95 per in-app payment there, and $0 on Mane.
- Where does the $0.95 number come from?theCut's own help center, checked August 2026 — it's the processing fee clients pay on Mobile Pay transactions. Their marketing says "no booking fees," which is true as far as it goes; the payment fee is the one to know about.
- Does Mane send me new clients like theCut's marketplace?No, and we won't pretend it does. Mane is for barbers who already have clients and want to keep 100% of every booking. If marketplace discovery matters more to you right now, theCut is honestly better at that.
- Do my clients need to download anything?On Mane, no — your page opens in any browser from the link in your bio. theCut works best when your clients are in the theCut app.