BraidsLab vs ShearBook
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
BraidsLab
Connect with skilled hair braiders to discover and book protective hairstyles. Browse portfolios, find local professionals, and schedule appointments easily through a user-friendly interface. Elevate your hair game by joining this community.
- Discover local hair braiders
- View braider portfolios
- Book appointments
- User-friendly interface
- Connect with braiding community
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Welcome to BraidsLab, the ultimate app for hair braiding enthusiasts! Whether you're a professional braider eager to showcase your skills or someone looking for the perfect protective style, BraidsLab makes it easy to connect. Explore a diverse range of talented braiders in your area, view their portfolios, and book appointments effortlessly. With a user-friendly interface and seamless navigation, finding your ideal braid has never been easier. Join the BraidsLab community today and elevate your hair game!
ShearBook
This platform connects clients with licensed beauty professionals for seamless booking. Clients can search, book appointments, read reviews, and pay securely. Professionals get custom booking pages, smart calendars, and direct payouts.
- Search by service, specialty, or city
- Secure booking and payments
- Customizable professional profiles
- Smart calendar with availability rules
- Direct Stripe payouts for professionals
- License verification for professionals
- Loyalty programs and discount codes
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ShearBook is the premium beauty booking platform that connects clients with licensed beauty professionals. FOR CLIENTS: - Search by service, specialty, or city - Book in seconds — look for the Verified Badge - Read real reviews from completed appointments - Pay deposits and balances securely - Apple Pay at checkout and Apple Pay tipping - Add to Calendar from every booking confirmation - Save your favorite stylists FOR BEAUTY PROFESSIONALS: - Custom-branded booking page with your colors, fonts, and branding - Smart calendar with buffers, availability rules, and instant booking - Direct Stripe payouts to your bank (typically within 2 business days) - Collect deposits and send checkout requests - Build your reputation with The Style List — earned rankings, never bought - Verified Badge: auto-verify your license with your state board (CA, MA, IN, NY — more states each month) - Loyalty programs and discount codes built in - Client notes and consultation tools NATIVE iOS FEATURES: - Live Activity countdown to your next appointment on the lock screen - Home Screen widget for your day at a glance - Face ID sign-in - "Hey Siri, what's next?" - NFC tap card support for walk-ins - Push notifications for bookings, deposits, and reminders WHO IS SHEARBOOK FOR: - Hair Stylists - Barbers - Braiders & Locticians - Nail Technicians - Lash & Brow Artists Free for clients, always. Cut · Book · Slay. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: ShearBook at free against BraidsLab's ad-supported. ShearBook also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for BraidsLab against 5.0 for ShearBook. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.
BraidsLab ships an update monthly, ShearBook fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | BraidsLab | ShearBook |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 29 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | BraidsLab | ShearBook, Limited Co. |
In-app purchases
BraidsLab
No in-app purchases
ShearBook
No in-app purchases
