Valie (val.ie) is a booking system built specifically for car detailers. Buff is the fuller job-management and CRM platform built for UK detailing businesses. Here's how they compare for a real detailing operation.
The whole business in one place — bookings, jobs, quotes, invoices, payments, vehicles, maintenance plans and your team — on a simple monthly plan.
A clean, detailer-built booking system: a booking link, consultations, client management and card or cash payments.
The short version: if you mainly want a tidy online booking link and deposits, Valie does it well. If you want bookings plus the jobs, quotes, invoices, vehicles, repeat-work and team tools around them — Buff is the fuller system.
| Capability | Bufffrom £12.50/mo | ValieFree / €35/mo |
|---|---|---|
| Built for car detailing & valeting | ||
| Online booking link / page for customers | ||
| Mobile and unit working modes | ||
| Deposits or full payment at booking | ||
| Card payments accepted online | ||
| AI vehicle identification — reg lookup, or describe it (horseboxes, HGVs, vans, classics) | – | |
| Quotes that become jobs | – | |
| Customer portal — book, rebook, view jobs and pay | – | |
| Maintenance plans & repeat-work reminders | Limited | |
| Recurring bookings that auto-generate jobs | – | |
| Team scheduling, availability and roles | Limited | |
| SMS + email reminders and follow-ups | Limited | |
| Accounting sync (FreeAgent) | – | |
| Priced in GBP for UK businesses | EUR |
✓ = included · Limited = partial or limited offering · – = not offered as a headline feature. Valie details reflect its public website (val.ie) as of September 2026 and may change.
Both tools understand detailing. Where Buff pulls ahead is everything that happens before and after a customer books.
Lite from £12.50 · Pro from £25 · Max from £50. No setup fee and no long-term contract; annual plans save up to 34%. Card payments run through your own Stripe account — standard card fees plus a small Buff processing fee apply. Every plan includes real human onboarding help.
Free plan takes a 3% Valie fee + Stripe card fees; Pro is €35/month with a 0.5% Valie fee and zero fees on cash. As of September 2026 — check val.ie for current pricing.
You're a solo detailer who mainly wants an online booking link, deposits and card payments, priced in euros, and you're happy to run quotes, invoices and follow-ups in other tools.
You want bookings and the whole business around them in one place — vehicles, quotes, jobs, invoices, maintenance plans, a customer portal and your team — priced in GBP on simple monthly plans.
No. Buff starts with the same kind of online booking your customers can use, but it's built around the job — quotes, invoices, vehicle records, deposits, maintenance plans, recurring bookings, a customer portal and team scheduling all live on the same platform.
Buff is a monthly subscription. Card payments are processed through your own Stripe account, where standard card fees and a small Buff processing fee apply — and your money lands in your own Stripe balance, not a pooled Buff account.
Valie is booking-led and doesn't offer the depth of maintenance planning, recurring bookings and automatic renewals that Buff does. If repeat customers are a big part of your income, that side of Buff is a genuine difference.
Yes — Buff opens on 18 September 2026, and early-access members get first access with hands-on help getting set up, including moving your data over.
Valie is a trademark of its owner. Buff is an independent product and is not affiliated with, endorsed or sponsored by Valie. Feature and pricing details for Valie are based on its public website (val.ie) and were correct as of September 2026; they may change, so please verify current details before making a decision.
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