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Nodus vs Bark for wedding vendors
Bark charges per lead. Nodus takes commission from each payment you receive. Here is how each works, with sources, so you can do the sums for your own business.
The real difference is when you pay. On Bark you spend credits to respond to a lead, before you know if it will book, and then keep everything you earn from the job. On Nodus you pay nothing until a couple pays you, and then a share of that payment.
Side by side
The short version
| Bark | Nodus | |
|---|---|---|
| How you pay | Credits per lead you respond to1 | Commission taken from each payment you receive through Nodus |
| Price | £1.80 per credit, standard rate; packs can lower it2 | 3% founding (first 24 months, then 8%), 8% standard |
| Commission on the job | None1 | 3% or 8% |
| Cost before you win work | Yes: credits are spent when you respond1 | None |
| How many vendors per request | Up to 5 professionals can respond3 | No limit: couples can enquire with as many vendors as they like |
| Credits expiry | 3 months after purchase, for credits bought from 1 November 20252 | Not applicable |
| Optional subscription | Elite Pro, with 2 free leads a week and 20% off credit packs4 | None |
| Arrangements with the customer | Bark says any arrangement is between the customer and the professional5 | A deposit to confirm, then the balance before the event, paid directly to your own Stripe account. You set your own deposit and balance terms |
Pay per lead
How Bark works for a wedding vendor
When a couple posts a request on Bark, you see the lead and its price in credits before you respond. Bark says it calculates that cost from "the service, the value of the job, and the supply and demand in the area"1. When you respond, you get the customer's phone number and email, and follow-up messages are free1.
Bark's help centre gave the standard price as £1.80 per credit, with packs offering a lower cost per credit2. It does not publish a fixed number of credits per wedding lead, because the cost varies by service and job size2. Up to 5 professionals can respond to one request, and you can see how many already have before you pay3.
Two things work in Bark's favour. Bark takes no commission, so on a large booking you keep the full amount1. And Bark offers to return all your credits if you don't win business with your first credit pack1.
Commission on each payment
How Nodus works for a wedding vendor
Nodus is built for South Asian weddings: mehndi, nikkah, anand karaj, baraat, walima, sangeet and reception, often across several days. You apply for free, and couples find you and send enquiries through the app. You pay nothing until a couple pays you.
- Founding vendors: 3% commission for your first 24 months, then 8%. Places are limited.
- Standard: 8% commission on each payment you receive.
- No subscription, no listing charge, no cost per enquiry.
Couples pay a deposit to confirm, then the balance before the event, each paid directly into your own Stripe account. You set your own deposit and balance terms, and Stripe's processing fees are paid by you, the vendor. Nodus never holds the money.
Founding vendors also get email support with a reply within 2 working days, a monthly check-in, and extra visibility through our launch articles and social posts.
The fair version
When each one costs less
Per-lead pricing and commission charge for different things, so neither is cheaper for everyone.
- Bark can cost less when your bookings are high in value and you win a good share of the leads you pay for. You pay for the leads, then keep the full booking. At 8%, Nodus commission on a large booking can come to more than the credits you would have spent to win it on Bark.
- Nodus can cost less when you pay for many leads that don't turn into bookings, or when your bookings are smaller. On Nodus an enquiry that goes nowhere costs you nothing.
A quick way to test it: add up what you spent on leads last season, and divide by the number of bookings they brought in. That is your cost per booking. Compare it with 3% or 8% of your average booking value. The earnings calculator does the Nodus side for you.
Limits
What this comparison does not cover
We compared how you pay and what each company publishes. We did not compare lead quality, how many couples each platform reaches, or how often leads convert, because neither company publishes those figures for wedding vendors in the north of England. Nodus is new, so we make no claims about booking volumes.
For the sums at five booking values, see commission vs a directory subscription. To see what you get for the commission, read how Nodus works for vendors, or the straight answers in the vendor FAQ.
Questions
No. Bark's seller pricing page says there is no commission and no hidden fees. You buy credits and spend them to respond to leads. Bark's help centre gave the credit price as £1.80 per credit when we checked on 30 September 2026.
Nothing upfront. Nodus takes commission from each payment a vendor receives through it: 3% for founding vendors for their first 24 months, then 8%. Vendors outside the founding cohort pay 8%. There is no cost to apply.
It depends on your numbers. On Bark you pay for every lead you contact, whether or not you win the job. On Nodus you pay nothing until a couple pays you, then a percentage of each payment. For a high-value booking, 8% commission can cost more than the credits you would spend winning the same job on Bark.
Bark's help centre says each customer can receive up to 5 responses from professionals, and you can see how many have already responded before you pay.
Yes. Nodus has no exclusivity and does not ask you to leave other platforms. Many vendors use several routes to find clients.
Checked on each company's own pages
Sources
- Bark, seller pricing page, bark.com/en/gb/sellers/pricing, checked 30 September 2026.
- Bark Help Centre, "What is a credit and how much does it cost?", help.bark.com/hc/en-gb/articles/13346288068892, updated 30 September 2026, checked 30 September 2026.
- Bark Help Centre, "How many responses can a customer receive?", help.bark.com/hc/en-gb/articles/28463866842652, updated 25 September 2026, checked 30 September 2026.
- Bark Help Centre, "Elite Pro", help.bark.com/hc/en-gb/articles/13177418184476, updated 28 September 2026, checked 30 September 2026. Bark does not state the Elite Pro price on that page.
- Bark Help Centre, "Tips for choosing the right professional", help.bark.com/hc/en-gb/articles/13199643959836, updated 8 September 2026, checked 30 September 2026.
Nodus facts come from Nodus's own published pricing. Nodus acts as booking agent for vendors on this platform.
Keep going
Where next
- Free toolWedding vendor earnings calculatorEnter a booking value and see what you keep after commission and Stripe card fees. Compare 3% and 8% with 15% commission and directory subscriptions.
- For vendorsHow Nodus works for wedding vendorsApply, have a 20-minute call, then take enquiries, quotes, written bookings and Stripe payments in one place. What's live and coming.
- ComparisonCommission vs directory subscriptionWorked examples at different booking values: 3% or 8% commission on each payment against published directory subscription prices. Sourced and dated.
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