Vagaro is one of the most popular booking platforms for salons, spas and barbershops, and it does a lot. The trouble is usually the bill. The $30 starting price grows with every staff calendar and every add-on, and many owners only find that out after they've signed up.

This guide covers why owners leave Vagaro, compares the main alternatives on real prices, and points you to the best fit for your type of business.

Why owners look for a Vagaro alternative

  • Add-ons stack up. Vagaro is $30 a month for one location, plus $10 for each bookable calendar (up to 7). Its check-in app is another $10 a month, and text marketing, payroll and rent collection are separate add-ons.
  • The starting price is a promotion. New accounts often see $23.99 for the first 6 months, then $30.
  • Walk-ins are an afterthought. Vagaro is built around appointments. Nail salons and barbershops that run on walk-ins usually need a separate check-in tool and still track turns on paper.
  • It's a lot of software. Vagaro covers salons, spas, med spas and fitness studios. Smaller shops often find it more than they need.

Vagaro alternatives compared

Monthly prices for a business with 4 staff at one location, from each company's published pricing unless noted.

Software 4 staff Text reminders Commissions Walk-in check-in New-client fee
Vagaro ~$60 + add-ons Reminders included, text marketing extra Add-on +$10/mo app None found
SupaDay Grow $56 500/mo included Included Included (QR + turn tracker) None
GlossGenius Gold $48 (billed yearly) 2,500 credits Included No None
Square Appointments $0–$149 From Plus ($49) Premium ($149) No None
Fresha ~$60 20 per person, then paid Not confirmed No 20% of first booking
Booksy ~$90 Included Not confirmed Waitlist only 30% with Boost (max $100)
Mangomint $160 ($120 + $10/user) Not confirmed Not confirmed No None
Boulevard From $143 Not confirmed Not confirmed No None

Fresha's US price per person is from a review site, since Fresha's pricing page varies by country. Boulevard's higher plans are promotional and change often.

The main alternatives

SupaDay: no add-ons, built for walk-ins too

SupaDay puts what Vagaro sells as add-ons into one plan: QR walk-in check-in, a fair turn tracker, 500 text reminders a month, commission tracking and checkout with tips. Grow is $14 a month per person, capped at $99, so a 4-person team pays $56.

Best for: nail salons, barbershops and small salons that take walk-ins and want one predictable price. Watch out for: no consumer marketplace, gift cards or memberships yet.

GlossGenius: simple and cheap for small studios

GlossGenius Gold covers up to 9 staff for $48 a month billed yearly, with commissions, 2,500 text credits and separate payouts for booth renters. Card processing is a flat 2.6%.

Best for: solo artists, small beauty studios and booth-rent shops. Watch out for: the low price assumes yearly billing, and there are no walk-in tools.

Square Appointments: if you already use Square

Square's free plan covers booking and payments. Plus ($49 per location) adds texts and a waitlist, and Premium ($149) adds commissions. (Full review: is Square Appointments good for salons.)

Best for: shops already using Square for payments and retail. Watch out for: commissions cost $149 per location, and there's no walk-in check-in.

Fresha: low price, fee on new clients

Fresha charges per person and has a large consumer marketplace. It takes 20% (minimum $6) of a new client's first booking from the marketplace.

Best for: appointment-based salons that want marketplace bookings. Watch out for: new-client fees, and only 20 free messages per person each month.

Booksy: the barber and beauty marketplace

Booksy is $29.99 a month plus $20 per extra staff member, with a strong consumer app. Its Boost program brings in new clients for 30% of their first visit, capped at $100.

Best for: appointment-heavy barbershops and beauty shops that rely on marketplace discovery. Watch out for: Boost fees, and walk-ins handled only through a waitlist.

Mangomint: polished, for growing salons and spas

Mangomint is $120 a month per location plus $10 per user, with strong automation, memberships and combined reporting across locations.

Best for: premium salons and spas with a front desk and growth plans. Watch out for: one of the higher bills, especially with add-ons like phone and payroll.

Boulevard: premium salons and spas

Boulevard starts at $143 a month per location and is popular with high-end salons, spas and med spas.

Best for: premium, appointment-driven salons and spas with several locations. Watch out for: price per location, and higher plans cost much more.

The best Vagaro alternative for your business

We've written a detailed guide for each type of business, with the tools that fit it best:

How to switch without losing clients

  1. Export your client list from Vagaro, including phone numbers, emails and notes.
  2. Set up services, prices and staff in the new software before you announce anything.
  3. Move future appointments so nothing booked in Vagaro gets lost.
  4. Update your booking link everywhere: Instagram bio, Google Business Profile, website. (See how to add a booking link to Instagram.)
  5. Tell your regulars with a short text: same team, new booking link.
  6. Run both for a week or two, then cancel Vagaro once no new bookings come through it.

The bottom line

Vagaro does a lot, but the add-ons make the real price hard to predict, and it isn't built for walk-ins. Premium salons and spas often move to Mangomint or Boulevard. Small studios and booth-rent shops do well on GlossGenius. Square fits shops already on Square, and Booksy and Fresha fit shops that want marketplace bookings. If you take walk-ins or just want everything in one price, SupaDay includes check-in, turns, texts and commissions for $56 a month for a 4-person team. See SupaDay vs Vagaro side by side →