Short answer: SupaDay is the better fit for most hair salons because it includes commission tracking, SMS reminders, staff scheduling, and POS on the Grow plan at $14/user/month — with a $99/month cap. Vagaro's base price looks similar, but add-ons for SMS ($20/month) and website ($20/month) push the real cost $40-60 higher.
Both SupaDay and Vagaro can run a hair salon. They both handle booking, calendar management, and POS. The difference is what's included in the price and what costs extra.
For a hair salon, the features that matter most are commissions, SMS reminders, staff scheduling, and online booking. One platform includes them all. The other charges add-on fees for half of them.
Head-to-head comparison
| Feature | SupaDay | Vagaro |
|---|---|---|
| Online booking | Yes | Yes |
| Calendar & scheduling | Yes | Yes |
| Staff scheduling & time off | Yes (Grow) | Yes |
| Commission tracking | Yes (Grow) | Yes |
| SMS reminders | Included (500/mo Grow, 2,000 Business) | Basic notifications only |
| SMS marketing campaigns | Included | $20/month add-on |
| Website builder | Business plan | $20/month add-on |
| Walk-in turn tracker | Yes (Grow) | No |
| QR check-in | Yes (Grow) | $10/month add-on |
| POS checkout | Yes | Yes |
| Recurring appointments | Yes | Yes |
| Review management | Business plan | Yes |
| Audit trail | Yes | No |
| Multi-location | Business plan | Separate subscription per location |
| Monthly cap | $99 Grow / $149 Business | No cap (per-calendar pricing) |
Pricing breakdown
Here's what a 5-stylist hair salon actually pays on each platform:
SupaDay Grow:
- 5 stylists × $14/month = $70/month
- SMS included (500/month)
- Commission tracking included
- Staff scheduling included
- Total: $70/month
Vagaro:
- Base: $30/month + 4 extra calendars × $10 = $70/month
- SMS marketing: +$20/month
- Website builder: +$20/month
- Check-in app: +$10/month
- Total: $120/month
Same team size. $50/month difference. That's $600/year going to add-ons for features SupaDay includes by default.
Where SupaDay wins
SMS is included, not an add-on
This is the single biggest difference for hair salons. Vagaro includes basic appointment confirmations, but SMS marketing — "we miss you," "time for your color refresh," promotional campaigns — costs $20/month extra.
SupaDay includes 500 SMS credits on Grow and 2,000 on Business. Appointment reminders, rebooking nudges, and marketing texts all come from the same pool. No separate add-on to buy.
For a salon where reducing no-shows and keeping rebooking rates high are the two most important things, paying extra for text messages feels wrong.
Commission tracking on every plan
Both platforms include commission tracking. SupaDay lets you set a flat rate per stylist or customize per service — color, cut, blowout, and treatments can each have different rates. Tips are tracked separately for card and cash, with reports ready for payroll.
No difference in capability here — but SupaDay includes it on the $14/user Grow plan while Vagaro includes it on the base plan too. Fair match.
Walk-in turn tracker (if your salon takes walk-ins)
Vagaro doesn't have one. If your hair salon handles any walk-in traffic alongside appointments, SupaDay's turn tracker shows whose turn it is to take the next client. Half-turn and full-turn tracking means a quick bang trim doesn't count the same as a full color and cut.
Not every hair salon needs this, but the ones that do won't find it on Vagaro.
Full audit trail
SupaDay logs every appointment change — who modified it, when, and what changed. If a stylist says "I had that appointment" and you need to check, the audit trail has the answer. Vagaro doesn't offer this.
Where Vagaro wins
Larger marketplace
Vagaro has a consumer marketplace where clients search for salons. If you're actively trying to attract new clients through the platform itself, Vagaro has more marketplace traffic than SupaDay (which is launching its marketplace soon).
More integrations
Vagaro connects with more third-party tools — payroll services, branded apps, and a wider ecosystem of add-ons. If you need deep integrations with other software, Vagaro has more options.
Longer track record
Vagaro has been around longer and has a larger user base. For salon owners who value an established platform with a large community, that carries weight.
Where they're equal
Both platforms handle the basics well:
- Online booking — clients pick their stylist and book 24/7
- Calendar management — day, week, month views with drag-and-drop
- Recurring appointments — color clients every 6 weeks, blowouts weekly
- Staff scheduling — stylists manage their own hours and time off
- POS checkout — card, cash, tip splitting
These are table stakes. Every modern salon platform does them.
The real question
The features are similar. The difference is the bill.
If you're OK paying $20/month for SMS and $20/month for a website on top of Vagaro's base price, Vagaro works fine. It's a solid platform with a long track record.
If you'd rather have SMS, website builder, and commission tracking included from day one — and keep your bill predictable with a monthly cap — SupaDay does that on the Grow plan →.
The bottom line
Vagaro and SupaDay both run hair salons. The difference is that SupaDay includes SMS, website, and audit trail at $14/user/month with a $99 cap, while Vagaro charges extra for each. For most hair salons, that $40-60/month in add-on savings is the deciding factor. Try SupaDay free for 30 days →
