GlossGenius vs Vagaro
GlossGenius sells monthly plans per location, from 24 dollars on annual billing, bundling a booking website, deposits, no-show protection and inventory. Vagaro starts at 23.99 dollars for one bookable calendar, charges for each extra calendar up to seven, and adds a consumer marketplace, classes and memberships. Solo stylists pay about the same; the difference is scope.
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Choose GlossGenius ifyou are an independent stylist or small salon that wants a branded booking site, deposits, no-show protection and card payments at one flat 2.6 percent rate on a published plan.
Choose Vagaro ifyou want a free listing on a consumer marketplace, run classes or memberships alongside appointments, or trade outside the United States, and are prepared to price the extras you will need.
GlossGenius and Vagaro side by side
| GlossGenius | Vagaro | |
|---|---|---|
| Our salon and spa rank | #5 of 18 | #16 of 18 |
| Established in | United States | United States |
| Pricing | Flat monthly plans per location from $24 billed annually, published; 2.6% card processing on top | Per bookable calendar per month, published: from $23.99, $10 per extra calendar up to seven; optional features extra |
| List price, 30 September 2026 | $24/month per location billed annually ($28 billed monthly), plus 2.6% card processing | From $23.99/month for one bookable calendar, $10 per extra calendar up to seven (UK site: from £20/month) |
| Free tier | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Self-hostable | — | — |
| Built for | Independent stylists and small American salons wanting bookings and payments quickly | Price-sensitive salons and studios that want a working diary cheaply |
| Not for | Multi-site groups or European salons needing local payment providers | Operators wanting real depth in one specific trade |
Both are reviewed in full in our salon and spa ranking: GlossGenius and Vagaro.
Where they differ
GlossGenius 2 · Vagaro 2 · open 1- 01
How the bill is metered
GlossGenius charges per location: Standard at 24 dollars a month on annual billing or 28 monthly, Gold at 48 or 56, both for teams under ten, and Platinum at 148 or 168 for ten or more. Vagaro starts at 23.99 dollars and adds 10 dollars per extra bookable calendar up to seven, after which more staff are free. Solo, the two are level.
Depends on the buyer
- 02
What arrives in the plan
Every GlossGenius plan includes deposits, no-show protection with card-on-file rules and inventory tracking, Standard adds the custom booking website, and Gold adds forms and Google booking. Vagaro's base plan is broad too, with memberships, loyalty and 1,000 emails a month, but Vagaro says each location's cost depends on the features added to it. GlossGenius is the simpler bundle to price.
Edge: GlossGenius
- 03
An interface made for one trade
GlossGenius is built for independent stylists and small salons, and is quick to set up and pleasant to use. Vagaro serves beauty, wellness and fitness businesses with one product, from barbers and tattoo shops to gyms and chiropractors, and its interface carries options that belong to other trades. For someone who only cuts and colours hair, the narrower product is the less cluttered one.
Edge: GlossGenius
- 04
Covering more than hair and beauty
Both reach beyond salons: GlossGenius lists yoga, pilates, personal training and sports coaching among its industries. Vagaro goes further in function, listing classes, memberships, packages, livestream sessions and a check-in app, and naming gyms, martial arts and cycling studios as customers. A business that mixes appointments with scheduled classes gets more of that machinery from Vagaro.
Edge: Vagaro
- 05
Being found by new clients
Vagaro runs a consumer marketplace where people search for salons, spas and barbers, and a free listing there comes with every plan, alongside booking through Google, Apple Maps, Instagram and Facebook. GlossGenius gives each business its own booking website and adds Google booking on the Gold plan. For a business that needs strangers to find it, Vagaro supplies an extra channel.
Edge: Vagaro
When neither fits
Both are light for a salon with a sizeable team. If staff are paid on tiered service and retail commission and stock needs tracking, Phorest handles that for salons of five or more; chains running many centres centrally belong with Zenoti.
GlossGenius or Vagaro: questions
4 answersIs Vagaro cheaper than GlossGenius?
Not for a solo operator: Vagaro starts at 23.99 dollars a month and GlossGenius Standard at 24 on annual billing or 28 monthly.
With a team, Vagaro adds 10 dollars per extra bookable calendar up to seven, while GlossGenius stays flat per location until the team reaches ten.
Is GlossGenius or Vagaro better for a solo stylist?
GlossGenius is built for that buyer: a custom booking website, deposits, no-show protection and card payments at a flat 2.6 percent on a published plan, with a 14-day trial and no card required.
Vagaro costs about the same to start and adds a marketplace listing and a 30-day trial.
Do GlossGenius and Vagaro both work outside the United States?
Vagaro runs a dedicated United Kingdom site with pricing in pounds, from 20 pounds a month for one bookable calendar, and British sales and support phone lines.
GlossGenius publishes its plans in US dollars only, and its payments and support are built around the American card and tax environment.
What do card payments cost with GlossGenius and Vagaro?
GlossGenius charges a flat 2.6 percent per card payment, with no extra charge for tap to pay or manually entered cards, and 1.8 percent more for instant payouts.
Vagaro sells its own merchant services and offers a free card reader to businesses that sign up for them.
Sources
Checked 30 September 2026- GlossGenius pricing page: plan prices, per-location billing, team size limits, 2.6 percent processing, 14-day trial.
- GlossGenius features page: deposits, no-show protection and inventory on all plans; fitness industries listed.
- Vagaro pricing page: per-calendar charge up to seven licences, UK price in pounds, inclusions, marketplace listing, 30-day trial.
- Vagaro salon software cost guide: US starting price of 23.99 dollars a month.
- Vagaro Pro overview page: business types served and the consumer marketplace.