GlossGenius vs. Mangomint – Two of the most promising “new” salon and spa software options on the market right now.
“New” is in quotations because – compared to some of the largest software companies in the industry – a tenure of less than ten years makes these candidates seem like relatively fresh faces despite the thousands of businesses they serve and the relative maturity of their feature set.
I’ve noted in several of my software reviews that being a younger company is, in many ways, a benefit. Younger companies are coming to the table with all the foreknowledge of where the industry status quo has been and where it has gone wrong.
The ability to look at companies like Booker and Mindbody, see where there is room for improvement, read user reviews about pet peeves that never seem to get fixes, and start fresh without the baggage of legacy software is a major bonus for these newer competitors in the space. And it shows in how good the software actually is.
So, which one should you pick?
Here is my quick take: The choice between GlossGenius and Mangomint should be based on the size of your salon or spa.
I know, I know – I’ve said it before, but it really does make your decision so much easier when you consider how each brand positions their software.
This means if you’re an independent professional and you’re looking for an elegant, mobile app-based platform with an intuitive design, GlossGenius may be the option for you.
However, if you manage a salon or spa with a team and prioritize depth of features, advanced customization, and top-tier customer support, then Mangomint is most likely a better choice for your business.
GlossGenius, established in 2015, has gained popularity for its sleek interface and mobile-first approach that resonates with beauty professionals seeking simplicity and convenience in their booking and client management processes. With very affordable pricing, it’s a tempting option for those just starting out.
Mangomint was founded in 2017 and has quickly earned accolades for its user experience and refined features. With its sleek interface, meticulous attention to detail, and exceptional ease of use, Mangomint has become the go-to choice for team-based salon businesses (as indicated by its incredibly high review scores).
In this comparison, I’ll dissect the features, pricing, and overall value offered by GlossGenius and Mangomint to help you pinpoint which software aligns best with your business’s unique needs and aspirations.
Here is a breakdown of everything you will learn in this post:
GlossGenius vs Mangomint
Let's kick off with an overview of the two platforms we're diving into today.
GlossGenius
Mangomint
Overall score
Note
The overall score considers ease of use, customer service, features, user ratings, and cost. Scores are determined solely by our editorial team.
Average price
Note
Assumes you run a business with a mid-size team and have activated the more common add-ons. What you will pay will be lower or higher than this. See the separate section about pricing for full details.
Who is it for
Ease of use
Customer Service
Countries
U.S.
U.S. and Canada
Key features
- Premium beauty-inspired interface design
- Professional-looking website in just a few clicks
- Integrated payment and card reader with customizable design
- Affordable, transparent, flat fee pricing
- Modern, intuitive, and easy to use
- Smart automations that help cut down on time spent managing business operations
- Open data ownership and no contracts (you’re not locked into anything)
- Can integrate with any other platform who allows for integrations
- Highest-rated customer service on the market
A Double-Click on Each System
Let’s look a little closer at what these systems do and detail the pros and cons of each in this GlossGenius vs. Mangomint guide.
GlossGenius At a Glance
Overall score
GlossGenius is an all-in-one appointment, payment, and marketing app for salon and spa professionals in the USA.
It offers rich support for independent professionals. Teams can also use the app but it’s primarily designed for solopreneurs.
Here you manage your total business out of an easy-to-use, beautifully designed, mobile app.
In my opinion, it’s the design and premium beauty experience that GlossGenius delivers that makes this tool truly unique. You can even adapt the design of their credit card reader to fit your brand.
Pros and Cons
- Interface design that signals beauty (and not tech)
- Intuitive features that are easy-to-use
- Professional looking website in just a few clicks
- Integrated payments with beautiful hardware
- Affordable and transparent flat fee pricing
- Limited flexibility (you need to follow pre-defined standards)
- Can only be managed via app (only calendar can be accessed in web browser)
- No booking widget to integrate on existing website (need to link to your GlossGenius website)
Mangomint At a Glance
Overall score
Mangomint is the most modern and well-designed salon and spa software platform in the United States & Canada.
It’s the platform with the most buzz around right now that beats all competitors on user review websites.
Every little detail of this software has been designed to perfection – making it incredibly intuitive and easy to use. It also offers intelligent automations that reduces time spent managing your appointments and business operations.
Mangomint’s vision is to make salon software invisible—so smart and easy to use that it essentially disappears into your day-to-day operations. And boy, is this software a pleasure to use for both you and your clients, which is why it is now, in 2023, my #1 recommendation.
Pros and Cons
- Modern, easy-to-use, interface
- Smart automations that help cut down on time spent managing business operations
- Open data ownership and no contracts (you’re not locked into anything)
- Can integrate with any other platform that allow for integrations
- Highest-rated customer service on the market
- Not for solopreneurs. Only teams.
- Higher entry-level price than most other salon & spa software
- Only available in the United States & Canada
How Do They Compare? Strengths and Weaknesses
When we place GlossGenius and Mangomint side by side, it’s evident that they cater to different segments within the salon industry, each with its distinct brand ethos and functionality.
GlossGenius exudes a commitment to aesthetics and user experience, priding itself on a chic mobile platform that aligns with the beauty professionals’ desire for simplicity and ease of use.
It’s designed to be user-friendly, minimizing the learning curve and allowing for quick adoption, which is ideal for solo practitioners or smaller teams who want to manage their brand’s presentation and client interactions with ease.
Mangomint also doesn’t attempt to compete on the sheer number of features but instead focuses on providing a sophisticated, streamlined experience through thoughtfully (and practically) designed ones. It stands out for its speed, reliability, and the thoughtful placement of every element in its interface, which appeals to businesses that place a high value on efficiency and design.
The commitment to quality extends to Mangomint’s customer service, which has received exceptionally high praise from users. However, this comes at a higher cost compared to GlossGenius, reflecting the premium nature of its offerings.
One of the most significant differences lies in the support for team operations. While GlossGenius does offer functionality for team members, it’s somewhat limited.
Mangomint, on the other hand, is tailored for salons and spas with teams, offering deeper, more advanced features designed for collaborative environments.
GlossGenius vs Mangomint
Let's kick off with an overview of the two platforms we're diving into today.
Ease of use
Design
Customer service
Pricing
Calendar and appointment management
Online booking
Point of sale and check out
Client data
Client communication
Inventory management
Team Management
Payroll
Marketing support
3rd party integrations
Mobile and tablet apps
Let’s Talk Features
GlossGenius stands out for its simplicity and ease of use, even for less tech-savvy users. All the basic features a small salon or spa needs are baked into the software without the need to learn and customize much. The polished interface makes features intuitive to find and use.
However, Mangomint offers more sophistication in its core, daily use with features like client self-checkout, an intelligent waitlist that reminds you when a waitlist entry might be a good fit for a new opening on the schedule, and two-way texting and image sharing that syncs with customer profiles.
These features aim to save businesses time and money through thoughtful design that actually makes the tasks business owners care about the most easier to do.
Both platforms now offer built-in marketing capabilities and fully integrated payroll processing, the latter of which is a rarity in the industry and a huge win for salons and spas of all sizes.
Feature Comparison
Mangomint offers a larger and more sophisticated feature set than GlossGenius. Let's go through what these features are and where they differ.
|
GlossGenius
|
Mangomint
|
|
| Online Booking | GlossGenius | Mangomint |
|
Website booking widget Note Can you integrate the entire online booking experience directly into your website? |
||
|
Branding control Note Can you customize the look and feel of the booking experience to fit your brand? |
||
|
No-show protection Note Can you store credit card details and charge deposits to reinforce your cancellation policy? |
||
|
Service customization Note Can clients adapt their service when they book, and can this change the price and duration of the booked appointment? |
||
|
Free from account creation Note Can clients book without having first to create an account with the software? |
||
|
Integrated gift cards Note Can you sell digital gift cards as part of the booking process? |
||
| Calendar and Appointment Management | ||
|
Customize notification messages Note Can you change the text sent to your clients as part of appointment reminders and other messages? |
Note You can enable/disable parts of the notification and add an additional message. |
|
|
Customize notification timings Note Can you change when reminders and other messages go out to your clients? |
||
| Client waitlist management | ||
|
Rooms and resource scheduling Note Can you manage equipment, rooms, and other resources required to complete a service? |
||
|
Repeat appointments Note Can you schedule clients for recurring appointments? |
||
|
Time block Note Can you block out time on your calendar? |
||
|
Processing time Note Can you allow for double booking of service providers by accepting appointments during service processing time? |
||
|
Duration and price by staff Note Can you adapt the price and time needed for a service based on who is performing the service? |
||
|
Automated check-in Note Can clients check in to their appointments themselves? |
||
| Point of Sale/ Check out | ||
|
Tablet compatible Note Can you run the POS on any tablet or do you need special hardware? |
||
|
Dedicated POS hardware Note Does the system provider offer hardware to improve the check out expereince? |
||
|
Self check out Note Can clients check out from their appointment themselves? |
||
|
Route payments to renters Note If you have booth renters in your business, can you route payments directly to them? |
||
|
Cards on file Note Can you store credit card details and charge the customer later? |
||
|
Integrated payments Note Does the software offer a first-party payment processing solution? |
||
| Client Data & Communication | ||
| SMS Notification | ||
| Email Notificition | ||
|
Dedicated business SMS number Note Do you get a business phone number that your messages and notifications are send from? |
||
| Two way SMS communication | ||
|
Forms Note Can you create intake forms, store SOAP notes, and have clients sign your forms? |
||
|
Client notes Note Can you store notes about clients on their profile? |
||
|
Client files and images Note Can you store files and image on in the client’s profile? |
||
| Inventory and Product Types | ||
|
Inventory tracking Note Will the system keep track of stock levels, notify you when it’s time to re-order? |
||
|
Purchase orders Note Can the system create automatic purchase orders for you? |
||
| Retail | ||
| Memberships | ||
| Packages | ||
| Gift cards | ||
| Team Support & Payroll | ||
|
Fully integrated payroll Note Can you run payroll and cut paychecks directly through the software? |
||
|
3rd party payroll integration Note Does the software allow you integrate and share data with a 3rd party payroll solution (e.g. Gusto, ADP, Paychex, etc)? |
||
| Payroll reports | ||
|
Commission support Note Can you track and report on commission for service, retail, and other product types? |
||
|
Multi-location support Note Does the system have specific support for businesses with multiple locations |
||
|
Booth renter support Note Can the system help with rent collection, payments, and other booth renter management tasks. |
||
| Marketing Support | ||
| Email marketing | ||
| SMS marketing |
Note Supports integration with SMS marketing platforms |
|
| Website builder | ||
|
Client marketplace Note Does it offer a platform where potential clients can browse businesses using the software? |
||
|
Add-on offers Note Can you promote service add-ons/upsells as part of the online booking flow? |
||
| Cloud & Mobile App Access | ||
|
Full-featured mobile app Note Can you access all software features in the mobile app? |
||
| Web browser | ||
| iPad | ||
| iPhone | ||
| Android | ||
Integrating with Other Platforms for Additional Features
As salon and spa businesses grow, the ability to integrate with other tools for specific features becomes more important.
GlossGenius offers very limited integration capabilities since it mainly targets solo entrepreneurs. Simple calendar and contact syncing is the extent of its offering here. No custom integrations are supported.
Mangomint truly stands out when it comes to integrations. While it does offer direct integrations with a handful of tools, Mangomint also enables custom integrations with virtually any other platform a salon needs. This makes it easy to pull in best-of-breed tools across all aspects of a growing business.
Integrations
Mangomint offers both custom and native integrations.
|
GlossGenius
|
Mangomint
|
|
|
Custom integrations Note Does the platform allow you to create new integrations to support your business-specific needs? |
||
|
Native integrations Note Built-in integrations that you can activate as needed |
|
|
Pricing
Both GlossGenius and Mangomint offer transparent, affordable pricing models.
GlossGenius has the simplest structure, with just two straightforward plans and one card transaction fee. Calculating exactly what you’ll pay is easy, and you won’t have to pay much.
Mangomint targets teams, so their pricing starts at a higher tier, but you get a robust, feature-packed package and incredible customer support for your money.
GlossGenius vs Mangomint Pricing
GlossGenius is less expensive, but Mangomint offers more for your money.
|
GlossGenius
|
Mangomint
|
|
| Average Price | ||
| Trial Options | ||
| Minimum contract length | ||
|
Plans
|
||
| Plans | ||
|
Add-ons
|
||
| Add-ons | ||
|
Credit card fees
|
||
| Credit card fees | ||
What Do Users Think of These Platforms?
To read more about our experience testing these software suites, check out our comprehensive reviews of Mangomint and GlossGenius.
However, if you’re interested in hearing firsthand accounts from everyday business customers, take a look at the user review scores below.
User Reviews Compared
Let's compare scores for these systems on the major user review sites.
|
GlossGenius
|
Mangomint
|
|
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
What Alternatives Should You Consider?
Mangomint and GlossGenius are both great choices for entirely different types of businesses.
If you’re still not sure if either is the right choice for you, take a look at these alternatives and see if they’re a better fit for you:
Fresha offers a subscription-free pricing model and serves more than 120 countries around the world.
Square Appointments is a popular alternative to GlossGenius, serving independent professionals on a budget.
Fresha vs Square Appointments
A quick comparison of the two GlossGenius and Mangomint alternatives.
Fresha
Square Appointments
Overall score
Note
The overall score considers ease of use, customer service, features, user ratings, and cost. Scores are determined solely by our editorial team.
Average price
Note
Assumes you run a business with a mid-size team and have activated the more common add-ons. What you will pay will be lower or higher than this. See the separate section about pricing for full details.
Who is it for
Ease of use
Customer Service
Countries
Available in 22 languages in over 120 countries worldwide
U.S., Canada, Australia, Japan, the UK.
Key features
- FREE subscription with unlimited staff
- Fresha marketplace where clients can discover your salon
- Easy to use with a modern minimalistic design interface
- Available in over 120 countries!
- Large amount of native integrations with other apps
- Comprehensive, easy-to-use, marketing tools
- Best looking POS hardware on the market
- Free, sophisticated, website builder and online store
Conclusion
I hope this comparison was helpful in your search for the right salon and spa software for your business!
For more great software alternatives, see my list of the best salon and spa software of 2024.
