Are you looking for good alternatives to Vagaro Pro in 2024?
Then you’ve landed in the right place.
Vagaro, founded in 2009, is one of the most well-known salon and spa software systems today.
I like Vagaro for many reasons.
The system offers a massive grab bag of features at a very affordable price point. This undeniable value is why it has become such a popular option for independent professionals, salons, and spas with a small team.
However, Vagaro is certainly not your only option, and there are good reasons why you may want to consider something else.
Why Consider a Vagaro Alternative?
Some reasons you may want to choose an alternative to Vagaro are:
- Marketplace profile requirement: Vagaro requires clients who book that they first create a Vagaro profile. This interrupts the booking flow and forces a relationship between Vagaro and your client that more established businesses (and clients) may find undesirable.
- Glitches, load time, and aesthetics: These are some of the more common concerns called out by users expressing their opinions on software review sites. Vagaro has put an impressive number of features into their product, but this added bulk comes at the expense of longer load time and bugs. You need to get used to the “loading wheel” as you navigate the platform.
- You’re outgrowing the platform: As your business grows, so will your demand for better support and system flexibility. As your business reaches a certain size, you may want to consider Vagaro alternatives that better support your new workflows and better integrate with your daily tasks.
So, as with any system, there are pros and cons of Vagaro. Let’s now dive into my recommended alternatives.
Vagaro Pro Alternatives
We’ll start with a quick summary my recommended Vagaro alternatives. Following this, I’ll dive into each one in a bit more depth.
Mangomint
Read my detailed Mangomint vs. Vagaro comparison
Who is it for
The highest-rated software for salons & spas. Designed for businesses with a team who want the best design experience, smart automations, and the flexibility to integrate with other systems.
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.
$245 per month
Supported countries
U.S. and Canada
Note
The overall score considers ease of use, customer service, features, user ratings, and cost. Scores are determined solely by our editorial team.
GlossGenius
Read my detailed GlossGenius vs. Vagaro comparison
Who is it for
For independent professionals who want to start accepting payments and get appointment scheduling, a website and marketing up fast without compromising on the experience of their brand
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.
$48 per month
Supported countries
U.S.
Note
The overall score considers ease of use, customer service, features, user ratings, and cost. Scores are determined solely by our editorial team.
Square Appointments
Read my detailed Square vs. Vagaro comparison
Who is it for
For solopreneurs or small teams in any type of local service business (salon, spa, fitness, repair, cleaning, and professional services) who want access to Square’s broad range of products.
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.
$45 per month
Supported countries
U.S., Canada, Australia, Japan, the UK.
Note
The overall score considers ease of use, customer service, features, user ratings, and cost. Scores are determined solely by our editorial team.
Fresha
Read my detailed Fresha vs. Vagaro comparison
Who is it for
For the independent professional or business on a budget that want to avoid subscription fees and a big technical learning curve.
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.
$80 per month
Supported countries
Available in 22 languages in over 120 countries worldwide
Note
The overall score considers ease of use, customer service, features, user ratings, and cost. Scores are determined solely by our editorial team.
Mindbody
Read my detailed Mindbody vs. Vagaro comparison
Who is it for
Salon, spa, and wellness businesses that place a focus on engagement through digital channels — especially those who teach courses — and want to be able to monetize that content directly through their booking platform.
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.
$450 per month
Supported countries
Available in 130 countries
Note
The overall score considers ease of use, customer service, features, user ratings, and cost. Scores are determined solely by our editorial team.
Alternative #1: Mangomint | The Highest Rated Sofware for Salons and Spas
It’s not uncommon for businesses to transition from Vagaro to Mangomint as their business grows. Mangomint is built for businesses with 5+ service providers and offers richer support for bigger businesses.
Below is a story from a business owner who was previously using Vagaro but switched to Mangomint.
Mangomint is the fastest and most well-designed platform we’ve tested. Their goal of “making salon and spa software invisible” sounded odd to me at first, but really started to make sense when I actually started using it.
The attention to detail and the lack of bugs and glitches is something I noticed right away. The booking process is streamlined, and you’re in control of the workflow with automations for routine tasks and helpful tools like their signature Express Booking feature.
They don’t get in the way of your relationship with your client, either. Clients don’t need to create an account to book online, so you 100% own the client relationship.
Vagaro has a leg-up on Mangomint when it comes to a marketplace feature, though. Mangomint has no client marketplace, so if you want to take advantage of marketplace advertising, you’ll need to go with Vagaro, Booker/Mindbody, or Fresha.
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
Alternative #2: GlossGenius | The Easy-to-Use Alternative for Independent Professionals
If you’re a solo business owner who cares about aesthetics and ease of use, consider GlossGenius. It looks better than Vagaro and is easier to use.
You control your total business out of their mobile app alone. This also means you have fewer features in GlossGenius compared to Vagaro. But if you’re a solo business owner, the GlossGenius features on offer should be enough and are more streamlined for your needs.
For single service providers, Vagaro and GlossGenius are similarly priced – both are affordable options on a budget. But if you want to manage your business primarily from your phone and like a more modern app experience, GlossGenius is a better pick.
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)
Alternative #3: Square Appointments | The Complete POS & Appointment Software with a Subscription-Free Plan for Individuals
Square Appointments, and Square’s offer as a whole, is the solution I think most overlaps with Vagaro.
They serve a similar group of business owners – solopreneurs or smaller teams – and both offer a lot of features at a similarly affordable price.
Square is more aesthetically pleasing than Vagaro, and you also get access to better-designed point-of-sale hardware with Square.
The booking process is also more streamlined with Square. There’s no need for clients to create an account as they need to do when booking with Vagaro.
The complexity of Square is, however, a bit more involved. Square is built for any business, so you need to puzzle together the apps you want to use as you get set up. Vagaro is only used by salons, spas, and fitness businesses, so it has a more straightforward setup process.
Square Appointments At a Glance
Overall score
Square Appointments is a cloud-based appointment scheduling software for salons, spas and really any other local service businesses.
It integrates with the full suite of local business solutions from Square which makes it one of the most complete business management solutions on the market.
At the same time, it is free for individuals and has therefore quickly become one of the most popular platforms for one-person businesses like beauty booth renters and individual professionals.
Pros and Cons
- Free for individuals
- Well-designed, easy to use, interface
- Integration with the full suite of Square applications for endless possibilities
- Robust core business management (inventory, reports, and client data)
- Limited flexibility when designing online booking page, booking widget, e-mails and other aspects that you may want to adapt
- It gets a bit expensive for the growing team that expands with more locations
Alternative #4: Fresha | The Subscription-Free Salon Software and Marketplace
Like Vagaro, Fresha is a salon and spa management software and a marketplace. It was founded in 2015 and feels more modern and sleek than Vagaro.
Although Fresha continues to add more features, it does not beat Vagaro in sheer number of features. However, I think Fresha is easier to use, even if this is at the expense of flexibility – you cannot customize much within Fresha.
There are obvious similarities between these two business management systems and marketplaces, but pricing is an area where they differ. Fresha does not charge you a monthly subscription. Instead, you’re charged when someone books with you on the Fresha marketplace or by other system usage principles.
Vagaro, on the other hand, charges you upfront, and you don’t pay anything if clients book you on their marketplace.
I can see benefits with only paying for usage (Fresha) as well as the more upfront and transparent pricing model (Vagaro). I’ll leave it to you to decide which model resonates with you.
Finally, Fresha is available in many more countries than Vagaro and could, therefore, be the apparent alternative to Vagaro for you.
Fresha At a Glance
Overall score
Fresha (formerly known as Shedul) is the only subscription-free software for salons and spas with no trial period and no limits on usage. Fresha is headquartered in London, UK, but is available in 120 countries.
The strengths of Fresha lie in the ease of use, the subscription-free plan, and the continuous development of the platform.
It’s important to note that subscription-free is not the same as free. You’re paying for each transaction, and when new clients find you on the Fresha marketplace.
Pros and Cons
- Free subscription for unlimited staff. Only usage-based pricing.
- User-friendly and easy to learn
- Available in many countries and languages
- Limited options to customize the appearance (default designs look good, though)
- Clients are required to create a Fresha account to book
- Online booking cannot be integrated with your website (need to link out to your Fresha page)
- Limited support for integration with other platforms. You’re locked into using the Fresha tools.
Alternative #5: Mindbody | The Education & Engagement-Focused Salon Software Made With Marketing in Mind
As a final runner-up to Vagaro and Fresha, I need to mention the veteran Mindbody. It is also rich in features and has an established marketplace.
Like Fresha, Mindbody is available in many more countries than Vagaro and could be an alternative if Vagaro is not supported where you are.
Mindbody does excel in its new client acquisition and marketing capabilities. However, it is an older platform, and if you were considering alternatives to Vagaro because you wanted a sleeker interface, this is not going to be it.
Mindbody At a Glance
Overall score
The company has been around in some capacity since 1998, when the company was initially founded as Hardbody Software, officially becoming Mindbody in 2001. Since then, Mindbody has exploded in popularity, raised hundreds of millions of dollars, and purchased several other companies, including Booker, Classpass, and FitMetrix. Mindbody is headquartered in San Luis Obispo CA, and is available nearly worldwide.
Mindbody’s strengths lie in its new client acquisition opportunities and integrated marketing and content monetization capabilities.
Just like its sister software, Booker, while Mindbody’s lower-tier plans are relatively affordable, they lack many of the noteworthy features that make Mindbody an attractive option, putting them somewhere in the middle of the pack when it comes to price-to-feature comparisons.
Pros and Cons
- Enhanced new client acquisition opportunities through MindBody Marketplace
- Integrated payments though MindBody Payments (US & Canada only)
- Integrated email marketing suite (on Accelerate, Ultimate, and Ultimate Plus plans)
- Ability to monetize educational classes and content
- No free trial
- Must commit to a minimum 12-month contract before ever using the software
- Stateside customer support only available to Ultimate and Ultimate Plus plans
- App interface and menus are clunky and outdated
Choosing the Best Vagaro Alternative
I hope this list was helpful in determining if any of these Vagaro alternatives are a better fit for you.
If it’s a better price-to-performance ratio you’re looking for, Mangomint offers the best features and support for businesses with more than a couple of stylists or estheticians.
If you run a solo salon or spa on a budget and want to run your business from your phone, GlossGenius is a fantastic option.
If you’re looking for a great no-monthly-cost option as a solopreneur, Fresha is your best bet, but you should also consider Square Appointments.
If you run a chain or franchise business and need support for multiple locations with complex management needs, consider Mindbody for its reporting and marketing tools.
Still unsure which software is the best for you? That’s OK! We’ve reviewed a whole bunch more.
Check out our list of the best salon software in 2024 right now and see how each competitor stacks up in our in-depth comparisons!
