For two stylists, Vagaro costs $16 a month less. For five, GlossGenius costs $14 less. At ten or more, Vagaro costs about half as much, before add-ons and card fees.
Most comparisons of these two read like feature lists. The question owners actually ask is simpler: what will I pay a month for a team my size? So I read each vendor's own pricing page on the same day and lined the numbers up. Fresha is included because it comes up in the same searches.
The short answer
| Team size | GlossGenius | Vagaro | Fresha |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 stylist | $28 (Standard) | $30 | $19.95 |
| 2 stylists | $56 (Gold) | $40 | $29.90 |
| 5 stylists | $56 (Gold) | $70 | $74.75 |
| 10 stylists | $168 (Platinum) | $90 | $149.50 |
Sources: glossgenius.com/pricing, vagaro.com/pro/pricing and fresha.com/pricing, read October 22, 2026. GlossGenius prices are the monthly-billing rates for its Beauty and Wellness plans. Gold is the plan it describes for businesses up to 9 staff, and Platinum for teams of 10 or more. Vagaro's figure is per bookable calendar, as shown on its price selector for 1, 2, 5 and 7 or more. Fresha is $19.95 for one person, then $14.95 per bookable team member on its Team plan. All three change prices often, so check before you sign.
Two things move these numbers. GlossGenius knocks its plans down to $24, $48 and $148 a month if you pay for a year up front. Vagaro shows a lower rate for the first six months, for example $23.99 for one calendar and $63.99 for five.
How each one charges
GlossGenius charges by plan. One price covers the whole team inside each tier. That's why the cost doesn't move between two stylists and nine, and then jumps from $56 to $168 at ten.
Vagaro charges by calendar. Each person who takes bookings adds to the bill, and the front desk doesn't count. Its price selector stops at "7+" at $90, so a team of ten pays the same as a team of seven.
Fresha charges per team member, and takes a cut of new marketplace clients. A brand-new client who finds you through the Fresha marketplace carries a one-time 20 percent commission, with a $6 minimum. Returning clients carry no fee.
What's included and what's extra
The subscription is only part of the bill.
Vagaro lists its add-ons with prices. On its pricing page: text marketing from $20 a month, a website builder at $20, forms at $10, an online shopping cart at $10, payroll at $34 plus $5 per employee, and a branded app at $100. Email marketing is free to start. Vagaro says it takes nothing from bookings that come through its marketplace.
GlossGenius bundles more into each tier. Its plan comparison lists a booking website, forms and waivers, email marketing and review management among its features, and two of its plans include text credits (500 and 2,500). It also lists separate bank accounts for booth renters.
So a five-stylist salon that wants a website, forms and texting on Vagaro adds at least $50 a month to the $70 subscription, at list price. Check which tier includes each feature you need before comparing totals, because neither page makes every line easy to read.
Card fees
Processing usually costs far more than the subscription, so ask for it in writing.
- GlossGenius publishes its rates: 2.4 percent plus 15 cents for tap, dip or swipe, and 2.9 percent plus 30 cents for online invoices. Instant payouts cost an extra 1.8 percent.
- Vagaro's pricing page does not list its card rates. It offers a free card reader if you process with Vagaro Merchant Services for at least 12 months, with a $150 early cancellation fee if you stop sooner.
To see why this matters: at GlossGenius's in-person rate, $10,000 a month in card sales across 100 tickets costs $255 in fees. That's more than the Platinum subscription. A difference of a few tenths of a percent between two processors can outweigh the whole gap in monthly price.
Free trials and leaving
- Vagaro offers a 30-day free trial, without email marketing, text marketing or the branded app, and says you can cancel any time with no fee.
- GlossGenius says you can get started for free with no credit card required, and offers a free data transfer.
- Fresha offers a 7-day trial on both plans.
Before you switch, export your client list, service history and gift card balances from the old system, and ask the new one in writing what it will move for you.
What 17 real salon websites use
For a reality check, I opened the 17 salon and studio websites in our own client group and followed each "Book" button to see which system it lands on. Totals only, no salon named.
| System | Websites |
|---|---|
| Phorest | 6 |
| Mindbody | 2 |
| BookedBy | 2 |
| GlossGenius | 1 |
| Square | 1 |
| Mya | 1 |
| Demandforce | 1 |
| Vagaro | 0 |
| No booking link on the site | 3 |
Read October 22, 2026 from each site's links and embedded booking pages. A small group, mostly established salons with a team, so it says nothing about the market as a whole. It does show that the two names in this comparison are far from the only choices.
Which one fits
Solo stylist or suite renter: the three are within about $10 a month of each other. Pick on card fees and how the client booking page looks on a phone.
Two stylists: Vagaro's per-calendar price is lower, as long as you don't need many paid add-ons. Somewhere between two and five the two cross over. Vagaro's selector shows the exact price for three, four and six, so check it for your headcount.
Five to nine stylists: GlossGenius Gold stays at a flat $56. Vagaro is already $70 at five and reaches its $90 cap at seven.
Ten or more: Vagaro's $90 cap is well below GlossGenius Platinum at $168, before add-ons.
For the questions to ask any booking vendor, see the salon software buyer's guide.
