GlossGenius vs Vagaro (2026): Prices, Fees and Who Wins

GlossGenius vs Vagaro comes down to style versus breadth. GlossGenius is a polished all-in-one for solo pros and small teams, with a flat 2.6% processing rate and most tools included in the plan; Vagaro is a bigger toolbox with a consumer marketplace, cheap extra calendars and many paid add-ons. Below is a fair, side-by-side comparison of prices, payment fees, features and who each one suits, with figures checked in October 2026.

Key takeaways

• Solo pros pay about the same subscription: GlossGenius Standard is $24/month billed yearly ($28 monthly); Vagaro is $23.99 to $30/month for one bookable calendar.
• Teams: Vagaro adds $10 per extra calendar (up to seven licenses), while GlossGenius jumps to Gold at $48/month yearly ($56 monthly) for up to 9 staff.
• Processing: GlossGenius charges a flat 2.6% on everything; Vagaro reportedly charges small merchants 2.6% + 10¢ per in-person transaction, with other rates for keyed-in payments and larger volumes.
• Marketplace: Vagaro has one (clients can find you in its app); GlossGenius does not.
• Add-ons: GlossGenius includes the booking website and email marketing; on Vagaro, the website builder (MySite) is a reported $20/month add-on.

GlossGenius vs Vagaro at a glance (October 2026)

A note on Vagaro's price: Vagaro's pricing page is geo-targeted and showed UK prices from our location. Its own US comparison pages list a $23.99 monthly base and a cap of $83.99 for 7 or more calendars, while independent guides updated in 2026 report $23.99 as an introductory price for the first six months, then $30. Check the price you are quoted at signup.

GlossGenius vs Vagaro pricing: what you actually pay

A subscription comparison is only half the story, so let's look at both the plan and the processing.

GlossGenius plans

GlossGenius publishes three beauty and wellness plans on its pricing page:

• Standard: $28/month, or $24/month billed yearly. Custom booking website, unlimited client notifications, email and text marketing, inventory and retail, packages and memberships.
• Gold: $56/month, or $48/month billed yearly, for teams up to 9 staff. Adds forms and waivers, Google booking and reviews, automated waitlist, time tracking and room management. Includes 500 text marketing credits.
• Platinum: $168/month, or $148/month billed yearly, for teams of 10+. Adds commissions, team goals and Google marketing analytics. Includes 2,500 text marketing credits.

Every plan includes the flat 2.6% processing rate, free same-day payouts Monday to Thursday, and free data transfer. Instant payouts cost an extra 1.8%. Payroll is $40/month + $6 per seat, and the AI receptionist ("Reception") is $50/month.

Vagaro plans

Vagaro has one core subscription priced by bookable calendars:

• 1 calendar: $23.99 to $30/month (see the note above).
• Each extra calendar: $10/month, up to seven licenses. Vagaro's FAQ says that once you reach seven licenses, you can add more employees at no extra cost.
• Paid add-ons (reported by SchedulingKit, October 2026): MySite website builder $20/month, check-in app $10/month, payroll $34/month + $5 per employee, QuickBooks sync $10/month. Text marketing and a branded app are also extras.

Vagaro offers a 30-day free trial and says you can cancel anytime with no cancellation fees.

Worked example: a solo stylist

Assumptions: one stylist, $3,500 a month in card payments, average ticket $70 (50 transactions), wants a booking website.

If you don't need a separate website (for example, you only share your Vagaro booking link), Vagaro drops to $126 or about $120, and the gap nearly closes.

Worked example: a 4-person salon

For a team, subscriptions are close. Processing will matter more than the plan: Vagaro says on its own site that larger merchants get lower in-person rates, but the exact figure depends on your volume, so ask for a written quote and compare it with GlossGenius's flat 2.6%.

Payment processing: flat rate vs tiered

GlossGenius is easy to predict: 2.6% on every card payment, with no extra charge for Tap to Pay, card on file or manual entry. That matters for no-show fees and deposits, which are usually charged to a saved card. GlossGenius also advertises 100% chargeback protection.

Vagaro uses its own Vagaro Merchant Services. An older Vagaro guide describes small merchants (under $4,000 a month) paying 2.6% + 10¢ per dip with no monthly fee, and larger merchants paying a lower percentage plus a higher per-transaction fee and a $10 monthly fee. A 2026 independent guide reports the same 2.6% + 10¢ small-merchant rate and notes that keyed-in and large-merchant rates differ. On a $70 service, that is $1.92 on Vagaro versus $1.82 on GlossGenius.

The takeaway: at low volume the difference is a few dollars a month. At higher volume, get Vagaro's quote in writing.

Features: where each one is stronger

Where GlossGenius is stronger

• Design and simplicity. The booking website, templates and client experience are polished, and clients book without creating an account.
• More included in the plan. Website, unlimited email marketing, deposits, card-on-file policies, inventory and memberships are all included from Standard.
• Predictable payments. One rate, fast payouts, booth-renter bank accounts.

Where Vagaro is stronger

• Marketplace visibility. Vagaro runs a consumer marketplace and app where clients search for salons, spas and barbers nearby. On its switch-from-Booksy page, Vagaro says it charges zero marketplace fees. Its UK comparison page lists a 20% first-visit fee for UK businesses, so check the terms for your country.
• Cheap scaling for teams. $10 per calendar is hard to beat for a 3 to 7-person salon.
• Breadth. Forms, a branded app, payroll, check-in kiosks, classes and memberships are all available, mostly as add-ons, so you can build exactly the stack you need.

Features both handle well

Online booking 24/7, deposits and no-show protection, appointment reminders, client profiles with history and notes, POS and card readers, gift cards, reports and mobile apps.

Vagaro vs GlossGenius review: who should choose which?

Choose GlossGenius if:

1. You are a solo pro or a small team (up to 9) and want one clean app.
2. You want your own branded booking website without paying for an add-on.
3. You take lots of card-on-file payments (deposits, no-show fees) and want one flat rate.
4. Most of your new clients come from Instagram, referrals and Google, not from a booking marketplace.

Choose Vagaro if:

1. You want to be listed in a consumer marketplace to pick up new clients.
2. You run a team of 3 to 7+ and want the per-calendar pricing.
3. You need specialized tools (classes, check-in app, branded app) and don't mind paying for add-ons.
4. You want a longer trial (30 days) to test with your whole team.

For a wider look at the market, see our best salon booking software comparison, or the head-to-heads GlossGenius vs Square and Vagaro vs Square.

What if neither GlossGenius nor Vagaro fits?

Both are full business systems with POS, card readers and marketing. Some pros don't need that: they take payment with a reader they already own, or in cash, and want a beautiful booking site that stops no-shows and costs little when they are quiet.

That is the niche BeautiDock was built for. You get your own booking website (three designer templates, your colors, your photos, a page per service, a team page), online booking 24/7, a calendar, a client list with visit history and private notes, email confirmations and a reminder the day before, optional deposits per service through your own Stripe account, and a built-in loyalty card.

To be clear about the limits: BeautiDock has no POS or card reader, no SMS reminders yet (email only) and no marketplace, so it won't send you new clients. Pricing is pay-as-you-go: your first 30 online bookings are free, then $0.50 per online booking, capped at $19 per professional per month ($190 a year on the annual plan). Bookings you add yourself are always free, and there is no commission. Deposits cost Stripe's card fee + 0.9%. Details are on the pricing page.

How to decide in one week

1. List your must-haves: marketplace, website, deposits, SMS, POS, payroll.
2. Get your real numbers: monthly card volume, average ticket, team size.
3. Run both trials at once: GlossGenius gives 14 days, Vagaro 30.
4. Book yourself as a client on each booking page, from your phone, then cancel and rebook.
5. Ask Vagaro for a written processing quote if you process more than $4,000 a month.
6. Check your exit: ask each one how to export your client list.

The bottom line

GlossGenius vs Vagaro is not a question of which is "better" but which is built for you. GlossGenius wins on simplicity, design and a predictable flat rate for solo pros and small teams. Vagaro wins on marketplace exposure, team pricing and the sheer number of tools. Price both with your own numbers, and if you only need a booking site with deposits, compare a lighter option too.

Sources

• GlossGenius pricing page
• Vagaro pricing page (FAQ on calendar licenses)
• Vagaro vs Booksy (Vagaro's US price comparison)
• Vagaro: Switch from Booksy (marketplace fees)
• Vagaro vs Treatwell (UK marketplace fee)
• Vagaro: Setting up merchant services
• SchedulingKit: Vagaro pricing guide (October 2026)