Vagaro vs GlossGenius, with Fresha and Boulevard: which salon software fits?
Short answer: Vagaro starts at $23.99 a month for one location as a six-month intro rate, then $30, plus $10 for each extra bookable calendar, with in-person card fees of 2.6% plus 10 cents for small merchants, as of October 2026. GlossGenius charges a flat plan price from $24 a month billed yearly, with in-person card fees of 2.4% plus 15 cents. Fresha charges $14.95 per team member a month, and Boulevard starts at $143 a month for higher-end salons and spas.
You're comparing Vagaro and GlossGenius for your salon and want to know how the price actually changes once you add staff, not just the solo-chair rate.
I'm Ranjit, and I run Blur Studio: 15+ years building software, 120 apps taken live, and clients who have gone on to raise $10M+. I build AI systems and processes that help businesses do a lot more with a lot less time. I also work differently from most of what else is out there, more on that further down this page. Say hello.
What does Vagaro cost?
Vagaro lists $23.99 a month for one location. Its page marks this as an exclusive rate for the first six months, with the regular $30 price shown crossed out. Each extra bookable calendar costs $10 a month, up to seven. After seven, Vagaro's FAQ says you can add more staff at no extra cost. Each location is priced on its own.
Vagaro offers a 30-day free trial. Its page says you can cancel at any time with no cancellation fee, though it adds that exclusions apply.
What are Vagaro's card fees?
Vagaro's card processing page has two tiers, based on monthly card sales.
| Vagaro tier | Dip and tap | Keyed in | Monthly fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small merchants (under $4,000 a month) | 2.6% + 10¢ | 3.5% + 19¢ | None |
| Large merchants (over $4,000 a month) | 2.29% + 19¢ | 3.5% + 19¢ | $10 |
Tap to Pay on a phone adds 6 cents per payment on both tiers.
What does GlossGenius cost?
GlossGenius has three salon plans and two plans for aesthetics practices.
| GlossGenius plan | Monthly billing | Yearly billing (per month) | Team size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $28 | $24 | Not stated |
| Gold | $56 | $48 | Up to 9 staff |
| Platinum | $168 | $148 | Teams of 10 or more |
| Practice Essentials | $168 | $148 | Aesthetics practices |
| Practice Advanced | $298 | $248 | Unlimited providers |
GlossGenius lists in-person card fees of 2.4% plus 15 cents and online card fees of 3.4% plus 15 cents. Paid invoices sent online cost 2.9% plus 30 cents. You can try any plan free for 14 days with no credit card.
- Standard: A booking website, unlimited client reminders, email and text marketing, retail stock and memberships.
- Gold: Adds forms and waivers, Google booking and reviews, an automatic waitlist, time tracking and room booking.
- Platinum: Adds team goals, custom commissions and Google marketing reports.
How do Vagaro and GlossGenius compare side by side?
| Vagaro | GlossGenius | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $23.99 a month for the first six months | $24 a month billed yearly, $28 monthly |
| How price grows | $10 per extra bookable calendar, up to seven | Move up a plan as your team grows |
| In-person card fee | 2.6% + 10¢ (small), 2.29% + 19¢ (large) | 2.4% + 15¢ |
| Keyed-in or online card fee | 3.5% + 19¢ keyed in | 3.4% + 15¢ online |
| Free trial | 30 days | 14 days |
| Contract | Cancel any time, exclusions apply | No contracts noted for multi-location |
What would a four-chair salon pay?
Here is a simple example for a salon with four stylists who each need a calendar. This covers software only, before card fees and add-ons.
- Vagaro: $23.99 plus three extra calendars at $10 each comes to $53.99 a month during the intro period.
- GlossGenius: Gold covers up to 9 staff, at $48 a month billed yearly or $56 monthly.
Card fees will likely cost more than either plan. On $20,000 a month of in-person card sales, the percentage alone is $458 at Vagaro's large merchant rate and $480 at GlossGenius's rate. Then add the fixed fee per payment. Vagaro's large merchant tier also adds $10 a month. So run your own numbers with your average ticket size.
How do Fresha, Boulevard and Booksy compare?
Fresha
Fresha charges $19.95 a month for one person on its Independent plan. The Team plan costs $14.95 per bookable team member a month. Enterprise pricing is custom for teams over 20. Fresha's card fees are 2.29% plus 20 cents in person and 2.79% plus 20 cents online.
Fresha also runs a marketplace where clients find salons. For a new client who books through that marketplace, Fresha takes a one-time 20% commission, with a $6 minimum. Returning clients and bookings from your own links, Facebook or Instagram carry no commission.
- Best for: Solo pros and small teams that want low software fees and new clients from a marketplace.
Boulevard
Boulevard pitches its plans at self-care businesses, from one small location to groups. Essentials costs $143 a month for one location and up to 5 providers. Premier costs $234 a month per location under a fall offer for new customers, normally $293, with unlimited staff. Prestige costs $328 a month per location under the same offer, normally $410. Boulevard does not list card rates on its pricing page. It mentions volume discounts and a program called Offset, where clients pay a 3% card fee and the business pays 1%.
- Best for: Salons and spas with growing teams or several locations.
Booksy
Booksy costs $29.99 a month, plus $20 a month for each extra user. Its Boost feature puts you in front of new clients on the Booksy app. Boost has no monthly fee, but Booksy charges a one-time 30% of a Boost client's first visit, capped at $100. Card fees are 2.49% plus 10 cents on the Booksy card reader and 2.69% plus 30 cents for mobile and keyed payments.
- Best for: Solo pros and small shops who want a listing in Booksy's free customer app.
Fresha vs Booksy
Both run marketplaces that bring new clients. Fresha takes 20% of a new marketplace client's booking, with a $6 minimum. Booksy takes 30% of a Boost client's first visit, capped at $100. On software, Fresha's Team plan charges $14.95 per team member. Booksy charges $29.99 plus $20 per extra user. For a team of four, that is $59.80 on Fresha and $89.99 on Booksy, before card fees.
How do all five salon tools compare?
| Tool | Starting price | How price grows | In-person card fee | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vagaro | $23.99 a month (6-month intro) | $10 per extra calendar, up to 7 | 2.6% + 10¢ under $4,000 a month | Growing teams on a budget |
| GlossGenius | $24 a month billed yearly | By plan and team size | 2.4% + 15¢ | Solo pros and small teams wanting flat fees |
| Fresha | $19.95 a month | $14.95 per team member | 2.29% + 20¢ | Low software cost and marketplace clients |
| Boulevard | $143 a month | By plan and location | Not listed | Growing salons and spa groups |
| Booksy | $29.99 a month | $20 per extra user | 2.49% + 10¢ on its reader | Solo pros and small shops |
Which should I choose?
Choose Vagaro if
- Your team is growing: Vagaro stops charging per calendar after seven, so a large team does not pay for every seat.
- You want a long trial: Vagaro gives 30 days to test it.
- You process a lot of cards: The large merchant rate of 2.29% plus 19 cents can cost less on high volume.
Choose GlossGenius if
- You want one flat price: Your bill does not jump each time you add a stylist within your plan.
- You are a solo pro or small team: Standard and Gold cover most needs for a small salon.
- You run an aesthetics practice: The Practice plans add EMR tools, which are digital medical records.
Consider the others if
- Fresha: You want low software fees and new clients from its marketplace.
- Boulevard: You run a larger salon or spa, or several locations.
- Booksy: You work alone or in a small shop and want to show up on the Booksy app.
Before you sign, ask each vendor how you get your client list, history and future bookings out if you leave. Ask about card reader costs too.
When does neither fit, and custom software makes sense?
Most salons should buy one of these tools. They do booking, payments and reminders well, at a low monthly cost.
A custom build is worth a look in a few cases.
- You run a salon group with mixed tools: You bought another salon that runs on different software, and you need one view of sales and staff.
- You sell training or products at scale: For example, you run an academy, sell your own product line and book chairs, all in different apps.
- You want your own branded app and data: You want client records in a system you control.
- You miss calls when stylists are busy: An AI receptionist for salons can answer the phone and book into your calendar.
In most of these cases, you keep the booking tool. The custom piece connects to it and does the extra work.
How would Blur Studio help a salon?
I would look at how clients find you, book, pay and come back. Then I check what your current salon software already does. A good setup often fixes more than a new tool would. When there is a real gap, I build it and link it to the software you keep, such as a group dashboard or an AI phone agent. Your salon holds the code and every login, and I take care of the tool after launch. For more on what to look for, see my guide to salon software. If you want a flat-priced, fully owned alternative to Vagaro specifically, see my guide to Vagaro alternatives.
Need something completely custom?
Everything above is a path to get it running quick and cheap. But sometimes the honest answer is that none of those quite fit, and what you actually need is something custom that you own, built uniquely for your business from the ground up, with AI thoughtfully designed into the parts of it that your processes actually benefit from. An asset that grows in value, not a generic, one-size-fits-all boilerplate that's an expense with a lock-in. This is a complete bespoke build, and it's something I do very well. Get in touch to know more.
Questions people ask
Is Vagaro or GlossGenius cheaper?
It depends on your team size and card sales. As of October 2026, Vagaro starts at $23.99 a month for six months, then $30, plus $10 per extra calendar. GlossGenius starts at $24 a month billed yearly, with Gold covering up to 9 staff at $48 a month billed yearly.
What are GlossGenius card processing fees?
GlossGenius lists in-person card fees of 2.4% plus 15 cents per payment, as of October 2026. Online card payments cost 3.4% plus 15 cents, and online invoices cost 2.9% plus 30 cents.
What are Vagaro's card processing fees?
As of October 2026, Vagaro charges 2.6% plus 10 cents for dip and tap payments if you process under $4,000 a month. Above that, the rate is 2.29% plus 19 cents with a $10 monthly fee. Keyed-in payments cost 3.5% plus 19 cents on both tiers.
Does Fresha charge a commission?
Fresha takes a one-time 20% commission, with a $6 minimum, on new clients who book through its marketplace, as of October 2026. Returning clients and bookings from your own links carry no commission.
Is Boulevard better than Vagaro?
Boulevard starts at $143 a month for one location and up to 5 providers, as of October 2026. Vagaro starts much lower and adds $10 per extra calendar. The better choice depends on your size and the client experience you want.
Which is cheaper for a growing team, Vagaro or GlossGenius?
Vagaro stops charging per extra bookable calendar after seven, so a large team does not keep paying per seat the way it does on GlossGenius's tiered plans. A small team of two or three usually comes out cheaper on GlossGenius's flat pricing, so the right answer depends on how many stylists you actually have.
Roughly what does this cost?
As a broad reference, fixes and finishes start at around $1,500, and new builds start higher, always a fixed price agreed in writing before I start, never an hourly rate. My AI app cost guide explains what actually drives a quote up or down.
Is my project too small for this?
No. Most of the owners I work with have no tech team at all, that is the whole point. If the smarter move is a cheap software subscription instead of custom software, I will tell you that on the first call, even though it means I do not get paid.