Updated October 5, 2026
Askie vs Vagaro
Vagaro has a long list of features. It has a full POS with a free card reader, inventory, gift certificates, memberships and a marketplace listing. It charges no commission on bookings from your own link, though its optional Fill My Books tool takes 20% of a new client's first booking. Askie usually costs less once you have a team, with unlimited staff on every plan and no marketplace. Want one system for the front desk, the till and the stock room? Pick Vagaro. Want a simple booking page where clients stay yours and are not exposed to your competitors on a marketplace? Pick Askie.
Which one fits your salon
Choose Vagaro if
- You want checkout, card payments and retail in the same system as your calendar. Vagaro has a POS and gives you a card reader when you sign up for its merchant services. Askie has neither.
- You sell gift certificates, memberships or packages and want them sold and redeemed next to your calendar.
- You track inventory, keep client forms or SOAP notes, or want reporting beyond bookings.
- You run classes, recurring appointments or more than one location. Vagaro supports all three.
- You want a free marketplace listing where new clients can find you.
Choose Askie if
- You want a storefront of your own. Your booking page is dedicated to you alone and your customers don see anyone else.
- Your clients come from Instagram, Google and word of mouth, and repeat business is the plan.
- Your team is growing. Askie has unlimited staff on every plan, so adding a stylist never adds a calendar fee.
- You want a short setup. Every Askie feature is on every plan, so there's nothing to switch on or add.
- You want Google review requests, WhatsApp reminders and deposits without hunting through add-ons.
What each one costs
Prices in CAD, before tax, from each company's own pricing page.
| Fee | Vagaro | Askie |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Vagaro's Canadian page lists $35 for one calendar plus $15 per extra calendar, capped at $125 for 7 or more. | Plans are sized by appointments, not staff: Solo CA$29, Growth CA$79, Scale CA$149. Unlimited staff on every plan. |
| Extra staff | $15 per extra calendar per month, capped at $125 total. | Unlimited staff at no extra charge. |
| Commission | Only if the optional Fill My Books is on: 20% of a new client's first booking, and 5% on returning clients' last-minute deals. | No commission on any booking. |
| Card processing | 2.65% for dip or tap, 3.4% + CA$0.15 keyed, 10¢ for Interac. | Stripe's standard Canadian rate, 2.9% + CA$0.30 per domestic card payment. Payments go to your own Stripe account and Stripe bills you directly; Askie adds nothing on top. |
| Contract | Month-to-month; no contract. | Monthly; cancel anytime. |
Vagaro pricing verified October 13, 2026 from Vagaro's pricing page. Askie pricing from our pricing page. Every Vagaro fee, line by line: Vagaro pricing in Canada.
Monthly cost by team size
Subscription and marketplace fees only. The Vagaro columns change with how many of your appointments are brand-new clients from Vagaro's marketplace, at a CA$60 average first visit. Don't use the marketplace? Read the 0% column.
| Team | Vagaro0% marketplace clients | Vagaro10% marketplace clients | Vagaro25% marketplace clients | Askie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solo150 appointments/mo | CA$35 | CA$215 | CA$485 | CA$29Solo plan |
| 3 staff450 appointments/mo | CA$65 | CA$605 | CA$1,415 | CA$66.50Solo plan |
| 8 staff1200 appointments/mo | CA$125 | CA$1,565 | CA$3,725 | CA$149Scale plan |
Add-ons costs aren't included for Vagaro. Askie has no feature restrictions. Numbers don't include sales lost to competitors due to marketplace promotions run by your competitors. How that works.
Want your own numbers? The booking software cost calculator takes your team size, volume and the features you need, and the full Vagaro pricing breakdown covers add-ons and processing. To check whether the marketplace fee is worth it for you, try the marketplace commission calculator.
Who else can reach your clients
Vagaro charges no commission on bookings from your own link. It does run a marketplace where customers search for businesses, and its optional Fill My Books feature emails nearby Vagaro users who haven't visited the business running it, so a client of yours with a Vagaro account may be shown another salon's deal. It's worth knowing how Vagaro uses the data.
- 1
Vagaro runs a marketplace where customers find businesses
Vagaro's online booking page tells customers they can "Find Businesses" through Vagaro, and mentions a Vagaro Marketplace where businesses get "featured daily deal" exposure. Every business on Vagaro is listed in the same place. Source
- 2
Fill My Books promotes businesses to nearby Vagaro users
Vagaro's Fill My Books article says Vera emails "Vagaro users within 25 miles of your business who haven't visited you before," features the business in a "Sponsored" section of the Marketplace home page, and ranks it at the top of search results. Businesses pay 20% of the cart on a new customer's first booking. It is opt-in, and we didn't find a page saying whose customer lists the emails are drawn from. Source
- 3
Vagaro uses booking and usage data for its own purposes
Vagaro's privacy policy lists among its uses of information to "Display your historical transaction or appointment information," to "Monitor and analyze trends, usage, and activities," and to "Target advertisements to you on third-party platforms and websites." Source
- 4
Vagaro shares information with its own providers
The same policy says "We make information about you available to our vendors, service providers, contractors." We didn't find a line that says Vagaro recommends other businesses to your clients based on their history with you. Source
What Vagaro does protect
Your client data is controlled by your business
When Vagaro acts as a service provider to a business, its privacy policy says "The collection, use, retention, and deletion of that information is controlled by the Businesses and subject to their respective privacy policies." Source
No commission unless you opt in to Fill My Books
Vagaro's Canadian pricing page lists a flat monthly price by calendar and a free marketplace listing. A per-client fee only appears if you turn on Fill My Books: 20% of the cart on a new customer's first booking. Source
On Askie
Askie has no marketplace and no client app. Clients book on a page that shows only your business, with no account to create. We use their details to run your bookings and reminders, never to market another business to them.
How booking marketplaces work, and what they cost an established business: the marketplace truth.
Feature by feature
Each row says what has to be true to count. “Not listed” means we couldn't find it on Vagaro's pages. It may still exist.
| Feature | Vagaro | Askie |
|---|---|---|
| BookingVagaro source: vagaro.com/en-ca/pro/online-booking | ||
| Online booking pageClients can book without calling, from a link or page the business shares. | Included | IncludedNo app or client account required. |
| Multi-staff calendarOne calendar view with separate columns or schedules for each team member. | IncludedPriced per calendar: CA$35 for the first, CA$15 for each extra, capped at CA$125. | IncludedUnlimited staff on every plan. |
| WaitlistClients can join a list for a full day or time, and the business can offer them an opening. | Included | IncludedClients join a waitlist and your team offers them an opening. |
| Instagram / Google bookingA booking link or button that works from Instagram and Google Business Profile. | IncludedGoogle, Apple Maps, Instagram, Facebook and Alexa. | IncludedGoogle and Instagram booking links, plus website and QR code. |
| Cancellation policy & no-show protectionA published cancellation window plus at least one enforcement tool: a fee, a deposit, or a card on file. | Not listedCancellation fees and deposits were not on the pages we reviewed. | IncludedCancellation windows, deposits and cancellation charges, set per service. |
| PaymentsVagaro source: vagaro.com/en-ca/pro/card-processing | ||
| Online paymentsClients can pay by card when they book or after the visit, inside the platform. | Included2.65% tap or dip, 3.4% + CA$0.15 keyed. | IncludedThrough Stripe. Payments land in your own Stripe account, which you log into and control. Askie helps you connect it. |
| In-person paymentsCard payments at the chair or counter through the platform, using a reader or tap-to-pay on a phone. | IncludedFree card reader with merchant services signup. | Not offeredNo built-in POS or card reader. Keep using your own terminal at the counter. |
| Deposits & prepaymentsThe business can require money upfront to confirm a booking. | Not listed | IncludedPer service, as a percentage or a fixed CAD amount. |
| Gift cardsClients can buy and redeem gift cards through the platform. | Included | Not offered |
| Packages & membershipsPrepaid bundles or recurring memberships that clients redeem against visits. | Included | Not offered |
| Client communicationVagaro source: vagaro.com/en-ca/pro | ||
| SMS remindersAutomated text-message appointment reminders. included means usable at normal volume with no separate add-on. | IncludedUnlimited notifications and appointment reminders on every plan. The paid text messaging plan is for text marketing and Connect by Vagaro. | IncludedWhatsApp, SMS and email reminders on every plan. |
| Email remindersAutomated email confirmations and reminders. | IncludedUnlimited notifications and reminders. | Included |
| WhatsApp messagingBooking confirmations or conversations with clients over WhatsApp. | Not listed | IncludedMeta bills the WhatsApp number directly; Askie credits it back. |
| Rebooking campaignsBuilt-in outreach that invites past clients back to book, automated or sent in one step. | IncludedFill My Books fills calendar gaps. | IncludedRebooking invites are included in every tier. |
| Marketing & reviewsVagaro source: vagaro.com/en-ca/pro | ||
| Google Reviews integrationReview requests send clients to the business's Google Business Profile, not only to a review page inside the platform. | Not listedReviews stay inside Vagaro. | IncludedReview requests go to your Google Business Profile. |
| In-platform reviewsClients can leave ratings or reviews that appear on a profile the platform hosts. | Not listed | Not applicableReviews live on your Google Business Profile, not on an Askie profile. |
| Customer loyalty programBuilt-in points or visit rewards, not via a third-party integration. | IncludedCustomer loyalty programs on every plan. | IncludedDefine loyalty tiers based on visits or spends |
| Email marketingSend promotional email to a client list from inside the platform. | Included1,000 emails a month free. | Not offeredComing soon. |
| Promotions & dealsDiscounts, flash sales or limited-time offers the business can create and publish. | IncludedDaily Deals. Booking fees apply to deals. | Not offeredComing soon. |
| Data ownership & exportVagaro source: vagaro.com/en-ca/pro | ||
| Client list exportThe owner can download their client list (names and contact details) without contacting support. | IncludedReported in earlier research; re-verify at H3. | Not offeredAvailable on request. Ask us and we'll send you your full client list. |
| Client data importClients can be brought in from another system by spreadsheet, tool or assisted migration. | IncludedWhite-glove onboarding. | IncludedWe do the import for you. Send us your export files and we load them into your account. |
| API or bulk data accessDocumented API or bulk data connector for the business's own data. | IncludedAPI documentation published. | Not offered |
| MarketplaceVagaro source: vagaro.com/en-ca/pro/pricing | ||
| Marketplace discoveryThe business is listed in a consumer marketplace run by the platform, where new clients can find it. not_applicable means the platform has no marketplace. | IncludedFree listing. Fill My Books is optional and takes 20% of a new client's first booking. | Not applicableAskie has no marketplace. |
| Enhanced marketplace visibilityPaid or promoted placement inside the platform's marketplace, beyond a standard listing. | Paid add-onFill My Books: sponsored placement and top of search, paid per booking (20% on new clients). | Not applicable |
Vagaro features verified October 13, 2026. Askie features verified October 5, 2026.
The real differences
Where Vagaro is stronger
- Payments at the counter. A POS, a free card reader with merchant services signup, and rates of 2.65% for dip or tap and 10¢ for Interac.
- The back office. Inventory, invoices, advanced reports, forms and SOAP notes.
- Gift certificates, memberships and packages, sold and redeemed inside Vagaro.
- Marketing tools. 1,000 emails a month free, Daily Deals and Fill My Books for filling gaps in the calendar.
- Classes, recurring appointments, waitlists and multi-location businesses.
- Getting found. A free marketplace listing puts you in front of people searching on Vagaro, and the optional Fill My Books tool adds sponsored placement for a 20% fee on first-time clients.
- A price ceiling. Once you reach seven calendars, the plan is CA$125 a month.
- Open integrations. Vagaro publishes API documentation.
Where Askie is stronger
- No marketplace and no client app. Your clients' details are never used to point them at another salon.
- Clients book you directly, on a page that shows only your business.
- Every feature on every plan. Google review requests, loyalty, WhatsApp reminders and deposits are in Solo, same as Scale. Plans differ only in how many appointments and rebooking invites they include.
- Pricing by appointments. From CA$29 a month, with unlimited staff on every plan.
- Reviews go to your Google Business Profile, so they stay with you if you ever switch software.
- No commission. Ever. No fee on any client, new or returning.
- Payments go to your own Stripe account. You log into Stripe directly, so payouts and payment history don't depend on Askie.
Moving from Vagaro
Export everything before you cancel, and open each file to check it. These steps follow Vagaro's own help centre.
- 1
Client list
Log in as the account owner. Go to Reports, then Customers, then Advanced Filters. Select all employees, click Run Report, then Export and choose Excel. Only the account owner can export the customer list. Source
- 2
Appointments
We didn't find a self-serve appointment export. Ask Vagaro support for a CSV of your appointments, and ask for upcoming ones at the least. Source
- 3
Service menu
We didn't find an export for your service menu. Screenshot or copy it before you cancel, or send it to us and we'll rebuild it in Askie.
- 4
Reports for your accountant
Vagaro lists advanced reporting on every plan. We didn't check which formats each report exports to, so run the ones your accountant needs and confirm the files open before you cancel. Source
What stays behind
Saved cards
Card details held by a payment processor usually can't be exported. Clients will add a card again the first time you take a deposit.
Vagaro reviews and your marketplace listing
These belong to Vagaro and stay there. Reviews on your Google Business Profile aren't affected.
Client notes, forms and SOAP notes
We didn't find an export for these. Ask Vagaro support before you cancel, and copy anything you can't lose.
Gift certificate, membership and package balances
We didn't find an export for these. Askie doesn't sell gift cards or memberships, so list any open balances before you leave and honour them yourself.
On the Askie side
Send us your exported files and we'll import them into your Askie account, then walk through the result with you before you share your new booking link. There's no self-serve tool. We do it one-to-one. Tell us what's in your export and we'll confirm what comes across.
Common Questions
Does Vagaro charge commissions on bookings?
Not on bookings from your own link, and the marketplace listing is free. Vagaro's optional Fill My Books tool is different: if you turn it on, Vagaro takes 20% of the cart when a new customer books for the first time, and 5% on a returning customer's last-minute deal. Leave it off and you pay a monthly price by calendar, plus card processing if you use Vagaro's merchant services.
Is Vagaro cheaper than Askie?
For one person, they're close: CA$35 for Vagaro against CA$29 for Askie Solo. With a team, Vagaro adds CA$15 for each extra calendar up to CA$125, and Askie charges by appointment volume with unlimited staff, so Askie usually costs less up to about seven calendars. Past that, Vagaro's cap can narrow the gap. Vagaro also includes things Askie doesn't, such as a POS, inventory and gift certificates, so cost isn't the only thing to weigh.
How is Askie different from Vagaro?
Askie is simpler. It's booking software for your own website and social media, with no marketplace, no commission and unlimited staff on every plan. Vagaro is a much bigger system with a POS, inventory, memberships, gift certificates, forms and a marketplace, which Askie doesn't offer.
Does Vagaro charge per staff member?
Per bookable calendar, which usually means per person who takes bookings. The first is CA$35 and each extra is CA$15, up to CA$125 a month. Askie has unlimited staff on every plan.
Can Vagaro market other salons to my clients?
It can, indirectly. Vagaro's Fill My Books article says the tool emails Vagaro users within 25 miles of the business running it who haven't visited that business before, so a client of yours with a Vagaro account can receive another salon's deal. Its privacy policy says businesses control the client data they collect, but it also says Vagaro uses booking and usage information for its own analysis and to target ads on other sites, and it runs a marketplace where customers find businesses. Askie has no marketplace and never uses one business's clients to market another.
Can I take my clients with me if I leave Vagaro?
Yes. The account owner can export the client list from Reports as an Excel file. Appointments aren't self-serve, so ask Vagaro support for a CSV. We didn't find an export for client notes, forms or gift certificate balances, so ask before you cancel. Send us the files and we'll import them into Askie for you.
Can Askie take payments at the counter?
Not yet. Askie takes online payments and deposits through your own Stripe account. At the counter, keep using the card terminal you already have.
Keep reading
- Vagaro pricing in CanadaFees and worked scenarios in CAD, with sources.
- Vagaro alternativesSix options if you’re thinking of leaving Vagaro, with add-on costs and a switching checklist.
- Compare costs for your teamEnter your team size and volume to see each platform’s bill.
- Askie for hair salonsStylist-specific services, long appointments and repeat visits.
The door is open
Ready to leave Vagaro? Bring your booking page with you.
Paste your Vagaro link. We'll pull in your services and hours so you can check them, then your Askie page is ready to share. One month free.
No commission. No marketplace. Your customer data stays yours.