The right Vagaro alternative depends on what made you look. If all you want is the till and the card reader and don't care about a fully featured platform, Square Appointments is a good fit. If Vagaro feels flaky and you have the budget, Mangomint is the polished premium option. Solo in the US? GlossGenius is simple and well liked. If you want marketplace exposure, Fresha and Booksy both have one and both charge a fee on some new clients, as does Vagaro's Fill My Books. And if you run a 1 to 10 person salon that lives on repeat clients and want a solution that includes everything with no additional fees, Askie can help. No marketplace. No commission. Ever.
What a 5-Person Salon Pays on Each Platform
Table includes pricing for base subscriptions only. Switch to USD if you're in the US. Add-ons are extra, and Vagaro has a lot of them (see below).
Monthly software cost for a salon with 5 staff and 750 appointments a month (150 per person). Subscriptions only: payment processing and paid add-ons are not included.
| Platform | Direct bookings | With marketplace new clients* | Commission | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresha Team | $100 | $1,900 | 20% one-time fee on new marketplace clients (min CA$6) | Stay inside Fresha |
| Vagaro 5 calendars | $95 | $95 | Optional Fill My Books: 20% on first-time clients (not included) | Stay inside Vagaro |
| Askie Growth | $79 | $79 | No commission | Google Business Profile |
| Booksy Base | $110 | $110 | Optional Boost: up to 30% on first visit (not included) | Stay inside Booksy |
| Square Appointments Plus (per location) · Not in our calculator | $35 | $35 | None | Not stated |
| Mangomint Essentials | $231 | $231 | None shown | Not stated |
| GlossGenius Not available in Canada | — | — | — | Not stated |
*Assumes 20% of appointments are brand-new clients who found you through the platform's marketplace, at a $60 average ticket. Your mix will differ. Prices come from each vendor's Canadian pricing page, checked July 29, 2026. Booksy, Vagaro and Square show a plain "$" on their Canadian pages; we treat it as CAD. Mangomint bills in USD. USD figures convert CAD prices at 1.4 CAD per USD (Bank of Canada, October 1, 2026).
Run it with your own numbersThe base price is only part of the Vagaro bill
Vagaro has the longest list of paid add-ons of any platform we compare: 15 are listed for Canada, from text and email marketing plans to forms, a website, accounting integrations and a branded app. For a 5-person salon the calendars cost CA$95 a month, and each add-on you switch on is billed on top of that. Depending on which ones you use, the bill can end up well above the base price.
See every Vagaro fee, line by line, with prices, conditions and sources.
1. Square Appointments: If You Need the Till
The closest swap for owners who picked Vagaro for its POS. Square's hardware is everywhere, and it doesn't charge per staff member.
Best for: retail-heavy salons that want card hardware, payments and booking from one company.
The Pricing
On Square's Canadian page: a Free plan for one location, Plus at $35/month and Premium at $85/month, each per location, with unlimited staff calendars. Square's US page lists its own prices in USD. Canadian processing is 2.5% in person, 2.8% + 30¢ online and 3.3% + 15¢ keyed.
Pros
- • No per-staff fee: one price per location
- • Widely used, reliable checkout hardware
- • No booking commission
Cons
- • Not a fully fledged system for complex salon management
- • Lacks functionality necessary for managing the full customer experience
- • No-show protection and waitlists need a paid plan
2. Fresha: A Bigger Marketplace, With a Fee
Fresha is the obvious name on most lists. Know the trade before you move: you swap Vagaro's calendar fee for Fresha's per-member fee, and you pick up a new-client marketplace fee. Vagaro charges a similar one, but only if you turn on its optional Fill My Books.
Best for: newer businesses that want marketplace exposure and accept a fee on clients it sends them.
The Pricing
- Subscription (Canada): CA$29.95/month for one person, or CA$19.95 per bookable team member.
- Marketplace fee: 20% one-time on brand-new clients who find you through the Fresha marketplace (minimum CA$6). Returning clients carry no fee.
Full breakdown: Fresha pricing and our Fresha alternatives guide.
Pros
- • Well established software with a large marketplace
- • Extensive feature list covering all parts of the business
- • No marketplace fee on returning clients
Cons
- • 20% new-client marketplace fee (Vagaro charges the same rate, but only on opt-in tools)
- • Reviews stay inside Fresha
3. Booksy: Strong With Barbers
Booksy is a marketplace-first app with a big following among barbershops. Its staff pricing climbs faster than Vagaro's once you have a team.
Best for: barbers and solo providers who want app-based discovery.
The Pricing
- Base: $29.99/month including one staff member, then $20/month for each additional staff member (free after 14).
- Boost (optional): if you turn it on, Booksy charges up to 30% of the first appointment for eligible promoted new clients.
Full breakdown: Booksy pricing.
Pros
- • Well known among barbershop clients
- • Promotional tools like happy-hour pricing
Cons
- • Expensive for teams of 3 or more
- • Clients are pushed toward the Booksy app
4. Mangomint: The Premium Upgrade
If Vagaro's glitches are the reason you're here, Mangomint is where at least one spa owner went, writing on Capterra that clients couldn't book during Vagaro outages. It covers most of what Vagaro does, with a calmer interface, at a higher price.
Best for: larger spas and salons that use the full back office and have the budget for it.
The Pricing
- Essentials: US$165/month (about $231 CAD) for up to 10 staff.
- Standard: US$245/month (about $343 CAD) for up to 20 staff.
- Processing: 2.45% + 15¢ in person; 2.90% + 30¢ online.
Pros
- • Polished, stable day-to-day workflow
- • Onboarding team migrates your data
Cons
- • Costs more than Vagaro for most small teams
- • Billed in USD only
5. GlossGenius: Simple, US Only
Popular with US solo stylists for its clean design and one flat processing rate. It isn't available to businesses in Canada.
Best for: solo providers and small teams in the US who want something simpler than Vagaro.
The Pricing (USD)
- Standard: $28/month ($24 billed annually).
- Gold: $56/month ($48 billed annually), for teams up to 9.
- Platinum: $168/month ($148 billed annually), for teams of 10 or more.
- Processing: a flat 2.6% on every payment method. Unlimited users on every plan.
Pros
- • One processing rate, easy to predict
- • No per-seat fee
Cons
- • Not available to Canadian businesses
- • Teams of 10 or more need the $168 Platinum plan
6. Askie: Every Feature, Every Plan
Best for: established salons (1 to 10 staff) that run on regulars and want booking, reminders and loyalty without an add-on menu.
Askie is booking software for salons that already have clients. There's no marketplace and no client app. Your clients book on a page that shows only your business, from your website, Google profile, Instagram or WhatsApp. No app to download. No account to create.
The Pricing
Every plan includes every feature: text, WhatsApp and email reminders, deposits set per service, loyalty, waitlists and Google review requests. Plans differ only in how many appointments and rebooking invites they include. Staff are unlimited. Prices are in CAD.
Payments
Online payments and deposits go through your own Stripe account, which you log into directly. Your payouts and payment history don't depend on us. There's no card reader to sign up for, so there's no reader contract to get out of later.
Reviews
Askie sends review requests to your Google Business Profile. Reviews collected inside Vagaro stay with Vagaro when you leave. Reviews on Google stay with your business whatever software you use next.
Pros
- • No add-ons: reminders, deposits and loyalty are on every plan
- • No commission. Ever.
- • Unlimited staff, priced by appointments
- • We import your Vagaro client list for you
Cons
- • No POS or card reader: keep your own terminal
- • No gift cards, memberships or packages
- • No marketplace, so it won't find you new clients
When Staying on Vagaro Makes Sense
Switching costs you a weekend and some client confusion. Don't do it if Vagaro is mostly working. Stay if:
- You sell retail, gift certificates or memberships every day and want them in the same system as your calendar.
- You have seven or more staff. Vagaro's CA$125 cap makes it hard to beat on subscription price at that size.
- You run classes, multiple locations or clinical forms like SOAP notes.
- Your card reader is still inside its first 12 months. Wait it out unless the problems are costing you more than $140.
Still on the fence? Askie vs Vagaro goes feature by feature, and Vagaro pricing lists every fee with sources.
Before You Switch: A Checklist
- Check your card-reader date. Vagaro's terms for the free reader require 12 months of processing with Vagaro Merchant Services, or a $140 early cancellation fee.
- Export your client list. As the account owner, go to Reports, then Customers, run the report for all employees and export to Excel. Vagaro's export guide has the steps.
- Ask support for the rest. We didn't find a self-serve export for appointments, client notes, forms or SOAP notes. Request them in writing before you cancel.
- Write down open balances. Gift certificates, memberships and packages sold through Vagaro need to be honoured somewhere after you leave.
- Move your review requests to Google. Vagaro reviews stay on Vagaro. Start asking happy clients for Google reviews a few weeks before you switch.
- Plan for saved cards. Cards stored with a processor generally don't transfer. Clients will re-enter one the first time you take a deposit.
Leaving Vagaro: Frequently Asked Questions
Vagaro prices and terms below were checked against Vagaro's Canadian pricing and card-processing pages on October 13, 2026, and its all-country pricing article on October 13, 2026. Card rates in Canada: 2.65% dip or tap, 3.4% + CA$0.15 keyed, 10¢ Interac. In the US: 2.6% + 10¢ dip or tap under US$4,000 a month in card volume, 2.29% + 19¢ above it, and 3.5% + 19¢ keyed.
Does Vagaro charge commission?
Not on bookings that come through your own link, and the marketplace listing is free in the US and Canada. But Vagaro does run a marketplace, and its optional Fill My Books tool charges a fee on new clients. Turn it on and Vagaro features you as a sponsored business and emails nearby Vagaro users who haven't booked with you. In return it takes 20% of the cart (after any discount) when a new customer books for the first time, and 5% on last-minute deals for returning customers. Daily Deals carry booking fees too. Leave those off and you pay a monthly price per bookable calendar, plus card processing if you use Vagaro's merchant services.
How much does Vagaro cost?
In Canada, Vagaro lists CA$35 a month for the first bookable calendar and CA$15 for each extra one, capped at CA$125 a month for seven or more. In the US it lists US$23.99 a month (which Vagaro calls a limited-time price) and US$10 for each extra calendar, with no charge for employees added after seven paid licenses. Appointment reminders and loyalty programs are included. Text marketing and two-way texting need a separate text messaging plan, from CA$20 a month in Canada and US$20 in the US. See Vagaro pricing for every Canadian fee, or Vagaro's pricing article for the US, UK and Australia.
Can I cancel Vagaro if I took the free card reader?
The reader is free when you sign up for Vagaro Merchant Services, but Vagaro's terms require you to keep processing with it for at least 12 months. Stop before then and Vagaro charges a $140 early cancellation fee. Check your activation date before you plan a switch.
Can I export my clients from Vagaro?
Yes. The account owner can export the client list from Reports as an Excel file. We didn't find a self-serve export for appointments, client notes, forms or gift certificate balances, so ask Vagaro support for those before you cancel. Reviews collected on Vagaro stay on Vagaro. If you move to Askie, send us the file and we'll import it for you.
Run the Numbers for Your Team
Compare monthly costs for Askie, Vagaro, Fresha, Booksy, Squire and Mangomint using your own team size and appointment volume.
On Vagaro now? Bring your booking page with you.
Paste your Vagaro link. We'll pull in your services and hours for you to check.