What is Vagaro?
If you run a salon, spa, or fitness studio, you’ve probably heard about Vagaro. But is it actually worth paying for? In this Vagaro review, I’m breaking down everything you need to know
Vagaro is basically an app that helps beauty and wellness businesses manage everything in one place. Instead of juggling separate apps for appointments, payments, and customer messages, you get it all together. Started back in 2009, Vagaro now helps over 200,000 salons, spas, barbershops, and yoga studios run smoother.
Here’s what makes Vagaro interesting: your customers can book appointments through their phones anytime, and you can accept card payments right through the same system. Plus, you get free advertising in the Vagaro Marketplace where millions of people search for beauty services near them.
In this Vagaro review, I’ll walk you through exactly what you pay (spoiler: it starts at $23.99/month), what features you actually get, and the annoying stuff nobody tells you upfront. I’ll also compare it to other popular booking apps like Square and Mindbody so you can see where Vagaro actually wins and where it falls short. Let’s figure out if Vagaro makes sense for your business.
Hair stylists, Spa owners, Barbers, Fitness instructors teaching yoga or pilates classes, Estheticians, Nail technicians, Wellness coaches
Key Features
Online Booking That Works 24/7
Your customers can book appointments from their couch at midnight if they want. They pick the service they need, choose you or another stylist if you have staff, see exactly when you're available, and book instantly. No more playing phone tag or losing clients because you didn't answer fast enough. Everything syncs automatically whether you're checking on your phone, tablet, or computer at home.
Take Payments Without the Hassle
Swipe credit cards, tap phones for Apple Pay, or process payments online when someone books. No separate card reader company to deal with. The system does the math on sales tax, lets people split bills between two cards, and makes tipping super easy. You pay 2.3% per swipe, which is pretty standard. Money hits your bank account fast, usually next business day.
Remember Every Client Automatically
The system saves everything about your customers so you don't have to remember. What services they get, when they last came in, what products they bought, their phone number, even notes like "allergic to lavender" or "likes extra hot towels." You can see who spends the most money, who hasn't been in awhile, and send special offers to groups. Takes photos of haircuts or nail work to remember what they liked.
Marketing That Actually Works
Send professional-looking emails to announce sales, share beauty tips, or remind people to rebook. Text your clients directly on their phones when you have a last-minute opening. Create digital gift cards people can buy and send to friends instantly. See who opened your emails and who clicked, so you know what's working. No need to hire a marketing person or learn complicated software.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Actually affordable for most people
- Everything in one place saves money - You're not paying separately for booking software, card readers, email marketing, and inventory tracking like you would piecing different apps together
- Free advertising that actually works - Millions of people use the Vagaro app to find salons near them, and you get listed for free, bringing in new clients you never would've found otherwise
- The mobile app is really easy to use
- You can start using it fast - Most people get everything set up in an hour or two, not days or weeks of complicated training
Cons
- Your competitors are right there - When clients find you in the Vagaro app, they also see other salons nearby, making it easy for them to compare and book elsewhere
- Processing fees eat into profits - That 2.3% per transaction doesn't sound like much until you're doing $10,000 a month, then it's $230 gone just for accepting cards
- Takes time to learn everything - Basic booking is easy, but figuring out inventory, memberships, and all the reports takes a few weeks of poking around
- Wait times when you need help - During busy times you might sit on hold for 15-30 minutes to talk to someone, though the chat is usually faster
- Sometimes updates are slow - When you change your calendar, it can take 30-60 seconds to show up on your other devices, which is annoying when you're busy
Pricing Plans
Basic
- Let customers book online anytime
- Your personal appointment calendar
- Take credit card payments with your phone
- Automatic text reminders so clients don't forget
- Track your products and supplies
- Mobile app you can use anywhere
- Save customer info and preferences
- Free listing where new clients can find you
Essential
- Everything in Basic
- Calendars for up to 3 employees
- See detailed reports about your business
- Send 500 emails per month to customers
- Sell gift cards and service packages
- Schedule group classes
- Your own custom booking website
- Digital forms for new clients to fill out
Professional
- Everything in Essential
- Calendars for up to 6 staff members
- Send unlimited emails to customers
- 100 free text messages monthly
- Offer monthly memberships
- Waitlist for fully booked appointments
- Track who earned what in commissions
- Track who earned what in commissions
- Scan product barcodes for inventory
Premium
- Everything in Professional
- Calendars for up to 12 people
- Unlimited text messages to clients
- Manage multiple locations
- Put your logo on the app
- Get help faster with priority support
- Connect to other business software
- Advanced payroll tracking tools
How It Compares
Acuity Scheduling
Vagaro includes everything—taking payments, selling retail products, tracking inventory, marketing to clients—while Acuity is really just for scheduling appointments. Acuity is great at that one thing, but Vagaro runs your whole business. Better if you need to sell shampoo, manage staff commissions, and bring back old clients, not just book appointments.
Mindbody
Vagaro costs way less—you're saving over $100 every single month while getting almost the same features for booking appointments. Way better deal for small salons and solo workers. Easier to figure out without training. Charges less per transaction (2.3% versus almost 3%). Marketing stuff that Mindbody makes you pay extra for comes included with Vagaro.