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Scheduling · head to head

Amilia SmartRec vs Vagaro

Amilia SmartRec logo

Amilia SmartRec

Scheduling

Registration and activity management for community recreation, with a 1% fee on top of the subscription

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vagaro logo

Vagaro

Scheduling

All-in-one salon, spa & fitness software

From
$25/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Amilia SmartRec the 1% fee on each new invoice item sits on top of both the subscription and card processing, so an organisation invoicing two million dollars pays around twenty thousand a year in a fee that never appears in a plan comparison.; Vagaro the $23.99 per month entry price covers one location and one bookable calendar, so every extra staff calendar adds cost
  • They diverge on capability: Amilia SmartRec covers Activity registration, Vagaro covers Online appointment booking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Amilia SmartRec and Vagaro actually diverge.

Attributes where Amilia SmartRec and Vagaro differ
AttributeAmilia SmartRecVagaro
Starting price$99/month$25/month
Pricing modelPer month plus 1% of invoiced itemssubscription
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android, Api
FoundedUnknown2009

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Scheduling).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Amilia SmartRec

  • Activity registration
  • Family accounts
  • Memberships
  • Facility booking
  • Online store
  • Financial reporting
  • Bilingual interface

Only in Vagaro

  • Online appointment booking
  • Client management
  • Inventory tracking
  • Marketing automation
  • Payroll management
  • Mobile app
  • Reporting & analytics
  • Quickbooks

Both cover

  • Point of sale

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Amilia SmartRec

  • A municipal recreation department replacing paper and phone registration for seasonal programmesnot Vagaro
  • A community centre that needs one family account covering several children across different activitiesnot Vagaro
  • A bilingual Canadian organisation required to serve residents in English and Frenchnot Vagaro
  • A sports club running leagues, camps and memberships that currently sit in three separate systemsnot Vagaro

Vagaro

  • Appointment booking and calendar management for salons, spas and fitness studiosnot Amilia SmartRec
  • Selling services and retail products with integrated card paymentsnot Amilia SmartRec
  • Marketing to clients by email and text and offering a branded booking appnot Amilia SmartRec

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Amilia SmartRec

  • The 1% fee on each new invoice item sits on top of both the subscription and card processing, so an organisation invoicing two million dollars pays around twenty thousand a year in a fee that never appears in a plan comparison.
  • Implementation is charged separately, from $899 on Standard and $2,999 on Advanced, which for a small community organisation is several months of subscription before the system goes live.
  • Parks and facilities management is shallower than a dedicated municipal recreation platform, so departments managing complex field allocation and maintenance schedules will still need another system.
  • Reporting is oriented towards revenue rather than programme utilisation, so recreation managers analysing attendance patterns and capacity end up exporting to spreadsheets.
  • Its strength is in Canada, and US municipalities find fewer local references, fewer integrations with American finance systems and less familiarity with state-specific requirements.

Vagaro

  • The $23.99 per month entry price covers one location and one bookable calendar, so every extra staff calendar adds cost
  • The free trial excludes email marketing, text marketing and the branded app
  • Text and email marketing pricing is not published on the pricing page and requires contacting sales
  • Card processing is sold separately through Vagaro Merchant Services, with the free card reader tied to signing up for it

Pricing, plan by plan

Amilia SmartRec

$99/month
  • Standard$99/month
    • Activity registration and online store
    • Family accounts
    • 1% fee on each new invoice item
  • Advanced$499/month
    • Memberships, facility booking and point of sale
    • Advanced reporting
    • 1% fee on each new invoice item
  • Custom$undefined/year
    • For YMCAs, JCCs and parks and recreation departments
    • Scoped and quoted individually
    • Fee structure negotiated

Vagaro

$25/month
  • Single User$25/month
    • Online booking
    • Client management
    • Calendar management
  • 2-3 Users$45/month
    • Everything in Single User
    • Multiple staff calendars
    • Staff permissions
  • 4-6 Users$75/month
    • Everything in 2-3 Users
    • Inventory management
    • Payroll reports
  • 7+ Users$85/month
    • Everything in 4-6 Users
    • Enterprise features
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Amilia SmartRec if

  • You need activity registration.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want family accounts.
Amilia SmartRec review

Choose Vagaro if

  • You need online appointment booking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want client management.
Vagaro review

Questions people ask

Is Amilia SmartRec or Vagaro better?
Neither clearly leads. Amilia SmartRec starts at $99/month and Vagaro at $25/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Amilia SmartRec or Vagaro?
Amilia SmartRec starts at $99/month and Vagaro at $25/month.
Does Amilia SmartRec or Vagaro run on more platforms?
Amilia SmartRec runs on Web, iOS, Android. Vagaro runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
What is Amilia SmartRec best used for?
Amilia SmartRec is most often used for a municipal recreation department replacing paper and phone registration for seasonal programmes, a community centre that needs one family account covering several children across different activities, a bilingual canadian organisation required to serve residents in english and french, a sports club running leagues, camps and memberships that currently sit in three separate systems. Of those, a municipal recreation department replacing paper and phone registration for seasonal programmes and a community centre that needs one family account covering several children across different activities are not what Vagaro is typically brought in for.
What can Amilia SmartRec do that Vagaro cannot?
Amilia SmartRec covers Activity registration, Family accounts, Memberships, Facility booking. Vagaro covers Online appointment booking, Client management, Inventory tracking, Marketing automation. Both handle Point of sale.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Amilia SmartRec: What is the real total cost?

Subscription from $99 or $499 a month, plus roughly 1% on each new invoice item, plus card processing around 2.85% plus $0.30, plus a one-off implementation fee. The percentage fees dominate at any real volume.

Vagaro: What is the base monthly cost for the Vagaro platform?

The base plan starts at 23.99 dollars per month with an additional 10 dollars per calendar up to 7 calendars. For 7 or more calendars, the cost is 83.99 dollars per month.

Source
Amilia SmartRec: Is the 1% negotiable?

On the Custom tier for larger organisations, the fee structure is part of the negotiation. On the published plans it is not.

Vagaro: What payment processing rates apply?

Payment processing rates are as low as 2.2 percent, with a promotional offer showing the base plan at 23.99 dollars per month.

Source
Amilia SmartRec: Does it work in French?

Yes, throughout. That is a practical requirement for Quebec and many bilingual Canadian public bodies and a genuine reason to choose it there.

Vagaro: Does the platform require a long-term contract?

No, there are no long-term contracts required. Users can choose to add premium features as needed without commitment.

Source
Amilia SmartRec: Can it replace a municipal recreation system?

For registration and memberships, often yes. For parks asset and facility maintenance management, no.

Vagaro: Is there a free trial available?

Yes, Vagaro offers a free trial with no payment required upfront.

Source
Vagaro: What is included in the base plan?

The base plan includes data migration from other platforms, customizable scheduling with waitlist and resource management, free marketplace listing with unlimited deals and bookings, automated appointment notifications, online booking across multiple platforms, business and employee widgets, advanced reporting, loyalty program management, 1,000 free email messages per month, invoicing, memberships, packages, gift certificates, and around-the-clock support with complimentary training.

Source
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