Scheduling · head to head
GlossGenius vs StyleSeat
The short version
- Only StyleSeat has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: GlossGenius card payments are charged at a flat 2.6 percent, and instant payouts cost a further 1.8 percent; StyleSeat single tier pricing model with no lower-cost options
- They diverge on capability: GlossGenius covers Custom booking pages, StyleSeat covers Online booking.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which GlossGenius and StyleSeat actually diverge.
| Attribute | GlossGenius | StyleSeat |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $28/month | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | transaction |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Category | Scheduling | Beauty |
| Founded | 2016 | 2011 |
Identical on both: platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated).
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 GlossGenius
- Custom booking pages
- Automated reminders
- Website builder
- Reports & insights
- Gift cards
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
- English language support
Only in StyleSeat
- Online booking
- Professional profiles
- Reviews & ratings
- Mobile app
- Calendar management
- Apple Calendar
- PayPal
Both cover
- Payment processing
- Client management
- Marketing tools
- Stripe
- Google Calendar
- PCI DSS
- SSL encryption
- Cloud deployment
- Web support
- Ios support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
GlossGenius
- Appointment booking and calendar management for salonsnot StyleSeat
- Card payments and tipping at the chairnot StyleSeat
- Client records, forms and waiversnot StyleSeat
- Memberships and prepaid packagesnot StyleSeat
- Medspa charting and photo markup on the clinical plansnot StyleSeat
StyleSeat
- Client acquisitionnot GlossGenius
- Online bookingnot GlossGenius
- Personal brandingnot GlossGenius
- Payment collectionnot GlossGenius
- Client retentionnot GlossGenius
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
GlossGenius
- Card payments are charged at a flat 2.6 percent, and instant payouts cost a further 1.8 percent
- Forms and waivers, waitlists and Google booking need the Gold plan at $56 a month
- Team analytics, custom commissions and unlimited team members require Platinum at $168 a month
- The medspa plans start where the beauty Platinum plan does, at $168 a month, rising to $298 for the full clinical suite
- Payroll is a separate add-on at $40 a month plus $6 per staff member
StyleSeat
- Single tier pricing model with no lower-cost options
- No published information on free trial length
Pricing, plan by plan
GlossGenius
$28/month- Standard$28/month
- Custom booking website
- Unlimited client notifications
- Email and text marketing
- Gold$56/month
- All Standard features
- Supports up to 9 staff members
- Forms and waivers
- Platinum$168/month
- All Gold features
- Supports teams of 10 or more
- Team goal setting
- Practice Essentials$168/month
- EMR compliance tools for aesthetics practices
- Most popular for medspa and aesthetics tier
StyleSeat
Free- FreeFree
- Online booking
- Client management
- Professional profile
- Pro$35/month
- Everything in Free
- Smart pricing
- No-show protection
Which should you pick?
Choose GlossGenius if
- You need custom booking pages.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want automated reminders.
Choose StyleSeat if
- You need online booking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want professional profiles.
Questions people ask
- Is GlossGenius or StyleSeat better?
- Neither clearly leads. GlossGenius starts at $28/month and StyleSeat at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, GlossGenius or StyleSeat?
- StyleSeat has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $28/month for GlossGenius and Free for StyleSeat.
- Does GlossGenius or StyleSeat run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use StyleSeat for free?
- Yes. StyleSeat has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. GlossGenius starts at $28/month.
- What is GlossGenius best used for?
- GlossGenius is most often used for appointment booking and calendar management for salons, card payments and tipping at the chair, client records, forms and waivers, memberships and prepaid packages. Of those, appointment booking and calendar management for salons and card payments and tipping at the chair are not what StyleSeat is typically brought in for.
- What can GlossGenius do that StyleSeat cannot?
- GlossGenius covers Custom booking pages, Automated reminders, Website builder, Reports & insights. StyleSeat covers Online booking, Professional profiles, Reviews & ratings, Mobile app. Both handle Payment processing, Client management, Marketing tools, Instagram.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
GlossGenius: How much does GlossGenius cost?
GlossGenius Standard plan is $28 per month, Gold is $56 per month, and Platinum is $168 per month for beauty and wellness businesses. For medspa and aesthetics, Practice Essentials is $168 per month and Practice Advanced is $298 per month.
SourceStyleSeat: How much does StyleSeat cost?
StyleSeat costs $35 per month flat with no hidden fees or add-ons included.
SourceGlossGenius: What are the annual billing savings?
Switching from monthly to annual billing saves 12-14% on your subscription cost. For example, Gold drops from $56 per month to $48 per month when billed annually.
SourceStyleSeat: What is included in the StyleSeat subscription?
The $35 monthly fee includes advanced booking features, marketing automation with automated reminders, a booking page, promotions, secure payment processing, and client management tools.
SourceGlossGenius: Is there a free trial for GlossGenius?
GlossGenius offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required.
SourceStyleSeat: Is there a free trial?
Yes, StyleSeat offers a free trial, though the specific trial duration is not published on the pricing page.
SourceGlossGenius: What are GlossGenius payment processing fees?
GlossGenius charges a flat 2.6% payment processing rate. Free same-day payouts are available Monday through Thursday, and instant payouts can be requested at a 1.8% fee.
SourceRelated pages
More on GlossGenius
Other head to heads
- GlossGenius vs Cal.com
- GlossGenius vs Calendly
- GlossGenius vs Motion
- GlossGenius vs Acuity Scheduling
- GlossGenius vs SimplyBook.me
- GlossGenius vs Booker by Mindbody
- GlossGenius vs Square Appointments
- GlossGenius vs Appointlet
- GlossGenius vs Zcal
- GlossGenius vs Booksy
- GlossGenius vs Schedulicity
- GlossGenius vs Appointy
- GlossGenius vs 10to8
- GlossGenius vs Doodle
- GlossGenius vs Planday
- GlossGenius vs Timely
- GlossGenius vs When2meet
- GlossGenius vs Treatwell
- GlossGenius vs MyTime
- GlossGenius vs Rosy
- GlossGenius vs SalonRunner
- GlossGenius vs Genbook
- GlossGenius vs Bookeo
- GlossGenius vs Goldie
- GlossGenius vs Insight Salon Software
- GlossGenius vs SalonTarget
- GlossGenius vs SimpleSalon
- GlossGenius vs Salonist
- GlossGenius vs SalonBiz
- GlossGenius vs SuperSalon
- GlossGenius vs Versum
- GlossGenius vs Zolmi
- GlossGenius vs Mangomint
- GlossGenius vs Meevo
- GlossGenius vs Merlua
- StyleSeat vs Cal.com
- StyleSeat vs Calendly
- StyleSeat vs Motion
- StyleSeat vs Acuity Scheduling
- StyleSeat vs SimplyBook.me
- StyleSeat vs Booker by Mindbody
- StyleSeat vs Square Appointments
- StyleSeat vs Appointlet
- StyleSeat vs Zcal
- StyleSeat vs Booksy
- StyleSeat vs Schedulicity
- StyleSeat vs Appointy
- StyleSeat vs 10to8
- StyleSeat vs Doodle
- StyleSeat vs Planday
- StyleSeat vs Timely
- StyleSeat vs When2meet
- StyleSeat vs Treatwell
- StyleSeat vs MyTime
- StyleSeat vs Rosy
- StyleSeat vs SalonRunner
- StyleSeat vs Genbook
- StyleSeat vs Bookeo
- StyleSeat vs Goldie
- StyleSeat vs Insight Salon Software
- StyleSeat vs SalonTarget
- StyleSeat vs SimpleSalon
- StyleSeat vs Salonist
- StyleSeat vs SalonBiz
- StyleSeat vs SuperSalon
- StyleSeat vs Versum
- StyleSeat vs Zolmi
- StyleSeat vs Mangomint
- StyleSeat vs Meevo
- StyleSeat vs Merlua


