Softwr

Scheduling · head to head

GlossGenius vs Vagaro

GlossGenius logo

GlossGenius

Scheduling

Beautiful booking for beauty pros

From
$28/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: GlossGenius card payments are charged at a flat 2.6 percent, and instant payouts cost a further 1.8 percent; 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: GlossGenius covers Custom booking pages, Vagaro covers Online appointment booking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GlossGenius and Vagaro actually diverge.

Attributes where GlossGenius and Vagaro differ
AttributeGlossGeniusVagaro
Starting price$28/month$25/month
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android, Api
Founded20162009

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 GlossGenius

  • Custom booking pages
  • Payment processing
  • Automated reminders
  • Marketing tools
  • Website builder
  • Reports & insights
  • Gift cards
  • Apple Pay

Only in Vagaro

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

Both cover

  • Client management
  • Instagram
  • Stripe
  • Google Calendar
  • PCI DSS
  • SSL encryption
  • Cloud deployment

What people use each for

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

GlossGenius

  • Appointment booking and calendar management for salonsnot Vagaro
  • Card payments and tipping at the chairnot Vagaro
  • Client records, forms and waiversnot Vagaro
  • Memberships and prepaid packagesnot Vagaro
  • Medspa charting and photo markup on the clinical plansnot Vagaro

Vagaro

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

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

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

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 GlossGenius if

  • You need custom booking pages.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want payment processing.
GlossGenius review

Choose Vagaro if

  • You need online appointment booking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want point of sale.
Vagaro review

Questions people ask

Is GlossGenius or Vagaro better?
Neither clearly leads. GlossGenius starts at $28/month and Vagaro at $25/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GlossGenius or Vagaro?
GlossGenius starts at $28/month and Vagaro at $25/month.
Does GlossGenius or Vagaro run on more platforms?
GlossGenius runs on Web, Ios, Android. Vagaro runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
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 Vagaro is typically brought in for.
What can GlossGenius do that Vagaro cannot?
GlossGenius covers Custom booking pages, Payment processing, Automated reminders, Marketing tools. Vagaro covers Online appointment booking, Point of sale, Inventory tracking, Marketing automation. Both handle Client management, Instagram, Stripe, Google Calendar.

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.

Source
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
GlossGenius: 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.

Source
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
GlossGenius: Is there a free trial for GlossGenius?

GlossGenius offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required.

Source
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
GlossGenius: 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.

Source
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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