Softwr

Scheduling · head to head

Picktime vs Vagaro

Picktime logo

Picktime

Scheduling

Appointment, class and resource booking with an unusually capable free tier

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vagaro logo

Vagaro

Scheduling

All-in-one salon, spa & fitness software

From
$25/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Picktime has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Picktime the Pro plan is cheaper per user than Starter because it is sold in a ten user block, so a business with four or five staff pays more per head than a business with ten and has no tier that fits it well.; 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: Picktime covers Free tier with three staff, Vagaro covers Online appointment booking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Picktime and Vagaro actually diverge.

Attributes where Picktime and Vagaro differ
AttributePicktimeVagaro
Starting priceFree$25/month
Pricing modelPer user per monthsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android, Api
FoundedUnknown2009

Identical on both: 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 Picktime

  • Free tier with three staff
  • Resource booking
  • Class and course booking
  • SMS reminders
  • Two way calendar sync
  • Payments
  • Multilingual booking pages
  • Booking approval

Only in Vagaro

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

What people use each for

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

Picktime

  • A public library booking study rooms and equipment where there is no budget for scheduling software at allnot Vagaro
  • A two person tutoring business that needs a booking page, reminders and card payment for under ten dollars a monthnot Vagaro
  • A community centre running classes with capacity limits and a waitlist across two venuesnot Vagaro
  • A small salon that wants staff and chair availability booked together rather than assuming every stylist has a stationnot Vagaro

Vagaro

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

Where each one falls short

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

Picktime

  • The Pro plan is cheaper per user than Starter because it is sold in a ten user block, so a business with four or five staff pays more per head than a business with ten and has no tier that fits it well.
  • SMS is only on paid plans and the free tier is email only, so the no cost option loses the single feature that most reduces no shows.
  • Reporting is limited to basic booking counts and revenue totals, so any business that wants utilisation by resource, staff productivity or cohort retention will be exporting data and analysing it elsewhere.
  • Integrations beyond calendar, payments and Zapier are sparse, with no native connection to mainstream CRM or practice management systems, meaning customer data lives in a second silo that someone reconciles manually.
  • Support is email only with no phone or guaranteed response time, which is acceptable at three dollars a user but a genuine risk if the booking page goes down on a trading day.

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

Picktime

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Three staff members
    • Two locations and three resources
    • Unlimited appointments
  • Starter$3/month
    • Per user, billed annually
    • Three staff and two locations
    • SMS notifications and reminders
  • Pro$2.25/month
    • Per user, billed annually, minimum ten users
    • Unlimited locations
    • Customisable emails

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 Picktime if

  • You need free tier with three staff.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want resource booking.
Picktime 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 Picktime or Vagaro better?
Neither clearly leads. Picktime starts at Free and Vagaro at $25/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Picktime or Vagaro?
Picktime has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Picktime and $25/month for Vagaro.
Does Picktime or Vagaro run on more platforms?
Picktime runs on Web, iOS, Android. Vagaro runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
Can I use Picktime for free?
Yes. Picktime has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Vagaro starts at $25/month.
What is Picktime best used for?
Picktime is most often used for a public library booking study rooms and equipment where there is no budget for scheduling software at all, a two person tutoring business that needs a booking page, reminders and card payment for under ten dollars a month, a community centre running classes with capacity limits and a waitlist across two venues, a small salon that wants staff and chair availability booked together rather than assuming every stylist has a station. Of those, a public library booking study rooms and equipment where there is no budget for scheduling software at all and a two person tutoring business that needs a booking page, reminders and card payment for under ten dollars a month are not what Vagaro is typically brought in for.
What can Picktime do that Vagaro cannot?
Picktime covers Free tier with three staff, Resource booking, Class and course booking, SMS reminders. Vagaro covers Online appointment booking, Client management, Point of sale, Inventory tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Picktime: Is the free plan actually usable long term?

Yes. It allows three staff, two locations and unlimited appointments permanently. The main limits are no SMS and PayPal only for payments.

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
Picktime: Can it book rooms and equipment?

Yes. Resources are first class objects and can be booked alongside or independently of staff.

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
Picktime: Why does Pro cost less per user than Starter?

Pro is priced for a block of ten users. Below that headcount the per user rate on Starter is what you pay.

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
Picktime: Does it take card payments?

Stripe and Square on paid plans; the free plan supports PayPal only.

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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