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Scheduling · head to head

Booker by Mindbody vs Vagaro

Booker by Mindbody logo

Booker by Mindbody

Scheduling

Complete spa management solution

From
$129/month
Rated
-
Vagaro logo

Vagaro

Scheduling

All-in-one salon, spa & fitness software

From
$25/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Booker by Mindbody only the Starter plan carries a published price, from $139 per month; Accelerate, Ultimate and Enterprise are quote only; 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: Booker by Mindbody covers Online booking, Vagaro covers Online appointment booking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Booker by Mindbody and Vagaro actually diverge.

Attributes where Booker by Mindbody and Vagaro differ
AttributeBooker by MindbodyVagaro
Starting price$129/month$25/month
Founded20012009

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Web, Ios, Android, Api), 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 Booker by Mindbody

  • Online booking
  • Gift cards
  • Packages & memberships
  • QuickBooks
  • Constant Contact
  • Google Analytics
  • SOC2
  • Web support

Only in Vagaro

  • Online appointment booking
  • Payroll management
  • Mobile app
  • Quickbooks
  • Xero
  • Google Calendar
  • Square
  • Data backup

Both cover

  • Client management
  • Point of sale
  • Inventory tracking
  • Marketing automation
  • Reporting & analytics
  • Mailchimp
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Stripe
  • PCI DSS
  • SSL encryption
  • Cloud deployment

What people use each for

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

Booker by Mindbody

  • Booking and managing appointments for spas and salonsnot Vagaro
  • Running point of sale, payments and staff scheduling in one systemnot Vagaro
  • Listing a business on the Mindbody consumer app to attract clientsnot Vagaro

Vagaro

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

Where each one falls short

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

Booker by Mindbody

  • Only the Starter plan carries a published price, from $139 per month; Accelerate, Ultimate and Enterprise are quote only
  • The Starter plan limits staff logins and provides basic reporting only
  • Marketing automation, reviews and referrals, and unlimited two way text messaging are restricted to the Ultimate tier
  • The Messenger AI chatbot is a paid add on even on the higher tiers

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

Booker by Mindbody

$129/month
  • Essential$129/month
    • Online booking
    • Client management
    • POS
  • Accelerate$259/month
    • Everything in Essential
    • Advanced marketing
    • Inventory management
  • Ultimate$399/month
    • Everything in Accelerate
    • Premium support
    • Advanced analytics

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 Booker by Mindbody if

  • You need online booking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want gift cards.

Choose Vagaro if

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

Questions people ask

Is Booker by Mindbody or Vagaro better?
Neither clearly leads. Booker by Mindbody starts at $129/month and Vagaro at $25/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Booker by Mindbody or Vagaro?
Booker by Mindbody starts at $129/month and Vagaro at $25/month.
Does Booker by Mindbody or Vagaro run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Booker by Mindbody best used for?
Booker by Mindbody is most often used for booking and managing appointments for spas and salons, running point of sale, payments and staff scheduling in one system, listing a business on the mindbody consumer app to attract clients. Of those, booking and managing appointments for spas and salons and running point of sale, payments and staff scheduling in one system are not what Vagaro is typically brought in for.
What can Booker by Mindbody do that Vagaro cannot?
Booker by Mindbody covers Online booking, Gift cards, Packages & memberships, QuickBooks. Vagaro covers Online appointment booking, Payroll management, Mobile app, Quickbooks. Both handle Client management, Point of sale, Inventory tracking, Marketing automation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Booker by Mindbody: What is Booker's starting price?

Booker starts at $139 per month. The platform offers three tiers (Starter, Accelerate, and Ultimate) designed for salons, spas, and similar service businesses.

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
Booker by Mindbody: What is included in Booker's Starter plan?

The Starter plan includes online booking, text messaging up to 3,000 notifications, intake streamlining, and a business website.

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
Booker by Mindbody: What additional features are in Booker's higher tiers?

Accelerate adds email campaigns and unlimited staff profiles. Ultimate (best value) includes automated email and text marketing, unlimited 2-way SMS, automated review prompts, and referral tracking. Not all features are available in all regions.

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
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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