Vagaro vs GlossGenius (2026): Pricing, Processing Fees, and Which Salon Software Fits

Vagaro vs GlossGenius: which is better for a salon?

As of September 2026, GlossGenius is the better pick for most small salons that want a bill they can read off the page: plans from $24 a month billed annually, one flat price for up to 9 staff on Gold, and a published flat 2.6% card rate. Vagaro is the better pick if you want the lowest price for your first six months ($23.99 a month, then $30 for one bookable calendar) and a free listing on the Vagaro Marketplace, but its price grows with every bookable calendar and its pricing page does not print a processing rate. For a solo stylist the subscriptions are close. The card rate is the number that decides it.

Sourcing note: every figure on this page is from the vendor's own pricing page, read September 12, 2026: vagaro.com/pro/pricing, glossgenius.com/pricing (Beauty & Wellness), joinblvd.com/pricing (Salon & Spa), and mindbodyonline.com/business/pricing. Where a vendor does not publish a number, we say so.

Vagaro vs GlossGenius vs Boulevard vs Mindbody at a glance

Vagaro pricing

Vagaro costs $30 a month for one location with one bookable calendar, or $23.99 a month for the first 6 months at what the page calls an "Exclusive rate," per vagaro.com/pro/pricing read September 12, 2026. The price is set by bookable calendars. The page's selector runs 1 ("Just Me"), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7+, and prices beyond one calendar are shown only in its calculator.

Vagaro's definition: "A bookable calendar is a calendar for an individual who is performing services within the business who requires their own scheduling. This does not include admin staff, like the front desk." A receptionist does not raise the bill. A new stylist does.

• Free trial: 30 days with all features except email marketing, text marketing, and the branded app.
• Card reader: free when you sign up for Vagaro Merchant Services.
• Email: 1,000 free emails monthly.
• Discovery: a free listing on the Vagaro Marketplace.
• Terms: "Cancel anytime with no cancellation fees," with the page noting "Exclusions apply."

GlossGenius pricing

GlossGenius costs $28, $56, or $168 a month billed monthly, or $24, $48, or $148 a month billed annually, per glossgenius.com/pricing read September 12, 2026.

• Standard: $28 a month, or $24 billed annually ("save 14%"). Scheduling, a booking site builder, POS, and basic marketing.
• Gold: $56 a month, or $48 billed annually. "Revenue-boosting features for businesses up to 9 staff," and the plan GlossGenius marks most popular. Adds Google Reviews, text marketing, waitlists, time tracking and payroll, and room and resource management.
• Platinum: $168 a month, or $148 billed annually ("save 12%"). "Full power for established businesses and teams 10+": unlimited team members, Google Marketing Analytics, and 2,500 marketing texts.

From the same page: a Payroll add-on is listed at $40 a month plus $6 per seat, so confirm what Gold's payroll covers before you count on it. Each additional location is its plan price at a 15% discount, data transfer is free, and the trial runs 14 days with no credit card.

Does GlossGenius have a free plan? No. GlossGenius says it does not offer one, and names Fresha and Square Appointments as tools that do. If $0 a month is the requirement, read is Square worth it before you start a trial anywhere.

Vagaro vs GlossGenius: processing fees

GlossGenius publishes its rate: a flat 2.6%, with "no Tap to Pay, card-on-file, or manual entry fees." Vagaro's pricing page does not print a processing rate, so you have to get one from Vagaro before you can compare. This is the bigger number. On $10,000 a month in card sales, 2.6% is $260 a month, more than nine times the $28 Standard subscription.

GlossGenius payout terms: free same-day payouts Monday through Thursday, instant payouts anytime for an additional 1.8% ($18 on a $1,000 payout), and 100% chargeback protection. Ask Vagaro for its in-person, card-on-file, and keyed rates in writing, then compare effective rates: total fees divided by total card volume.

What each costs a solo stylist and a growing team

Solo stylist, one calendar: Vagaro's first year is about $324 ($23.99 for 6 months, then $30 for 6), and year two is $360. GlossGenius Standard is $288 a year billed annually, or $336 billed monthly. The gap is $72 a year at most. At $10,000 a month in card sales, a 0.1-point difference in processing rate is $120 a year.

Six stylists: GlossGenius Gold covers up to 9 staff for $56 a month, or $576 a year billed annually. Vagaro's six-calendar price is in its calculator; front-desk staff don't count. Boulevard's Essentials plan stops at 5 providers, so a six-stylist salon starts on Premier.

Boulevard pricing

Boulevard's Salon & Spa plans are $143, $234, and $328 a month per location billed monthly, per joinblvd.com/pricing read September 12, 2026, and the top two are promotional.

• Essentials: $143 a month per location. Up to 5 providers (bookable calendars), 250 free texts, 1,000 free email blasts, 50 GB of storage.
• Premier: $234 a month per location, normally $293. Unlimited professionals.
• Prestige: $328 a month per location, normally $410. Forms add-on included, 2,500 free texts, 10,000 free email blasts, 100 GB of storage.
• Enterprise: bespoke pricing.

The fine print: "Limited-time offer: Take advantage of our summer pricing. New customers only. Terms apply." Annual billing saves 10%. Add-ons include Forms from $65 a month per location, QuickBooks sync at $45 a month per location, emails beyond the plan at $0.01 each, and text messaging priced by volume. At about five times GlossGenius Standard, it fits a salon or spa with enough providers to use what it adds.

Mindbody pricing

Mindbody does not publish plan prices. Its pricing page says "Starting at $79 USD/month per location," and all three plans, Starter, Accelerate, and Ultimate, are "Let's talk," per mindbodyonline.com/business/pricing read September 12, 2026.

• Users: unlimited per location. In Mindbody's words, "we don't charge more as you build your team."
• Setup: no setup fee on any plan.
• Reminders: booking confirmations and reminders by email and text are included on Accelerate and above.
• Payments: the Mindbody Payments rate is "based on the Mindbody plan you select" and is not published.
• Contract: terms "depend on your plan and billing terms."

Treat $79 as a floor, not a quote, and ask for the plan price and processing rate together, since Mindbody ties one to the other.

Which salon software should you pick

• Pick GlossGenius if you want a published 2.6% rate with no extra fees for card-on-file or keyed payments, and one flat plan price as you grow toward 9 staff on Gold.
• Pick Vagaro if you're solo or small, want the $23.99 intro rate, the free Marketplace listing, and a free card reader, and have its processing rate in writing.
• Pick Boulevard if you run a larger salon or spa, want unlimited professionals from Premier up, and can lock in the summer pricing as a new customer.
• Talk to Mindbody if unlimited users per location matters or you want Ultimate's AI front desk; budget from the quote.
• Skip all four if you only need a booking link and take payment somewhere else. A general scheduler may be all you need, compared in Calendly vs Acuity vs Cal.com.

The front desk problem booking software doesn't fully solve

Every tool above fills the calendar once a client reaches it. The phone still rings while the stylist is mid-color and the front desk is checking someone out, and the caller who hits voicemail often books wherever picks up first. The salon playbook for that gap is in AI for salons.

Two of these vendors now sell an answer. GlossGenius lists an AI receptionist under plan add-ons that "Answers every call and replies to every text, 24/7. Books appointments directly into your calendar." Its price did not render on the page we read. Mindbody's Ultimate plan lists "24/7 AI front desk support to turn missed calls into bookings," and Ultimate is a quoted plan. If you already run either platform, price that option first.

A bundled receptionist works the way its vendor built it, inside that vendor's booking system. Salons with real intake rules need an agent built around them: a patch test before a first color, a deposit before a bridal party, a consult before a color correction, calls routed to the right location. SuperDupr builds that as a custom AI receptionist for salons, spas, and boutique hotels, on top of whichever booking platform you keep. What each option costs is broken down in how much does an AI receptionist cost.

The bottom line

For a solo stylist, Vagaro and GlossGenius land within $72 a year of each other on software, so the card rate decides it, and only GlossGenius prints its rate: 2.6% flat. For a team of up to 9, GlossGenius Gold is the easiest bill to predict. Boulevard starts at $143 a month per location; Mindbody quotes every plan above a $79 floor. Whichever you pick, count the calls it never answers.