How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Vagaro | 3- to 7-chair salons that want an all-in-one platform with a cost ceiling | $30/month ($23.99/month promotional) for one bookable calendar; +$10/month per extra staff calendar | Free trial (30 days, full feature access) |
 Fresha | Early-stage businesses that need discovery more than cost predictability | $19.95/month (Independent, solo); Team $14.95 per bookable team member/month | 7-day trial (the old free-forever plan has ended) |
 Booksy | Independent stylists and barbers with an established book | $29.99/month (Booksy Biz, solo); +$20/month per extra team member | Free trial (14 days) |
 Square Appointments | Salons already running Square POS or retail | $0 (Free); Plus $49/month per location; Premium $149/month per location | Yes (genuine free tier: online booking, calendar sync, email reminders) / 30-day trials on paid plans |
 Mindbody | Multi-location studios, gyms, spas and salon groups | From $79/month per location (Starter/Go, per Mindbody's Oct 2026 US announcement); Accelerate and Ultimate are quote-only | No (demo/quote for upper tiers) |
 GlossGenius | Solo stylists and 2- to 9-person teams that want one predictable bill | $24/month billed annually ($28/month monthly), Standard, up to 2 users | Free trial (14 days, no credit card) |
 Boulevard | Upscale and boutique salons where the client experience is part of the brand | See website (demo call required; tiers not openly published) | No (demo only; 12-month contracts reported) |
 Mangomint | Growing salons with 2 to 20+ staff where the front desk is the bottleneck | $120/month per location + $10/month per user (simplified pricing effective Aug 2026) | Free trial (14 days, no credit card) |
 Zenoti | Salon, spa and medspa chains that need enterprise controls | See website (custom quote only) | No (demo only; annual contracts standard) |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Key takeaways
- The subscription is the smallest part of the bill: marketplace commissions (20% at Fresha, 30% first-visit at Booksy Boost) and payment processing usually cost more than the monthly fee.
- Vagaro ($30/month) caps costs around $85 for 7+ calendars, making it the predictable pick for mid-size salons.
- Square Appointments ($0) is the only real free tier, and it is genuinely usable for a solo operator.
- Per-staff pricing compounds fast: model your chair count, not the headline price, before comparing.
The best salon software
Here is the uncomfortable truth about salon software: the subscription price is the smallest part of what you will pay. A $20-a-month plan with a 20 percent commission on every new client costs more than a $100-a-month plan with no commission, once the bookings start flowing. The vendors know this, which is why the commission math hides in the fine print while the subscription price leads the homepage. These nine tools are ranked by total cost of ownership, not sticker price, for salons and barbershops that book appointments and take payments.
#1
Vagaro
Best for: 3- to 7-chair salons that want an all-in-one platform with a cost ceiling
Visit vagaro.com
Starting price$30/month ($23.99/month promotional) for one bookable calendar; +$10/month per extra staff calendar
Free planFree trial (30 days, full feature access)
Vagaro's appeal is the ceiling: once you pass 7 calendars, the monthly cost stops climbing at around $84 to $85, which no per-staff competitor can match. The feature set is broad (POS, inventory, payroll, marketing) and the marketplace drives discovery without a per-booking commission. For a mid-size salon that wants one platform and a predictable bill, it is the rational default.
The base plan is generous but assume add-ons: deposits and no-show fees need the $10/month shopping cart feature, text reminders need the SMS plan, and a realistic 4-person salon lands around $94 to $150 per month before processing. Each extra location is a separate full-price account. Import your client list yourself, and note the marketplace lists you next to competitors.
What we like- Flat monthly cap around $84 to $85 for 7+ calendars, so large teams pay no per-seat penalty beyond that
- Built-in marketplace for new client discovery with no per-booking commission
- Broad feature set covering POS, inventory, payroll and marketing
Watch out for- Add-ons stack fast: intake forms, text marketing, website builder and deposits each cost $10 to $20/month extra
- Each extra location is a separate full-price account
- Payment processing locked to Vagaro at 2.2% to 3.5%
#2
Fresha
Best for: Early-stage businesses that need discovery more than cost predictability
Visit fresha.com
Starting price$19.95/month (Independent, solo); Team $14.95 per bookable team member/month
Free plan7-day trial (the old free-forever plan has ended)
Fresha wins the headline-price contest and loses the total-cost contest for busy salons. The subscription is the cheapest here and card fees are the lowest, but the 20 percent commission on every new marketplace client is the real price: a salon gaining 30 new marketplace clients a month at an $80 ticket pays roughly $480 in commissions on top of the subscription. That is the math to do before signing.
The defense is strategy, not denial. Import your existing client list before going live so returning clients never trigger the fee, and steer regulars to book via your own site or Google. For an early-stage business that needs discovery more than predictability, the marketplace is genuinely valuable. For an established book, the commission is a tax you do not need to pay.
What we like- Lowest headline subscription and lowest card fees in the category (2.29% + 20¢ in person)
- Huge consumer marketplace for new-client discovery
- No contract, cancel any time
Watch out for- 20% one-time commission on every new marketplace client (minimum $6)
- Returning-client logic has generated billing complaints
- No built-in payroll and phone support costs extra on solo plans
#3
Booksy
Best for: Independent stylists and barbers with an established book
Visit booksy.com
Starting price$29.99/month (Booksy Biz, solo); +$20/month per extra team member
Free planFree trial (14 days)
Booksy is Fresha's mirror image: you pay per chair, not per new client. A 3-chair barbershop pays $69.99 per month before processing, with no commission on the standard plan and free unlimited SMS reminders. For barbers and stylists with an established book who want a strong client app and repeat bookings, the predictability is the product.
The Boost add-on is where the comparison gets interesting: 30 percent of a new client's first visit, versus Fresha's 20 percent. If you rely on the marketplace for growth, model both. Client reviews live inside Booksy's ecosystem and do not travel if you leave, which is a quiet lock-in worth knowing about. Processing runs 2.49% plus $0.15 per transaction.
What we like- Predictable flat subscription with no per-booking commissions on the standard plan
- Strong consumer app with a huge marketplace user base, dominant in barbering
- Free unlimited transactional SMS reminders and marketing tools included
Watch out for- Per-staff fees compound fast: a 5-chair shop approaches $110+/month before processing
- Boost marketplace add-on takes 30% of a new client's first visit
- Client reviews live inside Booksy's ecosystem
#4
Square Appointments
Best for: Salons already running Square POS or retail
Visit squareup.com
Starting price$0 (Free); Plus $49/month per location; Premium $149/month per location
Free planYes (genuine free tier: online booking, calendar sync, email reminders) / 30-day trials on paid plans
Square Appointments is the natural pick for salons already in the Square world, where one system covers bookings, till and inventory. The free plan genuinely works for a solo operator: online booking, calendar sync and email reminders for $0. Billing per location rather than per staff keeps team costs sane as you grow.
The free tier's limits define the upgrade path. Once you need no-show fees, waitlists, cancellation policies or email marketing, Plus at $49 per month per location is the landing spot; Premium suits 5+ staff with resource scheduling needs. Because Square runs the payments, "free" still costs about 2.6% of card revenue, so model processing, not just the subscription. For a Square salon, though, the integration is worth more than any feature list.
What we like- The only major salon tool with a real free plan, billed per location not per staff
- Deep Square ecosystem: POS hardware, inventory, payroll and loyalty integrate natively
- Quick setup with transparent pricing
Watch out for- No-show fees, waitlists, cancellation policies and email marketing all require the $49 Plus plan
- Locked into Square payment processing
- Premium at $149/location is steep for a mid-market feature set
Starting priceFrom $79/month per location (Starter/Go, per Mindbody's Oct 2026 US announcement); Accelerate and Ultimate are quote-only
Free planNo (demo/quote for upper tiers)
Mindbody is the enterprise end of this list: multi-location controls, franchise support, memberships, retention automation and an AI front desk, backed by a consumer app with millions of active users. For salon groups and wellness studios where centralized scheduling and marketplace reach are the strategy, nothing else here operates at the same scale.
The price of scale is opacity and commitment. Only Starter's $79 per location is published; the tier you probably want (Ultimate, with email/SMS marketing and lead management) is quote-only and the most expensive. Pricing is per location, so a 3-location business pays the base three times, plus a 20 percent marketplace commission on new clients. Solo salons and single shops almost always do better on Vagaro or GlossGenius. Buy Mindbody for scale, and get the quote in writing.
What we like- Deepest enterprise tooling in wellness: multi-location controls, franchise support, 100+ integrations and an AI front desk on upper tiers
- Consumer app with 3M+ active users drives real discovery
- Unlimited staff logins per location
Watch out for- Only Starter has a published price
- 20% marketplace commission on new clients (capped at $30)
- 24-month contracts are now standard with reported long-term price escalation
#6
GlossGenius
Best for: Solo stylists and 2- to 9-person teams that want one predictable bill
Visit glossgenius.com
Starting price$24/month billed annually ($28/month monthly), Standard, up to 2 users
Free planFree trial (14 days, no credit card)
GlossGenius is built for the independent stylist: one flat bill, marketing included, and booking pages clients actually like. The flat 2.6% processing with no per-transaction cents favors stylists running 60 to 120 small-ticket appointments a month, where competitors' per-transaction fees add up quietly. Gold at $48 per month (annual) covers up to 9 team members, the natural growth tier.
The plan jumps are steep, from $48 to $148, and advanced staff management waits behind the higher tiers. It is not designed to scale into large multi-stylist operations, so factor in the ceiling before committing: migrating later is painful. For solo operators and small teams that want marketing bundled and a bill that never surprises them, it is one of the cleanest options here.
What we like- Flat 2.6% processing on every transaction type with no per-transaction cents, which favors high-appointment-count stylists
- Email and text marketing included rather than sold as add-ons
- Polished mobile-first booking pages
Watch out for- No free tier and steep jumps between plans (Gold $48 to Platinum $148)
- Advanced staff management gated behind higher tiers
- Not designed for large multi-stylist operations
#7
Boulevard
Best for: Upscale and boutique salons where the client experience is part of the brand
Visit joinblvd.com
Starting priceSee website (demo call required; tiers not openly published)
Free planNo (demo only; 12-month contracts reported)
Boulevard sells the client experience: self-checkout, personalized booking flows, and front-desk tooling designed for high-touch service. For upscale salons where the experience justifies premium ticket prices, the product matches the positioning. Real-time inventory with automatic reordering is a cut above the category norm.
The commercial terms are the filter. No published pricing, no self-serve trial, reported 12-month contracts, and add-ons (Forms and Charts ~$55/month, QuickBooks integration ~$45/month per third-party reports) that the base plan rarely covers alone. The Offset feature can drop card processing to 1% by passing 3% to the client, which changes the total-cost math at volume. Confirm everything with sales before budgeting; promotional rates fluctuate.
What we like- Premium, modern client experience with self-checkout and personalized booking flows
- Real-time inventory tracking with automatic reordering
- Strong front-desk and client-profile tooling for high-touch service
Watch out for- Among the most expensive in the category with no free trial and annual contracts
- Key features are paid add-ons (Forms, QuickBooks integration)
- Full price per additional location
#8
Mangomint
Best for: Growing salons with 2 to 20+ staff where the front desk is the bottleneck
Visit mangomint.com
Starting price$120/month per location + $10/month per user (simplified pricing effective Aug 2026)
Free planFree trial (14 days, no credit card)
Mangomint simplified everything in August 2026: $120 per location plus $10 per user, all features included, no gated tiers. A 6-person salon pays about $180 a month with everything included. The product earns its premium through speed: the interface is the fastest in the category, and Express Booking plus smart automations genuinely cut front-desk workload. HIPAA compliance is available for medspa-adjacent work.
It is still premium-priced for a solo chair, and two-way texting, payroll and marketing sit outside the base as add-ons, so confirm those costs before signing. US-focused features and English-only support limit international fit. Worth the price when the front desk is the bottleneck; overkill when it is just you and a chair.
What we like- Highest user ratings in the category for interface speed and ease of use
- Express Booking and smart automations cut front-desk workload
- All features included for everyone, no gated tiers, with HIPAA compliance available
Watch out for- Still premium-priced for solo operators and very small salons
- Phone/texting, payroll and marketing are paid add-ons
- US-focused features and English-only support
#9
Zenoti
Best for: Salon, spa and medspa chains that need enterprise controls
Visit zenoti.com
Starting priceSee website (custom quote only)
Free planNo (demo only; annual contracts standard)
Zenoti is the enterprise choice the rest of this list grows into: multi-location dashboards, franchise controls, cross-center redemption, and a full stack from booking to AI receptionist in one login. For chains doing $30K+ a month in revenue, the cost is a small fraction of revenue, and the "grow into it" argument is real: choosing Zenoti early avoids a painful migration when outgrowing Vagaro or GlossGenius.
Single-location salons should not buy it unless a second location is a firm near-term plan. Pricing is quote-only with implementation fees reportedly from $5,000 to $20,000+, and the marketing, reputation and AI features that make the platform shine are paid add-ons. Get the quote in writing with add-ons itemized, because published prices do not exist.
What we like- Built ground-up for multi-location scale: enterprise dashboards, franchise controls, cross-center redemption
- Full stack (booking, POS, CRM, inventory, marketing automation, AI receptionist) in one login
- Used by 30,000+ businesses globally
Watch out for- Quote-only pricing with implementation fees ($5,000 to $20,000+ reported) and annual contracts
- Marketing, reputation and AI features are paid add-ons
- Overkill for single-location salons
How we chose
We started with the categories buyers search: salon software and salon software for small business. For each candidate we opened the vendor's own pricing page, checked plan names and prices against public reviews on G2 and Capterra and practitioner discussion on Reddit, and compared feature lists, per-staff pricing, marketplace commissions and company-size fit. Where a price could not be verified on the vendor's page we wrote "See website" rather than guessing. The shortlist mixes flat-subscription tools with commission-based marketplaces, because a solo stylist and a salon chain are not buying the same product.
Commissions vs. subscriptions: the real cost comparison
Run the numbers for a realistic salon: 4 chairs, $80 average ticket, 20 new clients a month from the marketplace. On Fresha ($19.95 subscription), the commission bill is 20 percent of 20 × $80, or $320 a month: total ~$340. On Booksy ($89.99 for 4 chairs after the first), the standard plan has no commission: total ~$90 plus processing. On Vagaro (~$60 for 4 calendars plus add-ons), total ~$110 plus processing.
The ranking flips completely once commissions enter. A cheap subscription with a 20 percent new-client commission is the most expensive option for any salon that actually gains clients. The commission model only wins for businesses that get few or no marketplace clients, which is precisely when the marketplace has no value either. Model your new-client volume first, then choose the pricing model, then choose the vendor.
The marketplace trap: new-client fees
Marketplace commissions share a pattern: they apply to new clients only, which makes the first year expensive and the steady state cheaper. Fresha takes 20 percent of the new client's spend (minimum $6). Booksy's Boost takes 30 percent of the first visit. Mindbody takes 20 percent capped at $30. The vendors frame this as paying for discovery, and for a new salon with empty chairs, that framing is fair.
The trap is the returning-client logic. Import your existing client list before going live so regulars never trigger new-client fees, and steer repeat bookings to your own site, Google Business Profile or direct links. Several vendors' billing logic around returning clients has generated complaints, so audit the first two invoices line by line. Discovery you pay for once is marketing; discovery you pay for twice is a tax.
Frequently asked questions
How much does salon software cost per month?
The subscription runs $0 to $180+ per month depending on chairs and tier, but the total usually runs higher. Add payment processing (2.2% to 3.5%), marketplace commissions (0 to 20% of new-client revenue), and add-ons for SMS, forms and marketing ($10 to $55/month each). A 4-chair salon realistically pays $90 to $350 per month all-in.
Is Fresha really free?
No, not anymore. The old free-forever plan ended; Independent now costs $19.95 per month for a solo operator. The bigger cost is the 20 percent commission on new marketplace clients. It is still the cheapest headline price in the category, but only the cheapest total for salons gaining few new clients.
What is the best salon software for a solo stylist?
GlossGenius ($24/month) for a polished all-in-one with marketing included, Square Appointments ($0) if you already use Square, or Booksy ($29.99/month) for the strongest client app in barbering. Avoid the enterprise tools (Mindbody, Zenoti, Boulevard) until a second location is real.
Should I choose a commission or subscription model?
Subscription, unless you gain almost no new clients from the marketplace. A 20 percent commission on new-client revenue exceeds any subscription difference within months for a growing salon. Take the commission model only as a discovery bridge in year one, then migrate regulars to direct booking.
Can I switch salon software later?
Yes, but it hurts more than most categories: client lists, appointment history, memberships, gift card balances and reviews often do not transfer cleanly. Export everything before canceling, run the old and new systems in parallel for two weeks, and avoid switching in December. Choose with a 2-year horizon to avoid paying the migration twice.
Do these tools handle payroll and inventory?
Partially. Vagaro includes payroll features; most others sell it as an add-on or integrate with a payroll provider. Inventory tracking is standard on Vagaro, Mangomint and Boulevard, basic on Square, and limited on the stylist-focused tools. Retail-heavy salons should verify inventory depth during the trial.
Sources we checked (11)
- https://www.vagaro.com/pricing
- https://www.fresha.com/pricing
- https://booksy.com/en-us/pricing
- https://squareup.com/us/en/appointments/pricing
- https://www.mindbodyonline.com/business/pricing
- https://www.glossgenius.com/pricing
- https://www.joinblvd.com/pricing
- https://www.mangomint.com/pricing
- https://www.zenoti.com/pricing
- https://www.g2.com/categories/salon-software
- https://www.capterra.com/salon-software/
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.