Online Booking and Calendar
Clients book 24/7 from your website, Instagram or Google profile. Salonist adds a room calendar, a waitlist and package booking for spas. Vagaro covers booking well and adds a large client marketplace.
Vagaro alternative
Salonist vs Vagaro: One Flat Price Against a Bill That Grows
Vagaro charges by staff calendar. One calendar is $30 a month and the price climbs with every person you add, up to $90.
Salonist charges one flat plan price with unlimited staff. Hire your fourth stylist or your fourteenth and the bill stays the same.
- ✓Unlimited staff. No staff limits.
- ✓Get more features for less.
- ✓Your price never moves when you hire
What a growing salon pays
$120
Vagaro at 8 stylists plan plus text marketing and a store
Vagaro figures are its published plan and add on prices. Salonist includes campaigns, WhatsApp, loyalty and gift cards in the Advance plan.
Short on time?
Salonist vs Vagaro at a Glance
Pick Salonist if
You are building a team
- You have four or more staff and keep hiring
- You want campaigns and WhatsApp inside the plan
- You run more than one location
- You want salon software in your own language
- You want every price printed before you sign up
What to check on Vagaro
Costs that sit outside the plan
- !Price rises $10 with each staff calendar, up to $90
- !Text marketing starts at $20 a month
- !Forms cost $10 and a website builder $20
- !A branded client app is $100 a month
- !Each extra location adds $10 a month
- !Card processing runs from 2.29% to 3.5%
Side by side
Quick Comparison Table
| Feature | Salonist | Vagaro |
|---|
Vagaro pricing vs Salonist pricing
Vagaro Cost vs Salonist Cost
Vagaro publishes a low entry price and prices the rest as add ons. Salonist puts the same tools in one plan.
Vagaro Pricing
Plans are set by how many staff calendars you run.
| Plan or fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| 1 calendar | $30 a month |
| 3 calendars | $50 a month |
| 5 calendars | $70 a month |
| 7 or more calendars | $90 a month |
| Each extra location | $10 a month |
| Text marketing | from $20 a month |
| Website builder | $20 a month |
| Forms | $10 a month |
| Online shopping cart | $10 a month |
| QuickBooks | $10 a month |
| Branded client app | $100 a month |
| Payroll | $34 a month plus $5 per employee |
Card processing is charged separately, from about 2.29% plus 19 cents to 3.5% plus 19 cents depending on volume and entry method.
Salonist Pricing
One flat plan price with unlimited staff. Printed on the pricing page, no quote needed.
| Plan or fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Free marketplace listing | $0 |
| Essential | $59 a month |
| Advance | $109 a month |
| Expert | $179 a month |
| Extra staff | $0, unlimited |
| Extra location | Included on paid plans |
| Free trial | 7 days, no card |
| New marketplace client | 15% of the first visit, once |
Every paid plan includes unlimited staff, every location and free data import. See the full Salonist pricing page.
Cost calculator
What a Growing Salon Pays
Vagaro
Salonist
Vagaro totals use its published plan and add on prices. Card processing is not counted on either side.
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Feature comparison
Salonist vs Vagaro Feature by Feature
Both tools cover the salon basics. The difference is what sits inside the plan and what arrives as another line on the invoice.
Point of Sale and Retail
Ring up services and products on one ticket, take tips and print or email the receipt at the till, and sell online through the built in store. Vagaro has a POS too, though the online shopping cart is a paid add on.
Staff, Commission and Tips
Commission splits, tips, timesheets and login permissions all sit in one staff screen, with no charge for extra people. Vagaro handles commissions, and its plan price rises with every calendar you add.
Stock and Inventory
Inventory management covers barcodes, purchase orders, warehouse stock and low stock alerts, so retail stops leaking margin. Vagaro tracks stock at a simpler level.
Marketing and Client Win Back
Run SMS, email and WhatsApp campaigns from the same place as your calendar including birthday offers and rebooking reminders. On Vagaro, text marketing starts at $20 a month and WhatsApp is not available.
Memberships, Loyalty and Gift Cards
Memberships, reward points and gift cards work at the till and online, which keeps regulars coming back. Vagaro sells gift cards and memberships, with some tools priced separately.
Built for Multiple Locations
Salonist is a multi location system. Run every branch from one account, switch between them in a click and compare them in one report, with every location included on paid plans. Vagaro charges about $10 a month for each extra location.
Forms and Client Records
Consent forms, before and after photos and client documents sit with the visit history on the client record. Vagaro prices forms at $10 a month.
The difference that shows
WhatsApp Marketing and 13 Languages, Built In
Salonist runs in 60+ countries with 13 languages, right to left Arabic and local payment gateways. WhatsApp campaigns sit on the Advance plan, so reminders and offers reach clients on the app they actually open.
- Booking confirmations and reminders on WhatsApp
- Birthday and win back offers
- Rebooking nudges after a visit
- Your team sees the software in their own language
Why salons switch
What You Get With Salonist
In every plan
- ✓Unlimited staff on every plan
- ✓Every location included on paid plans
- ✓POS, retail and inventory built in
- ✓WhatsApp, SMS and email campaigns
- ✓Commissions, tips and timesheets
- ✓60+ countries and 13 languages
Best fit for
- ✓Salons with four or more staff
- ✓Owners running two or more locations
- ✓Teams that want campaigns without add on fees
- ✓Spas and clinics that need forms and room booking
- ✓Salons outside the United States
Prices taken from the Vagaro pricing page and published add on lists.
Best fit
Who Should Choose Salonist?
- Salons with four or more staff
- Owners running two or more locations
- Teams that want campaigns without add on fees
- Spas and clinics that need forms and room booking
- Salons outside the United States
See Salonist for hair salons, nail salons, spas, barber shops.
Keep comparing
Other Comparisons
Looking at more than one tool? See Salonist vs Fresha, plus Salonist vs Square and Salonist vs Booksy on the compare hub.
Book a 20 minute demo and we will walk through your own numbers.
Moving is easy
Switching from Vagaro to Salonist
Book a demo
A product expert walks through Salonist with you in 20 minutes.
Send your data
We import your clients, services and appointment history for free.
Add the whole team
Every staff member is included, so nobody is left off the calendar.
Go live
Share your booking link and start taking appointments the same week.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Still deciding? These are the questions salon owners ask us most.
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Try the Best Vagaro Alternative for Salons
Flat pricing, unlimited staff and WhatsApp marketing in one plan. Start free and keep your price when you hire.
