Salon software fees go well beyond the monthly price on a pricing page. Card processing, per-staff charges, marketplace fees and paid add-ons often add more than the plan itself. This guide puts those costs side by side for the 13 tools we have profiled so far, using only the prices on our verified profile pages.
Every figure below comes from a Tool Checked profile, and each profile shows the date its prices were checked (between 2 Nov and 14 Nov 2026). Prices are US list prices in USD and exclude sales tax. Vendors change prices, so check the profile and the vendor’s own page before you sign up.
Quick Answer: Where the Money Goes
- Plan price. Booking tools here range from $0 a month (Square Appointments Free) to $130 a month (Mangomint for one location and one user).
- Card processing. Among the six booking tools, in-person rates run from 2.29% + $0.20 (Fresha) to 2.6% + $0.15 (Square Appointments Free). At a few thousand dollars a month in card sales, processing often costs more than the plan.
- Growth fees. Fresha charges a one-time fee for new clients it brings from its marketplace, Booksy charges for Boost clients, and Vagaro charges for deal bookings.
- Add-ons. AI receptionists, text marketing, payroll and phone lines are usually extra.
Booking Software: Plan Prices and Card Rates
These six tools handle online booking, the calendar and checkout. All of them can also take card payments, at the rates below.
| Tool | Starting plan (monthly) | How the price grows | In-person card rate | Online or keyed rate | Prices checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresha | $19.95 (Independent, one person) | Team: $14.95 per bookable team member | 2.29% + $0.20 | 2.79% + $0.20 online; 3.30% + $0.20 manual entry | 2 Nov 2026 |
| Vagaro | $30 for 1 calendar ($23.99 intro for the first 6 months) | +$10 per extra calendar, up to $90 a month | 2.6% + $0.10 (under $4,000 a month) | 3.5% + $0.19 | 10 Nov 2026 |
| GlossGenius | $28 (Standard, solo) | Gold $56 for up to 9; Platinum $168 | 2.4% + $0.15 | 3.4% + $0.15 | 10 Nov 2026 |
| Booksy | $29.99 for the first user | +$20 per extra team member | 2.49% + $0.10 (Card Reader) | 2.69% + $0.30 | 14 Nov 2026 |
| Square Appointments | $0 (Free, per location) | Plus $49, Premium $149 per location | 2.6% / 2.5% / 2.4% + $0.15 (Free / Plus / Premium) | 3.3% + $0.30 (Free); 2.9% + $0.30 (Plus and Premium) | 14 Nov 2026 |
| Mangomint | $130 (1 location + 1 user) | +$10 per user, +$120 per location | 2.45% + $0.15 | 2.90% + $0.30 | 14 Nov 2026 |
A few details change the math:
- Fresha prices its Team plan per bookable team member, so a three-person team pays 3 × $14.95. Card processing through Fresha is optional.
- Vagaro stops charging for extra calendars at seven, which caps the plan at $90 a month. The 2.6% + $0.10 rate is its Small Merchant rate for under $4,000 a month; above that, the Large Merchant plan is 2.29% + $0.19 plus $10 a month.
- GlossGenius charges by plan, not per staff member: Gold covers up to 9 team members. Its built-in processor is required, and online or on-file payments cost a full point more than in-person ones (3.4% + $0.15 against 2.4% + $0.15).
- Booksy adds $20 for every extra team member, so it suits small teams best.
- Square Appointments has a real $0 plan. The paid plans lower the in-person card rate, so whether they pay off depends on your card volume.
- Mangomint includes its core features in one price, but Express Booking, self-checkout, cards on file and deposits require Mangomint Payments.
Illustration: One Month for a Solo Business
This is an illustration, not a quote. It assumes a solo business with one location that takes $3,000 a month in in-person card payments across 50 payments, on each tool’s entry plan for one person, paid monthly. It leaves out hardware, sales tax, online payments, add-ons and marketplace or Boost fees. Rates are those on our profiles as of the dates in the table above.
| Tool (entry plan) | Plan | Card fees on $3,000 (50 payments) | Monthly total | 12 months at the same rates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square Appointments (Free) | $0 | $85.50 | $85.50 | $1,026.00 |
| Fresha (Independent) | $19.95 | $78.70 | $98.65 | $1,183.80 |
| GlossGenius (Standard) | $28 | $79.50 | $107.50 | $1,290.00 |
| Booksy (first user) | $29.99 | $79.70 | $109.69 | $1,316.28 |
| Vagaro (1 calendar, regular rate) | $30 | $83.00 | $113.00 | $1,356.00 |
| Mangomint (1 location + 1 user) | $130 | $81.00 | $211.00 | $2,532.00 |
Card fees are worked out as the percentage of $3,000 plus the fixed fee × 50. For example, Fresha is 2.29% of $3,000 ($68.70) plus $0.20 × 50 ($10), which comes to $78.70.
What the illustration shows: at this volume, the gap in card fees between these tools is under $7 a month, so the plan price and the features you need matter more than the card rate. Mangomint costs the most here, but it bundles features that other tools sell separately, so compare the full feature list on each profile before deciding.
Payment-Only Tools: No Booking Calendar Included
Some salons pair a booking tool with a separate payment provider, or use a POS that has booking built in. These four tools are priced mainly by card rate and hardware.
| Tool | Monthly fee | In-person card rate | Online or keyed rate | Hardware (from) | Prices checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe | $0 (pay as you go) | 2.7% + 5¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ online | M2 reader $59; Tap to Pay +$0.10 | 14 Nov 2026 |
| SumUp | $0 (Standard); POS Plus $49 | 2.6% + 10¢ | 3.5% + 15¢ | Plus reader $54 | 14 Nov 2026 |
| Helcim | $0 | Interchange + 0.40% + 8¢ | Interchange + 0.50% + 25¢ | Card Reader $199 | 11 Nov 2026 |
| Clover | $84.95 (Services Growth, which includes booking) | 2.3% + 10¢ (Growth); 2.6% + 10¢ (Basic) | 3.5% + 10¢ keyed | Mini $849 | 14 Nov 2026 |
- Stripe has no monthly fee, but it is not a booking tool. In our verified data, Booksy processes its card payments through Stripe.
- SumUp includes basic Bookings on its free Standard plan. SMS reminders, deposits, no-show fees and multiple calendars need POS Plus at $49 a month.
- Helcim uses interchange-plus pricing, so there is no single fixed rate. Its own average for beauty and wellness businesses is 1.54% + 6¢ to 1.79% + 8¢ per in-person non-Amex payment. That is a vendor figure, and some reviewers report effective rates of 3.14% and 3.7%.
- Clover prices on Clover.com apply only there; banks and resellers can set their own plans. Booking comes only with Services Growth, and the Standard bundle bought outright costs $1,868.40 in the first year before card fees.
The Fees That Don’t Show on the Pricing Card
- Marketplace and promotion fees. Fresha’s one-time fee for a brand-new client from its marketplace is 20% of the first completed appointment (minimum $6, US cap $200). Your own booking links and returning clients are exempt. Booksy Boost takes 30% of a Boost client’s first visit, with a $10 minimum and a $100 cap. Vagaro’s Daily Deals and Vera Fill My Books carry a 20% fee on new customers and 5% on existing ones.
- Text messages. Fresha charges $0.02 per SMS beyond the free allowance, and GlossGenius charges $0.02 per message beyond 500 a month. Vagaro’s Text Marketing plans start at $20 a month.
- Keyed and online payments. Most tools charge more when the card is not present. Examples are Vagaro at 3.5% + $0.19, SumUp at 3.5% + 15¢, and Clover keyed-in at 3.5% + 10¢.
- Other add-ons. Vagaro sells Forms ($10 a month) and an Online Shopping Cart for online deposits ($10 a month). Mangomint charges $70 a month per Phone line. GlossGenius payroll is $40 a month plus $6 per team member paid that month.
AI Receptionists: What Answering the Phone Costs
AI receptionists answer calls or messages and book appointments. Some are add-ons to a booking platform; others are separate tools that connect to one.
| Tool | Type | Price | Prices checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresha AI Concierge | Add-on | Messaging-only $29.95 per location a month; calls + messaging $99.95 with 200 call minutes, then $0.60 a minute | 2 Nov 2026 |
| GlossGenius Reception | Add-on | Free through November 30, 2026, then $50 a month with 100 voice minutes and 200 messages | 10 Nov 2026 |
| Vagaro Vera Receptionist | Add-on | $10 a month (needs a Text Marketing plan) | 10 Nov 2026 |
| Mangomint Mira | Add-on | $300 a month for a single-location business, plus the Phone add-on | 14 Nov 2026 |
| Booksy AI Receptionist | Add-on (beta) | Free for at least 12 months for the first 500 providers; later price not published | 14 Nov 2026 |
| SalonAgent | Separate tool | Webchat & SMS $80; Call Agent $200; bundle $250 a month | 14 Nov 2026 |
| Fluent Front | Separate tool | $59 a month with 100 minutes, then $0.29 a minute; or $565 a year | 14 Nov 2026 |
| BookingBee | Separate tool | Essentials $99 per outlet a month for up to 8 staff ($89 billed annually) | 10 Nov 2026 |
Before you compare these on price, check what is included. Fluent Front includes 100 minutes, so a busy phone line can pass that quickly. SalonAgent’s monthly allowances and overage rates are not published. BookingBee’s included minutes, overage rate and Essentials setup fee are not published either, and it has no free trial.
What Reviewers Say: Ratings by Source
Ratings are shown per platform with their review counts and are not combined. Small samples are marked.
| Tool | Capterra | G2 | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresha | 4.8/5 (1,449 reviews, Capterra UK) | 4.2/5 (only 3 reviews) | 7 Nov 2026 |
| Vagaro | 4.7/5 (3,692 reviews) | 4.6/5 (400 reviews) | 10 Nov 2026 |
| GlossGenius | 4.8/5 (351 reviews) | 4.9/5 (85 reviews) | 10 Nov 2026 |
| Booksy | 4.4/5 (483 reviews) | 4.8/5 (only 9 reviews) | 14 Nov 2026 |
| Square Appointments | 4.5/5 (263 reviews) | Not on our profile | 14 Nov 2026 |
| Mangomint | 5.0/5 (361 reviews) | 4.9/5 (121 reviews) | 14 Nov 2026 |
| Stripe (Stripe Payments) | 4.6/5 (3,385 reviews) | 4.2/5 (467 reviews) | 14 Nov 2026 |
| SumUp | 4.8/5 (only 17 reviews) | 4.6/5 (only 24 reviews) | 14 Nov 2026 |
| Helcim | 3.6/5 (36 reviews) | 3.7/5 (20 reviews) | 11 Nov 2026 |
| Clover | 3.8/5 (617 reviews) | 3.8/5 (109 reviews) | 14 Nov 2026 |
| BookingBee | 5.0/5 (1 review) | None found | 10 Nov 2026 |
| SalonAgent | None found | None found | 14 Nov 2026 |
| Fluent Front | None found | None found | 14 Nov 2026 |
Which Setup Fits Your Business?
- Solo stylist or barber with a low budget. Square Appointments Free has no monthly fee, and Fresha Independent is $19.95 a month. See the tools listed for barbershops and hair salons.
- Growing team that wants a flat price. GlossGenius Gold covers up to 9 team members for $56 a month, and Vagaro stops at $90 a month once you pay for seven calendars. Booksy’s $20 per extra user adds up faster.
- Nail salons and spas that take deposits. Check whether deposits need a paid plan or a built-in processor: Square Appointments needs Plus, Mangomint needs Mangomint Payments, and Vagaro needs the Online Shopping Cart add-on. See nail salons, day spas and med spas.
- Busy front desk that misses calls. Compare the AI receptionist add-on of your current platform with a separate tool, and check the included minutes first.
FAQ
What Is the Cheapest Salon Booking Software in This Comparison?
Square Appointments has a $0 Free plan per location. Among paid plans, Fresha Independent is $19.95 a month for one person. Card fees still apply whenever you take card payments.
Are Card Processing Fees Higher Than the Monthly Plan?
They often are. In our illustration, a solo business taking $3,000 a month in person pays between $78.70 and $85.50 in card fees, which is more than most of the entry plans.
Do I Have to Use the Booking Tool’s Own Card Processing?
Not always. Card processing is optional with Fresha and Vagaro, while GlossGenius requires its built-in processor. Mangomint needs Mangomint Payments for Express Booking, self-checkout, cards on file and deposits.
What Are Marketplace Fees?
Some platforms charge when their marketplace or promotions bring you a new client. Fresha’s fee is 20% of the first completed appointment (minimum $6, US cap $200), and Booksy Boost takes 30% of the first visit ($10 minimum, $100 cap). Clients who book through your own links are not charged on Fresha.
How Much Does an AI Receptionist Cost for a Salon?
In our data, prices run from a $10 a month add-on (Vagaro Vera Receptionist, which needs a Text Marketing plan) to $300 a month for Mangomint Mira, which also needs the Phone add-on. Standalone tools start at $59 (Fluent Front) and $80 (SalonAgent Webchat & SMS).
Which Tool Has the Best Reviews?
It depends on the source and the sample size. Mangomint shows 5.0/5 on Capterra (361 reviews) and 4.9/5 on G2 (121 reviews). Vagaro has the most Capterra reviews here, at 3,692 with 4.7/5. Small samples, such as Fresha’s 3 G2 reviews, should be read with caution.
How We Built This Comparison
Methodology. Every price, rate and rating in this article comes from our published software profiles on toolchecked.com, which were checked against vendor pricing pages, help centers and review platforms on the dates shown. We use US list prices in USD, excluding sales tax. The solo-business table is an illustration built from those published rates, not observed customer spending or a vendor quote. Ratings are shown per platform with review counts and are never averaged together. We have not hands-on tested these products.
Disclosure. This article contains no affiliate links. Screenshots are vendor sample views or public pricing pages, used to illustrate the products; the chart is our own graphic.