Salon, spa and fitness booking with POS, priced per bookable calendar up to seven
Is Vagaro Worth It?
Vagaro is worth considering if you run a salon, spa, barbershop or fitness business with up to about seven bookable staff and want booking, POS, memberships, payroll reporting and a client marketplace without a marketplace commission on standard bookings. The regular price is $30/month for one bookable calendar plus $10 for each additional calendar, capped at $90/month once you pay for seven; $23.99 is a 6-month intro rate. It is a weaker fit if you need many extras: forms, online deposits, text marketing, an AI receptionist and a branded app are all paid add-ons, and optional deal bookings carry a 20% new-customer fee. Card processing through Vagaro is optional (keyed-in and online 3.5% + $0.19). A 30-day free trial converts automatically to a paid plan, and Vagaro does not refund subscriptions. We have not hands-on tested the product; this verdict is based on Vagaro's published US pricing and help-center pages checked on 10 Nov 2026.
Who It’s For
Good Fit If…
- Good Fit: You want online booking, POS, memberships, packages and gift cards with a month-to-month subscription
- Good Fit: You have up to about seven bookable staff, or more staff at one location and want the price capped
- Good Fit: You want a client marketplace listing without a commission on standard bookings
- Good Fit: You manage booth renters or contractors and want rent collection and commission tiers in the same system
- Good Fit: You run a salon, spa, barbershop, med spa, massage, wellness or fitness business Vagaro lists as supported
Not a Fit If…
- Not a Fit: You expect forms, online deposits, text marketing, an AI receptionist or a branded app to be included in the base price
- Not a Fit: You plan to grow mainly through Daily Deals or Vera Fill My Books, where new customers carry a 20% fee
- Not a Fit: You need offline access during outages (some multi-location reviewers report none)
- Not a Fit: You want a refundable subscription or a trial that does not convert to paid automatically
- Not a Fit: You need a verified hands-on Tool Checked product test or ranked score before deciding (not published on this profile)
Business types: Barbershop · Beauty & Wellness · Chiropractic · Dance Studio · Day Spa · Fitness & Sports · Gym · Hair Salon · Health & Clinics · Lash & Brow · Makeup Artist · Martial Arts · Massage Studio · Med Spa · Medical Aesthetics Clinic · Nail Salon · Personal Trainer · Pet Grooming · Physical Therapy · Tanning Salon · Tattoo & Piercing · Therapy & Counseling · Yoga & Pilates Studio
Pricing & Total Cost
| Plan | Price (USD) | Staff | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Just Me | $30 /month for one bookable calendar | 1 |
|
| 2–7+ Calendars | $40 /month for two calendars; +$10 per calendar, $90 for seven or more | 2 to 7 paid calendars; extra employees free after seven |
|
- Card processing 3.5% + $0.19
- SMS add-on $20/mo
- SMS $0.03 per message
- AI receptionist add-on $10/mo
- Regular price: $30/month for one bookable calendar; the $23.99 rate applies to the first 6 months only.
- Each additional bookable calendar is $10/month, up to seven paid licenses; after seven, more employees cost nothing extra (regular maximum $90/month per location). The calculator does not apply this cap, so it overstates costs above seven calendars.
- Each additional business location has its own independent subscription cost; contact Vagaro Sales for multi-location pricing.
- Card processing (Small Merchant, under $4,000/month): 2.6% + $0.10 per dip or tap; keyed-in and online payments 3.5% + $0.19; Tap to Pay adds $0.06. The calculator uses the keyed-in/online rate.
- Large Merchant plan (over $4,000/month): 2.29% + $0.19 per dip or tap, plus $10/month. FANF (variable) and a $1.25/month Mastercard location fee also apply.
- Buy Now, Pay Later (Affirm): 6% + $0.30 per transaction, paid by the business.
- Free card reader requires Vagaro Merchant Services for 12 months, or a $150 early cancellation fee.
- Daily Deals and Vera Fill My Books deals: 20% fee on new customers, 5% on existing customers.
- Text Marketing plans from $20/month for 1,000 credits ($0.03 per extra credit); 1,000 marketing emails per month are free.
- Paid add-ons: Forms $10/month; Online Shopping Cart (needed for online deposits) $10/month; Vera Receptionist $10/month (needs a Text Marketing plan); Check-In App $10/month; MySite $20/month; Branded App $100/month (limited time) + $100 one-time; Vagaro Payroll $34/month + $5 per employee; QuickBooks or Xero $10/month; Data Lake $40/month.
- One-on-one training session: $100. Prices exclude local sales tax.
Pricing shown for the US market in USD; local pricing and taxes may vary.
Real Cost by Business Size
| Business Size | Cost Items | Monthly Total | 12-Month Total | Assumptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solo — Just Me subscription only |
| $30 | $360 | Regular rate $30/month for one bookable calendar (the $23.99 intro rate for the first 6 months is not used). No card volume, add-ons or deal fees modeled. Prices exclude local sales tax. Rates checked 10 Nov 2026; these are illustrative calculations, not observed customer spending. The 12-month figure repeats the same monthly assumptions for 12 months at unchanged rates, not an annual-price quote or price guarantee. Source |
| Team — 3 bookable calendars, subscription only |
| $50 | $600 | $30 base + 2 additional calendars × $10 = $50/month at the regular rate. No card volume, add-ons or deal fees modeled. Prices exclude local sales tax. Rates checked 10 Nov 2026; these are illustrative calculations, not observed customer spending. The 12-month figure repeats the same monthly assumptions for 12 months at unchanged rates, not an annual-price quote or price guarantee. Source |
| Team 3 — with common add-ons and card fees |
| $303.45 | $3,641.40 | 3 calendars ($50) plus Forms ($10), Online Shopping Cart for deposits ($10) and the Small Text Marketing plan ($20). Assumed $8,000/month in-person card volume, average ticket $80 (100 dip/tap transactions) on the Large Merchant plan: 2.29% + $0.19 plus $10/month, plus the $1.25 Mastercard location fee. Variable FANF, Tap to Pay surcharges, keyed-in payments and deal fees are not modeled. Illustrative only. Rates checked 10 Nov 2026; these are illustrative calculations, not observed customer spending. The 12-month figure repeats the same monthly assumptions for 12 months at unchanged rates, not an annual-price quote or price guarantee. Source |
Which Plan Should You Pick?
| Plan | Pick It If… | Upgrade When… |
|---|---|---|
| Just Me | You work alone and want booking, POS and a marketplace listing; the first 6 months are $23.99/month. | You add a second bookable team member; each extra calendar is $10/month. |
| 2–7+ Calendars | You have two or more bookable team members at one location. | You open more locations (each has its own subscription) or need add-ons such as Forms, Online Shopping Cart, Text Marketing or Vagaro Payroll. |
Price History
Features
| Feature | Just Me | 2–7+ Calendars | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online booking and marketplace listing | ✓ | ✓ | Source |
| POS and card payments | ✓ | ✓ | Source |
| Memberships, packages and gift certificates | ✓ | ✓ | Source |
| Inventory and reports | ✓ | ✓ | Source |
| Commission tiers and timecards | ✓ | ✓ | Source |
| Forms | Add-On | Add-On | Source |
| Online deposits (Online Shopping Cart) | Add-On | Add-On | Source |
| Text Marketing | Add-On | Add-On | Source |
| Vera Receptionist | Add-On | Add-On | Source |
| Vagaro Payroll (direct deposit) | Add-On | Add-On | Source |
Features for Your Business
| Processing / gap time booking | ✓ |
| Booth & chair rental support | ✓ |
| Retail products & stock | ✓ |
| Automatic chair rent collection | ✓ |
| Spa packages & memberships | ✓ |
| Digital intake & consent forms | Add-On |
| Required deposits per service | Add-On |
What It Can and Can’t Do
Booking & Calendar
- Supported: Online booking on Vagaro, Instagram, Facebook and Apple Maps, plus a booking widget for your own site
- Supported: Waitlists, gap processing time, lead times and online booking rules (cancellation, no-show and rescheduling policies)
- Supported: Appointment notifications and reminders by email, text and push in the base subscription
- Supported: Classes, workshops and mobile (off-site) services
- Limitation: Online deposits and cancellation fees for online bookings need the Online Shopping Cart add-on ($10/month)
- Limitation: Forms (consent, intake, waivers) are a paid add-on ($10/month)
Payments & POS
- Supported: Optional Vagaro card processing with Apple Pay and Google Pay
- Supported: Small Merchant rate 2.6% + $0.10 per dip or tap; keyed-in and online 3.5% + $0.19
- Supported: Buy Now, Pay Later through Affirm (6% + $0.30 per transaction, paid by the business)
- Limitation: Vagaro does not allow passing card processing fees on to customers
- Limitation: The free card reader requires 12 months of processing or a $150 early cancellation fee
Marketing & Messaging
- Supported: 1,000 free marketing emails per month
- Supported: Daily Deals and Vera Fill My Books to promote open slots on the marketplace
- Supported: Connect by Vagaro two-way chat with customers and team
- Limitation: Text Marketing is a paid plan (from $20/month for 1,000 credits)
- Limitation: Deal bookings carry a 20% fee for new customers and 5% for existing customers
Team, Reports & AI
- Supported: Payroll reporting with custom commission tiers, timecards and access levels
- Supported: Rent and fee collection from booth renters and contractors
- Supported: Vera Receptionist chatbot ($10/month) can answer questions and book through the Vagaro Listing Page chat
- Limitation: Vera Receptionist requires a Text Marketing plan and cannot book appointments over text
- Limitation: Direct-deposit payroll needs Vagaro Payroll ($34/month + $5 per employee)
Data Import & Export
- Supported: Importing customers from another software is always free
- Supported: Every account gets one free premium import (customers, inventory, future appointments, notes, services, memberships and packages)
- Supported: Import from Excel, Google, Outlook, Yahoo or phone contacts
- Supported: The business owner can export the customer list to Excel or PDF
- Limitation: Further premium imports after the first one incur a fee (amount not published in the checked article)
- Limitation: Employees cannot export the customer list themselves
- Limitation: Reports must be exported one by one before you cancel
See It in Action
Pros & Cons
- Pro: No marketplace fee on standard US bookings (deal bookings excepted)
- Pro: Price stops rising at seven bookable calendars ($90/month at the regular rate)
- Pro: 30-day free trial
- Pro: Card processing through Vagaro is optional
- Pro: Commission tiers, timecards and booth-rent collection are in the base subscription
- Con: $23.99 is an intro rate for the first 6 months; the regular price is $30/month
- Con: Many tools are paid add-ons (Forms, Online Shopping Cart for deposits, Text Marketing, Branded App)
- Con: 20% fee on new customers who book through Daily Deals or Vera Fill My Books deals
- Con: The trial converts to a paid plan automatically, and Vagaro does not refund subscriptions
Setup & Migration
- Data Import
Free, done for you
Contract & Cancelling
- Contract
Monthly, cancel anytime
- Cancellation Fee
Vagaro's pricing FAQ says you can cancel at any time, for any reason, with no fee. Vagaro does not refund subscriptions, and billed-forward features (for example Email or Text Marketing plans, QuickBooks, Xero, Vagaro Drive, Vagaro Payroll and the Large Merchant plan) are still charged at the end of the billing cycle in which you turn them off. If you took the free card reader, stopping Vagaro Merchant Services within 12 months triggers a $150 early cancellation fee.
- How to Cancel
Only the business account owner can cancel. Phone: More → Settings → Manage Subscription. Computer, tablet, Pay Desk or PayPro: Settings → Manage Subscription. Scroll to Cancel Subscription, select Cancel My Vagaro Subscription, choose your reasons, agree to the cancellation policy, select Cancel Vagaro Account, then Cancel Subscription to confirm. Export your customer list and reports first; merchant accounts tied to the business are also closed. Other locations stay active. To pause, you cancel and reactivate later. Source: Vagaro help “Cancel or Pause Your Vagaro Subscription” (checked 10 Nov 2026).
Support
- Channels
Email, Live chat, Phone, Help center
Integrations & Security
- Works With
QuickBooks Online and Xero sync ($10/month each); Vagaro Payroll with Gusto; booking through Google, Apple Maps, Instagram and Facebook; APIs and webhooks (from $10/month); Data Lake with a Power BI template app ($40/month). Integration details beyond Vagaro's pricing pages have not been verified.
What Users Say
What Reviewers Liked
- Liked: Booking, POS and payroll in one easy-to-use system — Capterra business-user reviews (2026). Capterra
- Liked: Built-in card processing and ease of use — one G2 business-user review (2026). G2
- Liked: Helpful support and the option to switch features on and off — one Capterra salon-owner review (2026). Capterra
Concerns Reviewers Raised
Qualitative summary: nine selected business-user reviews from 2026, checked 10 November 2026. This is not a representative survey or hands-on testing by Tool Checked. The concerns are individual accounts, not independently established product faults. Check Vagaro’s official documentation for current pricing and policies.
FAQ
How much does Vagaro cost in the US?
The regular price is $30 per month for one bookable calendar; Vagaro currently advertises $23.99 per month for the first 6 months. Each additional bookable calendar is $10 per month, up to seven paid licenses (a regular maximum of $90 per month per location); after that, more employees cost nothing extra. Front-desk staff without their own calendar are not counted. Add-ons, card processing and taxes are extra.
SourceDoes Vagaro charge a fee for new clients from its marketplace?
Not for standard bookings: Vagaro’s US pricing FAQ says there is no additional cost to be booked through the Vagaro Marketplace. Fees apply only when a customer books through a Daily Deal or a Vera Fill My Books deal: 20% for a new customer and 5% for an existing customer, collected as a deposit. Bookings that do not use a deal never have a fee. In the United Kingdom, a separate 20% new-customer fee applies.
SourceDo I have to process cards through Vagaro?
No. Vagaro says Daily Deals and Fill My Books work for businesses that don’t use Vagaro Credit Card Processing. If you do, the US Small Merchant rate (under $4,000 a month) is 2.6% + $0.10 per dip or tap and 3.5% + $0.19 for keyed-in and online payments; Tap to Pay adds $0.06. The Large Merchant plan is 2.29% + $0.19 per dip or tap plus $10 a month. FANF and a $1.25 monthly Mastercard location fee also apply.
SourceIs there a free trial, and is there a long-term contract?
Vagaro offers a 30-day free trial. When it ends, the subscription starts automatically and the card on file is charged; Vagaro does not refund subscriptions. Using Email Marketing, Text Marketing, the Yelp integration or the discounted hardware promotion ends the trial early. The subscription is monthly and can be cancelled at any time with no cancellation fee; the free card reader offer requires 12 months of card processing or a $150 early cancellation fee.
SourceDoes Vagaro include an AI receptionist?
Vera Receptionist is a paid add-on ($10 per month in the US) and requires a Text Marketing plan. It answers questions, books, reschedules and cancels appointments through the chat on your Vagaro Listing Page, and hands chats to a team member on request. Over text, it sends a booking link instead of booking directly. Vagaro does not list a phone-call receptionist.
SourceWhich businesses is Vagaro built for?
Vagaro lists software for salons, barbers, nail, brow and lash, hair removal, makeup, tanning, tattoo, pet grooming, spas, aesthetic clinics, med spas, weight loss clinics, massage, acupuncture, chiropractors, mental health, nutritionists, coaching, physical therapy and fitness businesses including yoga, gyms, personal trainers, martial arts, Pilates, barre, cross training, cycling and dance studios. It also offers a booth renter setup.
SourceCan I migrate my clients to Vagaro?
Yes. Importing customers from another software is always free, and every account gets one free premium import covering customer contacts, inventory, future appointments, customer notes, services, memberships and packages; later premium imports incur a fee. You book an appointment with the import team; Vagaro’s help article says the process typically takes 3–5 business days, while its pricing FAQ says 1–2 business days.
SourceAre text reminders included?
Appointment notifications, confirmation requests and reminders by email, text and push are part of the base subscription, and the pricing page lists unlimited notifications and reminders. Resending reminders, two-way texting and text campaigns need a Text Marketing plan, starting at $20 per month for 1,000 credits ($0.03 per extra credit).
SourceHow do I cancel Vagaro?
Only the business owner can cancel: go to Settings → Manage Subscription (on a phone, More → Settings → Manage Subscription), then Cancel My Vagaro Subscription and confirm. Export your customer list and reports first, because merchant accounts linked to the business are closed too. To pause, you cancel and reactivate later.
SourceSources & How We Rate
- Vagaro pricing page — Checked 10 Nov 2026
- Vagaro fee / payments policy — Checked 10 Nov 2026
- Vagaro Plans, Pricing, and Premium Features (Vagaro help) — Checked 10 Nov 2026
- Vera Fill My Books and Daily Deal Fees Explained (Vagaro help) — Checked 10 Nov 2026
- Vagaro card processing rates — Checked 10 Nov 2026
- United States Credit Card Processing Rates and Fees (Vagaro help) — Checked 10 Nov 2026
- What’s Included in Your Free Trial (Vagaro help) — Checked 10 Nov 2026
- Vagaro Features Included in Your Base Subscription (Vagaro help) — Checked 10 Nov 2026
- Import Your Customer List (Vagaro help) — Checked 10 Nov 2026
- Export Your Customer List (Vagaro help) — Checked 10 Nov 2026
- Cancel or Pause Your Vagaro Subscription (Vagaro help) — Checked 10 Nov 2026
- Archived US pricing (capture 22 Oct 2026, 15:21 WIB; reviewed 10 Nov) — Checked 10 Nov 2026
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