Disclosure: we earn a referral fee from some of the tools on this page if you sign up through our links. It doesn’t change the price you pay, and every figure links to its source so you can check our picks.
How we make moneySalon & spa booking software
The best booking software for salons and spas, compared honestly.
We read the pricing pages, card rates and fine print of six popular tools on each vendor’s own site, so you can pick the one that fits how your salon actually runs.
Updated September 2026Prices checked on each vendor’s own site
The short answer
Our top pick
Boulevard
Growing salons, spas & med spas (2+ providers)
Essentials $159/mo billed monthly ($143/mo billed yearly), up to 5 providers. Premier $260/mo per location billed monthly ($234 yearly) — limited-time new-customer pricing as of Sep 2026, normally $325 ($293 yearly). Card processing from 2.65%.
Book a Boulevard demoSide by side
What each one really costs
Starting prices, staff fees, card rates and the fine print, from each vendor’s own pricing page.
Boulevard
Top pick- Starting price
- $159/mo billed monthly ($143/mo billed yearly)
- Adding staff
- Up to 5 providers on Essentials; unlimited on Premier
- In-person card rate
- From 2.65% (1% with Offset, client pays 3%)
- Free plan or trial
- No trial found; starts with a demo
- New-client fees
- None stated
- Contract
- Not stated on pricing page
- Capterra rating
- 4.6 (390 reviews)
GlossGenius
- Starting price
- $28/mo ($24/mo billed yearly)
- Adding staff
- Gold: up to 9 staff. Platinum: teams of 10+
- In-person card rate
- 2.6% flat
- Free plan or trial
- 14-day trial, no card needed
- New-client fees
- None stated
- Contract
- No contracts
- Capterra rating
- 4.8 (349 reviews)
Vagaro
- Starting price
- $23.99/mo for 6 months, then $30/mo
- Adding staff
- +$10 per calendar, no charge after 7
- In-person card rate
- 2.6% + 10¢ under $4k/mo
- Free plan or trial
- 30-day free trial
- New-client fees
- $0 from online booking and Marketplace
- Contract
- Cancel anytime; free card reader needs 12 months of processing
- Capterra rating
- 4.7 (3,660 reviews)
Square Appointments
- Starting price
- $0 on the Free plan
- Adding staff
- Unlimited staff calendars on every plan
- In-person card rate
- 2.4%–2.6% + 15¢, by plan
- Free plan or trial
- Free plan; 30-day trial on Plus and Premium
- New-client fees
- None stated
- Contract
- Not stated
- Capterra rating
- 4.5 (262 reviews)
Fresha
- Starting price
- $19.95/mo for 1 person
- Adding staff
- $14.95 per bookable team member (Team plan)
- In-person card rate
- 2.29% + 20¢
- Free plan or trial
- 7-day trial; no free plan
- New-client fees
- 20% one-time for marketplace new clients ($6 min)
- Contract
- No minimum commitment
- Capterra rating
- 4.8 (1,447 reviews)
Mangomint
- Starting price
- $120/mo per location
- Adding staff
- +$10/mo per user, front desk included
- In-person card rate
- 2.45% + 15¢
- Free plan or trial
- Free trial account
- New-client fees
- No booking fees
- Contract
- No contracts
- Capterra rating
- 5.0 (346 reviews)
The picks
Pros, cons and our verdict
In the order we’d recommend them. Every figure links to its source.
01Growing salons, spas & med spas (2+ providers)Top pick
Boulevard
Essentials $159/mo billed monthly ($143/mo billed yearly), up to 5 providers. Premier $260/mo per location billed monthly ($234 yearly) — limited-time new-customer pricing as of Sep 2026, normally $325 ($293 yearly). Card processing from 2.65%.
What it does well
- Deposits, waitlist, memberships and autopay, packages, commission tracking and loyalty are on every plan
- Premier and up add unlimited providers, multi-location support and multi-location reporting
- A dedicated onboarding specialist sets you up, and the onboarding team handles data migration
- Offset lets clients pay a 3% card fee so your own processing cost drops to 1%
- Clinical tools for med spas: charting with photo markup, medical director sign-off and ePrescribe ($45 per prescriber). Boulevard says it is HIPAA compliant
Watch out for
- No free trial or self-serve sign-up — you start by booking a demo
- Essentials is capped at 5 providers and has no multi-location support
- Premier and Prestige prices are a limited-time offer for new customers, and Forms ($65/mo per location) and QuickBooks ($45/mo per location) cost extra below Prestige
- Taking in-person payments needs the Boulevard Duo terminal, bought separately
- Reviewers on Capterra mention hard-to-find reports across locations and paying full price for each extra location
Verdict. If you have two or more providers and plan to grow — memberships, packages, a second location or clinical services — Boulevard is built for that stage. It costs more than the others here and you can’t start without a demo, so a solo stylist will get better value from GlossGenius or Square.
02Solo stylists and small teams
GlossGenius
Standard $28/mo ($24/mo billed yearly). Gold $56/mo ($48 yearly) for up to 9 staff. Platinum $168/mo ($148 yearly) for teams of 10+. Flat 2.6% card processing.
What it does well
- Flat 2.6% processing with no extra charge for Tap to Pay, card-on-file or keyed payments
- Deposits, card-on-file, no-show policies, memberships and packages on every plan
- Free unlimited emails and a free data transfer service
- 14-day trial with no card required
- Separate med spa plans from $168/mo ($148 yearly) with charting
Watch out for
- No free plan
- Each extra location is charged the full plan price less 15%
- Add-ons add up: payroll is $40/mo + $6 per seat, Reception AI $50/mo, instant payouts +1.8%
Verdict. The simplest pick for a solo stylist or a small team: a low monthly price, one flat card rate, and the booking-protection tools most salons want on day one.
03Budget-minded salons that want lots of features
Vagaro
$23.99/mo for the first 6 months (normally $30) for 1 calendar, +$10 per extra calendar up to 7, no charge after that. "Exclusions apply."
What it does well
- Memberships, packages, gift certificates, loyalty and advanced reporting on every plan
- $0 fee on clients who book through its online booking and Marketplace
- 30-day free trial
- Free data migration that "typically takes 1-2 business days"
Watch out for
- Many features are paid add-ons: text marketing from $20/mo, forms $10/mo, deposits (online shopping cart) $10/mo, branded app $100/mo
- The free card reader needs 12 months of processing, or a $150 early-cancellation fee
- Reviewers on Capterra mention technical disruptions and confusing payments
Verdict. A lot of software for the money, and the most-reviewed tool here. Price out the add-ons you actually need before you compare it with an all-in plan.
04Starting out on a $0 budget
Square Appointments
Free $0 per location. Plus $49/mo per location. Premium $149/mo per location. In-person card rates 2.6% + 15¢ (Free), 2.5% + 15¢ (Plus), 2.4% + 15¢ (Premium).
What it does well
- The only permanent $0 plan of the six
- Unlimited staff calendars and online booking on every plan
- Booking buttons for Instagram, Facebook and Google
- Plus adds no-show fees with card on file, multi-staff booking and a waitlist
Watch out for
- Online card payments cost more: 3.3% + 30¢ on the Free plan
- Reviewers mention that advanced features can feel limited with multiple staff, and limited branding options
Verdict. The easiest way to start taking online bookings without a monthly bill. Move up to Plus when no-show protection starts to matter.
05Salons that want marketplace bookings
Fresha
Independent $19.95/mo for 1 person. Team $14.95/mo per bookable team member. In-person card rate 2.29% + 20¢.
What it does well
- Low in-person card rate: 2.29% + 20¢
- Returning clients from the Fresha marketplace are free
- No minimum commitment or long-term contract
- 4.8 on Capterra from 1,447 reviews
Watch out for
- No free plan on the current US pricing page, and only a 7-day trial
- New clients from the marketplace cost a one-time 20% fee ($6 minimum)
- Commissions and pay runs are on the Team plan only; AI Concierge ($99.95) and Client Loyalty ($59.95) are paid add-ons per location
Verdict. Worth it if you want the Fresha marketplace to send you new clients and you’re happy paying 20% on their first visit. If you only need a booking system, the others are simpler to price.
06Growing salons that want one simple plan
Mangomint
$120/mo per location + $10/mo per user (every profile counts, including front desk). Card rate 2.45% + 15¢ in person.
What it does well
- One plan with no contracts and no booking fees
- Unlimited text and email reminders included
- Free onboarding and data transfer; teams of 2+ providers get a dedicated onboarding specialist
- Highest Capterra rating of the six: 5.0 from 346 reviews
Watch out for
- Card-on-file, deposits, Express Booking and self-checkout need Mangomint Payments
- Phone ($70/mo per line), marketing (from $30/mo) and payroll ($50/mo + $8 per worker) are extra
Verdict. A strong alternative to Boulevard for a growing team that wants a single, published price and a quick start — many businesses are live in “as little as two weeks”, Mangomint says.
How we chose
- 01We read every price on the vendor’s own pricing page on 30 September 2026, with the monthly and yearly billing views checked separately.
- 02We counted the costs owners notice later: per-staff fees, card processing, marketplace fees, hardware and paid add-ons.
- 03Ratings are Capterra’s, shown with their review counts on the same date. We leave out scores we couldn’t verify.
- 04Complaints are what reviewers mention, not a measure of how common a problem is.
- 05Boulevard may pay us a referral fee if you sign up through our link. That never changes the facts above, and every number links to its source.
- 06Prices change often. Check the vendor’s page before you sign anything.
Questions owners ask
What’s the best booking software for a small salon?
For one person, GlossGenius ($28/mo, or $24/mo billed yearly) or Square Appointments’ Free plan are the cheapest good starts. Once you have two or more providers and want memberships, packages or a second location, Boulevard is built for that stage.
Is there free salon booking software?
Square Appointments has a $0 Free plan per location — the only permanent free plan of the six on 30 September 2026. Fresha’s current US pricing page starts at $19.95/mo, so don’t count on it being free.
Does Boulevard have a free trial?
We found no free trial or self-serve sign-up. You book a free demo and Boulevard says it will be in touch within a day or two.
How much does card processing add?
In person, rates range from 2.29% + 20¢ (Fresha) to 2.65% (Boulevard’s starting rate). Online and keyed payments usually cost more — Square’s Free plan charges 3.3% + 30¢ online.
Can I switch without losing my client list?
Mangomint and GlossGenius offer free data transfer, and Vagaro says its free migration typically takes 1-2 business days. Boulevard’s onboarding team handles migration; what moves depends on what your old system can export.
Which of these work for med spas?
Boulevard offers charting with photo markup, medical director sign-off and ePrescribe, and says it is HIPAA compliant. GlossGenius has separate med spa plans from $168/mo ($148 billed yearly) that include an EMR.
Your next step
Pick your booking software. Then stop missing the messages.
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