GlossGenius vs Vagaro in 2026: Cost by Team Size and Fit
In short
GlossGenius vs Vagaro comes down to team size. On monthly billing, Vagaro's subscription costs less for one to four staff and for 10 or more, while GlossGenius Gold, at $56, costs less for five to nine, according to each vendor's page read September 25, 2026. Vagaro's $23.99 base is a limited-time rate, and add-ons and card processing are extra.
- Vagaro's bill rises with each calendar until the seventh license; GlossGenius steps from Standard to Gold at two staff and Platinum at 10.
- At five staff, GlossGenius Gold is $56 a month against Vagaro's $63.99; at 10, Vagaro's $83.99 is below Platinum's $168 (read September 25, 2026).
- GlossGenius charges a flat 2.6%; Vagaro's in-person rate is 2.6% + $0.10 under $4,000 a month in card sales (read September 27, 2026).
In this article11 sections
GlossGenius and Vagaro both run online booking, payments and client records for salons and spas, but they bill in opposite ways. GlossGenius sells three plans by staff band; Vagaro charges a base for one calendar, $10 for each added one, and sells many features as add-ons. This GlossGenius vs Vagaro comparison prices both at every team size from one to 10 staff, from each vendor’s own pages read September 25 and 27, 2026. Twizzlo publishes this guide and sells its own booking software, with its booking and reminder features listed separately; it is priced only in a labelled note in the verdict, its own section and one FAQ answer.
How do GlossGenius and Vagaro bill, by plan or by calendar?
GlossGenius charges one price per business by plan and staff band, while Vagaro charges per bookable calendar, according to their pages read September 25, 2026.
The GlossGenius pricing page lists Standard at $28 a month, Gold at $56 for businesses with up to nine staff and Platinum at $168 for teams of 10 or more, or $24, $48 and $148 a month billed annually (read September 25, 2026). Standard has no staff management or team member profiles, so a team of two starts on Gold (plan comparison, read September 27, 2026). Each added location costs the plan price less 15%. Card payments are a flat 2.6%, with no Tap to Pay, card-on-file or manual-entry fee. Our GlossGenius pricing guide covers every plan.
Vagaro’s US help center lists the base subscription at “$23.99 per month” with the note “Only for a limited time,” and prints no list price. One calendar is included; each added employee calendar costs $10 a month for up to seven licenses, and after seven, new employees are added at no charge (read September 25, 2026; re-read September 27, same version). The help center prints no subscription price for an added location. Our Vagaro pricing guide covers more of its add-ons.
GlossGenius vs Vagaro at a glance
Verdict
Choose GlossGenius if
- you run two to nine staff and want forms and waivers inside the $56 Gold plan and one flat 2.6% card rate.
Choose Vagaro if
- you work alone, book up to four calendars or 10 or more, or want a Vagaro Marketplace listing.
| Aspect | GlossGenius | Vagaro |
|---|---|---|
| Bills by | One price per business, by plan and staff band | Base with one calendar, $10 per added calendar up to seven licenses |
| 1 bookable staff | $28 (Standard), $24 billed annually | $23.99, a limited-time rate |
| 5 bookable staff | $56 (Gold), $48 billed annually | $63.99 |
| 10 bookable staff | $168 (Platinum), $148 billed annually | $83.99 |
| Card processing | Flat 2.6% | 2.6% + $0.10 in person under $4,000 a month; 2.29% + $0.19 plus $10 a month above it |
| Client marketplace | None listed on its pricing page | Vagaro Marketplace listing |
Monthly billing, one location. GlossGenius pricing page and Vagaro US help center, read September 25, 2026; card-rate and marketplace lines read September 27, 2026.
Vagaro vs GlossGenius: monthly cost at 1 to 10 staff
On subscription alone, Vagaro costs less for one to four bookable staff, GlossGenius Gold costs less for five to nine, and Vagaro costs less again from 10, when GlossGenius moves to Platinum at $168 a month (monthly billing; vendor pages read September 25, 2026).
Table 1. Vagaro vs GlossGenius: monthly subscription by number of bookable staff, one location, before add-ons and card processing. Vagaro US help center and GlossGenius pricing page, read September 25, 2026.
| Bookable staff | Vagaro, limited-time base plus calendars | GlossGenius, monthly billing | GlossGenius, billed annually (per month) | Lower on monthly billing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $23.99 | $28 (Standard) | $24 | Vagaro |
| 2 | $33.99 | $56 (Gold) | $48 | Vagaro |
| 3 | $43.99 | $56 (Gold) | $48 | Vagaro |
| 4 | $53.99 | $56 (Gold) | $48 | Vagaro |
| 5 | $63.99 | $56 (Gold) | $48 | GlossGenius |
| 6 | $73.99 | $56 (Gold) | $48 | GlossGenius |
| 7 | $83.99 | $56 (Gold) | $48 | GlossGenius |
| 8 | $83.99 | $56 (Gold) | $48 | GlossGenius |
| 9 | $83.99 | $56 (Gold) | $48 | GlossGenius |
| 10 | $83.99 | $168 (Platinum) | $148 | Vagaro |
The gap is widest at 10 staff: $83.99 on Vagaro against $168 on GlossGenius Platinum. On annual GlossGenius billing, the switch comes one hire earlier, at four staff ($48 against $53.99), and one staff member is a one-cent difference ($23.99 against $24). Vagaro prints a monthly price only, and $23.99 is a limited-time rate.
Worked example: five staff with forms, online deposits and payroll
For five bookable staff on monthly billing, with digital forms, online deposits and cancellation fees, and payroll for everyone, Vagaro comes to $142.99 a month and GlossGenius Gold to $126, before card processing (vendor pages read September 25 and 27, 2026; one payroll seat per person).
- Vagaro: $63.99, plus $10 each for Forms and the Online Shopping Cart, plus payroll at $34 and $5 per employee: $142.99.
- GlossGenius Gold: $56 with Forms & Waivers and built-in deposits included, plus payroll at $40 and $6 per seat: $126.
- At 10 staff: $187.99 on Vagaro and $268 on GlossGenius Platinum.
Card processing comes on top: a flat 2.6% on GlossGenius, and on Vagaro 2.6% + $0.10 per in-person payment under $4,000 a month in card sales (US help center, read September 27, 2026).
Who should choose GlossGenius?
GlossGenius suits a solo pro or a team of two to nine that wants a fixed plan price and one printed card rate: Gold is $56 a month ($48 billed annually) for up to nine staff (pricing page, read September 25, 2026).
Standard lists a custom booking website, unlimited client notifications, email and text marketing, inventory and retail, and packages and memberships. Gold adds forms and waivers, Google booking and reviews, an automated waitlist, time tracking, and room and resource management. Platinum adds team goal setting and analytics and customizable commissions (plan cards, read September 27, 2026).
Watch for three costs: the 10th staff member moves the bill from $56 to $168 a month, payroll is an add-on at $40 plus $6 per seat, and instant payouts cost an extra 1.8%, while same-day payouts are free Monday to Thursday (pricing page, read September 25 and 27, 2026). Owners already on GlossGenius who want other tools priced the same way can start with our GlossGenius alternative guide.
Who should choose Vagaro?
Vagaro suits a solo pro, a team of up to four, or a team of 10 or more, because its subscription stops rising at $83.99 a month after seven calendar licenses on the limited-time base (US help center, read September 25, 2026).
Its help center says owners can list the business “on the Vagaro Marketplace, Google.com, Google Maps, and Apple Maps,” and its Create a Membership article shows how to sell memberships (both read September 27, 2026).
Vagaro sells many features one at a time: Forms, the Online Shopping Cart and the Check-In App at $10 a month each, MySite at $20, payroll at $34 plus $5 per employee, and text plans from $20 a month (read September 25, 2026). Its card rates depend on monthly card volume: 2.6% + $0.10 per in-person payment under $4,000 a month in card sales; 2.29% + $0.19 above it, with a $10 monthly Large Merchant fee; keyed-in 3.5% + $0.19; FANF and Mastercard location fees apply, amounts not printed (US help center, read September 27, 2026). Owners leaving Vagaro can compare 10 other tools in our apps like Vagaro guide.
What do GlossGenius and Vagaro charge beyond the subscription?
Beyond the subscription, the costs that differ most are card processing, payroll, text messages and the features Vagaro sells as $10 add-ons, such as Forms and the Online Shopping Cart (vendor pages, read September 25, 2026).
Table 2. Costs outside the monthly subscription, as each vendor prints them. GlossGenius pricing page (features read September 27, 2026) and Vagaro US help center, read September 25, 2026.
| Cost | GlossGenius | Vagaro |
|---|---|---|
| Card processing | Flat 2.6%; no Tap to Pay, card-on-file or manual-entry fee | 2.6% + $0.10 in person under $4,000 a month in card sales; 2.29% + $0.19 above it, plus $10 a month; FANF and Mastercard location fees not priced (read September 27, 2026) |
| Payroll | $40 a month plus $6 per seat | $34 a month plus $5 per employee |
| Text messages | Email and text marketing on every plan; 500 text credits on Gold, 2,500 on Platinum | Text plans from $20 a month for 1,000 credits, then $0.03 per extra credit; 1,000 email credits free |
| Digital forms | Forms & Waivers from Gold | Forms add-on, $10 a month |
| Online deposits and cancellation fees | Built-in deposits, plus cancellation and no-show policies, on every plan | Online Shopping Cart add-on, $10 a month |
| Website | Custom booking website on every plan | Free Vagaro Listing Page, the business’s booking site (read September 27, 2026); MySite custom website, $20 a month |
| Second location | Plan price less 15% (Gold at two locations: $103.60) | The help center prints no subscription price for an added location |
Text credits are not a like-for-like unit across the two vendors, so the table prints each as sold.
Switching between GlossGenius and Vagaro
GlossGenius offers a free data transfer: “Fill out our form and we’ll transfer your appointments, client info, and more” (pricing page, read September 27, 2026). The Vagaro pages read for this guide do not describe an import service, so ask Vagaro what it moves before you commit.
- Export your own client list before you cancel either account.
- Ask each vendor whether saved cards can move to its processor.
- Rebuild services, durations and buffer times, then run a test booking on a phone.
- Switch in a slow week so no appointment slips.
GlossGenius vs Vagaro: a quick pick by business type
Match the salon software to your team size first, then to the extras you pay for. Prices below were read September 25, 2026, and features September 27, 2026.
- Solo pro: Vagaro at $23.99 a month on its limited-time rate, or GlossGenius Standard at $28 ($24 billed annually).
- Two to four staff: Vagaro, at $33.99 to $53.99 a month.
- Five to nine staff: GlossGenius Gold, at $56 a month.
- Ten or more staff: Vagaro, at $83.99 a month against $168 for GlossGenius Platinum.
- You want a marketplace listing: Vagaro, through the Vagaro Marketplace.
- You want forms and waivers in the plan and one flat card rate: GlossGenius Gold.
If your shortlist also includes Booksy or Square Appointments, our Vagaro vs Booksy comparison and our Vagaro vs Square pricing guide price them the same way; for more salon tools, see our best salon booking software guide. For Booksy against GlossGenius directly, our Booksy vs GlossGenius comparison sets Booksy's per-seat price and Boost fee against GlossGenius's plan tiers.
Where Twizzlo fits next to GlossGenius and Vagaro
Twizzlo is web-based online booking and appointment scheduling software for appointment-based service businesses, priced per business: Free is $0 a month for up to 150 bookings, with no SMS, and Business Pro is $29.99 a month.
It includes a public booking page, email and SMS reminders, client records, staff schedules and shifts, and Stripe payments and tips. Free is free forever, not a trial. Business Pro includes unlimited bookings and 50 SMS a month, then $0.03 per SMS, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Both plans include unlimited staff and locations (Twizzlo pricing page, read September 27, 2026). Online payments carry your Stripe processing rate plus a 1.5% Twizzlo platform fee.
At every headcount in Table 1, Business Pro stays $29.99 a month per business. Twizzlo does not run a consumer marketplace, so it fits businesses that already bring in their own clients. A salon that wants payroll run, commissions tracked or memberships sold inside its booking software fits better with a tool that lists them; Twizzlo does not include them.
For salons, see our salon appointment software page, or compare the two plans.
Frequently asked questions
Is GlossGenius or Vagaro cheaper?
It depends on team size. On monthly billing, Vagaro’s subscription is cheaper for one to four bookable staff and for 10 or more, and GlossGenius Gold, at $56 a month, is cheaper for five to nine, according to each vendor’s page read September 25, 2026. On annual billing, GlossGenius is cheaper from four to nine staff. Vagaro’s $23.99 base is a limited-time rate; add-ons and card processing are extra.
Does GlossGenius have a free plan?
No. GlossGenius offers a free 14-day trial of any plan without a credit card, but no free plan, according to its pricing page, read September 27, 2026. Its lowest plan, Standard, is $28 a month, or $24 billed annually (read September 25, 2026), and has no staff management, so a team of two starts on Gold.
How does Vagaro’s pricing work?
Vagaro’s US help center lists a base of $23.99 a month, “Only for a limited time,” with one calendar included and $10 for each added employee calendar up to seven licenses, so the subscription tops out at $83.99 (read September 25, 2026). Where GlossGenius moves a business up a plan, Vagaro sells features such as Forms and the Online Shopping Cart as $10 add-ons, and its card rates depend on monthly card volume, with 2.6% + $0.10 per in-person payment under $4,000 a month (read September 27, 2026). The help center prints no list price and no subscription price for an added location.
What is GlossGenius’s payment processing fee?
GlossGenius charges a flat 2.6% card rate with no Tap to Pay, card-on-file or manual-entry fee, listed under “Included in every plan” on its pricing page, read September 25 and 27, 2026. Instant payouts cost an extra 1.8%; same-day payouts are free Monday to Thursday. Vagaro’s in-person rate, for comparison, is 2.6% + $0.10 under $4,000 a month in card sales, according to its US help center, read September 27, 2026.
Which is better for a beauty salon?
It depends on team size and extras. For a solo stylist, up to four staff or 10 or more, Vagaro’s subscription is lower; for five to nine, GlossGenius Gold is lower at $56 a month and includes forms and waivers, which Vagaro sells as a $10 monthly add-on, according to each vendor’s pricing page or US help center, read September 25 and 27, 2026. A salon that wants a Vagaro Marketplace listing has a reason to pick Vagaro.
Do both handle no-shows and deposits?
Yes, in different ways. Vagaro sells the Online Shopping Cart add-on at $10 a month to “set up deposits and cancellation fees for online appointments,” according to its US help center, read September 25, 2026. GlossGenius lists built-in deposits, cancellation and no-show policies, and card-on-file policies on all three of its plans in the plan comparison on its pricing page, read September 27, 2026.
Can I move my data between them?
GlossGenius offers a free data transfer: “Fill out our form and we’ll transfer your appointments, client info, and more,” according to its pricing page, read September 27, 2026. The Vagaro help-center pages read for this guide describe no import service, so ask Vagaro what it moves, and ask both vendors whether saved cards can move to their processor.
What is a good alternative to GlossGenius and Vagaro?
That depends on what you want to change. Twizzlo Business Pro is $29.99 a month per business at any team size, and Twizzlo Free is $0 a month for up to 150 bookings, with no SMS, according to the Twizzlo pricing page, read September 27, 2026. Readers leaving either vendor can compare more tools in our GlossGenius alternative and apps like Vagaro guides.
Does GlossGenius or Vagaro include text marketing?
Both offer text marketing, sold differently. GlossGenius lists email and text marketing on every plan, with 500 text credits included on Gold and 2,500 on Platinum, according to its pricing page, read September 27, 2026. Vagaro sells text marketing plans from $20 a month for 1,000 credits, then $0.03 per extra credit, and includes 1,000 email credits free, according to its US help center, read September 25, 2026.
Do GlossGenius and Vagaro charge extra for payroll?
Yes. Both sell payroll as an add-on: GlossGenius at $40 a month plus $6 per seat, and Vagaro at $34 a month plus $5 per employee, according to each vendor’s pricing page or US help center, read September 25, 2026. For five people, that is $70 a month on GlossGenius and $59 on Vagaro, on top of the subscription.
Sources and methodology
Prices read
- GlossGenius pricing page: plans and fees (opens in a new tab)Read . Supports: GlossGenius Standard, Gold and Platinum prices on monthly and annual billing, staff bands, flat 2.6% card rate, instant payout fee, added-location discount and payroll add-on
- GlossGenius pricing page: plan features, plan comparison and FAQ (opens in a new tab)Read . Supports: Plan key features, staff management by plan, text credits, built-in deposits and no-show policy rows, free data transfer, same-day payouts, no free plan and the 14-day trial
- Vagaro plans and pricing help article (US): subscription and add-ons (opens in a new tab)Read . Supports: Vagaro's limited-time base rate, the $10 price of each added calendar up to seven licenses, add-on prices, text and email marketing plans, and no printed subscription price for an added location
- Vagaro plans and pricing help article (US): card rates and Marketplace (opens in a new tab)Read . Supports: Vagaro US card rates by monthly card volume, the Large Merchant fee, FANF and Mastercard location fees, and listing on the Vagaro Marketplace, Google and Apple Maps
- Vagaro help center: Create a Membership (opens in a new tab)Read . Supports: Vagaro businesses can create and sell memberships
- Twizzlo pricing page (opens in a new tab)Read . Supports: Twizzlo plans, booking cap, SMS allowance, money-back guarantee and online payment fee
- Twizzlo features page (opens in a new tab)Read . Supports: Twizzlo reminders, client records, Employee Shifts and online payments; the Employee Shifts screenshot (same image)
From our editorial policy
- Twizzlo sells online booking and appointment scheduling software, the same category we write about. Twizzlo appears in our comparisons and roundups, and we have a commercial interest in you choosing it.
- We do not publish invented quotes, studies, statistics, customer stories or product tests, and we do not imply hands-on use of a product when the research came from the vendor's public documentation.
- To report an error, email support@twizzlo.com with the subject line "Correction: [page URL]". Tell us what is wrong and, if you can, link a source.
Update history
- : Re-read both vendors' prices on their own pages; added the monthly cost at every team size from one to 10 staff with a chart, a table of costs outside the subscription and a worked five-staff example; corrected the payroll and forms plan details and removed an unconfirmed Vagaro trial length.
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Flat-rate booking software. No per-seat, per-chair or per-location fees.
- Free plan up to 150 bookings a month, not a trial
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