Glamease vs Vagaro

Vagaro scales pricing by bookable calendars and stacks paid add-ons for text marketing, forms, branded apps, and more. Glamease keeps it simple: first month free, then $9.99/month flat with booking, deposits, discovery, and payouts included.

Feature Glamease Vagaro
Monthly software (solo) $9.99/month flat after free trial $23.99-$30/month for one calendar (US pricing varies by promo)
Extra staff cost Same $9.99, no per-seat fees +$10/month per additional calendar (up to 7, then ~$84-$90/month cap)
Paid add-ons Core features included Text marketing from $20/mo, forms $10/mo, branded app $100/mo, website $20/mo, and more
Booking commission None No booking commission; card processing fees apply separately
Client discovery Beauty marketplace included Marketplace listing included; paid placement add-ons available
Deposits & no-shows Pro-set deposits at booking Available
Typical solo pro bill $9.99/month Often $24-$50+/month once calendars and common add-ons are included

Why pros choose Glamease over Vagaro

Save $14-$40+ every month. A solo stylist on Vagaro's base calendar plan already pays roughly 2-3× Glamease before optional add-ons. Glamease is $9.99 whether you book 5 clients or 50.

No add-on maze. Vagaro's real cost climbs fast with text marketing, forms, website builder, and branded app tiers billed on top of your subscription. On Glamease, service menus, scheduling, deposits, messaging, and payouts are in one flat plan.

Built for independents, not front desks. If you are a suite renter, booth stylist, nail tech, or barber growing on your own, you get pro tools without paying salon-enterprise prices.

Your calendar is not a profit leak. Every dollar you save on software is a dollar back toward rent, products, or marketing. Glamease was priced for founders who count expenses carefully.

Start professional on day one. Portfolio listings, web booking links, deposits, and client messaging make a student CEO or new suite renter look established without a $100/mo branded app add-on.

What you actually spend each year

Independent pros feel software costs differently than big salons. When you are paying suite rent, buying products, and building a brand from scratch, a $20-$50/month platform is not a small line item. It is real money that could go toward your next client acquisition or your next bill.

Platform Typical solo monthly Annual software cost
Glamease $9.99 (after free first month) $119.88/year
Vagaro $24-$30/month $288-$360/year
Switching to Glamease can save roughly $168-$240 per year on software alone, before marketplace commissions or paid add-ons.

Built for student CEOs, suite renters, and indie beauty founders

Glamease was built for the reality of independent beauty work: you are the stylist, the receptionist, the marketer, and the accountant. You need tools that respect tight budgets and still make you look established.

Student founders

Booking your first clients between classes or during cosmetology school? List real services, take deposits, and share a professional booking link without a $30-$50/month software bill eating your early income.

Suite & booth renters

You already pay chair or suite rent. Glamease gives you scheduling, deposits, messaging, payouts, and client discovery for $9.99/month flat, no front desk and no franchise fee.

Indie beauty CEOs

Growing a full book? Keep more of what you earn with flat pricing that does not punish busy months. Analytics, reviews, rebooking, and repeat-client history scale with you.

UI that feels like a real business, not a spreadsheet

Clients judge your brand before they sit in your chair. Glamease gives you a polished mobile experience on both sides: clients browse portfolios and book from their phone; you run your day from a clean pro dashboard.

  • Portfolio-first profiles so clients see your work, pricing, and duration before they book
  • Category discovery across hair, barbing, nails, makeup, and skincare, not a generic appointment form
  • Shareable web booking links you can drop in Instagram bio, TikTok, or texts
  • In-app messaging tied to each appointment, so prep notes and confirmations stay organized
  • Mobile apps for iOS and Android for pros and clients, built for booking on the go
  • Calm, modern design that matches the premium feel of your services

Everything in your $9.99 plan

No tiers to decode. No surprise upgrade when you need deposits or messaging. One flat plan after your free first month.

  • Unlimited service listings with photos, pricing, duration, and add-ons
  • Smart scheduling with availability, buffers, and conflict prevention
  • Custom deposits to protect your chair from no-shows
  • Secure in-app payments, tips, and instant payouts after completed services
  • Client messaging, appointment reminders, and booking history
  • Reviews and rebooking tools that build trust on your Explore profile
  • Earnings and booking analytics so you know what is working
  • Web booking page for clients who find you outside the app
  • Marketplace visibility so new clients can discover you by category and location
  • No booking commission, unlike Vagaro marketplace or boost fees that eat into new client revenue

Why Vagaro costs more in practice

Headline pricing rarely tells the full story. Between staff seats, paid add-ons, marketplace cuts, and upgrade tiers, many pros on Vagaro pay far more than the number on the homepage. Glamease keeps the math simple so you can focus on clients, not invoices.

  • Flat $9.99/month after your free trial, whether you are a student with 3 clients or a booked-out stylist
  • No commission on bookings, so a $200 install or glam day stays yours minus standard processing
  • First month free to build your menu, test deposits, and start getting discovered before you pay
  • Lower annual overhead compared to Vagaro's typical solo bill of $24-$30/month

Vagaro pricing and features change frequently. Figures reflect publicly listed US pricing at the time of writing. Verify current plans on their official website before you decide.

First Month Free

Join free for 30 days. Then $9.99/month flat. No booking commission, ever.