Salon Software

    Salon software for hair salons, nail salons and barbershops

    Last reviewed: September 2026

    Simple gives salons and barbershops online booking with deposits, a salon POS with tips and retail, loyalty, memberships and gift cards at 2.19% in person and 2.79% online, from $99/mo for 5 users. There are no per-calendar fees and no marketplace commission.

    Competitor pricing last reviewed September 2026. Published rates change; check the vendor's current pricing page: Vagaro pricing, GlossGenius pricing, Fresha pricing, Square Appointments pricing, Boulevard pricing.

    What should salon software do?

    Good salon software covers the full loop from the chair to the card reader. A client books online, pays a deposit, gets a reminder, sits down, pays with a tip, buys a bottle of shampoo, rebooks and earns points. If any step lives in a separate app, you pay for it twice and your front desk types it twice.

    • Booking and no-shows: salon booking software with online booking, deposits and card on file, plus SMS and email reminders and a waitlist. See appointments.
    • Checkout: a salon POS system with tips and split payments at the station. See point of sale.
    • Retail: product sales with inventory counts, so back bar and shelf stock stay accurate. See inventory.
    • Rebooking and client profiles: color formulas and notes stay on the client record for the next visit.
    • Loyalty and memberships: points, tiers, birthday rewards and referrals, plus memberships with auto-billing, packages and gift cards. See loyalty.
    • Commissions: commission tracking per stylist, so payday math is not a spreadsheet.
    • Marketing: text and email campaigns to past clients.

    Every item above is included on Simple. Details for beauty businesses are on our salons and spas page.

    How much does salon software cost in 2026?

    Salon scheduling software is priced four different ways: by plan, by calendar, by team member or by location. Card rates vary even more. The table puts them side by side, with in-person and online rates in separate columns.

    SoftwareMonthly priceHow it's pricedIn personOnline / card on fileMarketplace fee
    Simple$99 / $199 / $399Plan (5 / 10 / unlimited users)2.19%2.79%None
    Vagaro$30 list ($23.99 promo for 6 months) + $10 per extra calendar, up to $90Calendars2.6% + 10¢ under $4K/mo; 2.29% + 19¢ plus $10/mo at $4K and up3.5% + 19¢ keyed (published); card-on-file rate reported, not publishedNone found
    GlossGeniusStandard $28, Gold $56, Platinum $168Plan by features and staff2.6%2.6% (invoices 2.9% + 30¢)None
    Fresha$19.95 (1 member) or $14.95 per team memberPer team member2.29% + 20¢2.79% + 20¢20% of a new marketplace client's first booking ($6 min, $200 max)
    Square AppointmentsFree, Plus $49, Premium $149 per locationPer location2.4% to 2.6% + 15¢3.5% + 15¢ card on fileNone
    BoulevardEssentials $143, Premier $293 list, Prestige $410 list per locationPer locationNot publishedNot publishedNone

    Vagaro, GlossGenius, Fresha, Square and Boulevard plan prices are published by each vendor. Boulevard does not publish card rates. Vagaro's promo price is shown next to its $30 list price.

    What does a 5-chair salon pay per year?

    Take a salon with 5 stylists doing $30,000 a month in card payments at an $85 average ticket. 85% is paid in person, and 15% comes in as deposits or card-on-file charges. No add-ons.

    Simple: $25,500 x 2.19% + $4,500 x 2.79% = $684/mo, plus Small plan $99 = $9,396/yr

    Vagaro: $25,500 x 2.29% + 300 x $0.19 + $4,500 x 3.5% + 53 x $0.19 + $10 fee = $818.52/mo, plus 5 calendars $70 = $10,662/yr

    GlossGenius: $30,000 x 2.6% = $780/mo, plus Standard $28 = $9,696/yr

    Fresha: $25,500 x 2.29% + 300 x $0.20 + $4,500 x 2.79% + 53 x $0.20 = $780.10/mo, plus 5 x $14.95 = $10,258/yr, before any new-client commissions

    Simple saves about $1,266 a year against Vagaro and $862 against Fresha. Against GlossGenius Standard the gap is only about $300 a year, because GlossGenius software is very cheap. If you don't need loyalty or commission tracking, that is a close call.

    Savings Calculator

    Salon, spa and studio pricing, verified September 2026.

    $
    $5k$50k$500k
    $
    15%

    The rest is paid in person.

    Which of these do you use?

    Simple

    Processing + plan

    $9,396

    per year

    Vagaro

    Processing + software + fees

    $10,662

    per year

    Annual total: processing + software + add-ons, both sides.

    Simple plan

    Simple Small plan: $99/mo (5 users)

    Vagaro plan

    Vagaro: $30 + 4 extra calendars at $10 = $70/mo ($23.99 promo for first 6 months)

    You save

    $1,266

    per year vs Vagaro

    Lock in 2.19%. Start Free Trial

    Vagaro, GlossGenius and Fresha figures are published by each vendor, verified September 2026. Boulevard card rates and Mindbody card rates are third-party estimates. Your actuals may vary.

    Does barbershop software need anything different?

    Barbershops run on walk-ins, so barber shop software needs a waitlist that works at the door, not just an online calendar. Checkout has to be fast, with tips on the reader, because the next client is already in the chair. And staff are usually tied to a chair, so reports and commissions should follow the barber.

    Simple handles walk-ins through the waitlist, takes tips and split payments at checkout, and tracks commission per barber. Clients who prefer to book ahead can use online booking from any phone browser. Simple has no branded barbershop booking app for clients, so if a custom app in the App Store matters to you, look at Vagaro's paid add-on.

    What about nail salons?

    Nail salon software lives or dies on services with add-ons: a gel manicure plus nail art plus a paraffin dip, each with its own time and price. Nail salons also sell a lot of packages and gift cards, and many keep a retail wall of polish and care products.

    Simple books services with add-ons, sells packages and gift cards, and tracks retail stock on the same system. Deposits protect long appointments like full sets, and reminders cut no-shows.

    Which salon software fits which salon?

    • Simple is best for salons with 2 to 10 stylists that sell retail and want loyalty and memberships without add-on fees.
    • GlossGenius is best for solo stylists and small teams that want the cheapest software and a simple flat 2.6% rate.
    • Vagaro is best for salons that want a consumer marketplace listing and a long list of add-ons.

    Looking for the best salon software head to head? See Simple vs Vagaro, Simple vs GlossGenius, Simple vs Fresha, Simple vs Boulevard and Simple vs Square.

    Who should choose GlossGenius or Vagaro instead?

    • Solo operators with low volume: GlossGenius Standard at $28 a month is hard to beat, and Simple's $99 plan is more than one chair needs.
    • Salons that rely on a marketplace for new clients: Vagaro's consumer marketplace can send first-time clients. Simple has no consumer marketplace.
    • Anyone who needs a branded client app or payroll: Vagaro sells both as add-ons. Simple offers neither.

    Frequently asked questions

    For a salon with 2 to 10 stylists that sells retail, Simple covers booking, deposits, checkout with tips, loyalty and memberships from $99/mo at 2.19% in person and 2.79% online. A solo stylist with low volume may pay less on GlossGenius Standard at $28/mo.

    Published prices run from free on Square Appointments to $410 per location on Boulevard Prestige. Vagaro is $30 list plus $10 per extra calendar, GlossGenius $28 to $168, Fresha $14.95 per team member, and Simple $99, $199 or $399.

    Some do. Fresha charges 20% of a new marketplace client's first booking, with a $6 minimum and $200 maximum. Simple charges no marketplace commission.

    Compare in-person to in-person and online to online. Simple charges 2.19% in person and 2.79% on deposits and card-on-file charges, with no per-transaction fee. Vagaro charges 2.29% + 19¢ in person at $4K a month and up.

    Yes. Simple takes tips and split payments at checkout on the card reader, and tips are recorded per stylist.

    Run the whole chair on one system

    Booking, checkout, retail and loyalty at 2.19% in person and 2.79% online.

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