Picking salon booking software feels like it should be simple — until you actually start comparing options and every platform’s pricing page reads like a puzzle. A “free” plan that isn’t really free. A flat monthly fee that quietly triples once you add staff. A one-time cost that sounds great until you realize what it doesn’t include.
I build websites for salons, spas, and barbershops for a living, and this is genuinely the question I get asked most: “Which booking system should I actually use?” So here’s the honest, no-fluff breakdown of the four options that come up again and again — Vagaro, Booksy, Fresha, and WordPress with Amelia — including where each one quietly gets expensive.
Disclosure: This post recommends tools and services based on personal use and experience. If I join an affiliate program for any of these in the future, I’ll clearly mark those links as affiliate links.
What to Actually Look For
Before comparing platforms, know what you’re evaluating:
- True monthly cost — not just the sticker price, but what happens once you add staff, take payments, or use marketing tools
- Marketplace commissions — some platforms charge a cut of your revenue when a new client books through their app
- Ownership — do you own your booking system and client data, or are you renting access to someone else’s platform?
- No-show protection — deposits, card-on-file, and automated reminders
- How it looks to your clients — does it feel like part of your brand, or like a generic third-party app?
Vagaro
Vagaro is one of the most established names in salon and spa software, and it’s priced per “bookable calendar” — meaning each staff member you add increases your monthly cost. Plans generally start in the mid-$20s per month for a single calendar, and climb from there as you add team members and features like text marketing or advanced reporting.
What works: No commission on your own bookings — everything you make from an appointment is yours. Solid all-in-one toolkit (scheduling, POS, marketing, gift cards) that replaces several separate apps.
Where it gets expensive: The base plan doesn’t include everything a busy salon actually needs. Many of the genuinely useful features — SMS marketing, advanced forms, certain reporting tools — are paid add-ons on top of your per-calendar fee, and a multi-staff salon can end up well past $100/month once those add up.
Best for: Salons that want a full business-management suite in one place and are comfortable paying for the add-ons that matter to them.
Booksy
Booksy leans hard into its marketplace — the consumer-facing app where people search for and discover local barbers, salons, and beauty pros — which makes it especially popular with barbershops and independent stylists trying to pick up new clients.
Pricing is a flat monthly base fee (typically around $30) plus an additional cost for each extra staff member added to the account. One detail that surprises a lot of new users: Booksy takes a percentage of the first booking from any new client who finds you specifically through the Booksy marketplace — not from your repeat clients or the people you bring in yourself.
What works: Every feature is included in the core subscription — no confusing tiers. Genuinely useful for exposure if you’re in a competitive market and want walk-in discovery traffic.
Where it gets expensive: That new-client marketplace commission adds up fast for a busy shop pulling in a steady stream of new marketplace bookings, on top of the per-staff monthly fee and standard payment processing costs.
Best for: Barbershops and independent beauty pros who want built-in discovery and don’t mind giving up a small cut of new marketplace clients in exchange.
Fresha
Fresha built its reputation as the “genuinely free” booking platform, and for years that’s exactly what it was. That changed in 2026 — Fresha now runs on paid subscription tiers (an individual plan for solo providers, and a per-team-member plan for salons with staff), alongside its existing marketplace commission on new clients and standard card processing fees.
What works: Even with the subscription now in place, Fresha remains one of the more affordable options for solo providers and small teams, and the interface is polished and easy for clients to use.
Where it gets expensive: The pricing has genuinely shifted — many of the “Fresha is free” comparisons still floating around online are now outdated. Between the per-team-member subscription, the new-client marketplace commission, and processing fees, a growing team can end up paying more than expected. Always check Fresha’s current pricing directly before assuming the old free-forever model still applies.
Best for: Solo practitioners or very small teams who want a modern, easy-to-use system and don’t rely heavily on the marketplace for new clients.
WordPress + Amelia
This is a different approach entirely: instead of a separate booking app or marketplace, Amelia is a plugin that adds booking directly onto your own WordPress website. There’s no marketplace, no revenue-share on your bookings, and the booking experience lives entirely on your own branded site.
Pricing is typically an annual license fee (with tiers depending on features and number of sites), rather than a recurring per-staff monthly charge — and once you own the license, adding more staff members generally doesn’t multiply your cost the way it does on Vagaro or Booksy.
What works: You own the platform and the client data outright. No commission is ever taken from your bookings, no matter where the client came from. It integrates directly with the rest of your website — no separate app or login for clients to juggle.
Where it gets expensive: You’re responsible for your own hosting and site maintenance (though this is usually minor if the site’s already well-built), and it doesn’t come with a built-in client-discovery marketplace the way Booksy or Fresha do — all your traffic has to come from your own marketing, SEO, and reputation.
Best for: Salons that already have (or want) their own branded website and prefer predictable annual costs with no ongoing commission or per-staff fees.
Quick Comparison
Platform | Pricing Model | Marketplace Commission | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
Vagaro | Per calendar, monthly | None | All-in-one business management |
Booksy | Flat + per staff, monthly | | Barbershops wanting discovery traffic |
Fresha | Subscription + per team member | Yes, on new marketplace clients | Solo providers, small teams |
WordPress + Amelia | Annual license, no per-staff scaling | None | Salons wanting full ownership |
Which One Should You Actually Pick?
- Want maximum exposure to new local clients and don’t mind sharing a small cut of that first booking? Booksy or Fresha’s marketplace model works in your favor.
- Want one all-in-one system to run your whole business, and you’re fine paying for the add-ons you use? Vagaro is a strong, mature option.
- Already have solid local visibility (Google, Instagram, word of mouth) and want to keep 100% of what you earn with no ongoing commission? WordPress + Amelia, tied into a website built for your niche, is usually the better long-term move.
Pricing on all of these platforms changes fairly often, so treat the numbers above as a starting point — always confirm current pricing directly on each platform’s official pricing page before deciding.
Not sure which booking system fits your business?
Get a free consultation and I’ll help you figure out what actually makes sense for your salon, spa, or barbershop — no generic advice, just what fits your specific setup.
Frequently Asked Questions — Salon Booking Software
Q1: Is free booking software actually free?
A: Rarely in the way it sounds. Even “free” platforms typically make money through a commission on new clients or payment processing fees — the software itself might not cost a monthly fee, but there’s almost always a cost somewhere in the model.
Q2: Which platform is cheapest for a solo stylist or therapist?
A: It depends on how much of your business comes through that platform’s marketplace. If you get most of your clients yourself, a low or no-commission option like Fresha’s individual plan or a WordPress-based system usually works out cheaper over time. If you rely on marketplace discovery, a slightly higher subscription with built-in exposure can pay for itself.
Q3: Can I switch booking platforms later without losing my client data?
A: Usually yes, though it varies by platform and how much manual exporting is required. It’s worth checking a platform’s data export options before committing, especially if you’re building a large client list you’d hate to lose access to.
Q4: Do I need a website if I already use Vagaro, Booksy, or Fresha?
A: These platforms can technically stand alone, but they don’t replace what a proper website does for your credibility, SEO, and brand — most successful salons use their own website as the main hub and embed one of these booking tools into it, or use a WordPress-native option like Amelia to skip the separate app entirely.
Q5:Is WordPress + Amelia harder to set up than the others?
A: It takes a bit more upfront setup than downloading an app, since it’s tied to your website — but once it’s live, day-to-day use (managing appointments, staff schedules) is just as simple as the other platforms. This is exactly the kind of setup I handle for clients.
