Vagaro's advertised rate buys one bookable calendar. Every calendar after that adds a monthly charge until the eighth, and the website builder, the chatbot, forms, check-in and texting are each a separate line on the bill. BookingNexa charges one plan price with the AI receptionist inside it. The larger difference is what the AI does: Vagaro states its assistant cannot schedule an appointment, so it sends the client a booking link instead. Vagaro is the broader product and charges no marketplace commission.
Last checked 7 August 2026. Every Vagaro figure below names the page we read it on and the date we checked it.
The short version
Vagaro's headline rate covers one bookable calendar. A bookable calendar is their term for one person who takes appointments, so a three-chair shop is already paying for three.
Each additional calendar adds a monthly charge for up to seven paid licenses. After that, extra staff cost nothing, which genuinely helps a large team.
The website builder, the chatbot, forms, the check-in app, online shopping and texting are all priced separately, on top of the subscription.
Vagaro states plainly that its AI cannot check a calendar, book an appointment, or reschedule one. It sends the client a link and lets them do it.
Vagaro's AI answers on their listing page and over text. Instagram and Facebook messages are not named anywhere in its documentation, and it does not answer a phone call.
The chatbot is a paid monthly add-on and it requires a paid text messaging plan on top, so it is two line items before it answers anything.
Every message the AI sends and receives is deducted from your text plan, so a busy month costs more than a quiet one.
Vagaro charges no commission on marketplace bookings in the United States. That is a real advantage over some competitors and we say so.
Vagaro runs a 30 day trial that excludes email marketing, text marketing and the branded app. BookingNexa has a free forever plan and asks for no card.
Vagaro serves more countries and has a deeper feature set. BookingNexa is United States and Canada only.
The honest version. There are shops Vagaro serves better than we do, and we would rather say so here than have you find out after you migrate.
Pick BookingNexa if
You want an AI that finishes the booking on the call instead of texting the client a link and hoping they follow it.
Most of your enquiries arrive as Instagram or Facebook messages and nobody is answering them overnight.
You want the phone answered. Not a chat widget on a listing page, an actual voice on an actual call at nine at night.
You are tired of a bill that grows a line at a time as you switch on the things a working shop obviously needs.
You want to put a real booking page in front of real clients before you hand over a card.
You are in the United States or Canada.
Pick Vagaro if
You are outside the United States and Canada. BookingNexa cannot serve you at all right now, and that ends the decision.
You have a large team. Vagaro stops charging for calendars after seven paid licenses, so a ten or twenty person shop can land on a lower monthly subscription than ours, and that is a fair result rather than a trick.
You want depth today. Payroll, inventory, memberships, class and course booking, live streaming, buy now pay later and medical features are all things Vagaro has built and we have not.
You want a marketplace listing that costs you nothing per booking. Vagaro lists you at no charge in the United States and takes no cut of the appointment.
You want mature native apps and a company that has been doing this for a long time. Both are real and neither is something a newer product can claim.
Decides the bill
The differences that cost you money
The differences worth understanding before you commit to either platform. Each one changes what you actually pay.
The price you saw is a base. The price you pay is that plus a stack.
Vagaro advertises a low monthly rate that covers one bookable calendar and nothing else. Its own help center then prices the website builder, the chatbot, forms, the check-in app, online shopping, payroll and texting as separate monthly charges. BookingNexa publishes one plan price and the things a working shop needs are inside it.
BookingNexa
IncludedThe AI receptionist, the social inbox and the booking page are part of the plan, not switches that each add a line to the invoice.
Vagaro
Premium features are add-ons at an additional monthly cost, by Vagaro's own wordingSource: Vagaro help center, plans, pricing and premium features, 7 Aug 2026
Vagaro says it directly on the same page as the rate: premium features are available as add-ons for an additional monthly cost. That is honest of them, and it is also the whole point. The number in the advertisement is the number before you have turned anything on.
Here is the part worth sitting with. Vagaro's own cost guide tells shop owners that with apps like Vagaro everything is included for one price, so you never have to worry about being charged more. Their help center, published by the same company, then lists a monthly charge for the website builder, a monthly charge for the chatbot, a monthly charge for forms, a monthly charge for check-in and a monthly charge for texting. We are not characterising either document. Both are Vagaro's, both are current, and they do not describe the same product.
To be fair to Vagaro, several of those add-ons are things a lot of shops will never switch on. Nobody needs live streaming or medical prescribing. But a booking website, a way to take a form signature and a way to text a client back are not exotic. They are Tuesday.
There is one more wrinkle worth knowing before you switch anything on. Vagaro lists a set of features as billed forward, meaning you are still charged for them at the end of your billing cycle no matter when you turned them off. Email marketing, text marketing, payroll and the accounting integrations are all on that list. Switching something off does not stop that month's charge.
Vagaro bills per bookable calendar. BookingNexa bills per plan.
Vagaro's subscription covers one calendar license. Each additional employee calendar adds a monthly charge for up to seven paid licenses, after which extra staff cost nothing. BookingNexa charges one flat plan price and the staff allowance is part of it, so the bill does not move on the day you hire.
BookingNexa
Unlimited team members on this plan, at one priceHire another stylist and the subscription does not change.
Vagaro
$10 per team member, a monthfor up to seven paid licenses, then no further chargeSource: Vagaro help center, plans, pricing and premium features, 7 Aug 2026
Vagaro defines a bookable calendar as a calendar for an individual who performs services within the business and needs their own scheduling. In plain terms, anyone who takes appointments. A three-chair salon has three. A busy spa with front desk cover and six therapists has six.
Credit where it is due, and this matters more than most comparison pages will admit: the charge stops. Vagaro says that after you have paid for seven licenses you can add new employees at no additional charge. A shop with fifteen staff pays the same seat cost as a shop with eight. If you are running a large team, that ceiling is a genuine advantage and it can land Vagaro below us on subscription alone.
Where it bites is the middle, which is where most shops actually live. Going from one chair to four is the moment a business feels least able to absorb a rising software bill, and that is precisely the stretch where the per-calendar step is charging on every single addition.
Vagaro's AI sends a booking link. Ours finishes the booking.
This is the sentence that matters, and it is Vagaro's, not ours. Their documentation states that Vagaro AI cannot view the availability of an employee's calendar, schedule new appointments, or reschedule appointments, and that it sends the customer a link instead. BookingNexa's receptionist reads the real calendar, offers real open slots and completes the booking before the caller hangs up.
BookingNexa
30 AI calls a month, booking into the real calendarIt offers the slots that are actually open, takes the booking on the call, and texts the confirmation.
Vagaro
Cannot view calendar availability, schedule, or reschedule. It sends a booking linkVagaro's own wording. It can answer questions and cancel an appointment, but not create one.Source: Vagaro help center, set up a chatbot with Connect AI, 7 Aug 2026
A link is not a booking. It is a task handed back to the client, at the exact moment they were ready to commit. Some of them tap it. Some of them are driving, or holding a toddler, or already looking at the next salon in the search results. The gap between an appointment made and a link sent is the entire reason a shop wants an AI answering in the first place.
Vagaro's assistant does real work, and we are not pretending otherwise. It answers questions about hours, location, services and products, it shows a client their upcoming appointments, and it can cancel one. Cancelling is genuinely useful and it is more than a lot of chat widgets manage.
But notice the asymmetry. It can take a booking off the calendar and it cannot put one on. For a business that lives and dies on how full next week looks, that is the wrong half of the job to automate first.
If Vagaro has shipped calendar-aware booking since we last read that page, this block is out of date and the date printed beside the source will tell you so. We would rather be provably stale than vague.
Their AI covers a listing page and texts. Ours answers the phone and the DMs.
Vagaro's chatbot replies to messages on your Vagaro listing page and, if you buy a text plan, to text messages sent to your assigned number. Instagram and Facebook are not named anywhere in its documentation, and there is no voice channel. BookingNexa answers inbound calls out loud and answers Instagram and Facebook messages in the same inbox.
BookingNexa
IncludedInstagram and Facebook messages answered and booked from the chat, in one inbox with your calls and texts.
Vagaro
Listing page and text onlyInstagram, Facebook and voice calls are not named in Vagaro's chatbot documentation.Source: Vagaro help center, set up a chatbot with Connect AI, 7 Aug 2026
Ask where your enquiries actually arrive. For most beauty and wellness shops the honest answer is a phone that rings while both hands are busy, and a social inbox that fills up overnight. Those are the two channels that leak money, and they are the two Vagaro's assistant does not cover.
A chat widget on a listing page catches someone who already found the listing page and chose to type. That is a real customer and it is worth catching. It is also the customer closest to booking anyway, which makes it the easiest one to win and the least valuable one to automate.
We are describing what Vagaro documents, not what it might do. If a channel is not named on the page that explains the feature, we are not going to assume it into existence in either direction.
Their chatbot is two line items before it says a word.
Vagaro's premium feature table prices the chatbot as a monthly add-on. Its own setup article then states that the feature requires a text messaging plan, which is a second monthly charge. Every message the assistant sends and receives is deducted from that plan. On BookingNexa the AI receptionist is inside the plan price with a published monthly call allowance.
BookingNexa
In the plan priceOne number. No separate AI subscription, and no messaging plan you have to buy first for it to work.
Vagaro
$10 a monthand it requires a paid text messaging plan on top, which its own setup article lists as a prerequisiteSource: Vagaro help center, set up a chatbot with Connect AI, 7 Aug 2026
Read the two Vagaro pages together and the real cost of switching on their AI is the chatbot charge plus the smallest text plan, before a single client has typed anything. The premium feature table on its own would leave you short.
Then the meter starts. Vagaro notes that its AI also responds to incoming text messages and that your plan is deducted for each message sent and received by the AI. A message is billed in credits by segment, so a longer reply costs more than a short one. The better the month, the higher the bill.
None of that is hidden. It is spread across two documents that a shop owner comparing prices has no particular reason to read side by side, which is the only reason it is worth pointing out here.
Vagaro gives you 30 days. BookingNexa has a plan that never expires.
Vagaro runs a 30 day free trial and has no permanently free tier, and the trial leaves out email marketing, text marketing and the branded app. BookingNexa has a free forever plan that needs no card. One is a countdown on a partial product, the other is a working booking page you can leave running.
BookingNexa
Free forever plan, no credit card
Vagaro
A 30 day trial, with email marketing, text marketing and the branded app excludedThere is no permanently free tier.Source: Vagaro pricing page, 7 Aug 2026
Thirty days is a generous trial and longer than most. Credit where it is due. It is still a trial, and a trial has a date on it, which means you are evaluating software while also watching a clock.
The gap that matters is what happens to a small shop that is not ready to commit. On Vagaro, day thirty-one is a decision. On BookingNexa the free plan simply keeps working, so a solo operator can run a real booking page for real clients for as long as they like and upgrade when the shop, not the calendar, says so.
Worth knowing
Who owns the client, and who owns the data
The handful of differences that only bite once you have been running for a year. Some of these Vagaro wins outright, and those are in here too. The full row-by-row comparison is further down.
Booking website builder
Every shop needs one, so this is the add-on most people will actually buy.
BookingNexa
IncludedYour branded booking page is part of the plan, with themes, fonts and your own colours.
Vagaro
$20 a monthfree to build, charged once you publish it, on top of the subscriptionSource: Vagaro help center, MySite pricing, 7 Aug 2026
AI answers the phone
Picks up while you are with a client.
BookingNexa
IncludedAnswers around the clock, including nights and weekends.
Vagaro
No voice channelVagaro's AI documentation describes listing page chat and text messages. A live phone call is not among them.Source: Vagaro help center, set up a chatbot with Connect AI, 7 Aug 2026
AI can make a booking
The difference between an appointment and a task handed back to the client.
BookingNexa
Yes, on the callReads the live calendar, offers real slots, books it, and texts the confirmation.
Vagaro
No. It sends the customer a link to book insteadVagaro states its AI cannot view an employee calendar's availability, schedule a new appointment, or reschedule one.Source: Vagaro help center, set up a chatbot with Connect AI, 7 Aug 2026
AI answers Instagram and Facebook messages
Where a lot of beauty and wellness enquiries actually arrive.
BookingNexa
IncludedAnswered and booked from the chat, in one inbox with your calls and texts.
Vagaro
Not namedVagaro's chatbot covers its own listing page and text messages. Instagram and Facebook appear nowhere in that documentation.Source: Vagaro help center, set up a chatbot with Connect AI, 7 Aug 2026
What the AI costs
Whether it is in the plan or another line on the invoice.
BookingNexa
In the plan pricePublished as part of the plan, with the monthly call allowance shown as a number.
Vagaro
$10 a monthand its setup article lists a paid text messaging plan as a prerequisiteSource: Vagaro help center, set up a chatbot with Connect AI, 7 Aug 2026
Team members on the plan
BookingNexa
Unlimited on this plan, more on higher tiers
Vagaro
One calendar license included, then charged per additional calendarSource: Vagaro help center, plans, pricing and premium features, 7 Aug 2026
Texting your clients
Confirmations, reminders and filling a late cancellation.
BookingNexa
300 text credits a month, in the planThe allowance refills every month, and you can top up if a month runs hot.
Vagaro
$20 a monththe smallest text plan, charged in credits by message segment, so a longer message costs moreSource: Vagaro help center, activate a text messaging plan, 7 Aug 2026
Leaving with your client list
Whether your own data comes with you.
BookingNexa
Yes, CSV, any timeYour list is yours. Export it whenever you want, with no permission gate.
Vagaro
Not publishedWe could not read a Vagaro page stating what happens to your client list when you close an account, or whether a self-serve export exists. Vagaro's terms and much of its help center block automated readers. Ask them directly before you commit.
Countries served
The first question, and sometimes the only one.
BookingNexa
United States and Canada only
Vagaro
United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia, each with its own pricingSource: Vagaro help center, plans, pricing and premium features, 7 Aug 2026
A note on the figures. Every Vagaro amount on this page names the page we read it on and the date we read it, and all of them are United States prices. Where we could not verify a figure on a live page, the row says so rather than guessing. Prices change, so check Vagaro's own pricing before you decide.
Run your own numbers
What each one costs for your shop
Set your headcount and switch on the add-ons you would actually buy. Every Vagaro rate names the page we read it on, and our price is read live from our own billing system.
Your shop
Move these to match your own numbers. Both totals update as you go.
Everyone with their own calendar, including you.
What you would pay a month
Vagaro
Subscription$73.99Source: Vagaro help center, plans, pricing and premium features, 7 Aug 2026
Booking website$20Source: Vagaro help center, MySite pricing, 7 Aug 2026
Chatbot$10Source: Vagaro help center, set up a chatbot with Connect AI, 7 Aug 2026
Text messaging plan$20Source: Vagaro help center, activate a text messaging plan, 7 Aug 2026
Vagaro total$123.99
What that does not buy
An AI that answers your phone
An AI that books the appointment
An AI on Instagram and Facebook
Not part of any Vagaro plan or add-on we could find documented. None of the toggles above switch these on.
BookingNexa
Starter plan, everything below included$29
The cheapest plan that covers 6 people, read live from our billing system.
On these numbers you would pay
$94.99 less a month
That is $1,139.88 a year, and it does not shrink as you get busier.
AI receptionist answering your phone, 24/7
Books on the call. No link sent to the client
AI on Instagram and Facebook, booking from the chat
Estimates, not quotes. Card processing is excluded on both sides, because it depends on your own card volume and mix. Check Vagaro's own pricing before you decide.
Everything, side by side
The full comparison, grouped by what each line affects. Rows where Vagaro wins are in here too.
Every dimension we compared, grouped by what it affects. The BookingNexa column describes the Pro plan and is read live from our billing system. Each Vagaro value carries the source we read it on and the date we checked it.
BookingNexa compared with Vagaro, grouped by what each row affects: cost, AI, your clients and data, running the shop, and coverage.
What we compared
BookingNexa
Vagaro
CostHow much Vagaro really costs
EntryAdvertised starting priceWhat the advertisement says, before anything is switched on.
$29 a month, flatOne price. It covers the plan, not a starting point for one.
$23.99 a monthone bookable calendar, and Vagaro marks the rate as limited timeSource: Vagaro help center, plans, pricing and premium features, 7 Aug 2026
Per seatCost per extra bookable calendarWhether the bill moves when you hire.
No per-seat chargeThe staff allowance belongs to the plan. Adding a chair does not add a line.
$10 per team member, a montheach additional employee calendarSource: Vagaro help center, plans, pricing and premium features, 7 Aug 2026
Seat capDoes the seat charge stopThe answer that decides whether a big team is cheap or expensive.
Nothing to cap, there is no seat chargeEach plan carries its own staff allowance and you move up a tier, not up a headcount.
Yes. After seven paid licenses, further employees are added at no additional chargeThis is a genuine advantage for a large shop and it can put Vagaro below us on subscription alone.Source: Vagaro help center, plans, pricing and premium features, 7 Aug 2026
Free tierFree planWhether you can run a real booking page without paying.
Free forever plan, no credit card
None, a 30 day trial insteadThe trial excludes email marketing, text marketing and the branded app.Source: Vagaro pricing page, 7 Aug 2026
CommissionCommission on a bookingWhether the platform takes a cut of the appointment.
None, everNo cut of any booking, on any channel, however the client found you.
None on marketplace bookingsVagaro states it charges no booking fees in the United States. Its separate Fill My Books promotion tool does carry a booking fee, but the ordinary marketplace listing does not.Source: Vagaro marketplace page, 7 Aug 2026
Billed forwardTurning an add-on off mid-cycleWhether switching something off actually stops the charge.
Nothing to switch off, it is one planChange tier when you want. There are no per-feature meters running underneath.
Several features are billed forward and still charged at the end of the cycleVagaro lists email marketing, text marketing, payroll, the accounting integrations and its data products as billed forward regardless of when you deactivated them.Source: Vagaro help center, plans, pricing and premium features, 7 Aug 2026
Card rateCard processingWhat you pay to take a card payment.
Payments optional, rates shown before you enable them
Two published tiers by monthly card volume, with a monthly fee on the higher oneRates and the keyed-in surcharge are published per tier on Vagaro's payments page. They are not reproduced here because this page has no unit for a per-transaction rate.Source: Vagaro payments and hardware page, 7 Aug 2026
Add-onsVagaro add-on fees, line by line
WebsiteBooking website builderEvery shop needs one, so this is the add-on most people will actually buy.
IncludedYour branded booking page is part of the plan, with themes, fonts and your own colours.
$20 a monthfree to build, charged once you publish it, on top of the subscriptionSource: Vagaro help center, MySite pricing, 7 Aug 2026
FormsClient forms and waiversConsent forms and intake are routine in most of these trades.
Not yet
$10 a montha separate monthly add-onSource: Vagaro help center, plans, pricing and premium features, 7 Aug 2026
Check-inCheck-in app
Not yet
$10 a montha separate monthly add-onSource: Vagaro help center, plans, pricing and premium features, 7 Aug 2026
DepositsDeposits, packages and gift cardsTaking a deposit is how a lot of shops stop no-shows.
Not yet
$10 a monthsold as the online shopping add-onSource: Vagaro help center, plans, pricing and premium features, 7 Aug 2026
Branded appYour own branded phone app
Not yet
$100 a monthafter publishing, plus a one-time development fee and a further monthly charge for each extra locationSource: Vagaro help center, branded app questions, 7 Aug 2026
PayrollPayrollVagaro has it and we do not. Worth knowing what it costs.
Not yet
$34 a monthplus a further monthly charge for each employeeSource: Vagaro help center, plans, pricing and premium features, 7 Aug 2026
APIAPI and webhooksWhether you can connect your own tools.
Included
$10 a monthVagaro lists this as a starting priceSource: Vagaro help center, plans, pricing and premium features, 7 Aug 2026
Their claimWhat Vagaro tells shop owners about extra chargesWorth reading next to the row above it. Both documents are Vagaro's.
One plan price, and the plan page is the whole storyWhat the plan includes is published as a list, and the numbers on it are read live from our billing system.
Its cost guide says everything is included for one price, so you never worry about being charged moreVagaro's help center, published by the same company, then prices the website builder, the chatbot, forms, check-in and texting as separate monthly charges.Source: Vagaro guide, how much does salon software cost, 7 Aug 2026
MarketplaceConsumer marketplace listingA source of new clients that BookingNexa simply does not have.
No marketplaceNobody browses past your page to a competitor, and there is no introduction fee. You do have to bring your own clients.
Yes, at no chargeListed automatically once your profile is complete, and Vagaro also pushes your listing to Google and Apple Maps.Source: Vagaro marketplace page, 7 Aug 2026
AISalon software with an AI receptionist
AI callsAI answers the phonePicks up while you are with a client.
IncludedAnswers around the clock, including nights and weekends.
No voice channelVagaro's AI documentation describes listing page chat and text messages. A live phone call is not among them.Source: Vagaro help center, set up a chatbot with Connect AI, 7 Aug 2026
AI booksAI can make a bookingThe difference between an appointment and a task handed back to the client.
Yes, on the callReads the live calendar, offers real slots, books it, and texts the confirmation.
No. It sends the customer a link to book insteadVagaro states its AI cannot view an employee calendar's availability, schedule a new appointment, or reschedule one.Source: Vagaro help center, set up a chatbot with Connect AI, 7 Aug 2026
AI cancelsAI can cancel a booking
Yes
YesSource: Vagaro help center, set up a chatbot with Connect AI, 7 Aug 2026
AI socialAI answers Instagram and Facebook messagesWhere a lot of beauty and wellness enquiries actually arrive.
IncludedAnswered and booked from the chat, in one inbox with your calls and texts.
Not namedVagaro's chatbot covers its own listing page and text messages. Instagram and Facebook appear nowhere in that documentation.Source: Vagaro help center, set up a chatbot with Connect AI, 7 Aug 2026
AI costWhat the AI costsWhether it is in the plan or another line on the invoice.
In the plan pricePublished as part of the plan, with the monthly call allowance shown as a number.
$10 a monthand its setup article lists a paid text messaging plan as a prerequisiteSource: Vagaro help center, set up a chatbot with Connect AI, 7 Aug 2026
AI meteringDoes the AI consume your messaging allowanceWhether a busy month costs more than a quiet one.
No, calls are their own allowanceThe AI call allowance and the text allowance are separate, and both refill every month.
Yes. Your plan is deducted for each message the AI sends and receivesSource: Vagaro help center, set up a chatbot with Connect AI, 7 Aug 2026
TranscriptsRead back what was said
Included
Not publishedVagaro documents a report showing how many messages the AI handled compared to your employees, but we could not find a full conversation transcript feature described on its AI pages.Checked: Vagaro help center, set up a chatbot with Connect AI, 7 Aug 2026
GrowthVagaro cost per user as the shop grows
StaffTeam members on the plan
Unlimited on this plan, more on higher tiers
One calendar license included, then charged per additional calendarSource: Vagaro help center, plans, pricing and premium features, 7 Aug 2026
LocationsMultiple locations
1 on this plan, more on higher tiers
Yes, and some add-ons are billed again for each locationSource: Vagaro help center, branded app questions, 7 Aug 2026
TextingTexting your clientsConfirmations, reminders and filling a late cancellation.
300 text credits a month, in the planThe allowance refills every month, and you can top up if a month runs hot.
$20 a monththe smallest text plan, charged in credits by message segment, so a longer message costs moreSource: Vagaro help center, activate a text messaging plan, 7 Aug 2026
Text setupHow soon you can start texting
Set up with the rest of your channels
The number goes through an approval review that typically takes at least two business daysText plans are also not available while you are still in the free trial.Source: Vagaro help center, activate a text messaging plan, 7 Aug 2026
EmailEmail marketingVagaro includes a small allowance free, which is worth crediting.
Included
The smallest email plan is free, with larger credit bundles charged monthlySource: Vagaro help center, plans, pricing and premium features, 7 Aug 2026
TermsContracts, data, and where each one works
TrialFree trial
No trial needed, the free plan does not expire
30 days, excluding email marketing, text marketing and the branded appLonger than most trials in this category, which is worth saying.Source: Vagaro pricing page, 7 Aug 2026
CancelCancelling
Cancel anytime
Cancel at any time, for any reason, with no cancellation feeNote that features Vagaro bills forward are still charged for the remainder of that cycle.Source: Vagaro pricing page, 7 Aug 2026
ExportLeaving with your client listWhether your own data comes with you.
Yes, CSV, any timeYour list is yours. Export it whenever you want, with no permission gate.
Not publishedWe could not read a Vagaro page stating what happens to your client list when you close an account, or whether a self-serve export exists. Vagaro's terms and much of its help center block automated readers. Ask them directly before you commit.
HardwareStrings attached to hardware
No hardware to buy and nothing to commit to
A free card reader offer requires keeping the account and its processing active for at least twelve monthsCard readers can also be bought outright at published prices with no commitment.Source: Vagaro payments and hardware page, 7 Aug 2026
Price noticeNotice before a price rise
Your rate is locked while your plan is active
Not publishedVagaro marks its current rate as limited time but we could not read a published notice period before a change. Its terms pages block automated readers.Checked: Vagaro help center, plans, pricing and premium features, 7 Aug 2026
CountriesCountries servedThe first question, and sometimes the only one.
United States and Canada only
United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia, each with its own pricingSource: Vagaro help center, plans, pricing and premium features, 7 Aug 2026
ReviewsWhat merchants say about it
Too new for a meaningful review countWe would rather say that than quote a handful of reviews as a trend.
Not publishedWe did not include review-site summaries here because we could not read them first-hand when compiling this page, and a second-hand characterisation of other people's reviews is not worth much. Vagaro has a long history and a large review footprint, so go and read them.
Scroll sideways to see both columns.
Making the move
How to switch without losing a booking
Setting up takes about 20 minutes. Moving off Vagaro safely takes a couple of weeks, mostly because you should overlap the two rather than cut over in one night.
1
Get your client list out first
Do this while the account is still active, before you cancel anything. Vagaro does not publish what happens to your list after closure on any page we could read, so treat the export as the first job rather than the last one. If you cannot find a self-serve export, ask their support for it in writing.
2
Write down what you are actually paying
Open your invoice, not the pricing page, and list every line. Most shops find two or three add-ons they forgot they switched on. You need that number to compare anything, and you will want it again when you cancel.
3
Rebuild your services and staff in BookingNexa
Upload the client list, then add services, prices, durations and staff hours. This is the part that takes real time and it is worth doing carefully, because your booking page and your AI both read from it.
4
Run both side by side for two weeks
Keep taking bookings on Vagaro while you point new enquiries at BookingNexa. Nothing is at risk. You are just proving the booking page and the AI handle your actual calls before anything depends on them.
5
Move your number, then close the account
Point your business number at BookingNexa so the AI answers it, and switch your Instagram and Facebook links to the new booking page. Let the last Vagaro appointments run out before you cancel, and remember that anything Vagaro bills forward is still charged for the rest of that cycle.
FAQ
Questions people ask about Vagaro
How much does Vagaro really cost per month?
The advertised rate covers one bookable calendar. The real number depends on how many people take appointments and which add-ons you switch on. Vagaro charges per additional employee calendar for up to seven paid licenses, and prices the website builder, the chatbot, forms, the check-in app, online shopping, payroll and texting as separate monthly charges. A single-chair shop that only needs a calendar pays close to the advertised rate. A four-chair shop with a published website, a chatbot and a text plan is paying several times it. The calculator on this page works it out from Vagaro's own published figures.
What is a bookable calendar in Vagaro, and how much is each extra one?
Vagaro defines a bookable calendar as a calendar for an individual who performs services within the business and who needs their own scheduling. In practice that is anyone who takes appointments. One is included in the base subscription and each additional employee calendar is charged monthly for up to seven paid licenses, after which Vagaro says you can add new employees at no additional charge.
What are the Vagaro add-on fees?
Vagaro's help center prices these separately from the subscription: the MySite website builder, the Connect AI chatbot, forms, the check-in app, online shopping, live streaming, the branded app, payroll, the data products and the accounting integrations. Text messaging and email marketing are sold as credit bundles. Its own note also flags several of these as billed forward, meaning you are still charged at the end of the billing cycle no matter when you switch them off.
Does Vagaro have an AI receptionist that answers the phone?
No. Vagaro has an AI chatbot called Connect AI, and its documentation describes it replying to messages on your Vagaro listing page and, if you have a text plan, to text messages sent to your assigned number. There is no voice channel described. If you want something that picks up an actual phone call while you are with a client, that is not what Connect AI is.
Can Vagaro's AI book an appointment?
No, and this is Vagaro's own statement rather than our reading of it. Their documentation says the AI cannot view the availability of an employee's calendar, schedule new appointments, or reschedule appointments, and that it sends the customer a link to book or reschedule instead. It can answer questions about your business and it can cancel an appointment. BookingNexa's receptionist reads the live calendar and completes the booking on the call.
Does Vagaro charge a commission on bookings?
Not on ordinary marketplace bookings in the United States. Vagaro states it charges no booking fees, and your listing goes up at no charge once your profile is complete. That is a real advantage over platforms that take a cut of a new client's first appointment. Its separate Fill My Books promotion tool does carry a booking fee, so check that before you turn it on, but the plain marketplace listing does not.
What is the best Vagaro alternative for a salon?
It depends on which problem is costing you more. If you are losing bookings to a phone nobody can answer and an Instagram inbox nobody has time for, you want an AI that actually completes a booking, and that is what BookingNexa is built around. If you need payroll, inventory, memberships, class booking or medical features in one system today, Vagaro has built those and we have not. If you are outside the United States or Canada, BookingNexa is not an option at all.
Is Vagaro cheaper than BookingNexa?
Sometimes, and we would rather say so than dodge it. Vagaro stops charging for calendars after seven paid licenses, so a large team can land on a lower subscription than ours even after a couple of add-ons. Where it goes the other way is a small or mid-size shop that needs the website, the chatbot and a text plan, because each of those is a separate monthly charge on Vagaro and part of the plan on BookingNexa. Move the sliders on this page and see which one you are.
How do I switch from Vagaro to BookingNexa?
Export your client list first, while the account is still active. Then rebuild your services, prices and staff hours in BookingNexa, run both systems for a couple of weeks so you can see the new booking page and the AI handling real enquiries, and only then move your business number across and close the Vagaro account. Anything Vagaro bills forward will still be charged for the rest of that cycle, so time the cancellation just after a billing date rather than just before one.
Will I lose anything by leaving Vagaro?
Yes, and it is worth being straight about what. You would give up payroll, inventory, memberships, class and course booking, live streaming and buy now pay later, none of which BookingNexa has built. You would also give up a marketplace listing that sends you some traffic at no charge. What you gain is an AI that answers the phone and the DMs and finishes the booking, and a bill that stops growing a line at a time.
Can I import my client list and appointment history?
Yes. Export your clients from your current system as a CSV, then import that file into BookingNexa during setup. Most booking platforms export clients, services, and upcoming appointments. Anything that does not come across cleanly, our team will map for you before you go live.
Is there a contract or a minimum term?
No. Monthly plans cancel any time, and the free forever plan needs no card at all. Yearly plans are prepaid for twelve months at the discounted rate, which is the only commitment we ask for.
Which countries does BookingNexa work in?
The United States and Canada. Phone numbers, calling, and texting are all United States and Canada only right now, so a shop outside those two countries cannot run BookingNexa today. If you operate in another country, pick a platform with coverage there.
How long does it take to set up?
About 20 minutes. Roughly 15 minutes to add your services, hours, and staff, and another 5 minutes to connect your phone number and switch the AI receptionist on. Most shops finish the same day they sign up.
Do I have to take payments through BookingNexa?
No. You can run BookingNexa purely for booking, calls, and messaging, and keep taking payment however you take it today, whether that is your own card terminal, cash, or an existing processor. Card payments and deposits are there when you want them, not a condition of using the software.
Sources
How we checked this
Every Vagaro figure and policy on this page was read on a live Vagaro page on the date shown beside it. Pricing and policies change, and Vagaro marks its current subscription rate as limited time. Check vagaro.com before you make a decision.
All prices quoted are the United States figures. Vagaro publishes different rates for Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia on the same pages, so a Canadian reader should expect different numbers.
Vagaro blocks automated readers on much of its site, including its main pricing page, its terms and large parts of its help center. The figures here were read from full-page captures of those pages rather than fetched. We have cited the page each one came from so any claim stays checkable.
Nothing on this page rests on a third-party publisher. Several review sites and pricing round-ups disagree with Vagaro's own documentation on the base rate and on where the per-calendar charge stops, so we used Vagaro's figures and left the others out.
Some things were left out on purpose because we could not verify them: what happens to your client list after an account closes, whether a self-serve export exists, any notice period before a price change, and whether inventory, memberships and class booking are included or charged. Where a row on this page says a figure is not published, that is why.
We did not summarise merchant reviews here. Vagaro has a long history and a large review footprint, and a second-hand characterisation of other people's reviews would add nothing you cannot get better by reading them yourself.
BookingNexa prices and plan limits on this page are read live from our own billing system every time the page loads, so they are current by construction.
Every source cited on this page
1. Vagaro guide, how much does salon software cost(Vagaro's own page, published 16 October 2025, checked 7 August 2026)https://www.vagaro.com/learn/how-much-does-salon-software-cost
2. Vagaro help center, activate a text messaging plan(Vagaro's own page, checked 7 August 2026)https://support.vagaro.com/hc/en-us/articles/360037699033-Activate-a-Text-Messaging-Plan
3. Vagaro help center, branded app questions(Vagaro's own page, checked 7 August 2026)https://support.vagaro.com/hc/en-us/articles/33684183437083-Branded-App-FAQs
4. Vagaro help center, MySite pricing(Vagaro's own page, checked 7 August 2026)https://support.vagaro.com/hc/en-us/articles/26688722409243-Vagaro-MySite-Pricing
5. Vagaro help center, plans, pricing and premium features(Vagaro's own page, checked 7 August 2026)https://support.vagaro.com/hc/en-us/articles/22781768988187-Vagaro-Plans-Pricing-and-Premium-Features
6. Vagaro help center, set up a chatbot with Connect AI(Vagaro's own page, checked 7 August 2026)https://support.vagaro.com/hc/en-us/articles/31806231306779-Set-Up-A-Chatbot-for-Your-Business-with-Connect-AI
7. Vagaro marketplace page(Vagaro's own page, checked 7 August 2026)https://www.vagaro.com/pro/marketplace
8. Vagaro payments and hardware page(Vagaro's own page, checked 7 August 2026)https://www.vagaro.com/pro/pos
9. Vagaro pricing page(Vagaro's own page, checked 7 August 2026)https://www.vagaro.com/pro/pricing
Vagaro is a trademark of its respective owner. BookingNexa is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Vagaro. This comparison is published by BookingNexa.