Both Fresha and Vagaro are great platforms to help you run the day-to-day operations of your salon business. But, like with every tool out there, they have their pros and cons. What makes both Fresha and Vagaro stand out is they both have a marketplace where potential clients can find beauty professionals and book appointments with them — aka book appointments with you.

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Being apart of a marketplace is a great salon marketing strategy to help you grow your clientele. But, saying both of them are great is not a helpful answer. And I know you came here to learn the difference betweens them.

Well, in this article, we’ll go over some of the top features, pros and cons, and real customer reviews of both platforms. We’ll also introduce an alternative to both if you feel you need something a little more. Spoiler alert: that alternative is GlossGenius!

But, we don’t want to be biased. So, let’s take an honest look at Fresha vs Vagaro.

Brief Overview of Fresha vs Vagaro

Fresha and Vagaro are two of the most popular software platforms for salons, spas, fitness, and other wellness businesses. Each has their own strengths and weaknesses.

Fresha has a modern and user-friendly interface, is compatible with different apps, and has a free basic plan. But, there is a 20% fee charged for new clients acquired through Fresha's marketplace.

On the flip side, Vagaro is a popular and affordable platform (starts at $30 per month) that gives you most of the basic features you need to run a salon – appointment bookings, payment tools, and notifications for clients. Its main drawbacks are its somewhat outdated appearance compared to Fresha and fewer integration options.

Ultimately, the best choice depends on your salon's specific needs. If you prioritize a modern platform and don't mind paying a fee for new clients, Fresha may be the way to go. On the other hand, if cost-effectiveness is your top concern and you already have a stable client base, Vagaro could be the better fit.

It's also important to keep in mind that Fresha and Vagaro are not the only options available. So, if you want to be certain you’ll pick the right choice for your particular needs, it’s worthwhile to also look into other salon platforms such as GlossGenius (starts at just $24 per month).

Fresha vs Vagaro: Top Features Comparison

When choosing a salon management platform, it's important to compare their core features (and complementary features). Let’s take a closer look at some of these features for Fresha and Vagaro.

Appointment Booking Features

Appointment booking is a core function of any salon management software. Let's see how Fresha and Vagaro stack up in this area.

Fresha

You can use Fresha’s free basic plan for appointment bookings. The Calendar feature is very simple and easy to use and includes additional features like service tracking, appointment editing, and more. But, more complex features, such as booking web page customization, are either paid add-ons or aren’t available on Fresha.

For comparison, other platforms, such as Vagaro or GlossGenius offer quite a lot more customization. GlossGenius is a particularly good example, as its calendar scheduling app includes things such as color coding options, personalized gap (rest) time appointments, waitlists, and more.

Vagaro

Vagaro offers a fully customizable and online booking system. With it, your clients will be able to schedule their own classes and appointments from anywhere they want and at any time. Clients can use your website or a mobile app that’s personally branded for your business. You can customize the booking system in various ways – to save credit cards on file when holding online appointments, show your cancellation policy, set lead times however is convenient for you, and more.

Website builder feature

Having a professional website is essential for any salon looking to establish a strong online presence. Let's compare the website building capabilities of Fresha and Vagaro.

Fresha

You can use Fresha to build an online store in minutes through the settings in your Fresha online profile. This functionality is merely for a Fresha online store, however, and not for an entire proper website, let alone a branded website separate from Fresha. This is contrasted by Vagaro and other platforms, such as GlossGenius, which allow for much more customization tools and a proper website builder.

Vagaro

Vagaro’s website builder gives you a large database of free website templates to choose from, it has a custom brand logo creation tool, and integration with your appointment creation, online store, and shopping cart. The site will still be under Vagaro’s brand, however, whereas a platform like GlossGenius helps its clients create fully personalized and customized brand websites.

Marketing tools

Effective marketing is really important for attracting new clients and retaining existing ones. Let's explore the marketing tools offered by Fresha and Vagaro.

Fresha

Fresha does offer various add-on tools to help boost your marketing – auto campaigns, “blast” email and text messaging campaigns, and client notifications. You can also create and share discount codes, set up seasonal offers, or create one-off codes for attracting new customers.

Vagaro

Vagaro offers a good selection of email marketing tools and various other automated marketing tools. Vagaro also offers social media integration, a “Get Featured” business option if you want Vagaro to boost your visibility, as well as various daily promotional deals. Many of these features are paid add-ons, however, just as is the case on Fresha. Instead, a platform like GlossGenius offers lots of free marketing features, such as email marketing, text blasts, and social media connections.

Notifications for No-Shows

No-shows can be a significant problem for salons, leading to lost revenue and wasted time. Let's see how Fresha and Vagaro handle notifications for no-shows.

Fresha

Currently, Fresha doesn’t seem to have a no-show notification method, neither via email nor via text messaging. This is an often-frustrating absence, as the lack of no-show notifications leads to missed opportunities for clients. But, there is a cancellation policy feature you can set up that would help filter out clients you aren’t serious about your time. Platforms such as Vagaro or GlossGenius have had solutions for no-shows for quite some time, with GlossGenius even having an all-in-one no-show protection stack system.

Vagaro

Vagaro has a built-in appointment reminder system to its calendar both through email and SMS. This helps reduce no-shows, plus there is also a “Cancel” and “No Show” options in the Status field on the appointment calendar.

Payments and Point of Sale (POS) System

A reliable payment and POS system is essential for smooth salon operations. Let's compare the payment and POS features offered by Fresha and Vagaro.

Fresha

With Fresha, you can use various payment methods such as card terminals, cash, vouchers, and payment links. There is also a split payment option. Fresha payment processing isn’t available in that many countries, however, so that’s something you’d want to look into ahead of time. Additionally, as a “subscription-free” platform, Fresha does charge extra per payment, so it’s important to consider the scale and volume of your business – it’s 2.29% of the transaction plus $0.20 for each subsequent transaction and a 20% one-time commission for every new customer.

Vagaro

Vagaro’s POS features allow clients to work with gift certificates, various products and packages, both online and through the Vagaro mobile app. While Vagaro charges less per payment compared to Fresha (2.75% for small merchants and 3.5% + 15 cents per keyed-in or non-qualified transaction), these fees are still outshone by the even lower flat 2.6% of platforms like GlossGenius.

Loyalty Programs

Loyalty programs are a great way to reward your most dedicated clients and encourage repeat business. Let's see how Fresha and Vagaro approach customer loyalty.

Fresha

Auto campaigns are Fresha’s go-to option for rewarding loyal customers. As an automated feature, they don’t require too much effort too. The use of exclusive discount codes can also be seen as a loyalty reward, and there is a VIP event functionality too. All in all, however, there isn’t much in the way of a traditional customer loyalty program.

Vagaro

Customers at Vagaro can collect points for any purchase they make. These points can then be used to redeem items and services. While this is a more typical kind of loyalty reward program compared to what Fresha offers, however, the point accumulation system isn’t all that fast, which means you’d also likely want to occasionally use Vagaro’s discount codes and gift cards too.

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Reporting and Analytics

Reporting and analytics are crucial for understanding your salon's performance, identifying areas for improvement, and making data-driven decisions. Let's look at the reporting and analytics capabilities of Fresha and Vagaro.

Fresha

Fresha offers a rather extensive list of tools for reporting and analytics. There is a sales data tracking system, an inventory management tool, staff performance reports, financial performance details, customer retention data, and general marketing performance and planning analytics. Some of these can be lacking in details a bit, particularly when it comes to marketing performance, but this is a rather comprehensive set of reporting and analytics tools.

Vagaro

Vagaro has a similarly extensive reporting and analytics system, and it offers a fair bit more customization too. Vagaro’s dashboard offers reports on everything from inventory management, staff performance, payrolls, and taxes, to financial and marketing reports, client retention, and general sales data.

The dashboard can be synced to Xero or QuickBooks too, and it can be accessed from any device. Some customers have reported gaps in the staff performance analytics, and the Vagaro dashboard can appear too busy and chaotic at times. Compared to a faster and more streamlined platform such as GlossGenius, Vagaro’s reporting and analytics system is good, but can still be improved.

Fresha vs Vagaro: Use Cases Comparison

When considering which platform to choose, it's important to consider how well they cater to your specific business needs. Let's explore some common use cases for Fresha and Vagaro.

Fresha

Fresha offers a range of features that make it an attractive option for certain types of businesses.

Personal trainers

Thanks to Fresha’s free basic plan, the platform is great for personal trainers and personal fitness studios. The combination of payment processing, appointment scheduling, POS, reporting and analytics tools, and marketing promotions in Fresha’s free plan all make it very convenient for personal trainers who can usually use the platform with minimum need for its paid add-ons. 

Small businesses

Other small businesses, such as beauty salons and spas of a certain size, can also benefit greatly from Fresha’s free basic plan. Any small beauty salon that merely needs a simple-to-use appointment calendar can easily benefit from Fresha’s 100% subscription-free model. 

Vagaro

Vagaro's features and pricing structure make it better suited for certain types of businesses.

Beauty salons

Larger beauty salons looking to offer more comprehensive services or to establish a firmer online presence will usually prefer Vagaro over Fresha. While the latter has a subscription-free plan, once you start looking into the paid add-ons, Vagaro’s pricing system becomes more worthwhile with every additional feature you use. 

Spas

Spas tend to more often rely on online booking solutions and automated seasonal marketing campaigns. This makes Vagaro a better choice, as many of the related features for such uses cases tend to become costlier with Fresha’s paid add-ons. Third-party integration for platforms such as Google Calendar, Facebook, or QuickBooks is also very useful for spas. 

Fresha vs Vagaro: Pricing Comparison

When deciding between Fresha vs Vagaro, it's important to consider their pricing structures and how they align with your budget and business needs. Let's take a closer look at the costs associated with each platform.

Fresha’s Pricing

Fresha offers a unique pricing model that can be attractive to businesses looking to minimize upfront costs.

• Free basic plan
• Additional one-time 20% sales fee for every new customer
• Paid add-on features add up rather quickly, which still gives Fresha a worse price/feature ratio compared to other platforms, such as GlossGenius

Vagaro’s Pricing

Vagaro's pricing model is more traditional, with a monthly subscription fee based on the number of users.

• Free trial
• One user: $30 per month month
• Additional $10 for every extra user – $40/month for two users, $50/month for three users, and so on
• Extra paid add-ons

Looking for something more affordable? Check out GlossGenius’ pricing options – starting at just $24 per month (with a, no credit card required, free trial).

Fresha vs Vagaro: Pros and Cons Comparison

This is the part you probably care most about. To make the right decision between Fresha and Vagaro, it's essential to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each platform. Let's explore the pros and cons of both Vagaro vs Fresha.

Pros and Cons of Fresha

Fresha offers several notable benefits that can be attractive to businesses. Let’s take a look at the advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages

Here are some of the pros of using Fresha:

• Low card transaction fees
• No limitations on the bookings and staff
• No monthly fees
• SMS, email campaigns, and other marketing features
• Order management and inventory features built-in for both online and in-person sales

Disadvantages

Fresha notably lacks certain key business integrations such as chat messaging, payroll, group booking, and accounting. Customer support is also rather limited as it only operates via emails and between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. These types of issues aren’t always deal-breakers, as the need for them depends on each salon’s specific needs. Nevertheless, other platforms such as Vagaro or GlossGenius lack most of these problems which is a major advantage.

Pros and Cons of Vagaro

Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of using Vagaro for your salon.

Advantages

Here are some of the advantages of Vagaro:

• Various flexible POS features
• Reasonable pricing
• Payroll and attendance processing tools
• Users can create custom Vagaro-hosted websites
• Automated built-in appointment reminders
• Client management tools for keeping track of client histories

Disadvantages

There have been reports of problems with the checkout process and the payment processes. The loyalty program solutions, as well as the SMS messaging features can benefit from some refinement, and there are the occasional glitches and downtime.

Also, the single-calender model combined with scalable pricing can end up being rather pricey for growing businesses, even if it seems affordable in the initial stages. This isn’t true for other salon platforms, such as GlossGenius, which have no added costs for adding more employees to the platform.

The pricing issues for growing businesses become especially significant when you consider that many vital add-on features cost extra.

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Fresha vs Vagaro: Customer Support Comparison

Customer support is super important when it comes to using a platform that manages your entire business. When something goes wrong, it can hurt your ability to show up for your clients. Let’s look at how both platforms manage their customer support operations.

Fresha Customer Support

Fresha’s customer support is unfortunately quite limited compared to other platforms such as Vagaro or GlossGenius – it’s only available by email and only between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. However, they do have a help center and a customer support contact that you can send an email to at any time.

Vagaro Customer Support

Vagaro’s customer support is available 24/7 via email, chat, or phone, in addition to the abundance of articles and webinars provided. However, sales support isn’t exactly 24/7, as it operates between Sunday 8 a.m. and Saturday 1 a.m.

Fresha vs Vagaro: User Reviews and Testimonials

It’s important to take online reviews with a grain of salt. But, they can help guide a general direction on legitimacy of a given platform. Let’s take a look at some online reviews from both Vagaro and Fresha.

Fresha

Here are what real customers have to say about Fresha:

• G2: 4.2/5 star rating (from +3 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.9/5 star rating (from +1,391 reviews)

Positive Feedback

The vast majority of the positive reviews seem to circle around how easy the system is to get into and use. Fresha’s account manager feature is also garnering many positive reviews even though it's an add-on you need to pay extra for.

“Exceptional. There hardly ever is an issue with the app, but when there is, the turnaround on client service enquiry is just a little slow. Happy nonetheless. I have worked with many POS systems and this is by far my favorite one. The fact that I can manage everything from my phone is a massive bonus! Easy to use and the developers have really thought of every aspect of running a beauty business. Thank you Fresha!”

Criticisms of Fresha

Clients from particular niches such as massage therapy, tend to complain that not all of the platform’s features are suitable for their needs. Also, Fresha’s sub-par customer support also gets a few complaints.

Vagaro

Here are what real customers have to say about Vagaro:

• G2: 4.4/5 star rating (from +142 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7/5 star rating (from +3,358 reviews)

Positive Feedback

Most users seem to like Vagaro’s ease of use and the flexibility of its POS features, custom Vagaro-hosted websites, and client management tools. One user on G2 described their experience as such:

“I switched from Square to Vagaro. Way more options than Square and their memberships are easy to use. I like that I can chose a color for each service. I have employees and renters- I love that I can collect rent. Much easier for keeping track of everything. I’ve called customer service a few times and I never have to wait long for someone to answer and they are always friendly and helpful. Integration was also very easy and happened over night.”

Criticisms of Vagaro

A common complaint seems to be that Vagaro’s site integration is only free once, and subsequent integrations cost $150. Some people also note that the app’s design isn’t as user-friendly and intuitive as they have expected, especially compared to other platforms such as GlossGenius.

Conclusion

Different salon software platforms have their pros and cons, depending not only on the platform itself, but on the specific needs of your business. Overall, Fresha and Vagaro are two of the most famous software platforms today for numerous different reasons, but both of them are often outperformed by other newer or more niche salon platforms on the market.

Either way, we hope this guide was helpful and you learned something from it. Remember that these software tools aren’t everything. At the end of the day, the quality of your services is what matters and keeps your clients happy. And happy clients are your best marketers because they’ll spread the word about your services to their friends, family, and colleagues.

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These salon management tools are essential for running the operations of your business, but only after you’re able to offer exceptional services. With that, we’re rooting for you to create the best salon in your area!