Vagaro Pricing 2026: Per-Calendar Fees and Add-Ons vs Primzy

Quick answer: Vagaro lists $30 a month ($23.99 for the first six months), plus $10 per extra calendar and paid add-ons such as Forms and text plans. Primzy is $40 for one pro; teams use Salon mode, $60 plus $5 per employee. On subscription alone, Vagaro is cheaper at every team size through twelve except seven, where the two tie at $90 each.

Updated October 2026. Prices change often, so confirm every figure on each vendor's site before you decide. This is not tax or legal advice.

Vagaro is a full salon and spa platform, and a good one. The question for an independent pro is what the bill looks like once you add people and the extras you actually use. The older version of this post leaned on a third-party blog for Vagaro's add-on prices and marketplace fee, and several of those numbers do not match Vagaro's own pages. We rebuilt it from Vagaro's pricing page and support articles, checked the arithmetic in Python, and corrected the three-person comparison.

The audience is large. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists 48% of hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists and 29% of skincare specialists as self-employed (hairstylists page and skincare specialists page, both modified August 27, 2026). For them, the software bill is a personal expense.

How Vagaro Pricing Works

Everything below comes from Vagaro's US pricing page (accessed October 12, 2026) and its Plans, Pricing, and Premium Features support article (October 12, 2026), unless we say otherwise. Vagaro's pricing page blocks automated checks, so confirm the add-on prices (Forms, text plans, MySite, payroll) and the free-trial length on Vagaro's page before you decide.

Subscription. One location with one calendar is $23.99 a month, shown against a struck-through $30, as an "exclusive rate for the first 6 months." Each additional bookable calendar is $10 a month, up to seven licenses. After seven, extra employees cost nothing. Vagaro says you can cancel anytime with no cancellation fees, with exclusions.

What the base covers. Vagaro's base subscription article (updated July 1, 2026) lists online booking rules and a booking widget, notifications and reminders by text or email, a waitlist, memberships, packages, SOAP notes, HIPAA compliance, timecards, payroll reporting, inventory, and a mobile app. The pricing page adds "calendar & resource management" under features included with every plan, plus 1,000 free emails a month.

Paid add-ons. Forms are $10 a month. Text plans start at $20 a month for 1,000 credits, then $0.030 per extra credit, and a Medium email plan of 5,000 emails is $10. MySite websites are $20 a month, and a custom website design is a $299 one-time charge. The Branded App is $100 a month as a limited-time price, with a one-time $100 development fee. Payroll is $34 a month plus $5 per employee. Vagaro also says several add-ons, including text and email marketing and payroll, are billed forward through the end of the cycle even if you deactivate them.

Card processing. On the small-merchant plan (under $4,000 a month), Vagaro lists 2.6% + $0.10 for swipe, dip, or tap, and 3.5% + $0.19 for keyed-in payments. Larger merchants pay 2.29% + $0.19 for swipe plus a $10 monthly fee. Monthly network fees apply. Koalendar (June 26, 2026), a competitor's source, reports $0.30 on keyed-in payments, and Pabau (September 24, 2026), also a competitor, reports $0.19. Vagaro's page is the one to trust.

Marketplace. Vagaro's marketplace page (accessed October 12, 2026) calls the listing free with "$0 booking fees," and the support article lists the US marketplace fee as free. But Vagaro's opt-in promotion tools do charge. Per its support articles on Get Featured (October 12, 2026) and changes to Get Featured and Daily Deals (July 15, 2026), Fill My Books and Daily Deals bookings carry 20% for a new customer (Vagaro also lists a lower rate for an existing customer, which we could not re-confirm), collected as a deposit at booking, and you turn them on yourself.

Where the old numbers came from. SlotCut (April 9, 2026), a competing scheduler, reported a 1% marketplace fee, a $10 Online Booking add-on, and a $50 branded app, and its own text and FAQ disagree with each other. PickStack (February 23, 2026) reported an $85 cap, where Vagaro's page implies $90 at seven calendars. We use Vagaro's pages.

Primzy's side: $40 a month for one pro is not shown here again, so here is the rest. A team uses Salon mode at $60 a month plus $5 a month per employee seat. We charge 0% commission on bookings through your own shared link and on every repeat booking. Primzy also runs a local discovery marketplace, with a one-time 15% commission on a brand-new client's first booking found there. Card processing fees are paid by your clients at checkout, so they cost you $0. There is a 30-day free trial, no card needed.

A Note on Our Marketplace and the 15%

Primzy runs a local client discovery marketplace. A one-time 15% commission applies to a brand-new client's first booking found there, and only when that client discovered the pro through the marketplace. Repeat clients and bookings through your own shared link stay at 0%. Vagaro's comparable tool is its opt-in Fill My Books and Daily Deals programs above.

Comparison Table

	Primzy	Vagaro
Solo price	$40/month	$30/month ($23.99 for the first 6 months)
Each added person	$5/month per employee, on a $60 Salon mode base	$10/month per calendar, up to 7 licenses
Commission on your own clients	0% via shared link	None listed on direct bookings
New-client marketplace	Live; one-time 15% of a new client's first marketplace booking	Free listing; opt-in tools charge 20% on new customers
Card processing	$0 to the pro (clients pay at checkout)	2.6% + $0.10 to 3.5% + $0.19 (small merchant)
Reminders	Unlimited confirmation and reminder texts	Unlimited notifications and reminders
Marketing texts	500 texts a month included, $5 per 250 extra	From $20/month for 1,000 credits
Forms	Intake forms, attached per service and e-signed	$10/month add-on
Website	Website customization and Beauty Boards	MySite $20/month
Packages and memberships	We do not claim them here; confirm on our features page	Listed in the base subscription
Payroll and timecards	We do not claim them	Timecards in base; payroll $34 + $5/employee

Real Numbers: Subscription by Team Size

Assumption: each person is one bookable calendar on Vagaro and one person on Primzy (the owner plus employees, in Salon mode), using Vagaro's regular $30 base. This is subscription only, before processing, forms, texts, or any marketplace tools.

People	Vagaro regular	Vagaro promo (6 months)	Primzy	Cheaper on subscription
1	$30	$23.99	$40	Vagaro by $10.00
2	$40	$33.99	$65	Vagaro by $25.00
3	$50	$43.99	$70	Vagaro by $20.00
4	$60	$53.99	$75	Vagaro by $15.00
5	$70	$63.99	$80	Vagaro by $10.00
7	$90	$83.99	$90	Tie (Vagaro by $6.01 on promo)
10	$90	$83.99	$105	Vagaro by $15.00
12	$90	$83.99	$115	Vagaro by $25.00

The pattern: Vagaro's $10 per calendar stops at seven licenses, while our $5 per seat does not stop, but our Salon mode starts at a $60 base against Vagaro's $30. The two tie at seven people ($90 each), and past seven Vagaro stays at $90 while Primzy adds $5 per employee.

Correcting the Three-Person Comparison

The earlier version of this post said Primzy came out cheaper for the same three-person team after counting three add-ons at SlotCut's prices. With Vagaro's current prices the picture is different. A three-person team pays $30 + $10 + $10 = $50 on Vagaro and $60 + $5 + $5 = $70 on Primzy (Salon mode), so Vagaro is $20 cheaper on subscription. On Vagaro's promo, that team pays $43.99 for six months and Vagaro is $26.01 cheaper.

Add-ons are where the two diverge, and only for things you use. Assume that three-person team wants 1,000 marketing texts a month, with one text equal to one credit on both. Vagaro's Small text plan is $20, so $70 in total. On Primzy that is 500 texts included plus two $5 packs of 250, so $10 for texts and $80 in total, against Vagaro's $70. If the team wants only reminders, Vagaro's are unlimited and so are ours, and the difference is zero. Vagaro's Forms add-on is $10, while Primzy has intake forms you attach to a service, e-signed by the client, with no legal-compliance claim.

Real Numbers: Card Processing, Separately

Processing is its own bill. Assume a solo pro takes $4,000 a month in 50 payments. On Vagaro's small-merchant rates, keyed-in payments at 3.5% + $0.19 cost $149.50, and swipe, dip, or tap at 2.6% + $0.10 cost $109.00. Mixed volume lands in between. On Primzy your clients pay the card fee at checkout, so for the pro it is $0, against $109.00 to $149.50 a month on Vagaro's published rates in this example; ask every other platform what the card rate is and who pays it. With processing counted, a solo pro's total on these assumptions is $40 on Primzy against $139.00 to $179.50 on Vagaro, so a $10 subscription gap is small beside this line.

If you opt in to Vagaro's Fill My Books, add 20% of a new customer's first booking. Three new customers at $80 would be $48 for the month. That is advertising, and it works only while Vagaro sends you clients.

What Vagaro Users Say

Vagaro shows 4.7 out of 5 from 3,676 reviews on Capterra (updated September 28, 2026). Capterra reviewers praise support in many cases and cite add-on features, processing fees, and monthly costs as high or adding up. Vagaro's own article says several add-ons are billed forward through the end of the cycle even if you deactivate them, so read the cancellation terms before you turn anything on.

Where Vagaro Pulls Ahead

Price at nearly every team size. On the regular rate Vagaro is $10 cheaper solo, $25 cheaper with two, and cheaper at every size through twelve except seven, where we tie at $90. The promo widens that.

Breadth in the base. Packages, memberships, SOAP notes, HIPAA compliance, timecards, inventory, and resource management are listed in the base or on every plan. We do not claim packages, memberships, timecards, or payroll.

A free marketplace listing. Vagaro's listing carries no booking fee, while Primzy charges a one-time 15% on a new client's first booking found in its marketplace.

Large teams. Past seven people the license cap keeps Vagaro at $90 while Primzy adds $5 per employee ($105 for ten, $115 for twelve).

Walk-ins and waitlists. Vagaro's nail salon page describes walk-in management with a waitlist. We have a walk-in queue with text notifications, and shops that run heavily on walk-ins should test both.

When Primzy Is Not the Best Fit

We would rather you pick the right tool.

Subscription price decides it. Vagaro is $5 to $25 cheaper a month at every size from one to twelve except seven, where we tie, and more on the promo.

You need payroll or timecards inside the booking software. Vagaro lists timecards in the base and payroll at $34 plus $5 per employee. We do not claim payroll or a time clock.

You sell packages or memberships. Vagaro lists both. Confirm ours with us first.

You run seven or more people. Vagaro's cap keeps its subscription at $90 while ours keeps growing.

You want a free-listing marketplace. Vagaro has one. Ours charges a one-time 15% on a new client's first booking there.

What Primzy Adds

The base $40 includes Growth Studio marketing tools, a cancellation waitlist, and unlimited confirmation and reminder texts, with 500 marketing texts a month. The client CRM keeps private notes, a formula library linked to clients, client photos, a Beauty Passport, and direct messaging. Booking history and reports export to CSV; there is no client-list export. Smart Analytics adds a receipt expense reader and a take-home simulator.

Around the software sit forums, Beauty Journals, and the Professional Freedom Grant. Clients book without an account, get SMS, email, and in-app notifications, and see custom service disclaimers on the booking page. Salon Workspace, in Salon mode at $60 a month plus $5 per employee seat, adds multi-staff calendars, per-employee conflict detection, and inventory with usage logging and low-stock alerts. For the full picture, read how it works.

Before You Switch

The Federal Trade Commission advises reading the terms before any trial or auto-renewal, noting how and when to cancel, and watching statements for unexpected charges (FTC Consumer Advice, last modified December 9, 2025). Vagaro's billed-forward add-ons make that advice concrete: list every add-on you pay for, and turn each off before you cancel. The Small Business Administration's software checklist favors month-to-month plans so you are not locked in (SBA, June 26, 2018), a dated but sound rule. Export your client list, text your regulars the new link, and keep the old calendar open until every future appointment has moved.

How to Choose

If your biggest issue is the lowest subscription bill: Choose Vagaro, and use the first-six-months rate if it is still offered. It is cheaper at every team size through twelve except seven, where we tie.

If your biggest issue is card fees on a team: On Primzy your clients pay the card fee, so create your Primzy account and compare the full total, subscription plus card fees, with your current Vagaro bill.

If your biggest issue is add-on creep: Add up every Vagaro line, including Forms, text plans, and a website, and compare the sum with $40, or with $60 plus $5 per employee seat for a team.

If your biggest issue is payroll or timecards: Look at Vagaro first, since we do not claim them.

If your biggest issue is card fees: Ask Vagaro for its rate and who pays it before you compare subscriptions; on Primzy your clients pay the card fee at checkout.

Primzy is a beauty booking platform, CRM, and career investment community built exclusively for independent beauty professionals.

Ready to try it? Get started on Primzy. We built it so a pro keeps every dollar from the regulars she already has.

Related Reading

• Best booking software for nail techs: pedicure chairs, deposits, and records.
• True cost of 7 booking platforms: where flat fees beat percentages.
• Primzy vs Fresha pricing: the same team-size math against Fresha.

Sources

• Primzy, "Pricing" (accessed October 12, 2026)
• Primzy, "Features" (accessed October 12, 2026)
• Vagaro, "US Pricing" (accessed October 12, 2026), vendor-sourced
• Vagaro Support, "Vagaro Plans, Pricing, and Premium Features" (October 12, 2026), vendor-sourced
• Vagaro Support, "Vagaro Features Included in Your Base Subscription" (updated July 1, 2026), vendor-sourced
• Vagaro, "Marketplace" (accessed October 12, 2026), vendor-sourced
• Vagaro Support, "Get Featured on the Vagaro Marketplace" (October 12, 2026), vendor-sourced
• Vagaro Support, "Changes to Get Featured and Daily Deals" (July 15, 2026), vendor-sourced
• Vagaro, "Nail Salon Management Software" (accessed October 12, 2026), vendor-sourced
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Barbers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists," Occupational Outlook Handbook (page modified August 27, 2026)
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Skincare Specialists," Occupational Outlook Handbook (page modified August 27, 2026)
• Federal Trade Commission, "Getting In and Out of Free Trials, Auto-Renewals, and Negative Option Subscriptions" (last modified December 9, 2025)
• U.S. Small Business Administration, "Checklist for Choosing Business Software" (June 26, 2018)
• Capterra, "Vagaro reviews" (updated September 28, 2026), reviewer-reported
• Koalendar, "Vagaro Pricing" (updated June 26, 2026), competitor-sourced
• Pabau, "Vagaro Pricing 2026" (updated September 24, 2026), competitor-sourced
• SlotCut, "Vagaro Pricing 2026" (April 9, 2026), competitor-sourced
• PickStack, "Vagaro Pricing 2026" (February 23, 2026), third-party