What's the best software for a hair salon in 2026?

GlossGenius is built for the stylist who runs the business from a phone. Standard costs $28 a month, or $24 when billed annually. Gold is $56 ($48 annually) and Platinum $168 ($148). Those plans include your booking site, the calendar, text reminders and checkout, and the price doesn't climb with every booking.

Payments are where it stands out. Its FAQ publishes an in-person card rate of 2.4% + 15¢, lower than Square's free plan at 2.6% + 15¢. On $6,000 of card sales a month, that gap is about $12 in your pocket every month. Online invoices cost 2.9% + 30¢, and instant payouts 1.8% if you need the cash the same day.

Deposits and cancellation fees are the reason many solo stylists switch. A two-hour balayage that turns into a no-show is a lost afternoon. Taking a deposit at booking turns that afternoon into at least part of a paycheck.

The limit is size. Independent comparisons note that GlossGenius is designed for solos and small teams, while Vagaro tends to handle teams of three or more better. If you manage commission splits for a large staff, you'll feel the ceiling.

Tip: pick annual billing only after one full month on monthly. At $24 instead of $28, you save $48 a year on Standard, which isn't worth being locked in if the app doesn't fit how you book.

Vagaro prices by calendar, which is the fairest way for a salon that adds chairs. One location costs $30 a month, and each extra calendar adds $10, and after seven licenses, extra employees cost nothing. A three-stylist salon pays $50 a month; a six-stylist salon pays $80. That's lower than GlossGenius Gold for a team, and far below Boulevard.

The calendar is the strong point. Each stylist has their own book, clients book online through your booking page, and reminders go out without anyone at the front desk. Independent comparisons say the team tools are where Vagaro pulls ahead for salons of three or more.

The weak spot is the card rate. Vagaro's pricing page doesn't print one. Ask for it in writing before you move your payments, and compare it to the 2.4% + 15¢ GlossGenius publishes. On $15,000 of monthly card sales, every 0.1 point is $15 a month.

Vagaro also sells add-ons on top of the subscription. Add them up before you sign. List the add-ons you need before you compare.

Tip: introductory discounts come and go on the pricing page, so budget on the regular $30 rate. And set up one calendar per chair, not per person, if you have part-time stylists who share a station.

Square is the one platform here you can start and leave without signing anything. Its Free plan costs $0 a month and charges 2.6% + 15¢ per in-person payment and 3.3% + 30¢ online. Square states it has no long-term contract on any plan. For a barbershop full of walk-ins, that's often all you need on day one.

The paid plans are priced per location: Plus at $49 a month and Premium at $149. They lower the card rate a little and add features, but on rate alone Plus only pays for itself at high card volume. Below that, you upgrade for features, not to save on fees.

For bookings, Square Appointments starts free: online booking and automatic reminders come with the Free plan. Cancellation and no-show fees need Plus, at $49 a month per location. Square sits third because its card rate is higher than GlossGenius and it has no salon-specific tools like color formulas.

The recurring complaint in merchant reviews is held payouts: payments put under review and accounts frozen with little explanation. Keep enough cash aside to cover rent and product orders for a couple of weeks.

Tip: compare your effective rate. At 2.6% + 15¢ on a $40 cut, you pay about $1.19; at GlossGenius's 2.4% + 15¢, about $1.11. On 400 cuts a month, that's roughly $32.

Fresha has the lowest subscription on this list. Independent costs $19.95 a month for one member, and Team costs $14.95 per member. A three-stylist salon pays $44.85; a six-stylist salon $89.70. Prices exclude sales tax. Repeat clients don't cost anything extra.

The catch is the new-client fee. When someone finds you through the Fresha marketplace and books for the first time, Fresha takes 20% of that first appointment, with a $6 minimum. On a $150 color, that's $30. On a $25 beard trim, it's still $6. If the marketplace brings you five new color clients a month, the fees outweigh the subscription.

Card rates are published: 2.29% + $0.20 in person and 2.79% + $0.20 online. Klarna costs 5.99% + $0.30, and terminals start at $139. That transparency is a real plus next to vendors who quote rates only on a call.

Fresha's search reputation as "free" is out of date. Plan on the subscription, then add the marketplace fees you expect.

Tip: send your existing clients your own booking link, not the marketplace profile. The 20% only applies to new clients who come through the marketplace, so your regulars should never trigger it.

Boulevard is the premium option. Essentials costs $143 a month per location for up to five providers, Premier $293 and Prestige $410, with Enterprise on quote. Those are the regular prices; limited-time offers appear on the page, so budget on these.

What you pay for is depth: a calendar built for a busy front desk, client profiles that carry formulas and preferences, and reporting a multi-location owner can actually use. That's what a group with several locations and a busy desk pays for.

The limits are price and processing. A two-chair studio pays $143 a month on Essentials, nearly five times GlossGenius Standard. And Boulevard gives its card rate only during a demo, so you can't compare the full bill online.

Watch the step up: Essentials covers up to five providers, and the next plan listed is Premier at $293. Ask which plan your exact team needs.

Tip: ask for the processing rate, the contract length and the price of your exact provider count in writing at the end of the demo. Then put it next to Vagaro and GlossGenius at the same size.