Phorest Alternatives

Vagaro

Free trial

9.1 /10

Vagaro is the transparent category-leading salon/spa management platform with cheapest base tier + comprehensive add-on ecosystem. Standard $23.99/month (single location) or $30/month (multiple locations) with 1 bookable calendar + customizable calendar + waitlist + resource management + free Vagaro Marketplace listing + automated notifications + online booking (Vagaro + Instagram + Facebook + Apple Maps) + booking widgets + advanced reporting + customer loyalty + 1,000 free email marketing messages/month + invoice creation + memberships/packages/gift certificates + 24/7 support. 14+ modular add-ons: Payments 2.2%+, Text $20/mo, Branded App $100/mo, Payroll $34+$5/employee, Data Lake $40, QuickBooks $10/mo, Xero $30/mo, and more.

• Cheapest transparent entry ($23.99/month) + comprehensive 14+ add-on ecosystem
• Free Vagaro Marketplace listing vs Fresha 20% commissions (dramatic LTV preservation)
• Branded App $100/month is category's cheapest branded mobile app

Full Review Visit Vagaro

Square Appointments

Free plan Free trial

9 /10

Square Appointments offers freemium with tiered processing rate improvements. Free $0 + 2.6%+$0.15 in-person processing + unlimited staff calendars + appointment reminders + online booking. Plus $49/month/location + 2.5%+$0.15 + 500 SMS included (3¢/additional) + cancellation policy + no-show fees + multi-staff booking + waitlist + 30-day free trial. Premium $149/month/location + 2.4%+$0.15 + 2,500 SMS included (1.5¢/additional) + 0% gift card load fee + future bookings report + service cost tracking + resource management + 30-day free trial. Pro custom for $250K+ annual processing. Hardware separate (Square Terminal $299+). Month-to-month no contracts.

• Unlimited staff calendars ALL tiers (including Free) — category-unique
• Processing rate improves with tier upgrade (2.6→2.5→2.4%) rewards high-volume
• Free tier competitive production entry (unlike Booksy/Phorest paid-only)

Full Review Visit Square Appointments

Booksy

Free trial

8.8 /10

Booksy Biz offers single-tier $29.99/month pricing with all features included + $20/month per extra team member. 14-day free trial with no credit card + month-to-month no commitment. Features: 24/7 Online Booking + Built-in Marketing + Client/Calendar management + integrated payments + reports + unlimited bookings + 2,000 free SMS/month + custom forms + liability waivers + gift cards + memberships + packages + waitlists + Google Reserve integration. Processing: Mobile 2.69%+$0.30, Card Reader 2.49%+$0.10, Tap to Pay 2.49%+$0.20. Free next-day payouts. Boost marketing 30% commission on first-time clients (opt-in).

• Single-tier simplicity ($29.99/month all features) vs competitor multi-tier complexity
• 2,000 free SMS/month category-leading base allocation
• 14-day free trial with no credit card (easiest evaluation)

Full Review Visit Booksy

Fresha

Free plan Free trial

8.4 /10

Fresha uses a UNIQUE commission-based marketplace revenue model: $0/month free subscription for partners with 20% commission (industry-reported) on first-time client bookings from Fresha marketplace discovery. Core salon/spa management platform (calendar + online booking + payments + client management + reporting) included in free subscription. Payment processing ~2.19-2.29% (industry estimates). Fresha operates global consumer marketplace (UK, US, Canada, Australia, others) with millions of app users driving discovery-based bookings. No contracts. Pricing page returned sparse content in audit — specific commission rates + fees require vendor contact.

• UNIQUE free subscription model ($0/month software)
• Category-leading consumer marketplace brand drives significant new client discovery
• Competitive integrated payment processing (~2.19-2.29% industry estimates)

Full Review Visit Fresha