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Short answer: For most salons, Square Appointments is the best place to start. It is the only option here with a free plan that includes online booking, its booking site, reminders and staff calendars are included on that plan, and the cancellation and no-show fees you will want later are on Square Plus. Choose Booksy if you want one flat price with every feature and clients who find you through its marketplace, Vagaro if you want to be bookable from Google, Apple Maps, Instagram and Facebook, and GlossGenius if you are growing a team. Pick Wix or Squarespace only when a fully custom website matters more than booking tools.
This comparison is based on each vendor’s official pages and help centers, not on our own use of the products.
- Quick picks
- What a salon website has to do
- Comparison table
- 1. Square Appointments: best overall for most salons
- 2. Booksy: best flat price with a marketplace
- 3. Vagaro: best for being bookable everywhere
- 4. GlossGenius: best for growing salon teams
- 5. Wix: best if you want a custom website first
- 6. Squarespace: best for design-led studios
- Which one should you choose?
- Frequently Asked Questions
Quick picks
| Your situation | Best pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Solo stylist or new salon on a tight budget | Square Appointments | A free plan with online booking, reminders and unlimited staff calendars |
| Barbershop or salon that wants new clients from a booking marketplace | Booksy | One plan with every feature, plus Booksy’s client app and marketplace |
| Salon that wants to be bookable everywhere clients search | Vagaro | Booking through Google, Apple Maps, Instagram, Alexa and Facebook |
| Growing salon with a team | GlossGenius | Plans are set by team size, with deposits and no-show policies built in |
| Salon that wants a custom website first | Wix | Wix Bookings adds deposits, reminders and no-show fees to a full website builder |
| Design-led studio | Squarespace | Bookings run on Acuity Scheduling, Squarespace’s scheduling product, from $16/month billed annually |
What a salon website has to do
Top-ranking guides focus on templates and design. For a salon, the website’s real job is to fill the calendar and protect it, so we compared the six options on the booking jobs below, using only what each vendor lists on its official pages.
| Booking job | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Online booking 24/7 | Clients book without calling |
| Deposits or prepayment | Money up front for long or expensive services |
| Reminders | Fewer forgotten appointments |
| Cancellation and no-show fees | A card on file and a fee for late cancellations |
| Booking by staff member | Each stylist keeps a calendar |
| Booking from Google and social media | Clients book where they search |
Comparison table
| Option | Starting price (US) | Deposits | Reminders | No-show fees | Free option |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square Appointments | $0/month per location (Square Free) | Yes | Text and email | On Square Plus and up | Free plan; 30-day trial of paid plans |
| Booksy | $29.99/month + tax, plus $20/month per extra team member | Yes | Free confirmations and reminders | Yes | 14-day trial |
| Vagaro | $30/month for one person at one location | Yes, through Vagaro Merchant Services | Unlimited reminders | Yes, with a card captured at booking | 30-day free trial |
| GlossGenius | $24/month billed annually or $28/month billed monthly (Standard) | Yes | Reminders and confirmations | Yes | 14-day free trial, no credit card |
| Wix | See official page | Yes | Email, SMS or WhatsApp | Yes | Free website plan (booking needs Core or higher) |
| Squarespace (Acuity Scheduling) | Acuity: $16/month billed annually or $20/month billed monthly (Starter); website plan: Basic $19/month billed annually or $25/month billed monthly | Yes | Emails; texts on Standard and up | Cancellation policy shown at booking | 7-day Acuity trial; 14-day Squarespace trial |
GlossGenius shows these prices in dollars on its pricing page (checked October 23, 2026).
1. Square Appointments: best overall for most salons
Best for: solo stylists and small salons that want to start free and add protection later.
| Plan | Price (US) | In-person card rate | Online card rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square Free | $0/month per location | 2.6% + 15¢ | 3.3% + 30¢ |
| Square Plus | $49/month per location | 2.5% + 15¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Square Premium | $149/month per location | 2.4% + 15¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ |
Source: Square Appointments pricing (US), checked October 23, 2026. Square Plus and Square Premium each have a free 30-day trial.
Square lists a booking website that clients can use 24/7, a Book Now button for Instagram, Facebook and your Google Business Profile, automatic text and email reminders that clients can answer to confirm or change, prepayments, partial deposits, and Google Calendar sync. Square Free includes online booking, reminders and unlimited staff calendars; cancellation policies and no-show fees, multi-staff appointments and a waitlist are listed on Square Plus.
- Pros: a real free plan; no limit on staff calendars; clear US prices.
- Cons: no-show fees need Square Plus; paid plans are charged per location.
2. Booksy: best flat price with a marketplace
Best for: barbers and salons that want new clients from a booking app.
Booksy has one plan: $29.99 per month plus tax, with every feature included, and $20 per month for each additional team member (Booksy pricing, checked October 23, 2026). The pricing page lists 24/7 online booking, Reserve with Google, free appointment confirmations and reminders, 2,000 free SMS marketing messages a month, waitlists and gift cards. Its No-Show Protection adds deposits taken at booking and cancellation fees charged to a card on file.
Booksy’s optional Boost feature promotes you on the Booksy marketplace; it is free to turn on, then charges a one-time 30% fee on a new Boost client’s first visit, up to $100.
- Pros: one simple price; a 14-day free trial; a client app and marketplace.
- Cons: the cost grows with every team member; Boost clients carry a one-time fee.
3. Vagaro: best for being bookable everywhere
Best for: salons that want clients to book from search, maps and social media.
Vagaro’s US pricing page shows $30 per month for one person at one location, checked October 23, 2026. The price rises with the number of calendars (team members) and locations, and Vagaro also shows a lower introductory rate for the first six months. Every plan includes unlimited notifications and appointment reminders, a customer waitlist, memberships, packages and gift certificates, and a booking widget.
Vagaro’s online booking page says clients can book through Google, Apple Maps, Instagram, Alexa and Facebook. Its help center explains how to require a deposit for online booking and how to charge cancellation and no-show fees automatically; both work through Vagaro’s own payment processing.
- Pros: the widest list of booking channels; reminders included on every plan.
- Cons: deposits and fees require Vagaro Merchant Services; the price depends on team size.
4. GlossGenius: best for growing salon teams
Best for: salons that plan to hire and want plans sized by team.
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Team size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $24/month | $28/month | Just starting out |
| Gold | $48/month | $56/month | Up to 9 staff |
| Platinum | $148/month | $168/month | 10+ staff |
Source: GlossGenius pricing (Beauty & Wellness), checked October 23, 2026. The card rate for tap, dip or swipe is 2.4% + $0.15 on every plan.
The pricing page lists 24/7 online booking without a client login, a booking website builder, built-in deposits, cancellation and no-show policies, card-on-file policies, booking with multiple service providers, Google Booking, two-way calendar sync and appointment reminders and confirmations.
- Pros: the booking features salons ask for are built in; plans match team size.
- Cons: the free trial is 14 days, shorter than the 30-day trials at Square and Vagaro; there is no free plan.
5. Wix: best if you want a custom website first
Best for: salons that want a full website (blog, gallery, store) with booking added.
Wix’s booking tool is Wix Bookings. Its official scheduling page lists deposits and cards on file, cancellation and no-show policies with automatic late-cancellation fees, automated reminders by email, SMS or WhatsApp, staff schedules synced with their personal calendars, and Zoom and Google Meet for online sessions. On the Wix plans page, “Scheduling and services” appears on the Core, Business and Business Elite plans.
- Pros: the most flexible website of the six; booking protection features built in.
- Cons: booking is one part of a general builder, so setup takes longer.
- Pricing: Prices vary by region and billing period, so we link to the official plans page instead of quoting a number that may not match yours. See the official Wix plans page.
6. Squarespace: best for design-led studios
Best for: studios where the look of the website comes first.
Squarespace’s appointment booking is Acuity Scheduling, which Squarespace acquired in 2019 and sells as its own scheduling plan. The Acuity Scheduling page lists booking on your website or a branded booking page, deposits and payment at booking through Stripe, Square or PayPal, automated confirmation and reminder emails, and a cancellation policy shown to clients.
| Acuity plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Calendars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $16/month | $20/month | 1 |
| Standard | $27/month | $34/month | Up to 6 |
| Premium | $55/month | $69/month | Up to 36 |
Source: Acuity Scheduling pricing, checked October 23, 2026. The page states that all prices are in USD and do not include taxes, and every plan has a 7-day free trial with no credit card needed. Text message reminders and an appointment waitlist start on Standard.
- Pros: polished website templates; a mature scheduling product.
- Cons: booking is a separate subscription on top of the website plan; no-show fees are not listed on the Acuity pages we checked.
- Pricing: Acuity’s prices are above. Squarespace website plans (US, USD): Basic $19/month billed annually or $25/month billed monthly, Core $29 or $39, Plus $49 or $65, and Advanced $99 or $139. Source: official Squarespace pricing page, checked October 23, 2026.
Which one should you choose?
- Choose Square Appointments if you want to start free and add no-show fees later. This is the right choice for most salons.
- Choose Booksy if one flat price and marketplace clients matter most.
- Choose Vagaro if clients find you on Google, Apple Maps and social media.
- Choose GlossGenius if you are building a team.
- Choose Wix or Squarespace if the website itself matters more than booking tools.
Setting up a site for a food business instead? See our restaurant website builder comparison.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best salon website builder?
For most salons, Square Appointments, because it has a free plan that already includes online booking, reminders and staff calendars, and cancellation and no-show fees on Square Plus.
Which salon booking options have a free plan?
Square Appointments is the only one with a free plan that includes online booking (Square Free). Wix has a free website plan, but booking needs Core or higher. Vagaro offers a 30-day trial, Booksy and GlossGenius 14-day trials, Acuity Scheduling a 7-day trial, and Square Plus and Square Premium 30-day trials.
Can I take deposits when clients book online?
Yes, with all six. Square, Booksy, GlossGenius and Wix list deposits on their official pages, Vagaro takes them through Vagaro Merchant Services, and Squarespace takes them through Acuity Scheduling.
Which options charge a fee for no-shows?
Square Appointments (on Square Plus and up), Booksy, Vagaro, GlossGenius and Wix all let you charge a card on file for late cancellations or no-shows.
Why isn’t the Wix website plan price listed?
Wix’s official pricing page shows different prices by location and tax, so we link to it for the current number. Squarespace’s prices are listed above (US, USD).
Last updated: October 23, 2026. Prices were last checked on October 23, 2026.
