Vagaro vs PatientNow

Goldie

Acuity Scheduling

GlossGenius

Goldie is a comprehensive software designed for salon and beauty professionals. The platform offers appointment scheduling, automated client reminders, and integrated payment processing capabilities to help reduce no-shows and streamline business operations. Beauty professionals can manage their calendars, create branded online booking websites, and track business performance through detailed reports.

Acuity Scheduling is an online appointment scheduling solution that allows clients to self-schedule appointments or classes online, complete custom forms, receive confirmation notifications and reminders, and pay or donate with a credit card.

GlossGenius is a booking and payment app for beauty and wellness professionals. With a custom website, card readers, smooth booking experience, text and email marketing, client reminders, and more, GlossGenius helps businesses make more and stress less.

Operations Manager

All they do is give you links to articles on their customer support page and take days, sometimes even weeks to respond to you regarding ongoing issues.

Owner

Even after I had already performed the service, they insisted on holding the funds. When I contacted customer service, they blamed an onboarding issue with my medical director and even asked for his personal password from another account something completely unprofessional. After I expressed my frustration (politely, without any rude behavior), I received an email stating they were dropping my account entirely and refunding all charges to the clients I had already serviced. If these had been new clients with no prior relationship, I could have easily lost thousands of dollars.

Owner CEO

The only con/dislike that I have currently is that I have to place an individual individually each service in settings prior to developing an invoice.

All-in-one barbershop platform. Booking, POS, booth rent billing, marketing & Vagaro Marketplace — solo barbers to multi-location shops.

Access Controls/Permissions

Accounting Integration

ACH Payment Processing

Activity Dashboard

Activity Tracking

Address Book

Alerts/Notifications

Application Management

Appointment Management

Appointment Scheduling

Attendance Management

Attendance Tracking

Automated Scheduling

Automated Text Generation

Availability Indicator

Availability Management

Barcode/Ticket Scanning

Before & After Pictures

Billing & Invoicing

Booking Management

Booth Rental Management

Business Coaching

Calendar Management

Calendar/Reminder System

Calendar Sync

Capacity Management

Charting

Class Management

Class Registration

Class Scheduling

Client Database

Client Management

Client Portal

Client Profiles

Collaboration Tools

Color Codes/Icons

Commission Management

Committee Management

Communication Management

Compensation Management

Compliance Management

Confirmations/Reminders

Consent Forms

Consent Management

Contact Database

Costume Management

Credit Card Management

Credit Card Processing

Customer Accounts

Customer Database

Customer History

Customer Mobile App

Customer Surveys

Customizable Branding

Customizable Fields

Customizable Forms

Customizable Reports

Customizable Templates

Data Import/Export

Data Security

Debit/Credit Card Processing

Discount Management

Document Management

Document Storage

Drag & Drop

Dues Management

eCommerce Management

Electronic Forms

Electronic Payments

Electronic Signature

Email Management

Email Marketing

Email Reminders

Email Templates

Employee Database

Employee Management

Employee Scheduling

Employee Time Clock

EMR/EHR

Enrollments/Onboarding

Event Calendar

Event Management

Event Scheduling

Facility Scheduling

Faculty/Staff Management

Financial Reporting

Fitness Assessments

Fitness Plan

For Barbershops

For Chiropractors

For Dance Studios

For Gyms

For Martial Arts

For Medical Spas

Forms Creation & Design

Forms Management

For Physical Therapy

For Salons and Spas

By industry, Vagaro reviewers are most commonly professionals in health, wellness and fitness (28%). The most frequent use case for Vagaro cited by reviewers is appointment scheduling (66%).

Users and use cases

Most users consider Vagaro to offer strong value for money, as they find the base price affordable and appreciate the flexible a la carte pricing. However, some reviewers feel costs rise quickly with add-ons and dislike hidden charges.

Value for money

The Vagaro integrations most frequently cited by reviewers are: Instagram (a social networking product rated 4.6 out of 5 for its integration with Vagaro), Meta for Business (a social media marketing product, 4.3), and Google Calendar (a scheduling product, 4.7).

Integrations

Vagaro is an appointment scheduling solution with key features that include appointment management, confirmations and reminders, mobile access, calendar management, online booking, and more.

Vagaro

iPhone

iPad

Android

Windows

Linux

Chromebook

Web-based

Mindbody

Square Point of Sale

Booker

Booksy Biz

Square Appointments

Rosy

Fresha

Meevo

Square Payments

Mangomint

Phorest

WellnessLiving

MassageBook

DaySmart Salon

ABC Glofox

Jane

One Location

Multiple Locations

Complicated and costly transactions

I also don't like the way the company handles its credit card processing especially during covid, it would be nice not to have to pay an extra free when it comes to storing cards in the system.

61% of reviewers feel negative about Credit Card Processing. Reviewers indicate that transaction fees are high and not always transparent, with additional charges for manual entries or certain features. They say the process for handling refunds, tips, and multiple payment methods is confusing and sometimes restrictive. Users report technical issues with card readers and delays in receiving funds. Some reviewers mention difficulties with gift card handling and a lack of flexibility in choosing third-party processors.

Inflexible and error-prone payments

System Admin

It lumps all sales into one deposit line and integrates as Uncategorized Asset instead of Service Sales and Product Sales.

49% of reviewers feel negative about Payment Processing. Reviewers say the system lacks flexibility for tracking payments made outside the platform and does not support various payment methods. They report frequent errors in payroll, deposits, and checkout processes, making accurate record-keeping challenging. Users indicate that resolving payment issues is time-consuming, and some feel forced to use multiple systems to manage finances. They also mention difficulties with refunds, reporting, and integrating with other business tools.

Limited and frustrating campaign tools

40% of reviewers feel negative about Email Marketing. Reviewers say the marketing features are limited, with high costs for sending emails and texts and no rollover for unused credits. They report issues with duplicate emails, missing recipients, and difficulties managing client lists. Users mention that creating and sending campaigns can be cumbersome, with lost work if interrupted. Some reviewers express frustration with the lack of automation, segmentation, and integration, as well as challenges in reaching customer support for campaign-related problems.

Frequent technical disruptions

68% of reviewers feel negative about Bugs and Issues. Reviewers report recurring crashes, freezing, and slowdowns, especially during busy periods, which disrupt business operations and can result in lost revenue. They say glitches in features like scheduling, checkouts, and account management create frustration and inefficiency. Users mention that resolving technical problems often requires contacting support, which can be slow or unhelpful. Some reviewers feel that unresolved bugs and system instability put their business reputation at risk.

Intuitive and consistent design

95% of reviewers feel positive about the User Interface. Reviewers indicate the interface is consistently user-friendly across devices, making daily operations smoother for both staff and clients. They appreciate that navigation is straightforward, with all essential tools easily accessible in one place. Some users report that switching from other platforms was made easier due to the intuitive design. They say the interface helps streamline business processes and enhances the overall experience for both businesses and their customers.

Supportive onboarding experience

She guided me through the setup process with clarity and precision, addressing all my questions and concerns along the way.

91% of reviewers feel positive about Setup. Reviewers appreciate that the initial setup process is straightforward, with helpful support available throughout. They say the support team is responsive, guiding them through configuration and addressing questions promptly. Users find that, although setup requires some initial effort, the process is well-structured and leads to a smooth transition. They value the ability to customize the system to fit their business needs and note that ongoing support remains accessible after setup.

Reduces no-shows effectively

94% of reviewers feel positive about Appointment Reminders. Reviewers appreciate that automated reminders via text and email significantly reduce missed appointments and no-shows. They say these reminders save them time by eliminating the need for manual follow-ups, and clients value the convenience of receiving confirmations and the ability to reschedule easily. Users report that reminders help maintain a full schedule and improve communication, making the booking process more efficient for both staff and clients.

Boosts client engagement

Licensed Massage Therapist

It's great to have ease of sending my clients a link to book at their leisure and decrease the back and forth texting, I love the automated reminder and confirmation from the software, and the customer service really helps when needed.

93% of reviewers feel positive about Client Reminders. Reviewers indicate that automated reminders and notifications enhance client communication and reduce no-shows. They say the ability to customize reminders and send them via text or email saves time and improves organization. Users report that clients appreciate receiving timely reminders, which leads to higher attendance rates and better time management. They also value features that allow them to manage schedules and maintain consistent contact with clients.

The customer support is amazing and they follow up with you and go over your help request. When I first started I used it solely on my own, but now I have multiple independent contractors that use it under my account and they are able to generate their reports and schedule clients for themselves.

Permanent makeup and tattoo

It offers incredible Value for Money by combining Online Booking, Scheduling, and Shift Management into one reliable tool. While the interface has a slight learning curve, the efficiency gained in Client Management and the quality of Customer Support make it a top-tier choice for any professional.

Nurse Practitioner

The online scheduling and automated reminders help reduce no-shows and keep my schedule full, while flexible payment options make checkout easy for my clients.

It excels in Online Booking and Scheduling and Appointment Management, providing a seamless experience for both staff and clients with automated reminders that reduce no-shows.

Chief Product Officer and Co-Founder

Vagaro now allows my schedule to run pretty much itself, reminds clients about upcoming appointments, and reduces cancellations to simple conversations, rather than long drawn-out ones.

Massage Therapist, Business Owner

The ease of scheduling clients, the clean and concise look of the day, week or month calendar. And that it includes SMS reminders- it’s incredibly helpful!

The amount of customer service support, client communication options, ease of navigation of the platform, and cc processing transparency has made things easy for our business.

Hairstylist

there are technical glitches, especially with the mobile app and booking system—things like sync issues, crashes, or clients having trouble booking appointments can be frustrating.

It makes sense why it’s done that way but we run an à la carte menu so our guests sometimes receive multiple appointment notifications for just one scheduled visit because they are booking multiple services in that visit.

HR Director

The fees for cancelation wotj the vendors and last minute changes are challenging sometimes because it is automatic the fees if you cancel even if your vendor says they won’t charge you

Esthetician

It allows you to manage your entire business from a smartphone. While the dashboard is clean, the sheer volume of settings can feel overwhelming at first.

Owner and Licensed Esthetician

From a business perspective, I like that Vagaro is linked to my website making it easy for me to add/delete services, make revisions, make price adjustments, etc.  

Lash Artist

I have had some isolated incidents were clients have not been able to open the booking site whenever I copy the link and send it through messenger. And I’ve also had clients unable to book for various reasons, but that rarely happens.

Additionally, its robust Client Management features make personalized marketing simple, all while being backed by reliable Customer Support available whenever you hit a snag.

Barber

Vagaro makes online booking easier for me with email,text and in app notifications so there’s no way to miss an appointment!

Stylist

Can’t integrate my instagram account can’t really connect booking tab to my account- not sure how I can get more accurate source of my appointments

Master Stylist - Colorist - Owner

Overall, Vagaro has been very helpful for organizing my appointments and client information. While it has minor issues, it greatly simplifies my daily workflow and saves me time.

Dog grooming

I love the fact that they’ve virtually updated the software to accommodate Dog Grooming as I own a Dog Grooming business there’s still a few more things that they could add to help out a dog groomers to use the program, but they’re definitely going in the right direction.

My clients love that it is easy to book an appointment and I love that it is easy to navigate hiring staff doing payroll, sending email marketing and running reports and connecting external things like QuickBooks and gusto.

I wish there was an easier way to move a client who has booked multiple appointments (example: underarm wax, bikini wax, leg wax) to another appointment time without having to move each individual appointment

AI features not intuitive, features buried in the menu screens, checkout complicated sometimes, card reader never connects

Vagaro vs PatientNow Comparison (2026)

Vagaro

PatientNow

Overview

Video & Screenshots

Pricing

User reviews

Key features

Integrations

Alternatives