Vagaro vs Upper Hand

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.

business owner

However, my most favorite thing about Vagaro is the interaction and follow through of customer service and the constant improvements with the software!

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 med spa platform. EMR, SOAP notes, HIPAA compliance, injectable tracking, online booking & POS — for medical aesthetics. 

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

Audit Trail

Automated Scheduling

Automated Text Generation

Auto-Save

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

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% of reviewers).

Users and use cases

Most reviewers indicate that Vagaro delivers strong value for money due to its affordable, flexible pricing and robust features. However, some users report that essential add-ons and hidden fees can make the total cost higher and less transparent.

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 tool with key features that include appointment management, confirmations and reminders, calendar management, mobile access, online booking, and more.

Vagaro

iPhone

iPad

Android

Windows

Linux

Chromebook

Web-based

Mindbody

Square Point of Sale

Booker

Booksy Biz

Rosy

Square Appointments

Fresha

Phorest

Square Payments

Meevo

Mangomint

WellnessLiving

DaySmart Salon

MassageBook

ABC Glofox

Jane

One Location

Multiple Locations

Complicated and costly processing

60% of reviewers feel negative about Credit Card Processing. Users think the credit card system is confusing, with hidden fees, limited payment options, and hardware integration issues. Reviewers say it’s difficult to issue refunds, split payments, or process certain types of cards. They mention problems with card readers not connecting, delays in deposits, and lack of support for contactless payments. Some users report that merchant fees are high and that required use of the platform’s processor restricts flexibility. They feel these issues complicate checkout and add unnecessary costs.

Limited and frustrating campaign tools

40% of reviewers feel negative about Email Marketing. Users say the email marketing feature is restrictive, with high costs, limited automation, and frequent technical issues. Reviewers report problems with duplicate emails, lost drafts, and difficulties targeting specific client groups. They mention that campaign scheduling is unreliable and that integration with client data is inconsistent. Some users find it hard to send individual emails or manage contacts efficiently, and that support for resolving email-related issues is slow. They feel these limitations hinder effective client outreach.

Inflexible and tedious payments

System Admin

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

owner

first pay desk I got it didn't work, asked for help after being on the phone couple times each time at least an hour, they couldn't figure it out, they had to send me another, another device which it took about 7 days till i got it, i get a used pay deck, when i complaint they said it's not used we just open all of them to try it and make sure it works, when i asked how come you never tested my first device which came sealed in box never opened, they said Sir, connect your device and if you have any question let us to help you, that being said they ignored that they send me used device, and when I asked for return or a discount since its used device they refused.

50% of reviewers feel negative about Payment Processing. Users report that the system lacks flexibility in handling different payment methods and customizing deposits. Reviewers say it’s difficult to track payments made outside the platform, and that payroll and reporting features are cumbersome or inaccurate. They mention that integrating with other payment processors is not supported without extra fees, and that the checkout process can be slow and confusing. Some users find that resolving payment issues or errors requires significant time and effort, impacting business efficiency.

Frequent technical glitches

68% of reviewers feel negative about Bugs and Issues. Users report frequent crashes, freezing, and slow performance, especially during busy periods, which disrupts operations and can result in lost business. Reviewers say glitches in booking, checkout, and syncing between devices are common frustrations. They mention that technical problems often require time-consuming workarounds or repeated contact with support, and that system updates sometimes introduce new issues. Some users feel that delays in resolving bugs and inconsistent reliability put their reputation and efficiency at risk.

Intuitive and friendly design

Salon Owner

Everything is super user friendly and it makes my business run more smoothly.

95% of reviewers feel positive about the User Interface. Users think the interface is intuitive and straightforward, making daily operations less stressful. Reviewers appreciate that both staff and clients find it easy to navigate, which streamlines tasks and reduces training time. They say the consistent user experience across devices is helpful, and they value how the interface consolidates essential business functions in one place. Some users mention that switching from other platforms was seamless due to the interface’s clarity. They feel the user-friendly design helps their business run more smoothly overall.

Reduces no-shows effectively

93% of reviewers feel positive about Appointment Reminders. Users think automated reminders significantly reduce missed appointments and no-shows. Reviewers appreciate that reminders are sent via text, email, and app notifications, making it almost impossible for clients to forget appointments. They say this feature saves them time, as they no longer need to manually contact clients. Some users report that clients value receiving multiple reminders and confirmations, which allows for timely rescheduling if needed. They find this automation helps their schedule run smoothly and keeps their business organized.

Enhances client communication

Permanent makeup and tattoo

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.

93% of reviewers feel positive about Client Reminders. Users say automated reminders and confirmations improve communication and keep clients informed. Reviewers indicate that reminders via text or email help lower no-show rates and make scheduling more efficient. They appreciate being able to customize reminder frequency and content, which clients also find helpful. Some users mention that reminders free up their time from making manual calls, and that clients enjoy the convenience of receiving timely notifications. They feel this feature supports better client relationships and business productivity.

Comprehensive salon operations

Nurse Practitioner

What I like about using Vagaro for my aesthetics business is how it brings everything I need into one place and makes my day run smoother.

91% of reviewers feel positive about Salon Management. Users think the platform brings all essential salon functions—like scheduling, payroll, and client management—into one place. Reviewers appreciate features such as online booking, customizable services, and real-time updates, which help streamline operations. They say the software is suitable for both independent providers and larger salons, and that it supports professional presentation and client communication. Some users report that it reduces administrative workload and allows them to focus more on service delivery. They value ongoing improvements tailored to salon needs.

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.

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.

However, from a true multi-location business operations standpoint, our experience has been very different. When managing multiple teams, front desk staff, schedules, client communication, and payment processing across locations, reliability, flexibility, and offline accessibility become critical.

They can disrupt operations across multiple teams and locations for an entire day. When your business depends on software for scheduling, client management, and payments, there should be a dependable backup or offline mode available.

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.

From a true multi-location business operations standpoint, our experience has been very different. When managing multiple teams, front desk staff, schedules, client communication, and payment processing across locations, reliability, flexibility, and offline accessibility become critical.

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!

Client

I like that it combines scheduling, payment processing, and client management in one system, which helps reduce the need for multiple tools.

Assistantship

It has robust scheduling features, intuitive appointment management, and streamlined payment processing which helps improve operational efficiency.

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.

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

Vagaro vs Upper Hand Comparison (2026)

Vagaro

Upper Hand

Overview

Video & Screenshots

Pricing

User reviews

Key features

Integrations

Alternatives