For: Fitness studios · Barbershops · Spas · Massage
Vagaro vs Square Appointments vs MeetScarlet 2026: which fits you?
Disclosure: Our #1 pick is MeetScarlet, and we are affiliated with them. We also cover competing tools and where they shine. We may earn commissions from links on this page. Details
The short answer: Square Appointments suits you if you want to start at $0, or if your team is large: every plan is priced per location, with no per-staff fee. But no-show fees need Plus at $49 a month, and rooms need Premium at $149. Vagaro suits a small team that wants rooms, waitlists, packages, 24/7 phone support and free data transfer on one plan: three calendars cost $43.99 a month for 6 months, then $50.00. Neither refunds fees already paid. Based on both vendors’ public pages, checked November 4, 2026. Our #1 pick, MeetScarlet, says it’s live; its help says “no live card payment has been run yet” (November 5, 2026).
Key takeaways
- Square Appointments is priced per location with no per-staff fee: $0 (Free), $49 (Plus) or $149 (Premium) a month. Vagaro is $23.99 a month for one calendar for the first 6 months, then $30.00, plus $10 per extra calendar up to seven (checked November 4, 2026).
- At three staff the two are almost level after Vagaro's promotion ($50.00 vs $49 for Square Plus); from four staff, Square Plus costs less, because its price doesn't rise with staff.
- Square's Free plan has no no-show fees, waitlist or packages, and booking rooms needs Premium; Vagaro lists resource management, waitlists and packages with every plan.
- In-person card fees are close: Vagaro charges 2.6% + 10¢ under $4,000 a month, and Square 2.6% + 15¢ on Free, falling to 2.4% + 15¢ on Premium.
- Both list you on a marketplace for free: Vagaro promises "no booking fees" unless you opt into its Fill My Books promotion (5% on existing, 20% on brand-new clients) or Daily Deals, and Square says Square Go is "completely free for businesses and clients to use".
- Neither refunds fees already paid. Vagaro's free card reader means 12 months of Vagaro processing ($150 to stop early), but its team moves your data for free.
What Vagaro and Square Appointments are (and aren’t)
Vagaro is a booking, payments and marketing suite for beauty, wellness and fitness businesses, with cards processed by its own Vagaro Merchant Services. Square Appointments is Square’s booking calendar, booking site and reminders, tied to Square’s payments and point of sale.
Both have pages for barbershops, spas and fitness studios. Vagaro also has massage and tanning pages, and Square Go’s FAQ lists “massage parlors” among eligible businesses. We found no court booking on either. Our pick, MeetScarlet, is “a white-label booking app for appointment and class businesses”, with court booking too, and its terms page says “Scarlet is live, and founding studios can join now” (checked November 5, 2026).
Vagaro vs Square Appointments vs MeetScarlet at a glance
| MeetScarlet (our pick) | Vagaro | Square Appointments | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Businesses that want their own branded app and can wait for store apps (“about 4 to 6 weeks”) and manage without email reminders (“built but not sending yet”) | Small teams that want rooms, waitlists and packages on one low plan, plus 24/7 phone support | Starting at $0, and larger teams, since the price doesn’t rise with staff |
| How it’s priced | Per plan, billed monthly or yearly: Scarlet is “For one location”, with 5 staff logins; Scarlet Pro “includes up to 3 locations” and 20 staff logins | Per location, billed monthly, by number of bookable calendars | Per location, billed monthly; no per-staff fee |
| 1 staff | $349/month plus $999 setup, or $3,490/year with setup free | $23.99/month for 6 months, then $30.00 | $0 (Free), $49 (Plus) or $149 (Premium) |
| 3 staff | Same as 1 staff (5 staff logins, owner included) | $43.99/month for 6 months, then $50.00 | Same as 1 staff |
| In-person card rate | We found no card reader or in-person rate; in-app card payments are Stripe’s fees + 1%, on once your Stripe account is approved; its help says “no live card payment has been run yet” | 2.6% + 10¢ under $4,000/month; 2.29% + 19¢ above, plus $10/month | 2.6% + 15¢ (Free), 2.5% + 15¢ (Plus), 2.4% + 15¢ (Premium) |
| Marketplace fee | None: no marketplace, so no marketplace clients either | “No booking fees”; 5% on existing and 20% on new clients only if you opt into Fill My Books | Square Go is “completely free for businesses” |
| No-show fees | Deposits and late-cancel and no-show fees in its settings; check with MeetScarlet before counting on card deposits or fees, as its help says “no live card payment has been run yet” | Offered on its barber page, with deposits | Plus and Premium; deposits on every plan |
| Rooms and equipment | “Chairs, beds, courts, rooms and class spots on one calendar” (homepage) | “Calendar & resource management” with every plan | Premium only |
| Support | Its terms say “For support, message @meetscarletapp on Instagram. We aim to reply within one business day.” Email too (“A person reads every message”); “Priority support” on Scarlet Pro | 24/7 phone, email and chat advertised | Chat and email; weekday phone hours (first 90 days only on Free), 24/7 on Premium |
| Switching help | Its team sets you up and imports clients, “not booking or payment history”; no direct importer for other apps | Free, done for you | Do-it-yourself customer import; expert help, price not stated |
| Free trial | None: its terms say “There is no free trial.” | 30 days | Free plan; 30 days of Plus or Premium |
| Biggest limitation | No live card payment run yet, per its help; store apps take about 4 to 6 weeks | Free card reader means 12 months of Vagaro processing ($150 to leave early); no refunds | No-show fees need Plus and rooms need Premium; no refunds |
Sources: Vagaro pricing, Vagaro card processing, Square Appointments pricing and Square Go, checked November 4, 2026. US dollars, before tax. MeetScarlet: pricing, settings help and switching, checked November 4, 2026; payments help, appointments help and terms, checked November 5, 2026.
How we compared them
- Price at 1 and 3 staff, with the billing basis, from each US pricing page.
- Card, marketplace and no-show fees, from the pricing pages, Vagaro’s card-processing and barber pages, and Square’s Square Go page.
- Reminders, memberships, contracts, switching and support, from feature pages, Square’s help articles, Vagaro’s customer agreement (effective July 29, 2026) and Square’s terms (last updated October 27, 2026).
- Everything was checked on November 4, 2026, and MeetScarlet’s terms, payments help and appointments help again on November 5, 2026. We haven’t used any of the three hands-on; MeetScarlet’s facts come only from its own pages, so this is based on public documentation, and Vagaro’s help centre blocked our requests. Our method explains more.
Pricing compared (checked November 4, 2026)
| One location | MeetScarlet (our pick) | Vagaro | Square Free | Square Plus | Square Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 staff | $349/month plus $999 setup, or $3,490/year with setup free | $23.99/month for 6 months, then $30.00 | $0 | $49/month | $149/month |
| 3 staff | $349/month plus $999 setup, or $3,490/year with setup free (5 staff logins, owner included) | $43.99/month for 6 months, then $50.00 | $0 | $49/month | $149/month |
| First 12 months, 1 staff (our arithmetic) | $5,187 billed monthly ($4,188 plus $999 setup), or $3,490 billed yearly | $323.94 | $0 | $588 | $1,788 |
| First 12 months, 3 staff (our arithmetic) | $5,187 billed monthly, or $3,490 billed yearly | $563.94 | $0 | $588 | $1,788 |
| Billing basis | Monthly or yearly; Scarlet covers one location with 5 staff logins; Scarlet Pro ($499/month) has 20 staff logins and “up to 3 locations” | Per location, monthly, $10 per extra calendar up to seven | Per location, monthly | Per location, monthly | Per location, monthly |
Sources: Vagaro pricing and Square pricing, checked November 4, 2026; US dollars, before tax, card fees and trials. Vagaro’s 1- and 3-calendar prices are as shown on its page. MeetScarlet: pricing and team logins help, checked November 4, 2026; terms (Scarlet Pro locations), checked November 5, 2026.
At three staff the two are almost level after Vagaro’s promotion ($50.00 vs $49 for Square Plus), and from four staff Square Plus costs less, since Vagaro adds $10 per calendar up to $90.00.
Extras: Vagaro shows no price for text marketing, forms, payroll or its branded app, and Square’s marketing texts start on Plus (500 a month, then 3¢ each). Compare what other booking apps cost.
Card fees:
| Payment type | MeetScarlet (our pick) | Vagaro | Square Free | Square Plus | Square Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In person (dip or tap) | We found no card reader or in-person rate on its pages | 2.6% + 10¢ under $4,000/month; 2.29% + 19¢ above, plus $10/month | 2.6% + 15¢ | 2.5% + 15¢ | 2.4% + 15¢ |
| Keyed in (Vagaro); manual entry or card on file (Square) | Not published | 3.5% + 19¢ | 3.5% + 15¢ | 3.5% + 15¢ | 3.5% + 15¢ |
| Online | Stripe’s fees + 1% (Stripe’s rate not stated); on once your Stripe account is approved; its help says “no live card payment has been run yet” | No published rate found | 3.3% + 30¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ |
Sources: Vagaro card processing and Square pricing, checked November 4, 2026. Vagaro’s Tap to Pay adds 6¢.
We found no option to use another card processor with either. MeetScarlet’s card payments go through your own Stripe account (payments help).
Marketplace and new-client fees
Both say listing is free. Vagaro includes a “Free listing on the Vagaro Marketplace” with every plan, and its barber page says you “keep 100% of your profits with no booking fees”. Its optional Fill My Books promotion is the exception: it charges “a per-booking fee (5% for existing customers, 20% for brand-new ones)”, and if you don’t use it or Daily Deals, Vagaro says “you won’t be charged any booking fees”. Square says Square Go “is completely free for businesses and clients to use”, but its FAQ names “Beauty and personal care” businesses as eligible and doesn’t list fitness, and its client app “is not yet available for Android”. Our pick, MeetScarlet, has no marketplace, so it charges no marketplace fee and brings no marketplace clients; its site says it isn’t for “Businesses that want new clients mainly from a marketplace app”.
Deposits, no-show fees and reminders
Vagaro’s barber page offers “collecting deposits upfront and charging no-show fees”. It sends “free confirmations and appointment reminders via email, text, or push notification”, with “Unlimited notifications & appointment reminders” on every plan.
Square Free takes deposits and prepayments and sends automatic text and email reminders; with Square Assistant, clients reply to a text to confirm, cancel or change. No-show fees and appointment confirmations start on Plus.
Our pick, MeetScarlet, has deposits and late-cancel and no-show fees in its settings and text reminders (coming soon) on Scarlet Pro, but its Jane comparison page says email reminders are “built but not sending yet”. Card payments turn on once your own Stripe account is approved, but its appointments help says “no live card payment has been run yet”, so check with MeetScarlet before counting on card deposits or no-show fees.
Memberships and packages
Vagaro lists “Memberships, packages, & gift certificates” with every plan, with automated billing by autopay, and its fitness page advertises “tiered memberships and class packs”.
Square’s packages, “a prepaid series of services or classes”, start on Plus. Its memberships are subscription plans, which can’t set minimum commitment periods, change price after creation, or be managed on Square’s Android devices, and “don’t support an entitlement feature”, so they won’t count class visits. Classes are on Plus and Premium.
Our pick, MeetScarlet, lists monthly memberships, minimum terms, class packs and credits on every plan, but card renewals need card payments, which turn on once your own Stripe account is approved; its help says “no live card payment has been run yet”.
Contracts
Vagaro: subscriptions renew automatically. You can cancel anytime, but “All purchases are final sale and may not be refunded or exchanged.” To refuse a price change, cancel at least ten days before it starts. The free card reader means at least 12 months of Vagaro processing, with a $150 early cancellation fee, plus $10 in any month you process under $1,000. The pricing page’s “Cancel anytime with no cancellation fees” has an unexplained “Exclusions apply” note.
Square: its FAQ says you “can cancel or switch plans anytime”. Its terms bill on the first of every month until you cancel, give no “refund or credit for any Subscription Fee already due or paid”, and allow fee changes “upon reasonable advance notice”.
MeetScarlet (our pick): its terms say plans “renew automatically until you cancel”, and “The cancellation takes effect at the end of the period you’ve paid for.” Part-used months and years aren’t refunded, apart from founding-plan exceptions. You can export the member list as a CSV at any time, and your data stays available after you cancel until you ask to delete it (checked November 5, 2026).
Switching from one to the other
To Vagaro: its team moves your clients, appointments, services, staff, packages, memberships “and more” for free, in “1-2 business days” per its pricing FAQ, or “in as little as one business day” per its White Glove page (checked November 4, 2026).
To Square: you can import customers from a spreadsheet yourself, on Square Dashboard. Its fitness and spa pages say “Our experts will help you migrate your data”, and its beauty switching page says you can “Move your current and future bookings to Square” with “AI-powered data migration”, but we found no price or full list of what it moves.
To MeetScarlet: it imports clients, “not booking or payment history”, with no direct importer for Vagaro or other apps (switching page).
Leaving either: export your client list first. Square’s terms say it “may (but have no obligation to) delete” your data after you leave, and we didn’t find either vendor’s export steps.
Support
Phone hours differ by plan (see the table above). Both publish status pages, and we found no uptime percentage on either. Our pick, MeetScarlet, says in its terms: “For support, message @meetscarletapp on Instagram. We aim to reply within one business day.” Its help also offers email (“A person reads every message”), and we found no status page or uptime commitment (checked November 5, 2026).
What users say (third-party opinion, not our own research, read November 4, 2026):
| Rating source | MeetScarlet (our pick) | Vagaro | Square Appointments |
|---|---|---|---|
| App Store, business app | No third-party ratings found (checked November 4, 2026) | 4.4 out of 5 (15,976 ratings, Vagaro Pro) | 4.9 out of 5 (195,327 ratings, Square Appointments: Scheduler) |
| Google Play, business app | No third-party ratings found (checked November 4, 2026) | 3.5 out of 5 (9,791 ratings, Vagaro Pro) | 4.7 out of 5 (19,020 ratings, checked November 5, 2026, Square Appointments: Scheduler) |
Trustpilot blocked our check on November 4, so we’ve left it out for both.
What about our pick, MeetScarlet?
MeetScarlet gives clients your own branded app on iPhone, Android and web, with no marketplace: its site says it isn’t the right fit for “Businesses that want new clients mainly from a marketplace app”.
| What we checked | MeetScarlet |
|---|---|
| Price | $349 a month plus $999 setup, or $3,490 a year with setup free, for one location and 5 staff logins; Scarlet Pro (20 logins and “up to 3 locations”) is $499 a month plus $999 setup, or $4,990 a year with setup free. Founding studios pay $299 a month instead of $349 for the first 24 months, on monthly billing, with the $999 setup included at no charge. MeetScarlet plans 10 places (checked November 5, 2026) |
| Reminders | Text reminders to clients (coming soon) on Scarlet Pro only; its Jane comparison page says email reminders are “built but not sending yet” |
| Card payments | Stripe’s fees plus 1% to MeetScarlet, through your own Stripe account; card payments turn on once Stripe finishes checking it (payments help, updated November 5, 2026). Its appointments help still says “no live card payment has been run yet”, so check with MeetScarlet before counting on card deposits or no-show fees |
| Availability and terms | Its terms page says “Scarlet is live, and founding studios can join now” (checked November 5, 2026). Plans renew automatically. Cancelling takes effect at the end of the paid period, with no refunds for part-used months or years, apart from founding-plan exceptions. You can export the member list as a CSV at any time, and data stays available after you cancel until you ask to delete it |
| Store apps | “About 4 to 6 weeks”, mostly Apple’s enrollment, under your own Apple ($99 a year) and Google Play ($25 once) accounts |
| Switching | Imports clients, “not booking or payment history”; no direct importer for other apps |
| Support | Its terms say “For support, message @meetscarletapp on Instagram. We aim to reply within one business day.” Its help also offers email (“A person reads every message”). We found no status page or uptime commitment |
| Locations | “Each Scarlet studio has one schedule”. Scarlet includes 1 location; Scarlet Pro “includes up to 3 locations” |
| Automations | Email and text automations need a separate bundle with no published price |
| Third-party reviews | None found as of November 4, 2026 |
Choose MeetScarlet, our pick (we’re affiliated), if an app under your own name matters most and you can wait for store apps (“about 4 to 6 weeks”) and manage without email reminders (“built but not sending yet”). Choose Vagaro or Square Appointments if you need card payments and email reminders working today, at a lower monthly price. Sources: MeetScarlet’s pricing and FAQ, white-label and switching pages, checked November 4, 2026, and its terms, payments help and appointments help, checked November 5, 2026.
Biggest limitations of each
- MeetScarlet (our pick): card payments turn on once your own Stripe account is approved, but its help says “no live card payment has been run yet”; store apps take about 4 to 6 weeks; part-used months and years aren’t refunded, apart from founding-plan exceptions; and it imports clients only (payments help, appointments help, terms).
- Vagaro: the $23.99 rate lasts 6 months, the free reader means 12 months of Vagaro processing ($150 to stop early), several extras show no price, and we found no option to use another processor (Vagaro agreement).
- Square Appointments: Free leaves out no-show fees, waitlists, classes and packages, and rooms need Premium at $149. Memberships can’t set minimum terms, change price or count class visits, editing a class cancels its bookings, and 24/7 phone support is Premium-only (Square subscriptions help).
Which should you choose?
| Your situation | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Solo barber who mainly needs a booking page | Square Free | $0 per location with online booking, reminders and deposits; no-show fees need Plus |
| One- or two-person shop losing money to no-shows | Vagaro | Its barber page offers deposits and no-show fees; one calendar is $23.99 a month for 6 months, then $30.00, and two are $33.99, then $40.00. On Square they need Plus at $49 |
| Team of four or more | Square Plus | $49 per location whatever the team size; Vagaro rises to $90.00 at seven calendars |
| Spa or massage business with shared rooms | Vagaro | Resource management with every plan; Square needs Premium at $149 |
| Class-based fitness studio | Try both | Square’s classes need Plus, and its memberships can’t count class visits; Vagaro advertises class packs, but its help centre blocked us, so test classes in the trial |
| Fitness studio that wants marketplace clients | Vagaro | Every Vagaro plan gets a marketplace listing; Square Go names beauty and personal care businesses |
| Want 24/7 phone support without the top plan | Vagaro | 24/7 phone advertised; Square’s is Premium-only |
| Switching with lots of history | Vagaro | Free, done-for-you transfer, including appointments, packages and memberships |
| Want an app under your own name | MeetScarlet, our pick, or Vagaro’s paid add-on | MeetScarlet includes one, but store apps take about 4 to 6 weeks; we found none on Square |
| Padel or court club | Neither | No court booking found on either |
| Padel or court club that wants its own app | MeetScarlet (our #1 pick) | Its court page lists slot booking, peak prices and padel open matches; not for leagues, ladders or booking “without an account”; paying shares by link needs card payments, and its help says “no live card payment has been run yet”; store apps take about 4 to 6 weeks |
The verdict
There’s no single winner: Square Appointments is the cheaper way in at $0 and suits larger teams, but no-show fees need Plus and rooms need Premium. Vagaro puts rooms, waitlists, packages, 24/7 phone support and free data transfer into one low plan, but its first 6 months are a promotion and its free reader comes with 12 months of Vagaro processing. Our pick, MeetScarlet, suits a business that wants its own branded app and can wait for store apps (“about 4 to 6 weeks”) and manage without email reminders (“built but not sending yet”). Read our Vagaro review or Square Appointments review, or try them: Vagaro offered a 30-day free trial, and Square Appointments a free plan plus 30-day free trials of Plus and Premium, when we checked on November 4, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Vagaro or Square Appointments cheaper?
- It depends on your team size and the features you need. Square Free is $0 per location but leaves out no-show fees, which need Plus at $49 a month; Vagaro is $30.00 a month for one calendar after a 6-month $23.99 rate, and $50.00 for three. From four staff, Square Plus costs less, because its price doesn't rise with staff (checked November 4, 2026).
- Which has lower card fees, Vagaro or Square?
- They're close. In person, Vagaro charges 2.6% + 10¢ under $4,000 a month in card sales, and Square charges 2.6% + 15¢ on Free, 2.5% + 15¢ on Plus and 2.4% + 15¢ on Premium. On a $50 card-reader payment, that's $1.40 on Vagaro and $1.35 to $1.45 on Square, by our arithmetic.
- Do Vagaro or Square charge marketplace fees?
- Neither charges a marketplace fee by default. Vagaro's barber page says you "keep 100% of your profits with no booking fees", and it charges booking fees only if you use its optional Fill My Books promotion (5% on existing, 20% on brand-new clients) or Daily Deals. Square says Square Go is "completely free for businesses and clients to use", though its client app isn't on Android yet.
- Can you charge no-show fees on Square's free plan?
- No. Cancellation and no-show fees start on Square Plus at $49 per location a month, though the Free plan does take deposits and prepayments. Vagaro's barber page offers both deposits and no-show fees.
- Which is easier to switch to, Vagaro or Square?
- Vagaro's team transfers your clients, appointments, services, staff, packages and memberships for free, in "as little as one business day", per its White Glove page. Square has a do-it-yourself spreadsheet import for customers, plus expert migration help with no published price or scope.
- Can I cancel Vagaro or Square anytime?
- Both say you can, but neither refunds fees already paid. Vagaro's free card reader carries a $150 fee if you stop processing with Vagaro within 12 months, and Square's terms say it may delete your account data after you leave.
- Which has better phone support?
- Vagaro advertises 24/7 phone, email and chat support. Square's 24/7 phone support is on Premium only; Plus gets weekday phone hours (6am–6pm PT), and Free gets those hours only for the first 90 days.
- Which is better for a spa or massage business with treatment rooms?
- Vagaro lists calendar and resource management with every plan, from $30.00 a month for one calendar after its promotion. Square books rooms, stations, chairs and equipment only on Premium, at $149 per location a month.
Sources
- Vagaro US pricing page, checked November 4, 2026
- Vagaro card processing rates, checked November 4, 2026
- Vagaro Customer Participation Agreement (effective July 29, 2026), checked November 4, 2026
- Vagaro barber software (marketplace, deposits, no-show fees), checked November 4, 2026
- Vagaro: Market your business with Fill My Books, checked November 4, 2026
- Vagaro online booking (reminders), checked November 4, 2026
- Vagaro memberships and packages, checked November 4, 2026
- Vagaro fitness studio software, checked November 4, 2026
- Vagaro white-glove onboarding and data transfer, checked November 4, 2026
- Vagaro branded app, checked November 4, 2026
- Vagaro status page, checked November 4, 2026
- Square Appointments overview (US), checked November 4, 2026
- Square Appointments pricing (US), checked November 4, 2026
- Square Go marketplace app (FAQ), checked November 4, 2026
- Square resource management (help article), checked November 4, 2026
- Square class booking (help article), checked November 4, 2026
- Square item subscription plans (help article), checked November 4, 2026
- Square customer directory and bulk import (help article), checked November 4, 2026
- Square for fitness (data migration), checked November 4, 2026
- Square General Terms of Service (last updated October 27, 2026), checked November 4, 2026
- Square US status page, checked November 4, 2026
- Vagaro Pro on the US App Store (third-party ratings), checked November 4, 2026
- Square Appointments business app on the US App Store (third-party ratings), checked November 4, 2026
- Vagaro Pro on Google Play (third-party ratings), checked November 4, 2026
- Square Appointments: Scheduler on Google Play (third-party ratings), checked November 4, 2026
- MeetScarlet pricing and FAQ, checked November 4, 2026
- MeetScarlet white-label booking app page, checked November 4, 2026
- MeetScarlet switching page (updated October 31, 2026), checked November 4, 2026
- MeetScarlet vs Jane comparison page (updated November 1, 2026), checked November 4, 2026
- MeetScarlet terms of service (updated November 5, 2026), checked November 5, 2026
- MeetScarlet payments help (updated November 5, 2026), checked November 5, 2026
- MeetScarlet help: appointments, deposits and no-show fees (updated November 5, 2026), checked November 5, 2026
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