Vagaro vs Zolmi (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Vagaro: it is third in our ranking of salon, spa and studio booking apps, and it grades higher too, 2.6 against 2.2.
Checked Oct 24, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 24, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Vagaro grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Vagaro
Booking, payments and marketing for salons, spas and studios
Zolmi
Salon booking and checkout priced per staff member, no commissions
Which one is for you
Pick Vagaro if
- Fits if you run a salon, spa or barbershop on one to seven bookable calendars
- Works for studios that run classes alongside appointments in one calendar
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: $23.99 a month lasts 6 months, then one calendar is $30 and each added calendar $10, up to seven
- Pricey if you want text marketing, a branded app or a MySite website, as the page sells them à la carte with no price
- Watch out: the free card reader needs Vagaro Merchant Services, whose rates are advertised from 2.2%
- Skip it if you have several locations and want a price up front, as multi-location plans are quoted by sales
Pick Zolmi if
- Fits if you run a salon of 1 to 3 and want to pay for each chair
- Works for owners who want no commission on online bookings
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: text messages are charged on top and the page doesn't list the rate
- Tight if you need commissions, forms, loyalty or memberships, which are Pro at $25 a month
- Skip it if you need an iOS or Android app, as no store listing is shown
- Watch out: card processing fees are separate from the plan
- Skip it if you want a free plan, as there isn't one
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAVagaroGood | 2.2GPAZolmiFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BOne calendar is $30 a month after an introductory $23.99 for 6 months, level with this category's cheaper quarter ($29.99). Each added calendar is $10 up to seven, so five people pay $70, but extras like text marketing have no published price. | B$15 a month for the first staff member and $2 for each extra on yearly billing, which is inside the category's cheaper quarter. Commissions and memberships need Pro at $25. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan, but a 30-day free trial. The listing doesn't say whether it needs a card. | C14-day trial, no card, and no free plan after it. |
| Features | BBooking from its marketplace, Google, Apple Maps and Instagram, classes and resources, checkout with Affirm, memberships, forms and SOAP notes, payroll and multi-location tools. That's the whole booking job, for salons and studios alike. | CCalendar, online booking, client records, checkout, deposits and gift cards. Start caps stock at 10 products, and wages, commissions and forms are Pro only. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating for the business app is on record, since the App Store listing found is the client-facing app. You set up services, staff and payments before taking bookings. | CNo store rating on record, and a salon calendar and checkout needs setting up. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with QuickBooks, Xero, Affirm, Google, Apple Maps, Instagram, Facebook and Salesforce, and APIs and webhooks for multi-location accounts. No desktop app. | CWeb only. The site describes a mobile salon app but lists no store pages, and no integrations are on record. |
| Best for | booking for salons, spas and fitness studios | small salons paying per staff member |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Vagaro and Zolmi. How we grade
Price against what you get
Vagaro starts at $23.99 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Zolmi starts at $15 a month for each person and scores 2.0.
Vagaro scores higher, and starts $8.99 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other salon, spa and studio booking apps on the chart, 1 scores higher than Vagaro for less, and 2 score higher than Zolmi for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Vagaro also covers forms, email campaigns, payroll and class booking.
- Zolmi also covers reports, sMS marketing and review collection.
At a glance
| Vagaro | Zolmi | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $30 per month for 1 calendar, after $23.99 a month for the first 6 months | $15 per month for the first staff member, billed annually ($20 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial | 14-day free trial, no card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Vagaro, Inc. | Umov Sp. z o.o. |
| Price read from | vagaro.com | zolmi.com |
| Checked | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Vagaro
- The $23.99 price lasts 6 months; after that one calendar costs $30 a month and each added calendar $10, up to seven.
- The pricing page calls its model à la carte but gives no prices for extras such as text marketing, a branded app or a MySite website.
- The free card reader requires signing up for Vagaro Merchant Services, which advertises processing rates from 2.2%.
- Multi-location pricing is quoted by sales, with each location priced by the features chosen for it.
Zolmi
- Text messages are charged separately from the plan; the pricing page does not list the rate.
- Wages, commissions, consultation forms, loyalty and memberships need the Pro plan.
- Card processing fees are separate from the subscription.
- The site describes a mobile salon app but lists no iOS or Android store pages.
Key features
Vagaro
- Online booking and calendar
- Clients book through Vagaro's marketplace, a website widget, Google, Apple Maps, Instagram, Facebook or Alexa, with waitlists, classes and resource scheduling.
- Checkout and card readers
- Take Apple Pay, Google Pay and cards on Vagaro's own readers and terminals, offer Affirm pay-later plans, and sell memberships, packages and gift certificates.
- Forms and SOAP notes
- Intake forms and SOAP notes sit on each client profile, which also tracks history, retention and loyalty points.
- Vera AI assistant
- Vera helps write marketing and service descriptions, answers client messages, and its Fill My Books feature promotes open slots to Vagaro's customer network.
- Payroll and team access
- Vagaro Payroll pays staff and booth renters, tracks hours and time off, and access levels set what each employee can see at each location.
- Multi-location tools
- Sync services, clients, classes, products and pricing across locations, with SSO and SCIM, APIs and webhooks, and exports to Power BI, Salesforce and other tools.
Zolmi
- Calendar and online booking
- Team appointments in one view, with clients choosing service, stylist and time online and confirming through reminders.
- Client records
- Colour formulas, visit notes and preferences stay on the client record, with digital consultation forms on Pro.
- Checkout and deposits
- Services, retail products and tips in one sale, plus booking deposits, gift cards and vouchers.
- Stock tracking
- Retail and backbar stock with quantities updated as product use is recorded; Start allows up to 10 products.
- Staff pay and reports
- Working hours and permissions on every plan; wages, commissions and end-of-day or staff reports on Pro.
- Marketing and reviews
- SMS marketing, loyalty programs, memberships and review requests, listed on the features page; texts are charged separately.
Plans
Vagaro
One location$30
per month for 1 calendar, plus $10 per added calendar
Advertised at $23.99 a month for the first 6 months. Calendars beyond seven cost nothing extra; 1,000 emails a month and a marketplace listing are included.
Multiple locationsCustom
Features chosen per location, with SSO, data lake exports, a dedicated success manager and data migration, through sales.
Zolmi
Start$15
per month + $2 per extra staff, billed annually ($20 + $3 monthly)
Calendar, online booking and reminders, client records, checkout and deposits, gift cards, up to 10 stock products and basic reports.
Pro$25
per month + $4 per extra staff, billed annually ($30 + $5 monthly)
Adds wages and commissions, product usage, staff reports, consultation forms, Google review requests, loyalty and memberships.
Ways to pay less
Vagaro
- Other savings
$23.99 a month for the first 6 months
Vagaro's pricing page shows a one-calendar account at $23.99 a month for the first 6 months, against the regular $30.
Zolmi
- Annual discount
Lower rates on annual billing
The pricing page shows Start at $15 plus $2 per extra staff and Pro at $25 plus $4 when billed annually, against $20 plus $3 and $30 plus $5 monthly.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Vagaro or Zolmi?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Vagaro starts at $30 per month for 1 calendar, after $23.99 a month for the first 6 months, and Zolmi starts at $15 per month for the first staff member, billed annually ($20 billed monthly). One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, Vagaro or Zolmi?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Vagaro nor Zolmi has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do Vagaro and Zolmi run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Vagaro lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.