Vagaro vs. Square vs. salonMonster
salonMonster is built for beauty professionals, by beauty professionals, with the everyday salon essentials in one price. Vagaro sells extras as paid add-ons. Square Appointments is built for every kind of business.
No credit card required · No long-term contract · Free migration help
Canadian-owned and built in British Columbia since 2010, with straightforward pricing for salons across Canada and the US.
Who it's made for
salonMonster
Hairdressers, nail techs, estheticians, and owner-led salons who want software made for beauty professionals, by people who have worked behind the chair
Vagaro
Salon, spa, wellness, and fitness businesses that want marketplace discovery and a big catalogue of optional tools
Square
Service businesses of every kind that want a free scheduling option tied to Square payments, hardware, and its wider commerce tools
Top features
salonMonster
Online booking, processing-time gaps for colour, booking requests, client records, inventory, reports, a wait list, and bulk email and text marketing, all in one plan
Vagaro
Scheduling, memberships, packages, and a marketplace listing, with forms, a website builder, text marketing, and a branded app sold as paid add-ons
Square
Processing time, a wait list, and no-show protection are only available on paid plans
Support
salonMonster
Phone, chat, and email support from people who know salon work, plus free migration help from a real person
Vagaro
24/7 phone support, plus live chat and email, with onboarding and help moving your data into Vagaro
Square
Self-serve setup and imports, with live onboarding and hands-on migration arranged through its sales team
Bottom line
salonMonster
Built by hairdressers, for hairdressers, with the salon tools, marketing, and personal help in one price
Vagaro
A broad platform for salons, spas, and fitness, with a marketplace and many of the extras sold as paid add-ons
Square
A general booking tool made for every kind of business, with the salon tools you need most kept for its paid plans
Hairdressers, nail techs, estheticians, and owner-led salons who want software made for beauty professionals, by people who have worked behind the chair
Vagaro
Salon, spa, wellness, and fitness businesses that want marketplace discovery and a big catalogue of optional tools
Square
Service businesses of every kind that want a free scheduling option tied to Square payments, hardware, and its wider commerce tools
Online booking, processing-time gaps for colour, booking requests, client records, inventory, reports, a wait list, and bulk email and text marketing, all in one plan
Scheduling, memberships, packages, and a marketplace listing, with forms, a website builder, text marketing, and a branded app sold as paid add-ons
Processing time, a wait list, and no-show protection are only available on paid plans
Phone, chat, and email support from people who know salon work, plus free migration help from a real person
24/7 phone support, plus live chat and email, with onboarding and help moving your data into Vagaro
Self-serve setup and imports, with live onboarding and hands-on migration arranged through its sales team
Built by hairdressers, for hairdressers, with the salon tools, marketing, and personal help in one price
A broad platform for salons, spas, and fitness, with a marketplace and many of the extras sold as paid add-ons
A general booking tool made for every kind of business, with the salon tools you need most kept for its paid plans
Already sold? Jump in whenever you're ready.
Start your free 14-day trialNo card required, no contract.
Want a deeper dive? Here's how salonMonster stacks up.
Public product and pricing information reviewed October 3, 2026. salonMonster bills in Canadian dollars in Canada and US dollars in the US; Vagaro's and Square's prices are shown in each country's own currency. Prices, plans, and promotions change, so check Vagaro's Canada or United States pricing page, and Square's Canada or United States pricing page, before deciding.
The real difference: a big ecosystem, a tool for every business, or software built for yours
Built around the chair
Square has to work for a mechanic, a tax accountant, and a salon. Vagaro covers spas, wellness, and fitness too. salonMonster only has to work for you. Book a cut into the gap while a colour processes, approve online booking requests before they land in your book, and keep formulas on the client record. It's the way a salon day already runs.
The essentials are in the price
With Vagaro, extras like forms, a website, and text marketing are priced one by one. With Square, processing time, a wait list, and no-show protection are only available on paid plans. salonMonster sticks to what a salon uses every day and includes it on every plan.
Help from people who know salons
We've been behind the chair, so you won't have to explain what a root touch-up is. A real person moves your client list over for free and walks you through your new account. And you get 14 days with no card at all, so nothing can charge you until you've decided it's right for you.
Switching from Vagaro or Square: export first
1
Export your records
From Vagaro, download your customer list, then run the appointment, sales, and inventory reports you rely on. From Square, download your customer directory and appointment history, then your items, payment history, and reports. Keep your account open while you do.
2
We look at what you got
Send the files over through our secure process. We'll tell you exactly what can move into salonMonster before we call the move done, so there are no surprises later.
3
Walk through it with a real person
We'll go over your clients, services, upcoming bookings, team access, and booking rules together. Once it all looks right, that's the moment to cancel or downgrade your old plan.
Frequently asked questions
Is Vagaro or Square better for a salon?
It depends on what you want the software to do. Vagaro is a broad platform for salons, spas, wellness, and fitness, with a marketplace and extras sold as paid add-ons. Square Appointments is built for many kinds of businesses, with salon tools such as processing time and a wait list on its paid plans. salonMonster only does salons and beauty. It’s built by hairdressers, for hairdressers, so every feature is designed around a salon day and included in one plan.
Which costs less: Vagaro, Square, or salonMonster?
salonMonster is $30 a month for one person, with every salon tool included: processing time, a wait list, client records, and marketing. Vagaro starts at $35 a month in Canada and $30 in the US, with extras such as forms and text marketing priced separately. Square has a free plan, but its salon tools sit on Square Plus, at $35 a month in Canada or $49 in the US. Team size, country, and add-ons all change the total, so compare the setup you would really use.
Do Vagaro and Square offer a free trial?
salonMonster’s trial is 14 days of the full system and doesn’t ask for a card, so nothing is charged until you choose a plan. Vagaro’s trial runs for 30 days, and its help centre says the card on file is charged when the trial ends. Square has a free plan with no time limit, and its paid plans come with a free trial.
Do Vagaro and Square have a marketplace?
Vagaro lists businesses in its marketplace and says there is no extra fee when a client books through it. Square Go is a free app in the United States where clients can find and book eligible beauty businesses. It’s currently on iPhone only and isn’t offered in Canada. salonMonster keeps booking between you and your clients: they book through your own booking page or a widget on your website, not a marketplace.
Do Vagaro or Square require a contract?
Not for the software. salonMonster has no contract and no cancellation fee. Vagaro lets you cancel anytime with no cancellation fee, though some of its card-reader offers come with their own terms, including a 12-month minimum. Square has no long-term commitment and lets you cancel or downgrade anytime.
Can I export my data from Vagaro or Square?
Yes. On Vagaro, the business owner can export the customer list as Excel or PDF, and many other records can be exported from individual reports. Square lets you export your customer directory and appointment history as CSV files, along with items, payment history, and reports. In both, run each export you rely on before you cancel or downgrade.
Can salonMonster move everything from Vagaro or Square?
It depends on the files you’re able to export. Send them over and we’ll tell you exactly what can move before you change anything on your current account.
ready when you are
Ready for salon software built around the chair?
Start with 14 days free. No credit card. If you decide to move from Vagaro or Square, a real person will look over the files you export and explain what can come across before you change anything.
No card. No contract.
salonMonster is an independent company and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Vagaro, Block, Inc., or Square. Vagaro, Square, and Square Appointments are trademarks of their respective owners. Product and pricing information was reviewed on October 3, 2026.