looking for a Vagaro alternative? an honest comparison
Vagaro is one of the fullest salon platforms: booking, payments, marketing, memberships, forms, SOAP notes and a marketplace listing, with booking on Instagram, Facebook and Apple Maps. WIPE does much less on purpose: it turns your Instagram into a website that shows your work and takes booking requests, for one flat price and no commission. If you want everything in one system, Vagaro is stronger. If you want a site that's done in seconds and simple to run, WIPE fits better.
Vagaro and WIPE, side by side
| What | Vagaro | WIPE |
|---|---|---|
| Price for one person | $30/mo for one person; $23.99/mo for the first 6 months when checked. $10/mo per extra calendar. | $39/month, everything included. Building and previewing is free. |
| Card processing | Not listed on its pricing page. | None: WIPE doesn't process payments. |
| Fee on new clients | Not listed on its US pricing page; every plan includes a free Vagaro Marketplace listing. | None. No commission, no marketplace. |
| Website | Online booking on Vagaro, Instagram, Facebook and Apple Maps. A branded MySite website isn't in its "included with every plan" list. | Built from your Instagram, at yourname.iw.pe. |
| Free trial | 30 days. | A free preview with no card, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. |
Vagaro: checked on Vagaro pricing (US). Prices change; check their page before you decide.
Where Vagaro is stronger
- Breadth: payments, waitlist, memberships, packages, gift certificates, loyalty, inventory and SOAP notes are in every plan.
- Booking from Instagram, Facebook and Apple Maps, and a free listing on the Vagaro Marketplace.
- Payroll, rent collection and multi-location tools when you grow.
Choose Vagaro if
- You want booking, payments, forms and marketing in one system and don't mind learning it.
- You want clients to book you straight from Instagram's or Facebook's own booking buttons.
- You plan to hire, rent chairs or open a second location.
Choose WIPE if
- You want a website that looks like your Instagram, ready in seconds, without setting anything up.
- You want one flat monthly price with nothing to add on.
- You want fewer settings, not more.
Or use both
WIPE's booking button can point to the booking link you already have, so you can keep Vagaro behind the scenes and let WIPE be the site clients see first.
what wipe doesn't do yet
- Take deposits or card payments. There are no processing fees, but no deposits through WIPE either.
- Send automatic text messages. Confirmations and reminders go by email, and you can text a client from your own phone in one tap.
- Connect a domain you already own. Your address is yourname.iw.pe.
- List you on a marketplace to bring you new clients.
- Run a team: it's made for one pro and one calendar.
questions
How much does Vagaro cost for one person?
When we checked, Vagaro's US pricing page listed $30 a month for one person, with $23.99 a month for the first 6 months, and $10 for each extra calendar.
Does Vagaro include a website?
Every plan includes online booking on Vagaro, Instagram, Facebook and Apple Maps. Its branded website, MySite, isn't in the "included with every plan" list, so ask Vagaro what it costs for you.
Is WIPE a full salon system like Vagaro?
No. WIPE doesn't do payments, payroll or inventory. It's a website made from your Instagram that takes booking requests, sends email confirmations and reminders, and keeps your client list.
Can I keep Vagaro and add a WIPE site?
Yes. Paste your Vagaro booking link into WIPE and your site's booking button opens it.
For solo pros by trade: lash artists · brow artists · estheticians · nail techs. All comparisons: booking apps compared. Our price: pricing.