# GlossGenius vs Square Appointments for Solo Beauty Pros (2026)

Source: https://us.iw.pe/guides/glossgenius-vs-square-appointments · By the WIPE team (https://us.iw.pe/about) · Updated 2026-10-21

**The short answer:** Square Appointments is the cheaper place to start, because its Free plan includes an online booking site, reminders and payments with no monthly fee; you pay only card processing. GlossGenius costs a monthly fee from day one, but its lowest plan already includes deposits, cancellation and no-show policies, and slightly lower in-person card rates than Square Free. If you need no-show fees on Square, you need its Plus plan, which costs more than GlossGenius Standard. So: Square Free if you want to start at $0 and can live without no-show fees; GlossGenius if deposits and policies are the point. Everything below comes from each company's own pages (checked October 2026).

## What each one is

Both are booking and payments apps for appointment businesses, and both give you a booking page clients can use without a DM.

- **GlossGenius** is built for beauty and wellness pros: booking, payments, a booking website, marketing and client records in one app ([GlossGenius pricing](https://glossgenius.com/pricing)).
- **Square Appointments** is Square's booking product. It runs on Square's payments and hardware, so it fits naturally if you already take cards with a Square reader or sell retail ([Square Appointments pricing](https://squareup.com/us/en/appointments/pricing)).

## Price for one person

- **GlossGenius:** Standard is $24 a month billed yearly or $28 month to month; Gold is $48 or $56; Platinum is $148 or $168 and is aimed at larger teams. There's a 14-day free trial with no card (checked October 2026, [GlossGenius pricing](https://glossgenius.com/pricing)).
- **Square Appointments:** Free is $0, Plus is $49 a month per location, Premium is $149 a month per location. Plus has a 30-day free trial (checked October 2026, [Square's pricing plans](https://squareup.com/us/en/the-bottom-line/inside-square/pricing-plans)).

For a solo pro, the realistic comparison is **GlossGenius Standard against Square Free or Square Plus**.

## Card processing fees

This is the cost that grows with your business, so look at it as closely as the monthly price.

- **GlossGenius**, on every plan: 2.4% + 15¢ in person and 2.9% + 30¢ online (checked October 2026, [GlossGenius pricing](https://glossgenius.com/pricing)).
- **Square**, by plan (checked October 2026, [Square fees](https://squareup.com/us/en/payments/our-fees)):
  - In person: 2.6% + 15¢ on Free, 2.5% + 15¢ on Plus, 2.4% + 15¢ on Premium.
  - Online and invoices: 3.3% + 30¢ on Free, 2.9% + 30¢ on Plus and Premium.
  - Manually typed cards and card on file: 3.5% + 15¢ on every plan.

A quick way to compare: take a normal month of card sales, apply each rate, and add the monthly fee. On a $100 in-person service, 2.4% + 15¢ is $2.55 and 2.6% + 15¢ is $2.75, so on Square Free you pay about 20¢ more per $100 service but no monthly fee. At $28 a month for GlossGenius Standard, that gap only pays for itself after roughly 140 in-person $100 services a month, far more than most solo pros do. GlossGenius earns its fee through features, not lower rates.

## Deposits, cancellation and no-show fees

For lash, brow and nail pros this is usually the deciding row.

- **GlossGenius:** "Built-in deposits" and cancellation and no-show policies are listed on every plan, Standard included (checked October 2026, [GlossGenius pricing](https://glossgenius.com/pricing)).
- **Square Appointments:** you can keep a card on file to hold an appointment or require prepayment ([Square Appointments features](https://squareup.com/us/en/appointments/features)), but "cancellation policy and no-show fees" are listed as Plus features, not Free (checked October 2026, [Square Appointments pricing](https://squareup.com/us/en/appointments/pricing)).

If you want to charge a fee when a client doesn't show, compare **GlossGenius Standard with Square Plus**, not Square Free. Before you charge anyone, write the policy clearly; our [lash cancellation policy guide](https://us.iw.pe/guides/lash-cancellation-policy) and [deposit policy guide](https://us.iw.pe/guides/lash-deposit-policy) cover the wording.

## Reminders and client texts

- **GlossGenius:** unlimited appointment reminders, and text credits for marketing (500 on Standard, 2,500 on Gold) (checked October 2026, [GlossGenius pricing](https://glossgenius.com/pricing)).
- **Square Appointments:** automatic reminders to clients by text and/or email on every plan, including Free ([Square Appointments features](https://squareup.com/us/en/appointments/features); [pricing](https://squareup.com/us/en/appointments/pricing)).

Both cover the basic reminder that cuts no-shows. GlossGenius bundles text marketing; Square sells its marketing tools as a separate product with an additional fee.

## Forms, waivers and consent

- **GlossGenius:** forms and waivers are on Gold and Platinum, not Standard (checked October 2026, [GlossGenius pricing](https://glossgenius.com/pricing)).
- **Square Appointments:** lets you attach contracts, documents and waivers to appointments ([Square Appointments features](https://squareup.com/us/en/appointments/features)); its pages we read don't say which plan this requires, so ask Square.

If you do lash extensions or chemical services, you'll want a signed consent form either way. Our [eyelash extension consent form guide](https://us.iw.pe/guides/eyelash-extension-consent-form) explains what goes in one, and there's a free [consent form maker](https://us.iw.pe/tools/lash-consent-form) you can print from.

## Your booking website

- **GlossGenius:** a booking website on every plan, built from GlossGenius templates.
- **Square Appointments:** a free online booking site on every plan, in Square's layout.

Neither one's pricing page says anything about using a custom domain, so ask if that matters to you. Both sites are clean and functional. Neither is designed to look like your Instagram; if your brand look matters, many pros add a separate website whose Book button opens the booking page.

## Getting paid

- **Square:** next-business-day transfers are free; instant transfers cost 1.95% per transfer ([Square Appointments features](https://squareup.com/us/en/appointments/features)).
- **GlossGenius:** its own pages describe the free payout schedule differently in two places (same-day on some weekdays in one, next business day in another), so confirm the current timing and any instant-payout fee with GlossGenius before you count on it.

## Who should pick which

**Pick Square Appointments if:**

- you want to start with no monthly fee and pay only card fees;
- you already use a Square reader, sell retail, or want Square's hardware and point of sale;
- you can live without no-show fees for now, or you're ready to pay for Plus.

**Pick GlossGenius if:**

- deposits and no-show policies on the lowest plan are the point;
- you want text marketing bundled in the same app;
- you're fine paying a monthly fee for a tool built only for beauty and wellness.

**Either way,** set it up on your phone during the trial, book yourself a fake appointment, and pay yourself a deposit. You'll know within a day which one you'd actually use.

## Your first week, whichever you choose

1. **Enter your menu with real durations**, including the cleanup time between clients, so the calendar never double-books you.
2. **Write your policy once** (notice to cancel, late arrivals, deposits) and turn on the setting that shows it at booking.
3. **Turn on reminders** and send yourself a test appointment to see exactly what clients receive.
4. **Put the booking link everywhere clients look:** your Instagram bio, your Google Business Profile and your text replies.
5. **After two weeks, check your payouts and fees** against what you expected, before your trial or first month ends.

## A note if you mainly need a website

Both tools are booking and payments apps first. If what you're missing is a site that shows your work, keep either app for payments and put a site in front of it. One option is WIPE, which builds a site from your Instagram with your photos, services and prices; its Book button can open your GlossGenius or Square booking page. It doesn't take deposits or card payments itself. Building and previewing is free, and publishing is $39 a month. For a wider look, see [booking apps for beauty pros, compared](https://us.iw.pe/alternatives).

## Frequently asked questions

**Is GlossGenius better than Square Appointments?**
Neither is better for everyone. Square Appointments' Free plan costs nothing a month and includes a booking site and reminders, but no-show fees need its Plus plan. GlossGenius charges from its first plan but includes deposits and cancellation and no-show policies there. Choose by whether you need no-show fees and how much you'll process by card.

**Does Square Appointments charge no-show fees on the free plan?**
No. Square's pricing page lists cancellation policies and no-show fees as Plus features (checked October 2026). On Free you can still take bookings and send reminders, and Square describes keeping a card on file or requiring prepayment as booking features.

**Which has lower card fees, GlossGenius or Square?**
For in-person payments, GlossGenius lists 2.4% + 15¢ on every plan, and Square lists 2.6% + 15¢ on Free, 2.5% + 15¢ on Plus and 2.4% + 15¢ on Premium. For online payments both list 2.9% + 30¢, except Square Free at 3.3% + 30¢. All checked October 2026 on their own pages.

**Can I switch from Square Appointments to GlossGenius later?**
Yes, but plan the move: export your client list, recreate your services and policies, and tell regulars about the new booking link a few weeks ahead. Keep the old booking page live until your existing appointments have passed so nobody gets lost.

**Do GlossGenius and Square Appointments include a website?**
Both include a booking site: GlossGenius lists a booking website on every plan, and Square lists a free online booking site on every plan, including Free. They are booking pages in each company's own layout. If you want a site that looks like your brand, you can add one and point its Book button to either app.

## Sources

- GlossGenius, [Pricing](https://glossgenius.com/pricing) (checked October 2026)
- Square, [Square Appointments pricing](https://squareup.com/us/en/appointments/pricing) (checked October 2026)
- Square, [Square's pricing plans](https://squareup.com/us/en/the-bottom-line/inside-square/pricing-plans) (December 8, 2025; checked October 2026)
- Square, [Payment processing fees](https://squareup.com/us/en/payments/our-fees) (checked October 2026)
- Square, [Square Appointments features](https://squareup.com/us/en/appointments/features) (checked October 2026)