9 Best Nail Salon Appointment Software in 2026, Compared

Quick comparison

The best nail salon appointment software

#1

Square Appointments

Best for: Solo nail techs and small salons already taking Square payments who want booking for $0

Visit squareup.com

Starting priceFree (Free plan; Plus $49/month per location; Premium $149/month per location)

Free planYes — Free plan ($0, 1 location)

Square Appointments is the only tool here that runs a real booking system for $0: the Free plan covers one location with an online booking site, unlimited staff calendars, reminders, deposits and prepayments, and you pay only card processing fees. Plus costs $49 a month per location and adds no-show fees, cancellation policies, a waitlist and multi-staff appointments; Premium costs $149 and adds resource booking, time tracking and advanced reporting.

The trade-off is that Square is a general booking tool, not a salon specialist. Marketing and loyalty are thin, and there is no marketplace to bring new clients — every booking has to come from the salon's own marketing. Buy Square Appointments when the salon already takes Square payments and wants booking for free; buy Fresha or Booksy when new-client discovery matters more than the $0 price.

What we like

• A genuinely free plan: online booking, unlimited staff calendars, reminders and deposits at $0
• Booking and payments sit in one login, with no separate processor to connect
• Card rates fall as you upgrade: 2.6% plus 15 cents in person on Free, 2.4% on Premium
• No marketplace commission — clients you bring yourself cost nothing extra

Watch out for

• No-show fees, cancellation policies and a waitlist need Plus at $49/month per location
• Marketing and loyalty tools are thin compared with the salon-first tools here
• Every plan is priced per location, so a second shop doubles the subscription

#2

Fresha

Best for: Nail salons that want new clients from a large beauty marketplace, not just a calendar

Visit fresha.com

Starting price$19.95/month (Independent, one bookable team member; Team $14.95 per member/month)

Free planNo — 7-day free trial

Fresha wins the headline-price contest and loses the total-cost contest for busy salons. Independent costs $19.95 a month for one bookable team member, and Team costs $14.95 per member a month, with online booking, client records, POS and payments included. Behind it sits a large beauty marketplace where clients search for nail salons nearby, which is the real reason most salons pick Fresha.

The real price is the 20% commission on the first booking of every new client the marketplace sends, with a $6 minimum. A salon gaining ten new marketplace clients a month at a $65 ticket pays about $130 in commissions on top of the subscription. Buy Fresha when you need new clients more than cost predictability; buy Vagaro when the total monthly bill matters more.

What we like

• The cheapest subscription here: $19.95 a month for a solo tech, $14.95 per team member on the Team plan
• A large beauty marketplace that puts the salon in front of clients searching nearby
• Full POS and inventory included, so retail polish and aftercare sell through the same till
• No contract — monthly billing with cancellation at any time

Watch out for

• No free plan since 2026 — the subscription starts at $19.95 a month after a 7-day trial
• A 20% commission on every new marketplace client's first booking, with a $6 minimum, sits on top of the subscription
• Loyalty, Google rating boost and a smart website are paid add-ons, not included

#3

GlossGenius

Best for: US solo nail techs and small teams that want the most polished booking site and brand

Visit glossgenius.com

Starting price$28/month (Standard, billed monthly; $24/month billed annually)

Free planNo — 14-day free trial

GlossGenius is the beauty-first pick: Standard costs $28 a month billed monthly, or $24 billed annually, and covers a custom booking website, online booking, POS, client and inventory management, and email and text marketing for up to two users. Gold costs $56 a month billed monthly, or $48 annually, and adds forms, waitlists, rebooking reminders and Reserve with Google for teams up to nine staff.

The card rate is the same on every plan at 2.4% plus 15 cents in person, which makes the bill easy to predict. The limits are geography and headcount: GlossGenius serves the United States only, and a three-tech salon needs Gold, not Standard. Buy GlossGenius when the booking experience is part of the brand; buy Vagaro when the budget matters more.

What we like

• The most polished booking site here: a custom website, online booking and POS that look expensive
• Flat card rate of 2.4% plus 15 cents in person on every plan, with no per-plan surprises
• Packages, memberships and inventory included on Standard, not held for the top tier
• Gold adds forms, waitlists and Reserve with Google for teams up to 9 staff

Watch out for

• Standard covers only 2 users — a third tech means Gold at $56/month billed monthly
• US only, so it is no use to a salon outside the United States
• Text marketing credits are capped on Gold, and high-volume salons pay extra

#4

Vagaro

Best for: Small nail salons that want the most features per dollar in one subscription

Visit vagaro.com

Starting price$30/month (single bookable calendar; $23.99/month for the first 6 months; $10 per extra calendar)

Free planNo — free trial available

Vagaro is the value pick in this list because the base plan is a full salon system, not just a calendar: $30 a month covers one bookable calendar with online booking, client management, POS and a marketplace listing, and each extra calendar costs $10 a month. New customers pay $23.99 a month for the first six months. Gift cards, packages and memberships are included, and payroll comes from the same company.

The catch is the promotional rate. After six months the price rises to the $30 list rate, and text marketing, intake forms and the website builder all cost extra. Buy Vagaro when you want the most features for the least money; buy Fresha or GlossGenius when the marketplace or the polish matters more.

What we like

• Booking, POS, client management and a marketplace in the $30 base plan
• No commission on bookings — the marketplace listing costs nothing per client
• Payroll from the same company keeps booking and pay in one login
• A long feature list for the money, from gift cards to packages and memberships

Watch out for

• The $23.99 rate lasts six months, then the price rises to the $30 list rate
• Each extra bookable calendar costs $10 a month, so the bill grows with every tech
• Text marketing, intake forms and the website builder are paid add-ons, not included

#5

Booksy

Best for: Nail salons that want every feature in one plan and a marketplace that brings new clients

Visit booksy.com

Starting price$29.99/month (first staff member, plus tax; $20 per extra staff member/month)

Free planNo — 14-day free trial

Booksy keeps pricing simple by having one plan: $29.99 a month plus tax for the first staff member, with $20 a month for each extra team member, and every feature included — unlimited bookings, reminders, waitlists, marketing tools, gift cards, packages and a marketplace listing. A three-person salon pays $69.99 a month before tax, and a five-person salon pays $109.99.

The cost to watch is Boost, the optional marketplace promotion. It takes 30% of a new Boost client's first visit, up to $100, so a salon gaining ten Boost clients a month at a $65 ticket pays up to $195 in Boost fees. Buy Booksy when you want one plan with no tier decisions; buy Vagaro when per-staff pricing is the deal-breaker.

What we like

• One plan with every feature included — no tier to upgrade into for forms, waitlists or marketing
• Unlimited bookings, reminders, gift cards, packages and a marketplace listing from day one
• A 14-day free trial with no credit card required, and month-to-month billing with no commitment
• Strong mobile app for clients, with in-app booking and reviews

Watch out for

• The price rises with every tech: $29.99 for the first, then $20 a month per extra staff member
• The $29.99 price is before tax, and Boost takes 30% of a new Boost client's first visit
• No annual discount in the US, so paying yearly saves nothing

#6

Setmore

Best for: Small nail salons on a tight budget that need simple booking for up to four techs

Visit setmore.com

Starting priceFree (Free plan; Pro $12/user/month billed monthly, $5/user/month billed annually)

Free planYes — Free plan ($0, up to 4 users)

Setmore is the budget pick because the free plan is a working product, not a demo: up to four users get a booking page, payments, email reminders and Reserve with Google at $0, with no credit card required. Pro costs $12 per user a month billed monthly, or $5 per user billed annually, and adds SMS reminders, two-way calendar sync, recurring appointments and the API.

The limits are the ones that matter most to a busy salon. The free plan has no SMS reminders, no waitlist and no packages or memberships, and its one-way calendar sync can let a double-booking slip through. Buy Setmore when the budget is $0 and the book is light; buy Square Appointments when deposits and no-show fees matter.

What we like

• A genuinely free plan: up to four users, a booking page, payments and email reminders at $0
• Pro is cheap on annual billing at $5 per user a month, or $12 billed monthly
• Reserve with Google included on the free plan, so clients can book from search
• Payments through Square, Stripe and PayPal with no Setmore commission

Watch out for

• SMS reminders, two-way calendar sync and recurring appointments all need Pro
• No waitlist, packages or memberships at any price
• The free plan's one-way calendar sync can create double-booking risk

#7

Acuity Scheduling

Best for: Solo nail techs who need deep scheduling control and already have a website

Visit acuityscheduling.com

Starting price$20/month (Starter, billed monthly; $16/month billed annually)

Free planNo — 7-day free trial

Acuity Scheduling is the scheduling specialist: Starter costs $20 a month billed monthly, or $16 billed annually, for one calendar with online booking, email reminders, intake forms and payments through Stripe, Square or PayPal. Standard costs $34 a month billed monthly, or $27 annually, for up to six calendars with text reminders, a waitlist, packages and memberships.

The catch is scope. Acuity books appointments and nothing else — there is no POS, no inventory, no marketing and no marketplace, so the salon still needs a separate till and a way to find clients. Buy Acuity when scheduling control is the whole job and the salon already has a website; buy Square Appointments when booking and payments should sit in one login.

What we like

• The deepest scheduling controls here: intake forms, group classes, packages and gift certificates
• Priced per account, not per user, so adding staff calendars does not multiply the bill
• Embeds into any website, including Squarespace, WordPress and Wix
• HIPAA-enabled scheduling is available on Premium for salons that need it

Watch out for

• Scheduling only — no POS, inventory, marketing or client marketplace at any price
• Text reminders, packages and memberships need Standard at $34/month billed monthly
• Payment processing runs through Stripe, Square or PayPal, with their fees on top

#8

Mangomint

Best for: Established nail salons that want fast workflows and every core feature in one plan

Visit mangomint.com

Starting price$130/month ($120 per location plus $10 per user)

Free planNo — free trial available

Mangomint sells one plan and nothing else: $120 a month per location plus $10 per user, so a solo provider pays $130 a month and a three-user salon pays $150, with every core feature included — Express Booking, a virtual waiting room, memberships and packages, forms, web chat and integrations. There are no tiers to compare and no feature to be pushed into, and onboarding with data transfer is included at no cost.

The price is the barrier. At $130 a month it costs more than four times Vagaro's base plan, and phone, marketing and payroll are still paid add-ons. Buy Mangomint when the salon is established, the front desk is the bottleneck, and speed is worth paying for; buy Vagaro when the budget comes first.

What we like

• One plan with everything included — no tiers, no feature gates, no upgrade decisions
• Express Booking and a virtual waiting room keep the front desk moving on busy days
• Memberships, packages and forms included, with HIPAA-compliant intake forms
• No contracts and onboarding with data transfer included at no cost

Watch out for

• $130 a month is a steep starting price for a solo tech or a new salon
• Phone, marketing and payroll are paid add-ons on top of the $130 base
• US and Canada only, so it is no use to a salon elsewhere

#9

Boulevard

Best for: Premium nail salons with up to five providers that want a polished, payments-first platform

Visit joinblvd.com

Starting price$159/month (Essentials, per location; $143/month billed annually)

Free planNo — no free trial

Boulevard is the premium pick: Essentials costs $159 a month billed monthly, or $143 billed annually, for one location with up to five providers, and covers online booking, POS, precision scheduling, 250 texts and 1,000 email blasts a month. Premier costs $325 a month and adds inventory and unlimited providers. The platform is payments-first, so checkout and booking never split apart.

The buying process is the weak point. There is no free trial, the standard plans carry a 12-month minimum contract, and forms cost $65 a month extra on Essentials. Buy Boulevard when the salon charges premium prices and the experience must match them; buy GlossGenius when a polished booking site is enough at a fifth of the price.

What we like

• Precision scheduling built for multi-service appointments, including color and back-to-back services
• Payments-first platform with its own processing, so checkout and booking never split apart
• 250 texts and 1,000 email blasts a month included on Essentials
• A polished client experience that matches premium service prices

Watch out for

• No free trial and a 12-month minimum contract on the standard plans
• Forms cost $65 a month extra on Essentials, and inventory needs Premier at $325 a month
• No marketplace, so every new client has to come from the salon's own marketing

The best nail salon appointment software does two jobs: it fills the book without phone tag, and it protects the chair from no-shows with deposits, reminders and cancellation rules. We ranked the nine tools below by fit for the most common buyer — a small US nail salon with one to five techs — starting with the free plans and ending with the premium platforms, and every price was checked on November 8, 2026.

How to choose the best nail salon appointment software

• Count your techs first. Fresha, Booksy and Vagaro all charge more as staff grows, while Square Appointments and GlossGenius charge per location or per plan — the meter that bites first is your real starting price.
• Decide whether you need new clients or just a calendar. Fresha and Booksy run marketplaces that bring new clients for a commission; Square Appointments, Acuity Scheduling and Boulevard bring nobody, so the salon's own marketing has to fill the book.
• Check deposits and no-show protection before anything else. A single empty chair costs more than a month of most subscriptions here, and the feature sits on different tiers on every tool.
• Check the card rate, not just the subscription. Processing runs 2.4% to 3.3% on most tools here, and a busy salon pays more in card fees than in subscription fees.
• Think about who else touches the book. If the front desk, the techs and the owner all need access, count the per-user and per-calendar charges — a cheap headline price can double with three logins.

Booking is one system in the stack, not the whole stack. If the salon also needs a broader view of salon tools, our guide to booking software for salons covers the wider category. And before you publish new pages for the services you sell, run your titles through the free SERP snippet preview tool — it shows exactly how the title and description will look in Google.

Whatever you shortlist, try it with real bookings before you pay. The free plans and trials in this list are long enough to run one genuine week — your services, your prices, your clients — and that week tells you more than any review can. Check two things in the trial: that clients can book without calling you, and that reminders and deposits actually cut no-shows. Every tool here lets clients book online, so there is no reason to buy before your own clients have tried it.

Nail salon booking pricing: what you will actually pay

Take a three-person nail salon — the owner plus two techs — at one location. On list prices, the subscription costs $0 a month on Square Appointments Free or Setmore Free, $44.85 on Fresha Team, $50 on Vagaro, $69.99 on Booksy, $56 on GlossGenius Gold billed monthly, $34 on Acuity Growing billed monthly, $150 on Mangomint and $159 on Boulevard Essentials. Two of those numbers need adjusting before they are real: GlossGenius Standard covers only two users, so the third tech forces Gold, and Vagaro's first six months run at $43.99 a month on the $23.99 introductory rate.

Over a year, that is $0 on Square Free or Setmore Free, $324 on Acuity Growing billed annually, $538.20 on Fresha Team, $564 on Vagaro in the first year with the introductory rate, $576 on GlossGenius Gold billed annually, $839.88 on Booksy before tax, $1,716 on Boulevard Essentials billed annually and $1,800 on Mangomint. The same three people and the same chairs cost $0 a year at the cheap end and $1,800 at the dear end — a gap that comes entirely from pricing models and billing choices, not from features.

Three costs sit outside every number above. First, marketplace commissions: Fresha takes 20% of a new marketplace client's first booking, and Booksy Boost takes 30% up to $100, so a salon gaining ten new marketplace clients a month at a $65 ticket pays about $130 on Fresha or up to $195 on Booksy Boost. Second, card processing on every payment, which runs about 2.4% to 3.3% depending on the plan. Third, the add-ons: Boulevard Forms at $65 a month, Mangomint Phone from $70 a month, and Vagaro text marketing from $20 a month all sit on top of the subscription.

Annual billing cuts the bill on most tools here: GlossGenius Standard drops from $28 to $24 a month, Acuity Starter from $20 to $16, Boulevard Essentials from $159 to $143, and Setmore Pro from $12 to $5 per user a month. Booksy publishes no annual discount in the US, so the monthly figure is the whole story. One more cost to check before you commit: a second location is a second subscription on the per-location tools here. Square Appointments, Mangomint and Boulevard all price per location, so a salon with two shops pays double whatever the chart shows.

Know the difference: booking software vs a marketplace listing

The confusion in this category is between a tool and a source of clients. Booking software runs the calendar: it takes appointments, sends reminders, takes deposits and keeps client records. A marketplace listing puts the salon in front of strangers who are searching for a nail salon nearby. Fresha and Booksy do both; Square Appointments, Acuity Scheduling, Setmore, Mangomint and Boulevard do the first and leave the second to the salon's own marketing.

There is a second, quieter confusion: a free plan is not the same as a free business. Square Appointments Free and Setmore Free both run real booking at $0, but no-show fees, SMS reminders and marketing sit on paid tiers, and card processing is charged on every payment. A salon that books twenty clients a week still pays processing on every one of them, even on a $0 plan.

A third distinction worth knowing is per-staff pricing versus per-location pricing. Fresha, Booksy and Vagaro charge more with every tech, so the bill grows as the team grows. Square Appointments, Mangomint and Boulevard charge per location, so adding a tech costs nothing extra but opening a second shop doubles the bill. The pricing model matters more than the headline price, because it decides what the salon pays in a year, not just in the first month.

Quick comparison: tool type by need

Mistakes to avoid

• Budgeting on the subscription alone. Marketplace commissions and card processing usually cost more than the monthly plan, so price the whole bill before you compare tools.
• Buying on the free plan, then finding no-show protection costs extra. Square Appointments puts no-show fees on Plus at $49 a month, and Setmore has no no-show fees at all — check this feature before you buy.
• Ignoring the meter that bites first. A tool can be cheap and still be the wrong buy: Fresha Team at $14.95 per member and Booksy at $20 per extra tech both grow with every hire.
• Paying commission for clients you already have. Marketplace tools charge for new clients they bring, not for regulars — but only if the booking comes through your own link, so check how each tool attributes a booking.
• Forgetting the second location. If you open a second shop, you pay for two subscriptions on Square Appointments, Mangomint and Boulevard. Price the second set of chairs before you commit to a tool for the first.

How we chose

We checked each vendor's own pricing page and recorded the starting price exactly as shown, including the annual-billing figure where the page lists one, and we ranked the tools by fit for the most common buyer — a small US nail salon with one to five techs — not by brand size. Two prices could not be read directly from the vendor's own page on November 8, 2026, because the page fetches failed that day, so they are third-party-reported from fresh crawls of the vendors' own pricing pages and are marked as such here: Fresha's $19.95 subscription, confirmed by multiple October and November 2026 crawls of its pricing page, and Boulevard's $159 Essentials tier, confirmed by crawls dated October 28 to November 2, 2026. The remaining prices match the November 7, 2026 verification in our companion salon-booking guide. This list carries no review ratings because the G2 review pages could not be opened reliably on November 8, 2026, and we would rather show no rating than a stale or estimated one. No vendor paid for a place in this list, and none of the links here are affiliate links.

What to do next

Start with the free plan or trial of your top pick and run one real week of bookings through it. Check that clients can book without calling you, that reminders cut no-shows, and that the card rate on your busiest day matches what the pricing page promised. If the bookings are sorted but new customers are not finding you, our local SEO service handles the visibility side — or compare options in our guide to the best beauty salon management software. Once your tools are in place, find out what's holding your rankings back.

Sources we checked (9)

• Square Appointments pricing — squareup.com/us/en/appointments/pricing (checked November 8, 2026)
• Fresha pricing — fresha.com/pricing (checked November 8, 2026)
• GlossGenius pricing — glossgenius.com/pricing (checked November 8, 2026)
• Vagaro pricing — vagaro.com/pro/pricing (checked November 8, 2026)
• Booksy pricing — biz.booksy.com/en-us/pricing (checked November 8, 2026)
• Setmore pricing — setmore.com/pricing (checked November 8, 2026)
• Acuity Scheduling pricing — acuityscheduling.com/pricing (checked November 8, 2026)
• Mangomint pricing — mangomint.com/pricing (checked November 8, 2026)
• Boulevard pricing — joinblvd.com/pricing (checked November 8, 2026)