Trying to decide between StyleSeat and Vagaro for scheduling software?
Making the right choice can be challenging. Here, we unpick some of the key distinctions between StyleSeat and Vagaro. Plus, we’ll introduce another software, Pabau, into the mix to help you make an informed decision.
StyleSeat is a scheduling platform for independent beauty professionals to run and grow their businesses. Based in the US and primarily aimed at US clients, they’ve powered more than 90 million appointments totalling over $5 billion in revenue for small businesses.
StyleSeat has both free and monthly subscription payment plans to choose from – although it’s worth noting that you will pay commission fees on new clients on BOTH plans.
Vagaro is a cloud-based salon, spa and fitness business management solution that allows professionals to book appointments and manage various facility roles. It offers an integrated solution to manage bookkeeping, payroll, client databases and inventory management.
It’s a fairly affordable option, with prices starting at £30 a month for one user. On top of their monthly fee, you can pay extra for various add-ons to get all the features you need.
Pabau is an all-in-one clinic management software specifically designed for medi aesthetic clinics. With clients all over the world, Pabau provides everything clinics need to reduce time spent on admin, improve the patient experience, and attract new customers. Because it’s purpose-built for med spas, it has key features that this client base will find particularly valuable.
Let’s start by breaking down the pricing in StyleSeat, Vagaro, and Pabau.
StyleSeat offers two plans. On the marketing plan, you pay 25% commission on new client bookings and every client is required to check out using StyleSeat payments. On their scheduling plan, you pay $35 a month plus 35% commission on new clients, up to $50. On this plan, you can take payments however you want, not necessarily through their system.
In addition, you’ll also pay a booking fee of between $1 and $10 per transaction.
Vagaro charges a very affordable monthly fee. However, this fee only gets you the basics. For anything else you want to use, you’ll have to pay for it. This can be anything from data storage (£10 a month, forms (£10 a month, a client check-in app (£10 a month), and so on. As you can see, it can all start to add up quickly.
Pabau’s pricing is based on the number of users and every client will get access to all features for a flat monthly fee. As an all-in-one system, we don’t charge extra for things like data storage or client photos.
The only additional costs are entirely optional. We offer one-off training and data transfer services to save you time and help you get up and running as soon as possible.
The other optional fees are SMS charges and our advanced marketing feature.
| Why Choose Pabau Over StyleSeat vs Vagaro | StyleSeat | Vagaro | Pabau |
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| No commission fees StyleSeat will charge you either 25% or 35% new client commission fees for new clients aquired through their platfroms, depending on what plan you’re on. Pabau doesn't charge commission fees. |
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| Branded online booking In Pabau you can create a fully branded online booking experience on your own website using an online booking widget. With StyleSeat and Vagaro, you'll be directed to an online marketplace with little to no branding. Vagaro has an option for an embedded widget. |
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| Email and SMS messages StyleSeat is primarily a scheduling tool so it’s light on client communication tools. You can’t send emails or SMS in StyleSeat, period. Vagaro has basic marketing emails but Pabau wins when it comes to client communication. You can link emails to the service to automate all your pre-care and aftercare communication. |
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| Deposits for online booking Want to encourage your clients to honour their appointments, reduce no-shows and boost revenue? Deposits can help you with that, something that StyleSeat currently doesn’t offer as a feature. |
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| In-clinic customer journey Want a way of making sure you have all correct documentation on file before a client has their appointment, such as consent forms, questionnaires, and before and after photos? The in-clinic customer journey in Pabau ensures you'll never miss a step again. |
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| Out-of-the-box forms and waivers StyleSeat doesn’t provide any consultation forms, waiver forms, or intake forms. Vagaro does offer forms, but you’ll have to pay extra for them. In Pabau, you’ll have access to multiple form templates that you can edit and customize to your needs. |
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Having Pabau 2 implemented into the clinic is certainly a relief. It just reduces a whole lot of stress in the clinic.
When you have to pay a commission on new client bookings, you’ll probably end up trying to avoid them. For example, asking customers to pay in cash or switching off your online booking function because you’ve been stung by hefty commission fees too many times.
But the only way to really avoid them is to choose a different software. Pabau won’t charge you online booking fees for new clients, so you can set up your online booking and know that every new client booking will be money in your pocket, not ours.
The best software understands you, your business, and your challenges. Pabau has been built to meet the needs of medi-aesthetic operators and med spas, not hair or beauty salons.
That’s why it has features that have been created specifically for this sector, such as automated pre-care and aftercare emails, electronic medical records (EMR), before and after photos, injection plotting, customizable forms, and so on. At Pabau, we get you.
Want to just pay one simple price each month without having to shell out for extras?
If you choose Vagaro you’ll pay a monthly fee and then have to pay extra for everything from data storage to forms to a client check-in app. Similarly, using StyleSeat means you’ll always have their commission charges at the back of your mind.
In Pabau, we keep it simple. All the features you need are under one roof, charged at one simple price. You don’t need to worry about all your add-ons adding up.
Booking an appointment online is one of the first touchpoints a client has with your business. But StyleSeat and Vagaro send clients to their website to book, where your clinic is pitched alongside the competition - potentially losing you business along the way.
In Pabau it’s a completely different experience. You create the end-to-end experience to fit with the look and feel of your brand and tailor the client experience.
Clinics need to collect a LOT of documentation before an appointment, right? With Pabau, you don’t have to break a sweat trying to remember everything. You can simply use our app to ensure you have up-to-date health records, signed medical consents, and photos.
Not every provider has this functionality, but we know how needed by med spa practitioners. Not only does it protect the client, it also protects your business.
“After 16 years of using about 20 different client management software systems, this is the only one I can honestly say does it all, and does it all very well.”
Roxanne Merchant,
Head of Operations, Juvea Medical
“Pabau is feature-rich, allowing us functionality to grow as our business needs grow, and at the same time quite intuitive to use. Competing software offerings can’t compete!”
Daniel, Doctor,
G2 review
“I’ve been in business for almost nine years. I’ve tried a lot of different software, but I was always missing some features. This software has everything that saves my time, keeps my records and medical forms in one place, and is easy to use.”
Angelina, Owner
G2 review
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