We help you decide what tool is better – Vagaro vs SimplyBook.me.
Weighing up which scheduling software is best for you? We’ve reviewed the key differences between Vagaro and SimplyBook.me to help you decide. And while we’re here, we’ve also thrown another contender into the mix – Pabau.
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 $25 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.
SimplyBook.me provides an online booking system for medical spas, as well as various other industries – they cover everything from beauty and wellness to education and retail.
You get a full-blown website, or a booking widget if you already have a website, where you can present your business and accept appointments, sell products, gift cards and service add-ons.
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 Vagaro, SimplyBook.me, and Pabau…
Vagaro’s pricing starts at $25 a month for one user in one location, increasing to $85 a month for 7+ users. If you have multiple locations, you’ll have to get in touch with their team for pricing.
They also charge for a number of add-ons, for everything from client data storage, forms, text messaging campaigns, and a client check-up app, which all cost $10 a month.
SimplyBook.me has a more unusual pricing structure. It has 5 different plans, which range from £0 a month to £75 a month. Each plan has a set number of users, a set number of custom features, and a set number of bookings.
If you go over the set number of bookings for the month you can purchase an additional package of bookings, costing between $14 and $750. There are 60 custom features to choose from and the number of features you are able to use depends on which plan you’re on. They also charge for SMS packages.
Pabau charges a flat monthly fee. Pabau’s pricing structure is based on the number of users and every client will get access to all features in the system.
As an all-in-one system, we don’t charge extra for things such as reminder communication, data storage or client photos. The only additional costs you’ll pay are the SMS charges and advanced marketing feature.
| Why Choose Pabau Over Vagaro vs SimplyBook.me | Vagaro | SimplyBook.me | Pabau |
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| No online marketplace Vagaro and SimplyBook.me give you the option to appear on their online marketplace where you’ll be pitched alongside the competition. With Pabau, you can fully customize the online booking experience with an embedded booking widget. |
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| Consultation forms included In Vagaro, you have to pay extra to get consultation forms. With SimplyBook.me, intake forms are a custom feature - which you get a limited number of on certain plans. With Pabau, there are hundreds of template forms you can edit and customize to your own needs. |
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| Simple, all access features If you choose Pabau you have access to the whole system. In Vagaro, you have to pay extra to get certain features such as data storage. In SimplyBook.me it’s similar. Plus, not all of the custom features work together - making it complicated and confusing! | |
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| Automated pre-care and aftercare emails Want to send pre-care and aftercare emails to a client at the time of booking? In Pabau, this process is fully automated. Simply check a box at the time of booking and it’s taken care of. |
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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 never miss a step again. |
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The best software understands you, your business, and your challenges. While Vagaro is mostly for salons, spas, and fitness industry, SimplyBook.me says aimed at all service-based industries. Meanwhile, Pabau has been built to meet the needs of medi aesthetic operators.
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, If you go for SimplyBook.me you’ll have to predict your booking numbers and decide what custom features you need.
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.
Working over two clinics on different days? Need to manage multiple rooms? Want to be able to take deposits specific to each service? How about automating all pre-care and aftercare communication at the time of booking so you don’t have to send it manually?
Pabau is designed to handle complex, busy businesses. And with a huge scope for customization, you can be sure we can tailor the system to suit your needs.
Pabau isn’t the cheapest software on the market. But the great thing is you won’t need anything else as, in the words of one of our customers, “Pabau does it all.”
Choosing Vagaro or SimplyBook.me means you’ll probably need to budget for additional tools, such as consultation forms or document signing software. This isn’t the case with Pabau. We have everything you need and, because we’re so feature-rich, as your business grows, we’ll grow with you.
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. 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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