Vagaro alternative for salons and spas
Cicini vs Vagaro — Cicini is the leaner Vagaro alternative for salons and spas that want online booking, scheduling, and payments — without a heavy ERP, per-staff fees, or marketplace commissions.
30-day free trial on paid plans · Free plan at $0 • Cancel anytime
Choosing the right salon booking software
Vagaro is a genuinely capable platform. It bundles scheduling, point of sale, payroll, inventory, email marketing, a website builder, and a consumer marketplace into one system — which is why it's popular with salons, spas, barbershops, and fitness studios that want everything under one roof.
The trade-off is weight and cost. Most of that breadth is sold as separate add-on modules, staff are billed individually, and the marketplace that brings new clients also shows them nearby competitors. If you mainly need clean online booking, staff scheduling, and payments, you can end up paying for an ERP to do a booking job.
Cicini covers the booking and payments work most salons do every day — at a fair, transparent price, with no per-staff surcharge and no marketplace fee on the clients you earn.
How Cicini and Vagaro differ
Vagaro is built as an all-in-one operating system for a salon or spa. Booking is one part of a much larger suite that includes payroll, commissions, booth-rental management, retail inventory, and its own marketplace where consumers discover businesses.
Cicini is built booking-first. Clients book your services online, pay the full appointment price via Stripe (deposits on roadmap), get automated email and SMS reminders, and rebook — all from your own branded booking page. Your staff see their schedules, you keep your client list, and your pricing stays predictable as you add people.
The difference isn't quality — it's scope and cost. Cicini trades breadth you may not need for a lighter tool and a simpler bill.
Feature-by-feature comparison
| Capability | Cicini | Vagaro |
|---|---|---|
| Online booking page | ||
| Multi-staff scheduling | Yes — individual availability, no per-staff fee | Yes — billed per additional staff member |
| Calendar sync (Google / Outlook / Apple) | Google sync + FreeBusy busy-block (beta) — Outlook/Apple on roadmap | Yes |
| Deposits & payments at booking | Full/deposit Stripe + gift cards (paid plans) — packages/memberships on roadmap | Yes — Vagaro Pay processing fees apply |
| Automated SMS + email reminders | Yes — email all plans, SMS on paid | Email included; SMS as paid add-on |
| Intake forms & client notes | Client notes — yes; intake on roadmap | Forms sold as add-on |
| Waitlist management | On roadmap | |
| Branded / embeddable booking pages | Branded page live; iframe embed on roadmap | Website builder is a paid add-on |
| Multi-location support | On roadmap | |
| API access | API keys + webhooks (Pro+) — limited quotas on Pro | Limited |
| Transparent flat pricing | Yes — Free / $19 / $49 / custom | Per-staff + modular add-ons |
| No marketplace commission on your clients | Marketplace shows nearby competitors | |
| Native payroll & commissions | ||
| Retail / inventory management | ||
| Consumer discovery marketplace | ||
| HIPAA support (BAA) | HIPAA-compliant security · BAA / Health tier on Enterprise roadmap | Available on higher tiers |
Vagaro plans and add-ons change over time — check their current pricing for the latest details. Both tools are strong; the right one depends on whether you need a full ERP or a focused booking system.
When salons choose Cicini over Vagaro
When salons choose Cicini over Vagaro
- You want online booking, staff scheduling, and payments — not payroll, inventory, and a marketplace
- You prefer flat, published pricing over per-staff fees and stacked add-on modules
- You don't want your booking platform promoting nearby competitors to your clients
- You want full-price Stripe checkout today (deposits and packages on roadmap) with predictable processing fees
- You run a salon, spa, barbershop, or wellness studio and value a clean, modern booking experience
- You want to start free and add payments and SMS reminders only when you need them
Explore the full appointment scheduling software feature set, or see how it fits salon booking software for beauty businesses.
Switching from Vagaro
Switching from Vagaro
Transparent pricing
Transparent pricing, no per-staff surprises
Cicini vs Vagaro: frequently asked questions
Clear answers about booking, clinic workflows, pricing, and getting started with Cicini.
Ask us a questionCicini product specialist
Here to help with your questions
Still have questions?
Tell us about your clinic and the workflow you want to simplify. We'll help you understand whether Cicini is a good fit.
Contact our teamFrequently asked questions
Is Cicini a good Vagaro alternative for salons and spas?
Yes. Cicini is a lighter, more affordable Vagaro alternative for salons and spas that want online booking, staff scheduling, and payments without a heavy all-in-one ERP. You get the core tools most beauty and wellness businesses actually use every day, on transparent plans starting free, instead of paying for payroll, inventory, and marketplace modules you may never touch.
How does Cicini pricing compare to Vagaro pricing?
Cicini uses flat, published plans: Free at $0, Starter at $19/mo, Professional at $49/mo, and Enterprise custom — no per-staff surcharge to use the calendar. Vagaro starts low but is priced per additional staff member with many features sold as separate add-on modules, so most salons end up combining several bundles. With Cicini you can see your total cost up front and start on a 30-day free trial with no credit card required.
Does Cicini charge marketplace commissions on new clients?
No. Cicini is your own branded booking system, not a consumer marketplace. Vagaro can list your business in its marketplace alongside nearby competitors, which drives discovery but also exposes your clients to other salons. With Cicini, the clients you bring in stay yours — there is no marketplace fee or commission on new bookings, and you own your client list and data.
Can I take payments without Vagaro-style processing add-ons?
Cicini collects full appointment payment through Stripe on paid plans. Deposits and packages are on the roadmap. You connect your own Stripe account and pay Stripe standard processing fees — Cicini does not add its own per-transaction surcharge on top of your subscription.
How do I switch from Vagaro to Cicini without downtime?
Most salons move over in stages. You recreate your services and staff, connect Google Calendar (beta), set up your branded booking page, and import your client list — then point your booking links at Cicini. You can run the 30-day free trial alongside your current setup before fully cutting over, and our support team helps with migration. See the migration guide on our support page.
Does Cicini have everything a beauty or wellness business needs to book and get paid?
For day-to-day booking and payments, yes. Cicini covers online booking, multi-staff scheduling, Google Calendar sync (beta), Stripe checkout, automated email and SMS reminders, client notes, and branded booking pages. Custom intake forms, deposits, and packages are on the roadmap. If you need native payroll, retail inventory, or a built-in consumer marketplace, a heavier platform like Vagaro may suit you.
Is Cicini better than Vagaro for a small salon or solo stylist?
For a solo stylist or small team that mainly wants clean online booking, reminders, and prepayment at booking, Cicini is usually simpler and cheaper. You can start free, add Stripe checkout on Starter at $19/mo, and avoid per-staff fees and add-on modules. Vagaro offers more breadth for businesses that want payroll and a marketplace, but that breadth comes with more cost and complexity than many small salons need.
See the difference for your salon
Start a free trial or book a demo to see how a lighter, more affordable Vagaro alternative handles your real booking and payment needs.
30-day free trial on paid plans · Free plan at $0 • Cancel anytime