A Vagaro alternative, compared honestly.
Vagaro is a popular low entry price booking system for beauty and wellness. Here is how it compares with Timeo, where Vagaro is the better pick, and what switching involves.
Who looks for a Vagaro alternative
Most salons do not leave Vagaro because it lacks features. They look around when the monthly bill stops matching the low price they signed up at.
- The intro rate ends. Vagaro shows USD 23.99 a month as an exclusive rate for the first 6 months, then USD 30. Budgets built on the first figure need a second look.
- Every extra calendar adds a fee. Vagaro charges USD 10 a month for each additional bookable calendar, up to seven. A salon that hires its fourth or fifth stylist sees the bill climb with each chair.
- Card pricing depends on volume. Under USD 4,000 a month in card sales, Vagaro lists 2.6% + 10¢ per dip or tap. Above it, 2.29% + 19¢ plus USD 10 a month. Owners near the line compare both.
Vagaro and Timeo side by side
Vagaro facts are taken from its own pages on 9 November 2026. "Not stated" means we did not find it on the pages we checked, not that the product lacks it.
| Vagaro | Timeo | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | USD 23.99 intro rate for 6 months, then USD 30, plus USD 10 per extra bookable calendar (up to seven) | USD 29 to USD 49 a month per location (Basic, Advance, Team), the same whatever the client count |
| Staff | Priced per bookable calendar | 1 login on Basic (USD 29), 5 on Advance (USD 39), unlimited on Team (USD 49) |
| Reminders | Unlimited notifications and appointment reminders; 1,000 free emails a month | WhatsApp from your own business number: unlimited appointment reminders plus 500 other automated messages a month, and email too |
| Card payments | Vagaro Merchant Services: 2.6% + 10¢ (small merchants) or 2.29% + 19¢ plus USD 10 a month (over USD 4,000 a month); keyed 3.5% + 19¢ | One off online payments and deposits go into your own Airwallex account, in your own currency; auto-renewing memberships charge cards through your own Stripe account |
| Payroll and booth rent | Vagaro Payroll and Rent Collection offered | Staff commission worked out at checkout on Team (USD 49); no payroll or rent collection |
| Consumer marketplace | Free listing on the Vagaro Marketplace | Your own booking page and website; no consumer marketplace |
| Contract and trial | 30 day free trial; cancel anytime with no cancellation fees | Every plan has a 7 day free trial with no contract. Paying yearly gets 14 months for the price of 12. |
When Vagaro is the better choice
- You rent chairs or booths. Vagaro offers rent collection alongside payroll. Timeo works out commission but does not collect booth rent, so a rental salon is better served by Vagaro.
- You want marketplace bookings. Vagaro lists you free on its consumer marketplace. Timeo gives you your own booking page and website, but it is not a large consumer app.
- You are solo and price is everything. For one calendar in the first 6 months, USD 23.99 is below Timeo Basic. If that is the whole decision, Vagaro wins on price.
When Timeo is the better fit
- You keep hiring. Timeo Team is USD 49 a month with unlimited staff logins, so a sixth or seventh stylist does not change the bill.
- Your clients live on WhatsApp. Reminders go out on WhatsApp from your salon’s own number, which clients recognise and can reply to.
- You want your own payment account. Deposits and online payments land in your own Airwallex account (and Billplz in Malaysia), with the processor’s own rates, not a bundled merchant service.
Moving from Vagaro to Timeo
Most of the work is your client list and your service menu. Ask Vagaro for an export of your customers as a spreadsheet; we could not check its export steps because its help centre refused our check, so follow what Vagaro support tells you.
- Save the client list as CSV with at least Name plus Email or Phone. Birthday and Notes columns come across too.
- In Timeo, open Customers and choose Import customers. Choose CSV file (or paste the sheet), then Preview import. Timeo matches the columns, flags rows it cannot read, and matches people you already have by email, then phone. Nothing is saved until you confirm the plan.
- Add your services under Booking setup > Services, then each stylist’s hours, so the booking page only offers real free times.
- For retail items or a menu, open Catalog > Products and choose Import. Pick Generic CSV as the Import format, then Preview import and Apply import once the summary looks right.
- Connect your WhatsApp under Settings > WhatsApp, then share your new booking link before you switch Vagaro off.
Past appointment history and future bookings do not import: re-enter upcoming appointments on the Timeo calendar. Stored cards stay with Vagaro’s processor. If you would rather not do it yourself, our team can run the import and set up services as part of hands-on setup, which is quoted separately.
Questions about switching from Vagaro
- Is Timeo cheaper than Vagaro?
- For a solo stylist in Vagaro’s intro period, no: USD 23.99 is less than Timeo Basic at USD 29. After the intro rate, and once you add calendars at USD 10 each, a team of five or more usually pays less on Timeo Team at USD 49 flat.
- Does Timeo do payroll like Vagaro?
- No. Timeo works out each staff member’s commission at checkout on Team, but it does not run payroll or collect booth rent. Vagaro offers both.
- Can I keep my client list when I leave Vagaro?
- Yes, if you can get it out as a spreadsheet. Timeo imports any CSV with name and email or phone, matches people you already have, and shows a preview before anything is saved.
- Will my clients still get reminders?
- Yes. Timeo sends confirmations and reminders by WhatsApp from your own number and by email, with unlimited appointment reminders plus 500 other automated messages a month.
- What does Timeo cost in Malaysia?
- In Malaysia, Timeo is billed in ringgit: RM79 to RM119 a month, with FPX and DuitNow QR through your own Billplz account.
- Can I try Timeo first?
- Every plan has a 7 day free trial with no contract.
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Sources
Vagaro's own pages, checked on 9 November 2026.