Compare
Salon accounting software, compared
Most salon software books your clients, takes your cards and hands you a sales report. Your Schedule C needs more: what you spent, sorted, beside what you made. We put ChairBooks next to two salon apps booth renters use, Vagaro and Square Appointments, and compared the money side.
Checked on on vagaro.com and squareup.com. Prices and features change, so look at their current page before you decide.
| ChairBooks | Vagaro | Square Appointments | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $14.99/mo or $149/yr, one plan | $23.99/mo for the first 6 months (shown beside $30); $10/mo per extra calendar | Free $0; Plus $49/mo; Premium $149/mo, per location |
| Free trial | 30 days, card asked at signup | 30 days | 30 days on Plus and Premium |
| Card at the chair | Entered in the app: Stripe's 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.6% + 10¢ tapped or dipped, under $4,000/mo | Free 2.6% + 15¢; Plus 2.5% + 15¢ |
| Card typed in or paid online | Stripe's 2.9% + 30¢ | 3.5% + 19¢ keyed in | Free 3.3% + 30¢; Plus 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Cut of your bookings | None. Stripe's card fee only. | None on bookings; the optional Fill My Books takes 20% of a new client's first booking | No booking fee on its pricing page |
| Your books | Income and spending together, sorted for Schedule C | Sales, fees and tips reports; full books through QuickBooks ($10/mo) or Xero | A reconciliation report of sales, refunds, fees and deposits; back-bar cost tracking on Premium |
| Tax time | Schedule C worksheet, quarterly set-asides, year-end package | 1099-K and W-2 forms in its reports | Square Savings can set aside a percentage of each sale for quarterly taxes |
| Reminders | 100 texts a month included, then $5 per 100 | Unlimited, included | Text and email reminders on every plan |
| No-show fees and waitlist | Both included | Waitlist included; online deposits and cancellation fees need the $10/mo Online Shopping Cart | From Square Plus, $49/mo |
| Apps | iPhone, iPad, and any browser | iPhone, iPad, Android and the browser | Tap to Pay on iPhone and Android |
Where Vagaro and Square win
- A free plan. Square Free costs $0 a month for a solo stylist, with an online booking site and appointment reminders. You pay only card fees.
- Cheaper cards at the chair. Square Free charges 2.6% + 15¢ when a card is tapped or dipped, and Vagaro 2.6% + 10¢ if you take under $4,000 a month. A ChairBooks card is entered in the app and runs at Stripe's online rate, 2.9% + 30¢.
- Unlimited reminders. Vagaro includes unlimited notifications and appointment reminders on every plan. ChairBooks includes 100 texts a month, then $5 for 100 more.
- Getting found. Vagaro lists you free on its Marketplace and says it takes nothing from those bookings. ChairBooks gives you a booking page, not a marketplace.
- More to sell. Vagaro's plan includes memberships, packages, gift certificates, loyalty and inventory. ChairBooks has none of those.
- Android and card readers. Vagaro runs on Android and gives merchant customers a free card reader. Square takes Tap to Pay on iPhone and Android. ChairBooks is iPhone, iPad and the browser.
- Room for staff. Both add staff calendars and payroll. ChairBooks is one stylist per account.
- Tax money set aside for you. Square Savings can move a percentage of each sale into savings for quarterly taxes. ChairBooks tells you how much to set aside; moving the money is up to you.
Where ChairBooks wins
- Both halves of the books. Income from each visit and spending from your bank and card land in the same books, sorted into Schedule C categories. Vagaro's reports cover sales, fees and tips, plus forms like the 1099-K; for full books it sends its data to QuickBooks or Xero, separate accounting products, and the QuickBooks link costs $10 a month.
- Tax time is built in. A Schedule C worksheet that fills in all year, quarterly set-asides from your own numbers, and a year-end package for your preparer.
- One plan, no tiers. $14.99 a month or $149 a year covers booking, reminders (100 texts a month, then $5 for 100 more), deposits, no-show fees, the waitlist and the books. On Square, no-show fees and the waitlist start at Square Plus, $49 a month. On Vagaro, online deposits need its $10-a-month Online Shopping Cart, and text marketing and a website are add-ons.
- No cut of any booking. Vagaro's optional Fill My Books promotion takes 20% of a new client's first booking. ChairBooks takes no percentage of anything; Stripe's card fee is the only fee on a payment.
- Cheaper online cards than Square Free. A card paid online runs 2.9% + 30¢ through your own Stripe account. Square Free charges 3.3% + 30¢ online.
Questions, answered
Is a salon app's sales report enough for my taxes?
It covers half. A sales report shows what came in. Your Schedule C also needs what you spent, by category, and your quarterly estimates come from the difference. ChairBooks keeps both halves and builds the worksheet. It doesn't file your return.
What does ChairBooks cost next to Vagaro and Square?
ChairBooks is $14.99 a month or $149 a year, one plan. Vagaro starts at $23.99 a month for the first 6 months, with add-ons for text marketing, a website and online deposits. Square has a free plan; Square Plus, which adds no-show fees and a waitlist, is $49 a month. Card fees come on top of all three.
Do I need QuickBooks as well?
Not if you work alone and file a Schedule C. ChairBooks keeps your income, spending, mileage and receipts, and builds the worksheet your preparer needs. Vagaro's route to full books is its QuickBooks or Xero link.
Will you move my clients over?
Yes. Send us your client list, exported from Vagaro or Square or in a spreadsheet, and we move it by hand, free.