Some tools in this article have affiliate relationships with OperDrive. This never influences what we write, what we recommend, or how tools are ranked. Our research determines that. Nothing else.
THE SHORT ANSWER
If you want marketplace discovery and affordable per-member pricing → Fresha
If you want an all-in-one platform with marketing tools at a low monthly fee → Vagaro
If you run an established salon and want the cleanest modern interface → Mangomint
Not sure which you are? The full breakdown is below.
Fresha's October 2025 pricing change ended its free plan, and that forced a decision many salons deferred for years. The right answer now depends on whether you still need marketplace discovery or have moved past that stage.
AT A GLANCE
| Fresha | Vagaro | Mangomint | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Marketplace, small teams | Mid-size + marketing | Established, clean UX |
| Monthly software | $19.95 solo / $14.95 member | $30/month | $165/month |
| New client marketplace fee | Yes — % on new bookings | No | No |
| Hardware | Works with existing | Works with existing | Works with existing |
| Online booking | Included | Included | Included |
| OperDrive deal | Standard | Extended trial on Vagaro → | Standard |
Fresha — for marketplace discovery
If you are building a new salon and need marketplace discovery to grow your client base from zero, Fresha is the answer. Fresha costs $19.95/month for solo stylists and $14.95/month per team member — plus a marketplace percentage on bookings from new clients discovered through Fresha. Fresha dropped its free plan in October 2025. If you have been putting off a software decision because Fresha was free, that reason no longer exists. For a salon with five staff members, the software fee alone is $74.75/month ($14.95 × 5). Add marketplace fees on new client bookings and the total rises with every new customer acquired through Fresha's discovery platform. A salon doing $10,000/month with 30% of bookings from new marketplace clients pays $20–$75/month in software plus a meaningful ongoing commission on those new bookings.
Vagaro — for established salons
If you have an established client base and most bookings come from returning clients or your own marketing, Vagaro wins. Vagaro costs $30/month for one location with no marketplace commission and no transaction fees on bookings. Payment processing runs at standard card rates around 2.75% per transaction. A salon doing $10,000/month — $30 software plus roughly $275 processing. Around $305/month total. Annual cost: $3,660. Vagaro includes booking, POS, marketing emails, membership management, and a website builder at that single price. No add-on marketplace fees regardless of where clients come from.
Mangomint — for established teams wanting clean UX
If you run an established salon with five or more staff members and interface quality matters, Mangomint is the answer. Mangomint costs $165/month for teams up to 10 staff members with no marketplace commission and no transaction fees. A salon doing $10,000/month — $165 software plus roughly $275 processing. Around $440/month total. Annual cost: $5,280. Mangomint Connect brings calls, texts, and web chat into one inbox. Commission tracking, tip splitting, and performance reporting are built for multi-staff salons.
When it actually pays off
| Monthly cost estimate | Annual cost estimate | |
|---|---|---|
| Fresha solo | $20 software + marketplace fees | Depends on new client volume |
| Vagaro | $305 | $3,660 — $1,620 less than Mangomint |
| Mangomint | $440 | $5,280 |
Vagaro costs significantly less than Mangomint and avoids marketplace fees entirely. For salons where most bookings come from returning clients or their own marketing, Vagaro is the clear cost winner. Fresha's total cost depends entirely on new client volume through the marketplace — the more discovery you use, the more you pay beyond the software fee.
What nobody else mentions
Fresha's marketplace fee is a customer acquisition cost, not a software fee. Most comparisons list the $14.95/member price without calculating that every new client booked through Fresha's marketplace carries an ongoing commission. For a growing salon this is valuable. For an established salon it is a tax on clients you would have found anyway.
Fresha's October 2025 pricing change forced a decision many salons deferred for years. The free plan was the reason to stay. Without it, Vagaro's $30/month flat fee with no marketplace commission becomes the obvious switch for established operations.
Mangomint's interface quality reduces staff training cost in ways pricing comparisons ignore. New team members learn Mangomint in under an hour. Salons switching from clunky legacy software report faster adoption — which matters when you are paying per stylist hour.
Vagaro owns the client relationship. Clients book through your booking page, not a marketplace. You own the data. Fresha clients discovered through the marketplace are partially Fresha's relationship — and Fresha charges for that access every month.
FAQ
How much does salon software actually cost for a $10K/month salon?
Vagaro costs roughly $305/month total. Mangomint costs around $440/month. Fresha costs $20–$75/month in software plus variable marketplace fees depending on new client volume through Fresha's discovery platform.
Is Fresha still free in 2026?
No. Fresha dropped its free plan in October 2025. Solo stylists pay $19.95/month and teams pay $14.95/month per member, plus marketplace fees on new client bookings.
Is Vagaro worth it for an established salon?
Yes. At $30/month with no marketplace commission, Vagaro includes booking, POS, marketing emails, memberships, and a website builder. For salons where most clients return on their own marketing, it costs $1,620/year less than Mangomint with comparable features.
What is the cheapest salon software without marketplace fees?
Vagaro at $30/month. Fresha has lower per-member pricing ($14.95) but adds marketplace fees on new client bookings that make the total cost unpredictable and often higher for established salons.
Most salons chose their software when they opened and never revisited the decision. Fresha's pricing change made that revisit necessary.
If you want to know which salon software stack belongs in your specific operation — that is what OperDrive does. Your Stack. Precisely.
What remains is not a suggestion.