Covered Beauty vs Vagaro.
No fee on new clients.
Since July 2026, Vagaro charges UK businesses a one-off fee when a brand-new client books through its marketplace or partners. If most of your clients find you directly, compare what each system costs you.
How much does Vagaro cost compared with Covered Beauty?
A subscription is only part of the picture. Check the team allowance, commission rules and payment fees before choosing.
| What you are comparing | Covered Beauty | Vagaro |
|---|---|---|
| One practitioner | Solo: £9/month | From £20/month for one location with one bookable calendar Source: Vagaro UK pricing |
| Five bookable people | Salon: £19/month for up to five | £20/month base, plus £10/month for each extra bookable calendar Source: Vagaro plans and pricing |
| New-client fees | None, including a client’s first booking | 20% once on a brand-new client’s first booking through the Vagaro Marketplace or its partners, such as Instagram, Facebook and Google. Returning clients and bookings through your own booking widget don’t carry it, unless one of its promotions applies Source: Vagaro UK new customer fees |
| Contract | Monthly. Cancel any time from your billing page | Cancel any time with no cancellation fees. A free card reader comes with 12 months of card processing or a £100 early cancellation fee Source: Vagaro UK pricing |
| Free trial | 7 days free. No card needed | 30 days, without email marketing, text marketing or the branded app Source: Vagaro UK pricing |
| Deposits | Card deposits through Stripe on both plans, paid into your own Stripe account | Online deposits and cancellation fees through its Online Shopping Cart, free in the UK Source: Vagaro plans and pricing |
| Consent forms | Included on both plans | Forms add-on: £10/month Source: Vagaro plans and pricing |
| Card processing fees | Stripe’s processing fees | 1.15% + 20p in person. 1.40% + 25p keyed in or online Source: Vagaro UK card rates |
Vagaro prices and terms checked 10 October 2026 on Vagaro UK pricing, Vagaro plans and pricing, Vagaro UK new customer fees and Vagaro UK card rates. Covered Beauty prices are the advertised monthly subscriptions in our pricing section. Vagaro’s UK pages don’t say whether its prices include VAT. Card processing and optional extras are separate. Features and tax treatment differ, so this is not a like-for-like total-cost quote. Check each provider’s current terms before signing up.
Is Covered Beauty a good Vagaro alternative?
Covered Beauty suits salons whose clients come from regulars, recommendations and Instagram, and who don’t want a fee on a new client’s first visit. Solo is £9/month and Salon is £19/month for up to five, with consent forms, deposits, client records and 50 free texts a month included. Clients who find you on our Find a salon page don’t carry a fee either.
We do not market to your client list. You can export your records and cancel your subscription. Read our promise for the details.
See how online booking works and what is in a client record.
Weighing up more than two systems? Read Fresha alternatives for small UK salons, with how each one charges and who it suits, or the best salon booking software in the UK, with twelve options and the kind of business each one fits.
Who is Vagaro better for?
Vagaro suits salons, spas and barbers with several staff who want booking, card terminals, memberships, packages and marketing in one system, and want a consumer marketplace to help new clients find them. Its support pages say extra staff cost nothing once you’ve paid for seven calendar licences, which helps bigger teams.
Work out the fee on a new client.
On a £60 first treatment booked through Vagaro’s marketplace, a 20% new-customer fee is £12, collected as a deposit when the client books. Weigh that against what a new client is worth to you. If most new clients book through your own website widget, the fee may rarely apply. Its UK support page also says a salon can opt out by turning off its Vagaro Marketplace listing.
How do I switch from Vagaro to Covered Beauty?
- Add a few treatments with the prices and durations you actually use.
- Set your working hours and open the booking page on your phone.
- Check the diary, a client record and the consent forms you need.
- Export your client list from Vagaro. If its columns are headed name (or first and last name), email and phone or mobile, upload it to Covered Beauty as it is. If not, paste those columns into our client template and upload that.
- Ask us about future appointments and any prepaid balances. Keep access to Vagaro until you have checked everything.
Need help working out the move? Tell us what you use now. We can confirm what is possible before you commit. Our salon software checklist covers the rest of the move.
Questions about switching from Vagaro
Does Vagaro charge a fee for new clients in the UK?
Yes. Since 14 July 2026, Vagaro charges UK businesses a one-off 20% fee on a brand-new client’s first booking through its marketplace or partner network, which includes Instagram, Facebook, Yelp, Google and Apple Maps. Returning clients and bookings through your own booking widget, MySite or branded app don’t carry it, unless one of its promotions applies. Covered Beauty charges no new-client fee.
How much does Vagaro cost in the UK?
Vagaro’s UK pricing page starts at £20/month for one location with one bookable calendar. Its support pages list £10/month for each extra calendar, with add-ons such as Forms at £10/month and text marketing from £15/month. Covered Beauty is £9/month for one person or £19/month for up to five.
Can I try Covered Beauty before switching?
Yes. You get seven days free, with no card needed. Add a card before the trial ends if you want to carry on, and your chosen plan starts when it does. Solo is £9/month. Salon is £19/month. Stripe processing fees and optional extras are separate.
How does Covered Beauty compare with other systems?
Covered Beauty
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