Best Nail Salon Software in 2026: An Honest Comparison

How we compared them

This comparison looks at seven tools nail salons ask about most. For each one we list the price model, any commission on bookings, whether it has a consumer marketplace, who it is best for and what to watch out for.

Every price comes from the vendor's own pricing page unless we say otherwise. When a number only appears on a third-party site, we say so. We build CutieCure Salon, so read that part with that in mind; we tried to describe its limits as plainly as the others.

Marketplace tools: Fresha, Booksy and Treatwell

These three combine salon software with a consumer app where clients search for salons. That can bring new clients, and each one charges in some way for clients who find you through the marketplace.

Fresha

• Price model: Independent plan $19.95/month; Team plan $14.95 per team member per month.
• Commission: according to Fresha's help center, a one-time 20% fee (minimum $6) on new clients who book through the Fresha marketplace. It does not apply to bookings through your own referral link.
• Marketplace: yes.
• Best for: salons that want marketplace exposure and a low entry price.
• Watch out for: your real monthly cost moves with marketplace volume and payment processing, so estimate it with your own numbers.

Booksy

• Price model (US): $29.99/month plus tax, and $20/month for each additional user.
• Commission: the optional Boost feature charges a one-time 30% of the first visit, up to $100, for new clients it brings.
• Payments: 2.69% + $0.30 for mobile or keyed payments, 2.49% + $0.10 with the card reader.
• Marketplace: yes.
• Best for: solo technicians and small teams who want a consumer app and are fine paying per user.
• Watch out for: per-user fees add up as the team grows, and reviews often mention Boost charges on clients who did not show up.

Treatwell

• Price model (UK): Freelancer and Advanced plans are listed as "free to start"; the Advanced plan includes unlimited staff.
• Commission: 35% plus VAT on a new client's first marketplace booking; repeat clients carry no commission. New clients who book through your own website, Facebook or Instagram are commission-free.
• Payments: 2.5% plus VAT on online prepayments.
• Marketplace: yes, mainly in Europe.
• Best for: salons in Treatwell markets that want to fill gaps with new clients.
• Watch out for: the first-booking commission is high, so price your entry services with it in mind.

Subscription tools: Vagaro, GlossGenius and Square Appointments

These charge a monthly fee and focus on running the salon, with payments built in. None of them takes a marketplace commission in the pricing we found.

Vagaro

• Price model: $23.99/month for the first 6 months, then $30/month, plus $10 per extra bookable calendar up to 7 (staff beyond that are free).
• Commission: none found on its pricing page.
• Where: US, Canada, UK and Australia.
• Best for: growing US salons that want booking, payments and email marketing in one place.
• Watch out for: calendar fees as you add technicians.

GlossGenius

• Price model: Standard $24, Gold $48, Platinum $148 per month, billed annually. 14-day free trial, no card needed.
• Payments: flat 2.6% processing.
• Best for: solo artists and small studios that want a polished booking site and simple payments.
• Watch out for: Standard and Gold are for teams under 10 staff; larger teams need Platinum.

Square Appointments

• Price model: Free $0, Plus $49, Premium $149 per location per month (per location, not per staff).
• Payments (Free plan): 2.6% + 15¢ in person, 3.3% + 30¢ online; lower rates on paid plans.
• Best for: salons that already use Square for payments and retail.
• Watch out for: it is a general booking tool, not built specifically for nail services.

Where CutieCure Salon fits

CutieCure Salon is booking and salon management software built for nail salons. It is subscription only: there is no commission on bookings.

• Price model: Basic $29.99/month (1 team member, 5 AI credits a month), Pro $39.99/month (up to 5 team members, 20 AI credits), Enterprise $99.99/month. Yearly billing costs 10x the monthly price. 14-day free trial without a card, with 5 AI credits.
• Booking: a booking link for each salon where clients book with name and phone, no account needed; bookings arrive as pending for you to confirm. A website widget adds booking, with optional AI hand analysis and virtual nail try-on.
• Team: availability per technician, plus an "anyone available" option.
• Selling: services and packages, customer groups such as VIP, and campaign codes.
• Reports: booking sources and staff performance.
• Apps and languages: web dashboard, the CutieCure Salon mobile app and the CutieCure Book client app, in English, Turkish, French and Portuguese.

Its limits, plainly: it is a newer product, so its client app has a much smaller audience than the big marketplaces and will not send you many new clients on its own yet. It also has no built-in card payments, deposits or POS, so you take payment the way you do today.

It suits nail salons that get clients from Instagram, Google and word of mouth, want those clients to book online without a commission, and like the idea of letting clients try designs on their own hands with AI before the visit.

How to choose

1. 1Decide where new clients come from. If you depend on a marketplace to fill your book, a marketplace tool can earn its fee. If most clients find you on Instagram or by referral, paying a commission on them makes less sense.
2. 2Price it for your team. Per-user and per-calendar fees change the ranking quickly. Calculate the monthly cost for your current team and for the team you expect in a year.
3. 3Check payments. If you need deposits or card payments inside the booking flow, shortlist tools that include them and compare their processing rates.
4. 4Test with real bookings. Use the free trials, add your real services and make a booking from your phone as a client would.
5. 5Check data export. Make sure you can take your client list with you if you switch later.

For a longer checklist, see how to choose nail salon software.

Quick summary

• Want marketplace clients: Fresha, Booksy or Treatwell, and budget for their new-client fees.
• Want payments built in on a subscription: Vagaro, GlossGenius or Square Appointments.
• Want nail-specific online booking with no booking commission and AI try-on: try CutieCure Salon free for 14 days.