Vagaro vs Square

Finding the right POS system is necessary for your business to flow smoothly. Without a sufficient set-up for your specific needs, preventable extra hassle and disorganization can ensue.

What we will be answering in this Vagaro Vs. Square comparison is:

Which one is best for you?

Continue reading to learn about the differences between these two top-notch POS systems so that you can determine which company has exactly what you need.

Choose Vagaro If...

Vagaro is a better choice if you only need an appointment-based scheduling solution. It works well with growing businesses, including spas, salons, fitness centers and wellness professionals, though it is not as versatile as Square in assisting retail and restaurant industries.

Choose Square If...

Square is recommended for small businesses in need of more traditional merchant services. There are plenty of unique software and hardware options catered to different types of businesses, thanks to Square's unique line of POS solutions. You can choose from Square for Restaurants, Square for Retail, or Square Appointments, depending on your business needs.

Vagaro VS Square POS System Comparison

	Vagaro	Square
Ideal For	Appointment-based businesses like salons, spas, and fitness centers	Small businesses, retailers, and restaurants
Hardware Cost	$74 to $622	$49 to $799
Software Cost	$25 per month starting	$0 per month starting
Online Transactions	3.5% + $0.15	2.9% +$0.30
In-Person Transactions	2.75% flat rate	2.6% +$0.10
Mobile Device	Yes	Yes
Customer Service	24/7 Live Support	Customer support from 6 AM to 6 PM PST over phone, email, and live chat. 24/7 support for Premium plan users
Contract	No contract	No contract
What’s Missing	Streamlined reporting, advanced inventory features, and robust third-party integrations	24/7 support hours with free plan, tiered payment processing fees, and vendor management tools in the free plan

Digging Into The Details

Vagaro's Best Features:

Online Appointment Scheduling

Vagaro was built specifically for appointment-based businesses. With its intuitive, color-coded calendars, your customers can book appointments through sites like Facebook and Yelp. You can even connect to Google Calendar if your businesses is already embedded into Google's platform.

The drag-and-drop design makes rescheduling easier than ever, while the system automates repeat bookings and sends out alerts for double bookings. It'll even send reminders to clients via email, text, and push notifications regarding their appointments.

While Square Appointments is versatile as well, it's not as intuitive as Vagaro's system. So, when it comes to the Square Appointments Vs. Vagaro debate, Vagaro comes out just slightly on top.

Marketing Tools

One of the main reasons Vagaro's marketing tools come out on top is that they are part of the overall POS package. There is no additional cost for access to email marketing tools, website building tools, or customer rewards features.

We don't have to tell you how powerful marketing campaigns can be, and the tools available in Vagaro's system can enhance customer satisfaction. Primary marketing tools available in the Vagaro suite include:

Branded app
Automated text marketing
Customer review responses
Website builder

Advanced Client Data

Vagaro provides advanced data and analytics reports for your customers. You can use detailed client information, such as names, dates, preferences, and visitation frequency to better serve your patrons.

For example, if you run a salon and you have a client who comes in on the first Tuesday of every month for a color touch-up, trim, wash and blow-dry, you'll only need to import that data into your system once, and it will automatically be saved for each recurring month.

You can also use this data to find out who your most frequent customers are. With this client information, deals and loyalty rewards can be sent, promoting repeat customers.

Intake Forms and Waivers

One feature Vagaro sports that you won't find in Square is the form-building functionality. With this unique set of tools, you can easily select from a large set of templates or build custom forms from scratch.

The options are near endless, allowing you to create anything from intake forms to legal waivers to surveys and beyond, sending them out to customers in a pinch and saving them to their respective accounts.

The drag-and-drop editor is great for those less-design-savvy business owners, though there are plenty of complex tools if you need them.

Vagaro Marketplace

Once you sign up for Vagaro, you'll have the option to list your business on Vagaro.com.

Between this listing and the listing on the Vagaro app, you can attract new customers that may never have discovered your business on their own. And the handy Daily Deals section will allow you to promote special offers and discounts that you're currently running.

Better yet, you'll keep 100% of the profits from customers who book through this software. The software runs 24/7, allowing you to book customers in your sleep!

If customers have a positive experience at your shop, they can leave verified reviews to help you rise in the Vagaro rankings.

Square's Best Features:

Versatile Hardware

One excellent characteristic of Square Appointments, is that you can use a wide range of hardware tools alongside your software, many of which are relatively affordable.

It is a go-to for small business owners. For starters, Square comes with a free card reader, allowing you to accept payments on the go using your current smartphone.

You can also integrate other useful POS hardware, such as Square's tablet stand or register, which will enable customers to pay with their phones as well.

Third-Party Integrations

Square is a more versatile system overall. With open software, you can integrate a number of quality third-party apps to optimize your scheduling software. For example, Square Messaging can be used to send a wide range of notifications to your customers regarding upcoming appointments and appointment changes.

You won't find the same level of flexibility in Vagaro's software.

Some of the integrations you'll find exclusively in Square include Appointy, BigCommerce, Commerce Sync, Dubsado, DrChrono, and Ecwid.

Inventory Management

Square's inventory management tools are exceptionally powerful.

Even the basic set of inventory tools help you keep a clear count of your stock, updating each item based on sales through invoices and the app.

And if you need more robust inventory features, Square has several solutions included in their higher-tier plans. For example, you can set up your system to manage stock actions, schedule automated restocking, enable bulk inventory, manage alerts, and get an overview of your stock history.

Mobile-Friendly

Square is a more mobile-friendly solution than Vagaro. If you're a business owner on the go, working at various locations, you'll be able to orchestrate all business factors from one place.

Anything that you get on your iPad or tablet when using Square Appointments, you can also get on your phone.

Vagaro Drawbacks:

While Vagaro offers supreme appointment management software, there are a few downsides worth mentioning.

For starters, users have complained about system glitches when migrating from other software into Vagaro. The transition from one software to the next is made quite difficult, due to Vagaro's software architecture. Similar glitches and bugs have been encountered when attempting to manage several bookings at once.

While the reporting and analytics features are robust, they require a detailed level of understanding. Though we appreciate the in-depth sense of insight they provide for business owners, they are too complicated for the average manager or employee to decipher and put into action.

When comparing Square vs. Vagaro credit card processing, Vagaro's payment processing fees are slightly higher. They charge a flat rate of 2.75% per in-person transaction, while Square Appointments will charge 2.6% + $0.10.

Next, the pricing tiers are more complex than those from Square. Vagaro customers have been charged extra hidden fees that they were not aware of before signing up for the service. Pricing is much more transparent for Square Appointments.

Lastly, Vagaro is still a fairly new company. It only operates in a few countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. While there are many innovative aspects about the company, you might want to consider committing to another provider with more experience and reliability.

Square Drawbacks:

While Square has plenty of iterations and industry-specific solutions for different types of businesses, the main focus here is Square Appointments, as it's one of the main rivals of Vagaro.

As its own entity, Square Appointments simply doesn't have as versatile a feature set as we'd like. The specialty features are quite limited, and other POS brands offer more powerful features with greater customization options. You have the option of using third-party integrations, though, for business owners who want a locked-and-loaded system with the latest and greatest in appointment scheduling features, Square is not the best choice.

Square does not have 24/7 customer service. In fact, most of the user ratings that are low for Square Appointments and Square POS in general are related to poor customer support. Unlike most major credit card processing companies, Square doesn't have non-stop support, meaning you won't be able to reach anyone on the weekends or outside of normal business hours.

Lastly, Square has a number of customer feedback complaints regarding held funds and account closures. Essentially, if something on your account raises a red flag, such as an unusual volume of transactions or an abnormally high sales receipt, the system will flag your account and put it on hold, freezing your funds until you're able to get it resolved.

Which is A Better Value?

If you're in the market for a completely free POS system that can be built out using specific third-party integrations and mobile-friendly applications, then Square is one of the best around. Square Appointments is just the icing on top of an already well-rounded POS system, though it does cost a bit more.

On the other hand, if you're looking for a fully-integrated POS solution for appointments with automated reminders, loyalty programs, recurring appointments, and advanced features for multiple locations, Vagaro is a prime choice. It's an all-in-one tool that puts the majority of its focus on the appointment-based business sphere, offering several user-friendly tools for appointment based businesses of all shapes and sizes.