How to Read This Comparison
We build Blismo, so read this with that in mind. What we've tried to do is state each platform's real strength plainly — including the cases where Blismo is the wrong choice — because a comparison that says “we win everything” is useless to you and obviously untrue.
All pricing is as published at time of writing. Mangomint changed its pricing model on 1 August 2026 and Fresha is no longer a free-core product, so older comparisons you find elsewhere are likely wrong.
Pricing, Side by Side
| Platform | Base | Scaling | Extra costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vagaro | $23.99/mo (1 calendar) | +$10/mo per calendar 2–7; unlimited free from 8th | Text marketing $20, website $20, forms $10, cart $10, integrations $30–40 |
| Booksy | $29.99/mo + tax | +$20/mo per extra user | Boost: 30% one-time commission on a new client's first visit |
| Fresha | $19.95/mo solo, $14.95 per team member | Per bookable team member | 20% new-client marketplace fee (min $6); card processing 2.29%–3.30% + $0.20 |
| Mangomint | $120/mo per location | +$10/mo per user | Phone, marketing, payroll add-ons |
| Blismo | $29.99 / $69.99 / $119.99 | Account-capacity tiers (up to 1 / 4 / 8 accounts) | — |
At three, six, and ten technicians
| 3 techs | 6 techs | 10 techs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vagaro | $43.99 | $73.99 | $83.99 (caps at 7+) |
| Booksy | $69.99 | $129.99 | $209.99 |
| Fresha | $44.85 | $89.70 | $149.50 |
| Mangomint | $150 | $180 | $220 |
| Blismo | $69.99 | $119.99 | Contact Blismo (published plans cover up to 8 accounts) |
Base subscription only. Add-ons, processing fees, and commissions are excluded — for Fresha and Booksy, those can dominate.
What Each One Is Actually For
Vagaro — cheapest entry, everything is an add-on
Strength: the lowest genuine entry price in the category, and it caps — unlimited calendars from the eighth onward, so large salons stop paying more. Feature coverage is broad and the product is mature.
Watch: the base price is a base. Text marketing, a website builder, forms, an online cart, and integrations are each separately priced at $10–$40/month. A salon that wants the things most salons want can land near double the headline figure.
Best for: cost-sensitive salons that know exactly which modules they need, and larger teams who benefit from the calendar cap.
Fresha — brings you clients, then takes a cut of them
Strength: the marketplace. Fresha actively sends new clients to your salon, which no other platform on this list does at the same scale. If you're new, in a competitive area, or have empty chairs, that's a real acquisition channel rather than a feature.
Watch: the 20% new-client fee (minimum $6) on marketplace bookings, plus card processing at 2.29% in person / 2.79% online / 3.30% keyed, each + $0.20. Both are volume-linked, so your bill grows with your business. And Fresha is no longer free — the subscription arrived on top.
Best for: salons that need new clients more than they need margin, and are clear-eyed about paying for them.
Booksy — marketplace-first, per-user pricing
Strength: like Fresha, a consumer marketplace with real search traffic, but with a transparent per-user subscription. Strong on the client-facing app experience.
Watch: Boost is free to enable, but a new client it brings incurs a 30% one-time commission on the first visit. If you don't need client acquisition, you're paying for a channel you won't use.
Best for: solo techs and small salons who want marketplace visibility with predictable pricing.
Mangomint — the most polished, and priced like it
Strength: widely regarded as the best-built product in the category. The August 2026 pricing change ($120/location + $10/user) simplified a confusing tier structure, and almost everything is included rather than sold as add-ons.
Watch: it is roughly 2–3× the cost of the others at small scale. The per-location floor means a two-chair salon pays close to what a ten-chair salon pays.
Best for: established, higher-ticket salons and multi-location groups where the software quality justifies the price.
Blismo — the only one that answers the phone
Strength: an AI phone assistant is built into the platform, not bolted on. It answers every call 24/7, works from your real service menu, checks the live calendar, and books during the call. Flat pricing with no per-technician scaling.
Watch: it's a younger product with a smaller feature surface than Mangomint or Vagaro, and there is no consumer marketplace — it won't send you new clients the way Fresha and Booksy do.
Best for: salons whose bottleneck is unanswered calls rather than calendar management, and shops without a front desk.
The Comparison That Actually Matters
Price differences here are $50–$150/month. That's real, but it's small next to what each platform does or doesn't solve.
| Vagaro | Booksy | Fresha | Mangomint | Blismo | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appointment scheduling | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Point of sale | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Automated reminders | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Consumer marketplace | Limited | ✓ Strong | ✓ Strong | ✕ | ✕ |
| Walk-in queue management | ✓ | Partial | Partial | ✓ | Partial |
| Answers inbound calls | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | Add-on | ✓ Built in |
| Flat pricing (no per-staff scaling) | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Commission on new clients | ✕ | 30% with Boost | 20% | ✕ | ✕ |
| Product maturity | High | High | High | Highest | Lower |
Two rows deserve attention.
Consumer marketplace. If you need new clients, Fresha and Booksy have something Blismo and Mangomint don't. That's a genuine reason to choose them, and no amount of feature comparison changes it.
Answers inbound calls. In a nail salon this is not a minor row. 60–70% of clients book by phone, 46–50% of appointments are made outside business hours (LeadSuiteNow, 2026), and technicians physically cannot pick up mid-service. Every platform above organises the bookings that get through. Only one addresses the ones that don't.
Which Should You Choose?
| If your situation is… | Look at |
|---|---|
| Empty chairs, need new clients | Fresha or Booksy — the marketplace is the product |
| Phone rings out during peak hours | Blismo — nothing else on this list answers it |
| Tight budget, know which modules you need | Vagaro — cheapest real entry point |
| Established, higher-ticket, want the best-built product | Mangomint — worth the premium if you'll use it |
| Large team (8+ calendars) | Vagaro — the calendar cap matters at that size |
| Multi-location | Mangomint or Zenoti — built for it |
| Solo tech or booth renter | Booksy or Blismo — marketplace vs. phone coverage |
| Already have a front desk answering all day | Phone coverage matters less; choose on features and price |
What This Comparison Doesn't Cover
- Payment processing rates vary by platform, region, and negotiated volume. Fresha publishes theirs; several others don't. Ask.
- Migration effort. All of these will import clients; the quality of that import varies a lot and it's rarely in a demo.
- Support quality, which is the thing owners complain about most and which no comparison table can capture.
- Local marketplace strength. Fresha and Booksy's value depends heavily on how much consumer traffic they have in your city. Check before assuming.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest nail salon software?
Vagaro at $23.99/month for a single calendar, though add-ons ($10–$40 each) raise the real cost. Booksy base subscription at $29.99 and Blismo Starter at $29.99 are comparable entry points.
Is Fresha still free?
No. Fresha now charges $19.95/month for a solo user or $14.95 per bookable team member, on top of the 20% new-client marketplace fee and card processing.
What is Fresha's new client fee?
20% of the booking value, minimum $6, on new clients who come through the Fresha marketplace. It doesn't apply to clients who book through your own link.
How much does Vagaro cost for a nail salon?
$23.99/month for one calendar, plus $10/month for each calendar from the 2nd to the 7th, with unlimited calendars free from the 8th onward. Add-ons are separate.
How much does Mangomint cost?
Since 1 August 2026: $120/month per location plus $10/month per user. A six-tech single-location salon pays around $180.
Which nail salon software answers the phone?
Of the platforms compared here, Blismo has an AI phone assistant built in. Mangomint offers phone as an add-on. Vagaro, Fresha, and Booksy do not answer inbound calls.
Does Blismo have a marketplace like Fresha or Booksy?
No. If new-client acquisition is your main problem, that's a real argument for Fresha or Booksy over Blismo.
Which is best for a solo nail tech?
Booksy or Blismo, depending on the problem. Booksy if you need visibility and new clients; Blismo if you're alone with a client for 45 minutes and the phone keeps ringing.
Which is best for a multi-location group?
Mangomint or Zenoti are built for it. Mangomint's per-location pricing is transparent; Zenoti is enterprise-quoted.
Do any of these handle walk-ins properly?
Vagaro and Mangomint have the most developed walk-in queue handling. Given walk-ins are 40–60% of nail salon traffic, ask for a live demo of this specifically rather than trusting a feature list.
What should I ask on a demo?
Can it price a full set with removal and art as a combined quote; does it hold separate durations for a fill versus a full set; can clients book a named technician; how does the walk-in queue work; and what does it cost at my actual staff count with the add-ons I need?
How do I compare the real cost, not the headline?
Take your technician count, add the add-ons you'll actually use, add expected card volume × processing rate, add expected new marketplace clients × 20% if you're considering Fresha, and add expected Booksy Boost new clients × 30%. The gap between headline and real can be several hundred dollars a month.
Choose for the problem you actually have
Get Started with Blismo
If your calendar is the problem, several products on this list will fix it and some are cheaper than us. If your problem is a phone nobody can answer while four technicians have their hands full, that's the one we built for.
From $29.99/month.