Vagaro is popular for a reason, but its per-staff pricing and limited financial tools become friction fast as you grow. This feature-by-feature comparison shows you exactly where Mako and Vagaro diverge, and which platform wins for each category: pricing, team management, analytics, client experience, and more.
If you run a salon, spa, or fitness studio, there's a good chance Vagaro has come up in your software search. With over 240,000 professionals on the platform and an affordable starting price, it's one of the most popular booking tools in the beauty and wellness space.
But popular doesn't always mean right for your business — especially as you grow. Vagaro's per-staff pricing, add-on costs, and limited financial tools can become real friction points for studios scaling past a handful of team members.
Mako takes a different approach: flat-rate pricing, built-in AI tools, and CFO-level financial analytics designed for the businesses that big software forgot.
This comparison breaks down how the two platforms stack up across every category that matters — so you can make the right choice for where your business is headed, not just where it is today.
FeatureMakoVagaroStarting PriceFlat monthly rate (see makocrm.so)~$30/mo (single provider)Pricing ModelFlat rate — no per-seat fees$10/mo per additional staff memberOnline BookingIncluded (no-code page, widget, custom domain)IncludedWebsite BuilderBooking page included in all plansMySite — $20/mo add-onCustomer PortalFull self-serve portal with white-label optionBasic client profilesFinancial AnalyticsJob profitability, cash flow forecasting, unit economicsBasic revenue reportsAI ReceptionistBuilt-in (calls + SMS)Not availableCommission TrackingBuilt-in with pay rate historyBasic commission reportsPayrollBuilt-inNot availableDigital Wallet CardsApple + Google Wallet membership cardsNot availableChurn DetectionSmart tags flag at-risk clients automaticallyNot availableKiosk ModeBuilt-in for walk-in check-insAvailableConsumer MarketplaceNoYes (Vagaro marketplace)IntegrationsQuickBooks, Google CalendarQuickBooks, Google Calendar, Yelp, Instagram
Both platforms handle the basics well. You can manage appointments, set staff availability, offer online booking, and send automated reminders.
Vagaro provides a solid booking experience with a consumer-facing marketplace where potential clients discover and book services. The platform handles class scheduling, group bookings, and recurring appointments. Vagaro's marketplace acts as a built-in lead generation tool, particularly useful for new businesses building a client base.
Mako approaches booking as part of a larger workflow. The Estimate → Booking → Invoice pipeline means a single transaction flows from initial quote through scheduling to final payment without re-entering data. For studios offering both classes and one-on-one services (or hybrid businesses that also do service work), the modular system adapts to your business type rather than forcing you into one category. The no-code booking page comes included in every plan — no $20/month add-on required.
Edge: Vagaro for marketplace-driven client discovery. Mako for operational efficiency and businesses that need more than basic booking.
This is where the two platforms diverge most sharply, and it matters more than most studio owners realize at signup.
Vagaro starts at approximately $30/month for a single provider, which is genuinely affordable. But each additional team member adds roughly $10/month. A 5-person salon pays around $70/month. A 10-person studio is looking at $120/month before any add-ons. Then factor in MySite ($20/month for a website), forms ($10/month), and marketing tools — and that $30 starting price can double or triple quickly.
Mako uses flat-rate pricing across three tiers — Starter, Pro, and Business — with no per-seat fees at any level. The Pro plan supports up to 10 team members, and Business offers unlimited team members, all at a predictable monthly cost. Features like the customer portal, booking page, and financial analytics are included rather than sold as add-ons. Check makocrm.so for current pricing.
Here's what the difference looks like in practice:
Team SizeVagaro (est.)Mako1 person~$30/moStarter plan (flat)5 people~$70/mo + add-onsPro plan (flat)10 people~$120/mo + add-onsPro plan (same flat rate)15 people~$170/mo + add-onsBusiness plan (flat)
The key insight: Vagaro gets more expensive as you succeed. Mako's flat pricing means growth doesn't increase your software bill.
Edge: Mako for growing teams. Vagaro for solo operators watching every dollar.
Vagaro provides standard client profiles with appointment history, notes, and basic contact management. The platform supports email and text message marketing, though some features require additional fees. Client data is organized well for day-to-day salon operations.
Mako builds client management around intelligence, not just records. Smart customer tags are auto-computed from behavior — the system automatically categorizes clients as new, loyal, at-risk, or lapsed based on their booking patterns. Churn risk detection flags clients who are slipping away before they actually leave, giving you a chance to re-engage them with a targeted offer or personal outreach.
The Customer Portal is where Mako pulls ahead significantly. Clients can self-serve: book appointments, view and pay invoices, check class schedules, manage memberships, sign waivers, and message the business — all from a branded portal that supports custom domains for white-labeling. This isn't just a booking widget; it's a full client-facing application that reduces front-desk workload dramatically.
Edge: Mako. The combination of smart tags, churn detection, and a full-featured customer portal goes well beyond what Vagaro offers in client management.
This category reveals the biggest gap between the two platforms.
Vagaro provides basic business reports: revenue summaries, appointment counts, product sales, and staff performance. It covers what most salon owners check on a weekly basis, but the reporting stops at surface-level metrics. You'll see how much money came in, but not how much you actually kept after labor, materials, and overhead.
Mako was built with financial intelligence as a core feature, not an afterthought. The platform offers job profitability analysis that calculates true margins by factoring in labor costs (using each team member's actual pay rate at the time of the booking), materials, and overhead. Unit economics show you which services are genuinely profitable and which ones lose money. Cash flow forecasting projects your financial position forward. Budget tracking and income statements give you the kind of visibility that typically requires a separate accounting tool or a bookkeeper.
For context: most competitors in this space, including Vagaro, show you "revenue this month." Mako shows you "profit per service after all costs."
Edge: Mako, by a wide margin. If financial visibility matters to your business decisions, this is the single biggest differentiator.
Vagaro offers MySite, a website builder that launched in late 2023. MySite automatically syncs your services, staff, prices, and availability from your Vagaro account. It includes blogging (with AI-powered content generation), portfolio pages, e-commerce, and SEO settings. MySite costs $20/month on top of your base Vagaro subscription.
Mako includes a no-code booking page with every plan. You get a shareable link, an embeddable widget for your existing website, and custom domain support — all at no additional cost. It's not a full website builder like MySite, but for most studios, a professional booking page that integrates with your existing site is more practical than maintaining a separate platform-hosted website.
Edge: Vagaro if you need a complete website built for you. Mako if you already have a website (or plan to build one) and just need seamless booking integration without paying $20/month extra.
Vagaro handles staff scheduling, basic commission tracking, and appointment assignment. Permissions control what staff can see and do. It's functional for standard salon operations but lacks depth for businesses with complex compensation structures.
Mako treats team management as a serious business function. Pay rate history tracks changes with effective dates — critically, labor cost calculations use the pay rate that was active at the time of each booking, not the current rate. This means your profitability reports are historically accurate, not distorted by rate changes. Timesheets, commission tracking, performance metrics, shift scheduling, and payroll are all built in. With 40+ permission controls, you can give your receptionist access to bookings while keeping financials locked to owners and managers.
Edge: Mako. The pay rate history and integrated payroll features are unique in this market.
Vagaro offers automated appointment reminders, marketing emails, and the AI blog generation feature within MySite. These are standard automation features focused on client communication and marketing.
Mako includes a built-in AI Receptionist that answers phone calls, routes inquiries, and handles SMS communication. This isn't a third-party integration — it's native to the platform with usage-based pricing and included minutes on higher-tier plans. For studios that miss calls during busy hours (which is most of them), this feature alone can pay for the software by converting inquiries that would otherwise go to voicemail.
Edge: Mako. A built-in AI receptionist that handles live calls is a fundamentally different capability than automated email reminders.
This is Vagaro's clear advantage. The Vagaro marketplace lets consumers discover and book local businesses directly through the Vagaro app and website. With the Schedulicity acquisition adding 117 million+ appointments across 7,700+ cities, Vagaro's marketplace is a genuine client acquisition channel.
Mako does not currently operate a consumer marketplace. If you depend on marketplace-driven discovery for new client acquisition, this is a meaningful gap.
That said, many established studios find that marketplace bookings bring discount-seeking clients who don't convert to loyal regulars. If your growth strategy is built on referrals, local SEO, and your own marketing — rather than marketplace discovery — this may matter less than it seems.
Edge: Vagaro. The marketplace is a real advantage for new businesses building a client base.
Mako is the stronger choice if you're a growing team that doesn't want per-seat pricing eating into margins, a studio that needs real financial intelligence beyond basic revenue reports, a business that wants to reduce front-desk overhead with a customer portal and AI receptionist, a salon or studio with 5+ team members where Vagaro's add-on costs start to compound, or a hybrid business that offers both services and classes and needs one platform for both.
Vagaro makes more sense if you're a solo provider looking for the lowest possible starting price, a new business that needs marketplace exposure to build a client base from scratch, a salon that wants a built-in website builder without maintaining a separate site, or a business that prioritizes a large consumer-facing app for client discovery.
Yes. You can export your client list, appointment history, and financial records from Vagaro. Mako supports data import during onboarding, and the Business plan includes dedicated onboarding support to ensure a smooth migration.
For solo operators, Vagaro's $30/month starting price is lower. But once you add 3-5 staff members plus add-ons like MySite, Vagaro's total monthly cost often exceeds Mako's flat-rate plans. Run the math for your specific team size at makocrm.so.
Absolutely. Mako supports 49 business types out of the box, including hair salons, nail salons, barbershops, spas, and medspas. The module system lets you toggle features on and off so you see only the tools relevant to your business type.
Vagaro offers built-in gift cards and a loyalty program. Mako's smart customer tags and churn risk detection take a different approach — instead of points-based loyalty, Mako automatically identifies at-risk clients and helps you intervene before they leave. Both approaches drive retention, but through different mechanisms.
Vagaro and Mako serve overlapping markets but reflect different philosophies about what business software should do. Vagaro is an affordable, beauty-first booking platform with a consumer marketplace for discovery. Mako is an all-in-one business platform that treats financial intelligence, team management, and client retention as core features rather than premium add-ons.
If you're weighing the two, the deciding factors are usually team size (per-seat vs. flat pricing), financial needs (basic reports vs. profitability analysis), and growth model (marketplace-driven vs. organic).
The best way to decide is to try both. Try the Mako demo instantly and see which platform actually fits the way you run your business.
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