Disclosure: Mako CRM publishes this comparison and is one of the products discussed. This is vendor-authored analysis, not an independent review or hands-on product test.
Method: We checked the official sources below on September 1, 2026. Features, prices, fees, promotions, limits, and contract terms can change. Quote-only or unverified items should be labeled; absence from an official page is not proof that a feature is unavailable.
| Publisher | Source | What it supports | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mangomint | Mangomint pricing | 120 monthly per location plus 10 per user after August 1 2026; phone marketing and payroll add-ons | User definition taxes payment processing and final count vary |
| Mangomint | 2026 pricing update | Tier removal all-core-features positioning add-ons and grandfathering are described | Announcement is dated; verify current account treatment |
| Mako CRM | Pricing - Transparent Plans for Service Businesses | Public plan prices, annual totals, included team members, additional-location price, and month-to-month contract statement | Vendor-authored and changeable; checked date required; does not independently prove value, superiority, or competitor differences |
| Mako CRM | Invoicing and Payment Software for Service Businesses | Invoice creation, payment links, partial-payment tracking, reminders, recurring billing, Stripe processing, and Mako fee statements | Vendor-authored; Stripe fees can vary by market and account; sample collection and speed figures are not independent outcome evidence |
Mangomint has one of the best reputations in salon and spa software, and it is deserved. The interface is fast, the automations are thoughtful, and support is consistently praised by owners who have been burned by larger platforms. If you have used something clunky for years, Mangomint feels like relief. Mako competes on a different axis — flat pricing regardless of headcount, and financial intelligence built into the core rather than sold alongside it.
Mangomint: Roughly $120/month base plus $10 per user, which puts the common headline near $130/month for a small team. Optional add-ons are priced separately: Phone at around $70/month per line, Marketing from about $30/month, and Payroll at roughly $50/month plus $8 per worker.
Mako: Pulse is free. Paid plans are Mako Basic at $139/month, Mako Team at $249/month, and Enterprise at $999/month — roughly 20% less on annual billing at $1,334, $2,390, and $9,588 per year. Basic includes 3 team members, Team includes 15, Enterprise is unlimited. No per-user charge at any tier.
The arithmetic matters here. At three users Mangomint is around $150 against Mako Basic at $139 — close. At ten users Mangomint is around $220 before add-ons; Mako Team is $249 and covers fifteen. Add phone, marketing, and payroll for a ten-person team and Mangomint lands well north of $400/month, against $249 flat. Below roughly four users Mangomint is competitive. Above that, the per-seat model is the whole story.
Per-user pricing is common and not inherently unfair — more staff means more usage. But in a salon it has an awkward effect: the assistant who checks two clients in per day costs the same as the senior stylist running the column. Some owners respond by sharing logins, which breaks the commission and performance tracking they bought the software for in the first place. If you are hiring, model your seat count at the headcount you expect in a year.
Mangomint: Excellent. Quick, modern, genuinely pleasant to use at the front desk.
Mako: Clean and functional across a broader feature set.
Edge: Mangomint, clearly.
Mangomint: Consistently strong reviews for responsive, human support.
Mako: Direct support, smaller company.
Edge: Mangomint on track record.
Mangomint: Rises with every seat, plus per-line and per-worker add-ons.
Mako: Flat within tier — fifteen team members included at Team, unlimited at Enterprise.
Edge: Mako, increasingly with team size.
Mangomint: Good reporting on sales, staff, and services.
Mako: Native P&L, cash flow, forecasting, LTV, and per-service profitability, plus free market retention benchmarking through Pulse.
Edge: Mako.
Mangomint: Strong automated flows, and the Phone add-on is genuinely useful for a busy front desk.
Mako: Automated reminders, retention sequences, and an AI receptionist available as an add-on.
Edge: Tied, with different shapes.
Mangomint: Focused on salons and spas, and strong there.
Mako: Also runs gyms, studios, wellness practices, and trades, with estimates and job management.
Edge: Mako for mixed operations; Mangomint for pure salon focus.
Pick Mangomint if:
Pick Mako if:
Your salon is a business. Not a hobby, not a side project, not a calendar with a cash register. It deserves software that treats it accordingly. If your platform cannot tell you whether you are financially healthy, it is not doing its job. And in 2026, you have better options.
See Mako in action — no sales call required
Mako is built for independent salon and spa owners who would rather spend their time on clients than on demo calls. Open the live demo, poke around, and see exactly how scheduling, billing, and financial intelligence come together in one place.
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