The verdict for hair stylists: Vagaro is solid software, but at $50/month it costs $2,013 over 3 years. Nexa does most of what Vagaro does for $279 once. For solo hair stylists and small teams, Nexa is the better deal.
Nexa: $279. Once. You keep $1,734. And you own it — no more "we're updating our pricing" emails.
| Feature | Vagaro | Nexa |
|---|---|---|
| Invoicing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Scheduling | ✗ | ✓ |
| CRM | ✗ | ✓ |
| Time Tracking | ✗ | ✓ |
| Full Accounting | ✗ | ✓ (SIMPL) |
| Task Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| Price | $50/mo | $279 once or 3 × $99 |
| 3-Year Total | $2,013 | $279 |
| You own it? | No — stop paying, lose access | Yes — forever |
Vagaro plus whatever else you're paying for:
Email yourself this comparison?
The math doesn't lie.
Hair Stylists deal with unique challenges that generic software was not built for: Vagaro and Booksy take booking fees on top of monthly subscription. No-shows are devastating when chair rent is $300/week. Managing color formulas and client history across apps and notebooks. Booth rent or suite rent plus software fees eating into already thin margins. Clients booking through Instagram DMs instead of the booking system. Vagaro charges $50/month on top of these daily realities. The median hair stylist earns $35,080/year — $600/year in software subscriptions is a significant percentage of that income, paid every year, forever.
Nexa is $279 once. Invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, accounting — all connected, built for hair stylists. You own it like you own your Professional shears (multiple pairs, $200+ each).
You're a suite renter paying $350/week. Your 10am cancels last-minute — that's a $120 color appointment gone. You've got back-to-back clients until 7pm, but you need to reorder color and you can't remember what formula you used on your 2pm's balayage last time. You check Vagaro, your notebook, and your texts — it's in none of them. Meanwhile two new clients are trying to book through Instagram DMs and you haven't responded since yesterday.
Real hair stylists near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee. Are you a hair stylist? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time. Or browse every hair stylist on Nexa →
For solo hair stylists and small teams, yes. invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, task management, and full accounting — all for $279 once. Vagaro may be better if you have a large team (10+) or need enterprise-specific features.
Vagaro has features like Affordable for salon/spa industry and Online booking marketplace that some businesses rely on. For most solo hair stylists, these aren't dealbreakers.
At $50/month, Nexa pays for itself in 5.6 months. After that: $600 saved every year.
Yes. Nexa is $279 as a one-time payment, or 3 payments of $99 ($297 total). Either way it's a one-time purchase — no subscription, no recurring fees ever.
Own your tools. Stop renting your software.
Get Nexa — $279 Once