Vagaro alternatives in 2026: options for the independent studio
An honest look at Vagaro alternatives for independent studios in 2026 — per-staff pricing, discovery, platform cut, and cost, compared with KADRE.
If you run a boutique fitness or wellness studio and you're weighing Vagaro, the alternatives worth knowing in 2026 are KADRE, Mindbody, WellnessLiving, Glofox, and Mariana Tek. They differ most on whether the platform takes a cut of your sales, whether members book on your own branded channel, and how the monthly price scales — especially as you add staff. Vagaro's real strength is its salon/spa breadth and appointment tooling; this guide compares it honestly for a single-location fitness studio.
What Vagaro is good at
Vagaro is a broad all-in-one that shines for salon, spa, and appointment-based businesses — and it goes deep where fitness-first tools don't, with payroll, inventory, POS hardware, forms, and HIPAA-compliant med-spa/EMR tooling (SOAP notes, intake/consent forms, photo documentation), per Vagaro's own product pages. If your studio also does appointment services or retail, that breadth is a genuine advantage.
Vagaro's pricing model is a base subscription per location plus a per-staff-calendar fee, with add-ons (payroll, extra modules) on top and marketplace-adjacent discovery available. Per Vagaro's published pricing, as of 2026, the base starts around the price of a single calendar, climbing with each additional staff member and add-on. Confirm your exact configuration and processing rates with the vendor.
The honest trade-off for a class-based fitness studio: Vagaro's per-staff model can add up as your roster grows, and its center of gravity is salon/spa rather than boutique class fitness — so weigh it against tools built for your specific workflow.
The alternatives, honestly
KADRE
Built for the independent, single-location studio to go live the same day. KADRE takes a 0% platform cut of your sales — you're the merchant of record, so payments go straight to your own Stripe account and the only fee is Stripe's standard processing (paid to Stripe, not a KADRE markup). Members book on your own branded site, not a shared marketplace. Pricing is free up to 50 active members, then $1 per active member per month, hard-capped at $99/month — it scales with your members, not your staff count — and add-ons are off by default.
Mindbody
The category default with the deepest breadth and a consumer marketplace. Mindbody owns ClassPass — on network-sourced marketplace bookings, a cut can apply. Direct bookings are separate. Sold on per-location tiers.
WellnessLiving
A broad Mindbody alternative sold on feature tiers, with strong loyalty/rewards. Wide capability set; check total monthly cost as you enable features.
Glofox
Boutique-fitness-focused (owned by ABC Fitness, acquired 2022) with a strong branded member app, sold on quote-based tiers (per Glofox's published positioning, as of 2026). A good fit if a native branded app is your priority.
Mariana Tek
An enterprise/franchise boutique platform (part of Xplor, Advent-backed, as of 2026), sold through implementation. Strong at multi-location scale; usually more platform than one studio needs.
Comparison at a glance
| Platform | Best fit | Platform cut of your sales | Sales channel | Pricing model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vagaro | Salon / spa / appointment + fitness | Subscription-based | Own channel + discovery | Base + per-staff-calendar + add-ons |
| KADRE | Independent single-location studio | 0% platform cut (you're the merchant of record; only Stripe's standard processing applies) | Your own branded site | Free ≤50 members → $1/active member/mo, capped $99/mo; add-ons off by default |
| Mindbody | Studios wanting a marketplace | 0% on direct bookings; a cut can apply on ClassPass network-sourced bookings (Mindbody owns ClassPass) | Own site and ClassPass marketplace | Subscription (per-location tiers) |
| WellnessLiving | Broad wellness | Subscription-based | Own channel | Feature tiers |
| Glofox | Boutique gyms wanting a branded app | Subscription-based | Own channel + branded app | Tiered plans (quote-based) |
| Mariana Tek | Enterprise / multi-location | Not a marketplace-cut platform | Own branded channel | Quote-based / implementation |
We don't publish competitor prices we can't verify from a primary source, and we don't cite ratings or review counts. Confirm current pricing on each vendor's own site.
How to choose for one location
- You're a salon, spa, or med-spa, or you sell retail → Vagaro's breadth (payroll, inventory, forms, and HIPAA-compliant med-spa/EMR tooling, per Vagaro's own product pages) is a genuine strength worth its per-staff model.
- You're a class-based fitness studio with a growing roster → a model that scales with members rather than staff calendars is usually cheaper and simpler.
- You want to own the member relationship with no platform cut → favor an own-channel platform where you're the merchant of record.
A practical detail: with KADRE you can export your own data (members, attendance, sales) as CSV anytime — no lock-in — and KADRE drafts a storefront from your existing website to get you live quickly. There's no one-click importer from Vagaro today; the honest picture is portable data and fast setup.
Frequently asked questions
- What's the best Vagaro alternative for a fitness studio?
- If you're class-based and want pricing that scales with members (not staff calendars), your own branded channel, and no platform cut, KADRE is built for that. If you also do salon/spa/med-spa services, Vagaro's breadth is hard to match.
- Does Vagaro take a cut of my sales?
- Vagaro is sold as a subscription (base + per-staff + add-ons) rather than a marketplace-cut platform, though it offers marketplace-adjacent discovery. Confirm your exact terms and processing rates with the vendor.
- How does Vagaro's per-staff pricing work?
- Per Vagaro's published pricing, as of 2026, Vagaro charges per bookable calendar, so each additional staff member adds to the monthly cost. Price your full roster and confirm current rates before deciding.
- Can I move my data off Vagaro?
- Portability varies by vendor. With KADRE you can export your members, attendance, and sales as CSV at any time — there's no lock-in.
- What does KADRE cost?
- Free up to 50 active members, then $1 per active member per month, hard-capped at $99/month, at a 0% platform cut. Add-ons are off by default.
See also: KADRE vs Mindbody · Mindbody alternatives in 2026 · KADRE pricing · What 0% platform cut means
Questions about your studio? Email support@kadre.fit.