Running a salon and spa is a lot of work. Not only do you have to perfect the art of hair, nails, and beauty treatments, but you also need to be adept at managing schedules, handling finances, and marketing your business. To help take some of the load off, many owners rely on spa and salon software to manage their businesses.
Insight Salon Software and Vagaro Software are two of the most popular options on the market. Below, we’ve compared the features of each so you can see which fits your business best.
Bookings
Both Insight Salon Software and Vagaro Software offer online booking features. However, only Insight Salon Software provides an alert for the front desk when a client with multiple no-shows tries to book again. This prevents last-minute cancellations, ensuring that your employees are always busy.
Service Features
Insight’s ability to deter no-shows or last-minute cancellations makes it a unique option. Also, Insight Salon Software requires a credit card on file to book specific services, and it allows you to raise or lower all service and package pricing by percentages. Vagaro Software does not support these offerings.
Inventory
Regarding inventory, both Insight Salon Software and Vagaro Software allow you to track retail products transferred to the back bar & employee stations. However, only Insight Salon Software can print custom barcode/price tag labels – keeping your inventory organized and your products listed at the right price.
Employee Management
Employee management support tools are available in both Insight and Vagaro. However, only Insight Salon Software automatically emails detailed paystubs to each employee and can quickly create work schedule templates for faster employee scheduling.
Insight’s tool also has payroll deduction and remittance calculations built into the software. Vagaro requires integration with Gusto to utilize similar capabilities.
Tanning Salon Services
Insight Salon Software offers the ability to track, book, and manage tanning services, while Vagaro does not.
Insight’s platform has an interface with a T-max manager and timers, the ability to track minutes and sessions, and unlimited tanning packages. This helps to ensure that all tanning services run smoothly and that all customers get the service they expect.
Lastly, Insight Salon Software allows clients to book tanning services online and check in for appointments via the client portal. Vagaro does not offer online booking for tanning services.
Marketing
Regarding marketing, both Insight Salon Software and Vagaro Software offer the ability to send out email blasts. However, only Insight allows you to export marketing lists to Excel, Text File, or CSV. This is useful when creating targeted marketing campaigns or segmenting your clientele for different promotions.
Walk-Ins
Not all platforms can handle a salon’s day-to-day walk-ins, but Insight Salon Software does. With the ability to track walk-ins on a first-come, first-serve basis and an online check-in feature, you can be sure your clients are getting in and out as quickly as possible. Insight has a feature that allows salons to report and group walk-ins by family & check out with one paying client. This feature can be a lifesaver when many people come in at once.
Insight also monitors and tracks real-time wait times and serves based on employee rotation and visibility. This will ensure that your salon runs smoothly and that your employees are not overwhelmed.
Vagaro does not have any features specifically for walk-ins, so if you’re looking for software to help you manage these types of clients, Insight Salon Software is the better option.
Credit Card Integration
Credit Card Integration is also unique across both solutions. For example, Insight Salon Software offers a preferred partnership with International Bancard, while Vagaro Software requires you to use its merchant services. Either solution provides the ability to process credit cards, but with different implications for pricing.
Miscellaneous
Besides the features we’ve covered, Insight Salon Software offers top-notch technical support with over 80 years of combined experience. Vagaro does not have any customer support information readily available on its website. Insight Salon Software has the benefit of being in business for 30+ years, so they have a long track record of happy customers.
Pricing
With all the bells and whistles, Insight salon software can sit between $25 and $225 per month, while Vagaro’s basic features range from $25 to $85 per month.
Conclusion
When evaluating salon management software, it’s essential to consider the needs of your business now and in the future. Insight Salon Software and Vagaro offer various features that can benefit any salon or spa owner. However, depending on your business’s size, needs, and complexities, one solution may be a better fit than the other.
Manage your business and text clients with an Insight Deluxe Cloud subscription. Call 1-888-919-5841 for details!
