Slick vs.
Vagaro

Everything you need to run your chair — or your whole salon. Transparent pricing. No contracts. SMS reminders that don't cost extra.

Flat pricing, lower processing

No credit card required

Switch for free in under a week

Free migration from Vagaro

Mobile-first

30-day free trial

Trusted by 10,000 salon pros

★★★★★4.9 from salon owners
70%
less no-shows
25%
more bookings
2.1%
POS processing
70%
saving on software
WHY SLICK

Where Slick wins

Five areas where Vagaro customers tell us the platform started feeling limiting — and expensive.

1

One honest price vs. a base plan that grows

What Vagaro charges

Vagaro’s Starter plan is $30/mo — then add online booking fees, marketing tools, email campaigns, and checkout add-ons. Real cost climbs fast.

Slick Wins

What Slick does

Slick’s Essential plan is $20/mo. Advanced is $35/mo. What you see is what you pay — no surprise add-ons, no tiered feature gates.

2

Two kinds of texts, two clear rules

What Vagaro charges

SMS reminders and two-way texting require a $20/mo add-on. Miss a reminder and you’re chasing a no-show with no safety net.

SLICK WINS

WHAT SLICK DOES

Slick includes automated appointment reminders on every plan. Free SMS bundles mean most salons never pay a per-text fee.

3

Lower processing rates vs. percentage-point markups

What Vagaro charges

Vagaro charges 2.6% + $0.10 per card-present transaction. On a $100 service, that’s $2.70 in fees — every single time.

SLICK WINS

WHAT SLICK DOES

Slick processes at 2.1% + $0.03 card-present. That’s ~$0.57 less per $100 — roughly $684/yr saved for a busy stylist doing $10k/mo in card sales.

4

Reliable software vs. glitches at checkout

What Vagaro charges

Vagaro users report frozen screens, mid-payment logouts, and calendar sync failures — often during peak hours when you can least afford downtime.

SLICK WINS

WHAT SLICK DOES

Slick is built for salon-speed reliability. Checkout flows without hiccups — because losing a client’s trust mid-payment isn’t acceptable.

5

Month to month vs. hardware contracts you can't escape

What Vagaro charges

Vagaro hardware bundles often come with multi-year lease agreements. Multiple BBB complaints cite difficulty canceling and unexpected charges after attempting to leave.

SLICK WINS

WHAT SLICK DOES

Slick is month-to-month. No annual contract, no hardware lock-in, no cancellation fees. Stay because it works — not because you’re stuck.

Switch for free, live within a week

Most salons are live on Slick
within a week

No setup fee, no contract, no data loss. The flow looks different depending on whether you work alone or have a team — toggle below to see your version.

1
Step 1

Sign up & set up

You sign up and add your services, prices, and timings yourself. Slick is mobile-first, so most solos get this done from their phone in a couple of hours.

2
Step 2

We import your clients

Send us your Vagaro client list. We bring it into Slick for you, free — names, contact info, appointment history, notes. No spreadsheet wrangling on your end.

3
Step 3

Flip your booking link

Once your clients are in and your calendar's ready, you update your booking link wherever it lives — Instagram bio, website, signage. Every booking from that moment lands in Slick.

“Set up the calendar myself in an afternoon. Slick imported my clients, I flipped my Instagram bio link, and that was it. Saving close to $1,000 a year on processing alone.”
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Take payments
2.1% + $0.03

Lower processing rates that compound every month

Slick keeps more money in your bank account on every transaction. Half a point lower than Vagaro’s 2.6% + $0.10 rate on every card-present swipe, every day.

POS

2.1% + $0.03

Tap to Pay

2.1% + $0.18

Online

2.7% + $0.03

Digital appointment cards

Your clients save their next appointment with one tap

Upon booking, clients receive a digital appointment card on their phone. One tap saves it straight to their calendar with the date, time, and your salon name.

Vagaro sends confirmation emails, but clients still have to add the appointment to their own calendar manually. Slick drops a one-tap appointment card straight into their phone’s calendar the moment they book. Vagaro doesn’t offer this. It’s a small feature that turns into measurable no-show prevention — because the appointment is sitting in your client’s pocket the second they book it.

What salon owners say about Slick

Real feedback from salons who made the switch.

Made the switch from Vagaro six months ago. The processing fees alone are saving me over $50 a month. Setup was easy and the support team actually picks up the phone.

Sarah M., Salon Owner

I was paying $20 extra a month just to text my clients in Vagaro. With Slick, reminders are included on every plan. I don’t know why I waited so long to switch.

James T., Independent Stylist

Pricing that fits your salon

For solo stylists

Essential

$20/mo

First stylist column included. +$12/mo per additional column.

Try Slick for Free
  • Online booking & calendar
  • Unlimited SMS reminders
  • Deposits on every booking
  • Free monthly marketing SMS bundle

For multi-stylist salons

Supercharged

$219/mo

Flat rate. Unlimited stylist columns, no per-column charges.

Try Slick for Free
  • Everything in Advanced
  • Unlimited stylist columns
  • Split payments for chair renters
  • Advanced reporting
  • Priority support

Frequently asked questions

Will I lose my client data if I switch from Vagaro?

No. We migrate your full client database — names, contact info, appointment history, notes, and color formulas — from Vagaro into Slick. Free, typically done within a week, zero data loss.

Can I import my client list from Vagaro into Slick?

Yes. Set up your Slick account and migrate your data now, then go live the day your Vagaro billing cycle ends. We’ll have everything ready and tested before you flip the switch. Slick is month-to-month, so once you’re on, there’s no annual commitment.

Does Slick work with the same card readers as Vagaro?

Yes. Slick has a native iOS app, built mobile-first. Solo stylists run their entire business from it. Team owners use it for on-the-go scheduling, and front desk staff use it alongside the iPad-based version. Same data, same speed, anywhere you are.

What happens to my Vagaro subscription when I switch?

No. Slick has three plans with transparent pricing. Essential is $20/mo, Advanced is $35/mo plus $18/mo per additional stylist column, Supercharged is $219/mo flat for unlimited columns. Online booking, deposits, team scheduling, client management, and unlimited appointment reminders are included on every plan. Each plan also includes a free monthly bundle of marketing SMS credits. If you ever send more, top-up bundles are transparent ($3.50 for 50, $35 for 500, $126 for 2,000) and credits never expire.

Can booth renters on Vagaro switch to Slick independently?

When a client books with Slick, they get a confirmation message on their phone with a one-tap “add to calendar” button. The appointment drops straight into their phone calendar with your salon name, the date, and the time. Their phone sets the reminder. They stop texting you to ask what time their appointment is. Digital appointment cards are included free on Advanced and Supercharged, and available as a small add-on on Essential ($6/column). Vagaro does not offer an equivalent.

How long does migration from Vagaro take?

Yes. Slick is built for salon-speed reliability behind the chair. We've been running in the UK for years as the leading salon software there, and we're entering the US with the same engineering team behind us, now backed by DaySmart, one of the most established names in salon software in North America.

Is Slick’s software more reliable than Vagaro?

Slick has been the leading salon software in the UK for years and is now expanding to the US, backed by DaySmart, one of the most established names in salon software in North America. Being new to the US means you get the attention of a company that's actively earning trust, not one that takes you for granted.

Does Slick offer a free trial, and is there a contract?

Slick's plans grow with you. Essential ($20/mo) is built for solo stylists, one column included. Advanced ($35/mo + $18/mo per additional stylist column) covers growing teams up to a small salon. Supercharged ($219/mo flat) covers unlimited columns. No surprise per-person charges quietly doubling your bill as you add staff, just clear pricing tied to plan.

Your next Vagaro bill is coming.
Make it your last.

Try Slick free for 30 days. No credit card. Free migration from Vagaro included.