Head-to-head
Fresha vs Vagaro: which one in 2026?
Fresha is a booking and payments platform for salons and spas, run by Fresha.com SV Limited, with a paid AI Concierge phone receptionist. Vagaro is a salon management platform from Vagaro Inc. in California with a built-in assistant called Vera. The difference is a priced add-on you switch on against an AI bundled into the subscription.
Verdict
Fresha is the clearer buy: it lists a price for the subscription and for each AI Concierge tier, and its privacy notice rules out training on handled messages. Vagaro offers more AI tools around marketing and forms and a 30 day trial, but its UK page does not label its prices and its policy allows training on collected information. Pick Vagaro for breadth, and ask it in writing what Vera costs on your plan.
Fresha and Vagaro side by side
| Fresha | Vagaro | |
|---|---|---|
| Price entry | €14.95 per month (Independent, 7 day trial) | £20 per month for one location (page also shows £30) |
| Base subscription | Independent is EUR 14.95 per month with one calendar column. Team is EUR 9.95 per team member, and Enterprise is custom for over 20 members. | The UK page shows GBP 30 and GBP 20 side by side without labels, so the entry price for one location is not clearly published. |
| Trial | A 7 day free trial on Independent and Team, with no credit card needed according to the FAQ. | A 30 day free trial, with email marketing, text marketing and the branded app excluded while it runs. |
| AI receptionist cost | AI Concierge is an add-on: EUR 28.95 per location for messaging only, or EUR 94.95 with 200 call minutes, then EUR 0.57 a minute. | The Business AI page says Vagaro AI is included at no extra cost, but the Vera Receptionist release page does not say which plan carries it. |
| Phone calls | The AI answers calls, transfers them to a team member or turns them into a message, and recordings and transcripts exist only if enabled. | Vera handles chat and messages around the clock, including the listing page and text marketing number. Phone answering is not described on the pages read. |
| Filling empty slots | No slot-promotion feature was named in the pages read. Automated texts cost EUR 0.15 each after 20 free messages monthly. | Vera Fill My Books promotes open slots by email and push, creates a daily deal and a Marketplace listing, with a 20% fee on new-customer bookings. |
| Other AI tools | The pages read describe AI Concierge as the AI feature, with configurable escalation rules for when calls go to the AI. | An AI writing assistant drafts profiles, campaigns and blog posts, and an AI Form Builder turns uploaded PDFs, Word files or images into forms. |
| Training on your data | The privacy notice says AI-handled call, email and message content is not used to train models. OpenAI is the provider, Anthropic Ireland the backup. | The privacy policy says collected information may be used to improve products, which may include training the models behind its AI features. |
| Add-ons and extras | Terminal devices from EUR 119 each, and WhatsApp messages at EUR 0.14 to EUR 0.28 after the free allowance. | Text Marketing from GBP 15 per month and the Branded App at GBP 50 per month are listed separately from the subscription. |
Where each one wins
Fresha wins on
- Publishes a clear EUR 14.95 entry price and per-minute rates for its AI phone service
- States in the privacy notice that AI-handled messages and calls do not train its models
- Handles phone calls, with transfer to staff and configurable rules for when the AI picks up
Vagaro wins on
- A 30 day trial, against Fresha's 7 days, gives a full month to test the booking flow
- Fill My Books, the writing assistant and the form builder cover marketing, not only answering messages
- Lists many named integrations, including QuickBooks, Instagram, Facebook, Yelp and Apple Maps
Which to pick
Pick Fresha if
You want a stated price for each AI tier, phone answering, and a written promise that client messages stay out of model training.
Pick Vagaro if
You want AI help with marketing and forms as well as chat, a longer trial, and are fine confirming plan prices with the vendor.
Each tool in context: Fresha profile, Vagaro profile, and the full Best AI Salon Software in 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Fresha's AI Concierge cost on top of the subscription?
As of November 2026, AI Concierge is an optional add-on priced per location: EUR 28.95 a month for messaging only, or EUR 94.95 with 200 call minutes included and EUR 0.57 for each extra minute. Rates exclude 21.0% sales tax. The base Independent plan is EUR 14.95 per month.
Does Vagaro charge extra for Vera?
The Business AI page says Vagaro AI is included at no additional cost with a subscription, yet it also cites a 20% service fee on new-customer bookings through Vera Fill My Books. The Vera Receptionist release page does not say which plan includes it. Ask Vagaro to confirm in writing before you rely on it.
Which one uses my client messages to train AI?
Fresha's privacy notice says it does not use AI-handled call, email or message content to train or improve models. Vagaro's policy says information it collects may be used to improve its services, which may include training the models behind its AI features. Neither page was checked for opt-out controls.
Can Fresha or Vagaro answer my salon's phone?
Fresha's AI Concierge is described as an AI phone receptionist that books and reschedules, can transfer a call to a team member, and records and transcribes calls if recording is switched on. The Vagaro pages read describe Vera answering chats and messages, and do not describe phone answering.