Take Bookings Now vs Vagaro
A Vagaro alternative with no new-customer fee
Vagaro packs in a lot for its price. But from 14 July 2026 a brand-new customer who books you through Vagaro's marketplace or its partners, including Instagram, Facebook and Google, costs you 20% of that booking.
Prices checked on from Vagaro's own UK pages. See the sources.
Vagaro gives you a lot for the money: in the UK it is £20 a month plus £10 for each additional calendar, with nothing more to pay once you have seven. Memberships, packages, a waitlist, stock and a marketplace listing are all included, and reminders by email and text are part of the plan.
What changed is the fee. Since 14 July 2026, a brand-new customer who books you through the Vagaro Marketplace or its partner network costs you a one-off 20% of that booking. Vagaro's own help centre lists that partner network as Instagram, Facebook, Yelp, Google and Apple Maps. A new customer who finds you on Instagram and books a £45 gel manicure costs £9.
To be fair to Vagaro, bookings through its booking widget, your MySite page or a branded app are not charged, unless a deal is involved, and existing customers never are. According to Vagaro, the only way to switch the fee off altogether is to remove your listing from its marketplace.
Take Bookings Now is likely the better fit if
- Instagram, Google and Facebook are where your new customers come from
- You do not want to work out which booking links carry a fee
- You would rather take deposits through your own Stripe account
- You want to try it for 14 days without a card
Vagaro is likely the better fit if
- You sell memberships, packages or gift certificates
- You want a waitlist, stock control and a card reader in one system
- You need Google Calendar sync or several locations
- You want to be listed on a marketplace and accept the fee for it
What it costs each month
The subscription alone, for the cheapest plan on each pricing page that fits the team, before card fees or any fee on new clients.
| Staff | Take Bookings Now | Vagaro |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | £17.99 | £20.00 |
| 3 people | £17.99 | £40.00 |
| 6 people | £17.99 | £70.00 |
Vagaro: £20 a month plus £10 per additional calendar, with no charge beyond seven. Take Bookings Now: one plan, the same price for any number of staff; the price shown is what you are charged.
Fees and terms, side by side
| What | Take Bookings Now | Vagaro |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | £17.99 whatever the size of your team | £20, plus £10 per additional calendar, with no charge beyond seven |
| Fee on new customers | None, wherever they found you | 20% one-off, from 14 July 2026, for brand-new customers via the Vagaro Marketplace and partners including Instagram, Facebook and Google |
| Online card payments | Through your own Stripe account, at Stripe's fee: 1.5% + 20p for standard UK cards | Keyed-in and online: 1.40% + 25p through Vagaro |
| Reminders | Email included. Texts bought as credit, with no monthly fee | Email, text and push reminders included. Text marketing from £15 a month |
| Consultation forms | A paid extra | A paid extra (Forms) |
| Free trial | 14 days, no card | 30 days; the card on file is charged when it ends |
| Contract | Monthly. Cancel any time | Cancel any time, no cancellation fee. Subscription payments are not refunded |
What Vagaro does that we do not
Memberships, packages and gift certificates
All in the base plan. We do not do these yet.
Waitlist
Customers can wait for a time that is taken. A full day here simply shows as full.
In-person payments and stock
A card reader, Tap to Pay and inventory. We handle online payments only.
Google Calendar sync
Appointments appear in Google Calendar. Our diary is not synced with other calendars.
Several locations
Add a location for £10 a month. A second branch with its own team is a second account here.
A marketplace and branded app
Listing on the Vagaro Marketplace, and your own app as a paid extra.
Importing customers
Bring in a customer list from a spreadsheet or another system. We cannot import a customer list yet.
What is different about Take Bookings Now
No fee on any booking
A customer who finds you on Instagram, Google or Facebook costs the same as a regular: nothing.
One price for the whole team
£17.99 a month, whether you book one person or ten.
Your own Stripe account
Deposits go straight into a Stripe account in your name. If you leave, your payment history stays with you in Stripe.
No card to start
The 14-day trial needs no card, so nothing is charged unless you decide to stay.
Moving from Vagaro
Set up alongside Vagaro. Start your free trial and add your services, team and hours while Vagaro carries on as normal.
Export your customers from Vagaro. According to Vagaro's help centre, the account owner can export them from a computer under Reports → Customers → Export, as Excel or PDF.
Be aware there is no customer import here yet. Customers are added to your list automatically the first time they book, and you can add regulars by hand.
Move the links that carry the fee first. Put your new booking link on Instagram, Facebook and your Google profile. Those are exactly the routes Vagaro now charges 20% on for new customers.
Remember the trial is card-free here, and not there. If you are still on a Vagaro trial, it charges the card on file when the 30 days end, so decide before then.
Questions about switching from Vagaro
Yes. Vagaro's help centre says that from 14 July 2026 it charges a one-off 20% fee when a brand-new customer books through the Vagaro Marketplace or its partner network, which it lists as Instagram, Facebook, Yelp, Google and Apple Maps.
According to Vagaro, existing customers, and bookings through its booking widget, MySite and branded app, are not charged, unless a Daily Deal or Fill My Books is involved.
Take Bookings Now charges no commission or new-customer fee on any booking, including from Instagram, Facebook and Google. It costs £17.99 a month for any size of team.
Vagaro's help centre lists £20 a month, with each additional employee calendar at £10 a month, and no extra charge once you have paid for seven.
Not yet. Vagaro lets the account owner export customers as Excel or PDF, and customers are added here automatically when they book.
No. There are no memberships, packages or gift certificates yet. If those are central to how you sell, Vagaro may suit you better.
Sources
Every figure about Vagaro on this page was read from these pages on 16 September 2026. Prices and features change, so check them before you decide. If something here is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.
- Vagaro: new customer booking fee (UK)
- Vagaro: subscription pricing
- Vagaro UK pricing
- Vagaro: free trial
- Vagaro: exporting customers
- Stripe UK pricing
Vagaro is a trademark of its owner. Take Bookings Now is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Vagaro.
Other comparisons
Fresha alternative
No 20% new-client fee and no per-member price. Fresha has a marketplace, memberships and a till.
Booksy alternative
Less than half the monthly price and no Boost fee. Booksy has a customer app and a marketplace.
Timely alternative
A flat price however many staff, and your own Stripe account. Timely has calendar sync and a waitlist.
Try it alongside Vagaro for 14 days
No card needed. Set it up, send a few customers to it, and keep whichever works.
Claim your booking link
See if the address you want is free. No account, no card — it takes a second.
No card required · 14 days free · Your progress is saved, so you can stop and come back