If you own a service-based business, appointment scheduling software is a must-have. However, finding the right small business management solution that fits your unique needs is not easy.
Implementing software like Vagaro or Trafft requires thorough forethought, as there are many things to consider. So, to help you make the best decision, we prepared a detailed Trafft vs Vagaro comparison. We’ll take a look at key features, integrations, and pricing plans, so by the end, you’ll have a clear picture of which fits your business better.
Trafft vs Vagaro - An Overview
Trafft
Trafft is a booking software suitable for various service businesses, including beauty salons, coaching and consulting businesses, cleaning services, fitness, and much more.
It offers simple staff and client management, secure online payment gateways, email, SMS, and WhatsApp notifications, marketing tools, calendars, and video conferencing features - all from one centralized dashboard.
It provides great scheduling for small and medium-sized businesses and freelancers. The best part? You do not need a personal website to enjoy it, as Trafft automatically generates a booking website you can customize to fit your brand and service menu. There are, in fact, very few requirements to set it up and receive online bookings.
Like many similar management solutions, Trafft puts the client experience first. But even with advanced customization options, the ease of use remains one of its strongest advantages. With just a few clicks, you can set up Google, Outlook, or Apple Calendar and enjoy a fully branded booking page that syncs seamlessly with your existing schedule.
Vagaro
Vagaro is a cloud-based point-of-sale and scheduling system primarily designed for the beauty, health, and fitness industries. It helps businesses manage staff schedules, customer promotions, and daily operations, on top of appointment management.
With its built-in business directory, it can help you boost online visibility by featuring promotions, discounts, and coupons, making it easier to attract new clients.
Vagaro works well for small businesses and can scale as your team grows. It offers features such as online payments, automated reminders, marketing tools, and an integrated POS system with inventory management.
However, some users find that setting up Vagaro can be time-consuming, and certain features — like marketing automation, forms, or website integrations — often require additional add-ons at an extra cost.
Target Audience
Vagaro
As we already mentioned, Vagaro is mainly designed for salons, spas, and fitness studios. Its focus is on businesses that require advanced scheduling and POS tools. Many new businesses choose this solution due to instant brand exposure, regardless of the costs of add-ons and payment processing fees.
Trafft
Trafft is an online booking and scheduling solution that is perfect for various kinds of businesses. Many small and medium-sized enterprises, and freelancers already use it, as it fits the wide variety of industries:
- Beauty salons
- Consultants
- Gyms
- Hairdressers
- Housekeepers
- Personal trainers
- Photographers
- Yoga and Pilates instructors
- Dental clinics
- Automotive service providers
In addition to serving these industries, Trafft also offers a white-label booking solution that can be a great option if you are an agency owner looking to offer scheduling software as your own.
Vagaro vs Traffts - Main Features
Both Vagaro and Trafft provide tools to manage appointments, staff, and clients, but they differ in approach. Vagaro offers a comprehensive system with features like POS, inventory, and membership management. Trafft focuses on simplicity and flexibility, giving businesses an intuitive platform for online booking, staff management, marketing, and reporting.
Trafft is scalable, making it a great choice for both freelancers and growing service-based businesses. Vagoro can also accommodate both, but it can get significantly pricier as the number of team members increases.
Here’s a quick overview of their key features:
Feature |
Vagaro |
Trafft |
|---|---|---|
Online booking |
Yes |
Yes |
Appointment scheduling |
Yes |
Yes |
Staff management |
Yes |
Yes |
Calendar sync with Google/Outlook/Apple |
Yes |
Yes |
Client self-service (reschedule, cancel) |
Yes |
Yes |
Customizable booking page / white-label |
No |
Yes |
SMS & email notifications |
Yes |
Yes |
Marketing tools |
Yes |
Yes |
Reports & dashboards |
Yes |
Yes (advanced KPIs & insights) |
Integrations (Zapier, Google Analytics, etc.) |
Limited |
Yes |
Payment processing |
Yes |
Yes |
POS & Inventory |
Yes |
No |
Ease of use/setup |
Moderate |
High (intuitive, fast setup) |
Scalability |
Moderate |
High |
Calendar and Scheduling Features
Vagaro
Vagaro uses color-coding for differentiate appointment types, making it easier to manage both staff and resources. Your clients can also schedule recurring appointments, and the system automatically adds them to your calendar.
There is also an option to block certain time slots for yourself or your employees to prevent bookings during holidays or breaks. Additionally, you can add notes and easily access them by hovering over a scheduled slot.
Trafft
Trafft uses a block calendar layout that makes managing multiple services and clients straightforward. You can toggle between daily, weekly, or monthly views and filter by employee, service, or location, which is ideal for teams and multi-location businesses.
The calendar automatically syncs with Google, Outlook, or Apple Calendar, ensuring your availability is always up to date and preventing double bookings in real time.
Multi-employee scheduling is simple: you can set individual working hours, days off, and special days for each staff member. Trafft also allows you to add buffer time between appointments or adjust working times based on each employee's shift.
Payment Management
Vagaro
Vagaro lets you accept payments both online and in person. Its integrated point-of-sale (POS) system also includes inventory management to easily keep track of products and services sold. However, there are payment processing fees associated with using their system.
Besides the typical marketplace model, Vagaro also lets you place different booking widgets on your website. This way, you can manage appointments, product sales, and client feedback—all from one place.
Trafft
Trafft makes the booking and payment process seamless for both clients and business owners, enhancing customer interaction. You can accept full or partial upfront payments through a variety of secure online portals, including PayPal, Stripe, Square, and many others. Moreover, clients can also select the option to pay on site, once they come in for their appointment.
In addition to easy payments, Trafft’s booking page integrates directly with Reserve with Google, allowing clients to book sessions directly from Google Search and Google Maps. This will give an advantage of higher visibility without the need to compete for business in an overcrowded marketplace.
Lastly, one of Trafft’s standout features is its insightful dashboard, which provides key metrics such as new vs. returning customers, total booked and canceled appointments, and generated revenue. It highlights top-performing employees and services based on bookings, occupancy, and revenue. You can filter by timeframe (week, month, quarter) and dive into individual trends to make data-driven decisions that optimize your business growth.
Vagaro vs Traffts - Pricing
Trafft
Trafft offers flexible pricing plans that are designed to fit businesses of all sizes. Plans start at just $9.99 per month, making it an affordable solution for small business owners. The Standard plan includes unlimited appointments, employee management, notifications and reminders, unlimited locations, and many more essential features to help you get started.
As your business grows, Trafft allows you to scale up with higher-tier plans that offer more custom features, additional employees, and the ability to remove the Trafft branding for a fully white-label experience. This makes Trafft a great option for businesses looking for a cost-effective, flexible scheduling solution that grows with them.
For a detailed overview, check out Trafft’s pricing plans and choose the best one for you!
Vagaro
Vagaro’s pricing depends on the number of employees and the number of locations you have. If you are looking to implement this solution just for yourself, it will come to $23,99 per month. For each additional employee, you’ll need to pay $10 more.
Furthermore, Vagaro charges extra for advanced features such as forms, the check-in app, payroll processing, a branded app, and many more. If you're looking to customize your experience and access premium tools, be prepared to pay extra for these add-ons. This can make Vagaro a more expensive option as your business grows or requires more specialized functionalities.
Lastly, if you are unsure whether Vagaro is the right choice for your business, there is also a one-month free demo to help you test out the system before committing to a plan.
So, Which Software Should You Choose - Trafft or Vargaro?
Both Vagaro and Trafft offer powerful scheduling and business management tools, but the right choice depends on your specific needs. Vagaro is tailored primarily for salons, spas, and fitness studios, offering a full POS system and advanced client marketing tools.
On the other hand, Trafft shines with its simplicity, flexible calendar system, modern integrations, and data-rich dashboard that helps you make smart business decisions.
If you’re looking for an all-in-one platform that’s easy to set up, customizable, and perfect for managing both online and in-person appointments, Trafft is a top choice.
If you enjoyed reading this article and are looking to find more Vagaro alternatives, check out these:
- Vagaro Vs. Mindbody
- Vagaro Vs. Acuity Scheduling
- Vagaro Vs. Booksy
- Vagaro Vs. Fresha Vs. Trafft
- Vagaro Vs. Square Appointments
