Quick compare
Checked Oct 29, 2026. US prices.
| Square Appointments | GlossGenius | |
|---|---|---|
| Plans | Free $0, Plus $49, Premium $149 (per location, per month); Pro custom | Standard $24 ($28 monthly), Gold $48 ($56), Platinum $148 ($168) |
| Staff | Unlimited staff calendars on every plan | Gold for businesses up to 9 staff; Platinum for teams of 10+ |
| In-person card rate | Free 2.6% + 15¢; Plus 2.5% + 15¢; Premium 2.4% + 15¢ | 2.4% + $0.15 |
| Online rate | Free 3.3% + 30¢; Plus and Premium 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.9% + $0.30 (online invoicing) |
| Waitlist | Plus and up | Automated waitlist on Gold and up |
| No-show protection | Cancellation policy and no-show fees on Plus and up | Not called out in the plan cards |
| Payroll add-on | From $35/mo + $6 per person paid | $40/mo + $6 per seat |
| Free trial | 30 days on Plus and Premium | 14 days, no credit card |
What it costs per month
Subscription only, before card fees, on the plan each vendor positions for that size. GlossGenius figures are on annual billing.
| Salon | Square Appointments | GlossGenius |
|---|---|---|
| Solo, basic booking | $0 (Free) | $24 (Standard) |
| Small team wanting a waitlist | $49 per location (Plus) | $48 (Gold, up to 9 staff) |
| 10+ staff | $149 per location (Premium) | $148 (Platinum) |
Card fees can outweigh the subscription. On $10,000 a month of in-person card sales, the rate difference between Square Free (2.6% + 15¢) and GlossGenius (2.4% + $0.15) is 0.2%, or $20 a month before the per-transaction fee, which is the same 15¢ on both. Run your own card volume through both rate tables before choosing.
Square Appointments plans
- Free, $0/mo per location: online booking site and integrations, appointment reminders, unlimited staff calendars.
- Plus, $49/mo per location: adds cancellation policy and no-show fees, multi-staff appointment booking (one appointment with services assigned to different staff), and a waitlist.
- Premium, $149/mo per location: adds a future bookings report, service cost tracking, and resource management.
- Pro: custom pricing. Square says businesses processing over $250,000 a year can ask about custom pricing and processing fees.
Square’s feature list also includes partial deposits when an appointment is booked, Google Calendar sync, and SMS replies to confirm, cancel, or change an appointment.
GlossGenius plans
- Standard, $24/mo billed annually ($28 monthly): custom booking website, unlimited client notifications, email and text marketing, inventory and retail management, and packages and memberships.
- Gold, $48/mo ($56 monthly): for businesses up to 9 staff. Adds forms and waivers, Google booking and reviews, automated waitlist, time tracking, and room and resource management.
- Platinum, $148/mo ($168 monthly): for teams of 10+. Adds team goal setting and analytics, customizable commissions, and Google marketing analytics.
Every GlossGenius plan includes free data transfer, free same-day payouts Monday to Thursday, and instant payouts anytime for an extra 1.8% fee. Reception by GlossGenius, which answers calls and texts and books appointments, is a $50/mo add-on.
Which one to pick
If you already sell on Square and only need a booking page, Square Appointments Free costs nothing extra. Once you’d pay for Square Plus to get a waitlist and no-show fees, GlossGenius Gold is about the same price, and its in-person rate (2.4% + $0.15) beats Square Plus (2.5% + 15¢). For other head-to-heads, see GlossGenius vs Vagaro, Booksy vs GlossGenius, and GlossGenius pricing. If you rent a booth, see salon software for booth renters.
Sources
- Square Appointments pricing: https://squareup.com/us/en/appointments/pricing (checked Oct 29, 2026)
- GlossGenius pricing: https://glossgenius.com/pricing (checked Oct 29, 2026)