A Vagaro alternative that includes the things you actually use — gift cards, waitlist, reports, branded reminders — built in, not as separate add-ons. No per-staff billing on the base. From £12/month, 7-day free trial.
7-day free trial · Live in 15 minutes · Cancel anytime
Where Vagaro gets expensive
Vagaro charges per calendar/staff member. A team of three pays around £50/mo, a team of five around £70/mo. Avana's Pro plan covers up to 3 stylists for £39/mo, each extra stylist is +£4.95/mo — going from solo to a team of five with Avana is £48.90, versus Vagaro's £70.
Email marketing, branded app, advanced reporting, online store, loyalty programme — each is a separate Vagaro add-on with a monthly fee. Most salons end up paying £30-50/month just in add-ons. Avana includes branded emails, multi-location and advanced reporting on the £69/mo Team plan, no add-ons.
Vagaro is a complex system designed for full-service salons that want every feature configurable. Setup typically takes 60-120 minutes plus follow-up tweaks. Avana is designed to get a salon live in under 15 minutes, and the interface stays simple as your salon grows.
“Vagaro had every feature I might ever want, but I was paying £95/month for things I never used. With Avana I pay £39 for what I actually need: bookings, reminders, payments and a clean calendar.”
Olivia, Olivia Hair Studio, Bristol
Calculate what you saveWhat you get
These are not features — these are the things that change in your daily salon life from day one.
They see your availability and pick their time, even at night and weekends. You only get the confirmation in your inbox.
Every appointment gets an automatic email and SMS reminder at 24 hours and 2 hours before. Clients stop forgetting you.
Avana takes no commission on your bookings. You pay a flat monthly subscription from £12. Card payments run at Stripe's standard rate with nothing added on top. A small booking fee applies to your client when they reserve online.
Drop it in your Instagram bio, send it via SMS or print it as a QR on your business card. Clients book directly, no account required, no app to download.
For longer or pricier services, take a deposit automatically at booking. If the client doesn't show up, you keep the deposit.
Phone numbers, emails, treatment history, photos and notes — all in one place. Not on a marketplace. With you, exportable any time.
Live in 15 minutes · No credit card
How it works
Step 1
Add your services, prices and opening hours. Done in around 15 minutes, no install required.
Step 2
You get your own booking link. Drop it in your Instagram bio, send it by SMS or print it as a QR on your business card.
Step 3
No phone tag, no DMs at midnight. Clients book without an account. Confirmation and reminder go out automatically.
Live in 15 minutes · No credit card
Avana vs Vagaro
| Avana | Vagaro | |
|---|---|---|
| Base monthly fee | £12/mo (Solo) | From £30/mo (1 calendar) |
| 3 stylists | £39/mo (Pro, flat) | ~£50/mo (per-staff) |
| 5 stylists | £48.90/mo (£39 + 2×£4.95) | ~£70/mo (per-staff) |
| Branded emails | Included on Team (£69/mo) | Add-on, extra fee |
| Marketing tools | Discount codes included on Pro | Add-ons (£10-30/mo each) |
| Online payment fee | 1.5% + £0.20 (Stripe pass-through) | 2.6% + £0.10 |
| Booking fee paid by client | £1.49 | None |
| Setup time | ≈ 15 minutes | 60-120 minutes |
| Free trial | 7 days, no card | 30 days, card required |
Live in 15 minutes · No credit card
What salons say
“I was using maybe 15% of Vagaro's features and paying for 100%. Avana does the things that actually matter and stops there. £60/month back in my pocket.”
OliviaOlivia Hair Studio, Bristol
“Vagaro setup took me a weekend. Avana setup took 20 minutes. Both work fine, but I'd rather spend the weekend with my family.”
JamesCut & Style by James, Birmingham
Live in 15 minutes · No credit card
Pricing
Most salon software takes 2 to 3 percent of every payment you take. Avana doesn't. A small booking fee applies when clients book online — the same way any ticketing or reservation platform works. You pay standard card processing at Stripe's rate. Nothing added on top. Plans from £12 per month.
Solo
Solo stylists who want bookings, reminders and client records without the admin.
£12per month
Cancel anytime
Pro
Growing salons with a small team who need separate calendars and team-level tools.
£39per month
Cancel anytime
Team
Multi-staff salons or multi-location operators who want one central dashboard.
£69per month
Cancel anytime
Card payments run at Stripe's standard rate of 1.5% + £0.20 per transaction. On a £55 payment you receive £53.97. Avana adds nothing on top.
FAQ
Base plan starts around £30/mo for a single calendar. Each additional staff member adds around £10/mo. Add-ons (email marketing, branded app, advanced reporting, loyalty programme) are extra (£10-30/mo each). A team of 5 with a few add-ons easily reaches £100-150/mo. Avana's Pro plan covers up to 3 stylists for £39/mo flat with each extra at +£4.95.
Vagaro provides a CSV export of clients and bookings. We help free of charge with the import into Avana and with the switch message for your loyal clients via Instagram and SMS.
Avana focuses on a branded booking page and branded confirmation/reminder emails on the Team plan. Most salons find that a well-shared booking link in the Instagram bio drives more bookings than a separate app — clients don't typically download a salon-specific app.
Card payments run at Stripe's standard processing rate: 1.5% + £0.20 in the UK. Avana adds nothing on top. On a £55 payment you receive £53.97. You can see the exact breakdown for every transaction in your dashboard.
When a client books online, a small £1.49 fee applies — the same way a booking fee works on any reservation platform. It's shown to the client at the time of booking and is non-refundable if the client cancels. It does not come out of your service revenue.
Yes. Every plan includes a 7-day free trial, no credit card required. You can set up your booking page, add your services and test the full calendar before deciding.
Yes. Monthly plans, no contract, cancel from your dashboard.
From £12/mo flat, no per-staff fees on the base, no add-on creep. 7-day free trial.
7-day free trial · Live in 15 minutes · Cancel anytime
