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A Vagaro alternative that keeps things simple

Vagaro can do almost anything, and charges for many of those things separately. Avana gives a small salon what it uses every day, at one price with tax included.

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7 days freeTax included in the priceCancel any month
In shortChecked October 2026

Avana, by Sweeber Technologies, is booking software for solo salon owners and small teams in the US. Avana Business costs $20.99 a month with sales tax included, and neither Avana nor Vagaro takes commission. Vagaro lists $30 a month for one calendar ($23.99 on offer) plus $10 per extra calendar, and includes text reminders that Avana does not yet send in the US.

Avana and Vagaro at a glance
At a glanceAvanaVagaro
Monthly price, solo$20.99, tax included$30
Extra personBusiness Plus covers two people; each extra is $7.99$10 per calendar
Text remindersNot yet in the USIncluded
Why people look past Vagaro

What feels different with Avana

Avana, by Sweeber Technologies, has three plans with sales tax included and no add-ons to choose. Vagaro lists $30 a month per calendar plus $10 for each extra calendar (checked October 2026).

The price you see is the price you pay

Vagaro starts per calendar and adds features as paid extras. Avana has three plans, and the price already includes sales tax.

Fewer menus, more bookings

Vagaro is built for every kind of business, from gyms to spas. Avana is built for salons, so the calendar and settings fit on one screen of your phone.

Your Instagram DMs book themselves

Avana Connect answers questions in your Instagram messages with your prices and free times, and books the client inside the chat.

Moving over

Three steps from Vagaro to Avana

You can keep Vagaro running while you set up. Most salons switch over between one week and the next.

  1. 01

    Export your customers

    In Vagaro you run the customer report and export it to Excel. The account owner can do this in a couple of minutes.

  2. 02

    Upload the file

    Avana reads names, phone numbers, emails and notes from the file. You check the columns and confirm.

  3. 03

    Send your new link

    Add the link to your Instagram bio and send it to your regulars. New bookings land straight in Avana.

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Side by side

Vagaro and Avana compared

Both charge a monthly fee and neither takes commission. The differences are in how the price is built up and how much you need to set up.

Vagaro and Avana side by side
 VagaroAvana
Monthly price, solo$30 a month for one calendar ($23.99 on offer at the time of writing)$20.99 for Business, tax included
Each extra person$10 a month per calendar, up to sevenOne included in Business Plus ($35.99); after that $7.99 each
CommissionNoneNone
Appointment remindersEmail and text, includedEmail, included; text reminders are not yet available in the US
MarketplaceYes, a Vagaro listingNo; your own page, found on Google
Instagram DMsBook button on your profileAvana Connect answers and books inside the chat
Selling coursesNot built inAvana Academy, as an add-on

Vagaro figures from vagaro.com, checked in October 2026. Vagaro sells several features as add-ons; check its pricing page for what you would need.

Your own page

Clients book with you, even when your hands are full

Your booking page shows your treatments, your prices and your free times. You put the link in your Instagram bio, send it in a message and print a QR code for the front desk.

  • Clients book without creating an account
  • Open for bookings in the evening and at weekends
  • Someone helps out on Saturdays? Add them with their own hours
How your booking page works
Payments

Clients can still pay in the salon

Paying at the desk works the way it always has. For a long treatment you can ask for a deposit when they book, so the slot you keep free is paid for. You decide per treatment.

  • Pay in the salon, as before
  • Turn a deposit on for the treatments that need one
  • Card, Apple Pay and Google Pay online
How deposits work
Your messages

A question in your Instagram DMs turns into a booking

Switch on Avana Connect once on your Instagram account. From then on it answers clients with your own prices and free times, and lets them book inside the chat.

  • Replies within seconds, late at night too
  • Only prices and times that are really yours
  • You can step in and type yourself whenever you like
What Avana Connect does for you
Reminders

Clients stop forgetting their appointment

A confirmation goes out the moment someone books, and a reminder the day before with the time and your address. If the time no longer works, the client moves it themselves.

  • Confirmation and reminder go out on their own
  • Clients reschedule themselves if they need to
  • The freed-up slot opens for someone else
How reminders work
Avana Academy

Sell what you know as a course, from your own salon

You already explain your technique to every junior who joins. Record that once in the Avana Academy and sell it as a course. The hands-on practice day sits in your calendar between your appointments.

  • Lessons you set up once
  • Certificates go out automatically
  • Nothing comes off your course price
See the Avana Academy
What you get

Everything you need to open for bookings

Every Avana plan includes a booking page, a calendar, deposits, email reminders and client records from day one. Where something starts at Business Plus, it says so on the tile.

Your own booking pageTreatments, prices and free times on one link, with your photos. Clients book without making an account.Set up your page Your calendar on your phoneYour whole day at a glance, wherever you are. A new booking appears straight away, with who is coming and for what.Set your hours Pay in the salon or onlineClients pay at the desk as they always have. Online payment works too, by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.Turn on online payments Deposits against empty slotsAsk for an amount upfront on a long treatment. The slot is then properly held, and if nobody turns up, you keep the deposit.Set a deposit Email remindersA confirmation right after booking and a reminder the day before with the time and your address. You do nothing.Switch reminders on Your client recordsColor formulas, your notes and everything done before, per client. After the visit you invite them back with one tap.Import your clients A waiting list when you are fullSaturday fully booked? A client can join the waiting list, and the moment someone cancels, the next person gets an email.From Business PlusSet up the waiting list Someone helps out?If someone works with you on Saturdays or a few days a week, add them with their own hours and treatments.Add a team member

Also included

  • Reviews collected after each visit
  • Invoices for your accountant
  • Discount codes for your clients
  • A questionnaire before the first visit
  • Your own cancellation rules
  • Gift cards and product sales, from Business Plus
  • Holidays and days off in one go
  • A QR code for your front desk
  • Your own wording in every email
  • A clear view of how full your week is
Made for your trade

Which salons is Avana made for?

See every trade
Salon

Beauty salon

Facials and treatment courses, each with the right length, booked straight into your calendar.

Salon

Nail salon

Gel polish, new sets and maintenance, with a deposit that keeps the chair from sitting empty.

Salon

Hair salon & barber

Clients pick their own stylist and book themselves, evenings included.

Salon

Lash tech

Full sets and maintenance appointments, in a calendar that never double-books.

Salon

Massage & wellness

A calm calendar with reminders, so clients arrive on time.

What it costs

The price is right here on the page

Avana has three plans: Business at $20.99, Business Plus at $35.99 and Business Max at $70.99 a month, all with sales tax included. There is no commission on your takings and no contract, and every plan starts with 7 days free without card details.

MonthlyYearly save up to $142

Business

For the independent salon that takes bookings seriously.
$20.99/month

$0.70 a day, and no commission on your revenue.

Start free
Most popular

Business Plus

For the salon that wants every gap in the week filled.
$35.99/month

$1.20 a day. One extra appointment a month covers it.

Start free

Business Max

For the salon that also teaches, with Avana Academy included.
$70.99/month

$2.37 a day, with Avana Academy included.

Start free
  • Mobile app for iPhone and Android
  • 2 extra team members includedEach with their own calendar. After that, $7.99 a month per person.
  • Avana Academy includedSell courses with certificates for your students.
  • Treatment rooms in your calendarAdd the room or chair to each appointment, so two treatments never clash.
  • 5 free SMS a month included
  • Email campaigns
  • Automatic birthday and win-back emails
  • Use your own domain name
  • Your own branding in campaigns
  • Advanced settings
  • Early access to new features

All prices include sales tax. If you change plan, you only pay the difference.

Add when you need it

Two extras, and room for your team

Avana Connect costs $12.99 a month and the Avana Academy $11.99 a month with a plan. Each extra team member is $7.99 a month. Everything goes on one bill, and you can stop any month.

Avana Connect

Switch it on once for your Instagram. It answers clients with your own prices and free times and lets them book inside the conversation.

$12.99a month
Add Connect

Avana Academy

Sell your own courses to people who want to learn your craft. Lessons are set up once, the practice day sits in your calendar and certificates go out on their own.

$11.99a month with a plan
Add the Academy

An extra team member

Business includes you, Business Plus you and one other, Business Max you and two others. Each person on top gets their own calendar and hours.

$7.99a month each
Add a team member
Good to know

Vagaro alternative: frequently asked

What is a simpler alternative to Vagaro?

Avana is built for solo salon owners and small teams. You get your own booking page, calendar, deposits, email reminders and client records for $20.99 a month, tax included, without choosing add-ons. Setting it up takes an afternoon.

How much does Vagaro cost?

At the time of writing (October 2026), Vagaro lists $30 a month for one bookable calendar, with an introductory price of $23.99, plus $10 a month for each extra calendar up to seven. Several features, such as a website or forms, are paid add-ons. Check Vagaro's pricing page for current numbers.

Does Avana send text reminders in the US?

Not yet. US text messaging needs a carrier registration that is still being completed, so for now Avana sends confirmations and reminders by email.

Can I import my Vagaro customers?

Yes. In Vagaro, run the customers report and export it to Excel. Upload that file in Avana's import screen and confirm the columns. Upcoming appointments are not in that export, so ask Vagaro support for a file or let them run out.

Does Avana take commission like a marketplace?

No, never. Like Vagaro, Avana charges only the monthly plan. If a client pays online, they pay a small service fee shown in the price from the first screen, so your price reaches you in full.

Can I cancel any time?

Yes. Avana is free for 7 days with no card details, then billed monthly. Cancel whenever you want, without a notice period.

Question not here? The help center walks through every part of Avana step by step.

Create your booking page Go to the help center
The short answer

Is Avana a good Vagaro alternative?

Avana, by Sweeber Technologies, suits solo salon owners and small teams who find Vagaro more than they need. At the time of writing (October 2026), Vagaro lists $30 a month for one calendar, with $23.99 on offer, and $10 for each extra calendar up to seven. Neither system takes commission. Avana costs $20.99 a month with sales tax included, adds Avana Connect for Instagram and the Avana Academy for courses, and keeps setup short. Vagaro's included text reminders and marketplace listing are things Avana does not offer in the US today.

Salon software for small teams

Choosing a Vagaro alternative

Vagaro is a capable system, and it never takes commission on bookings. So why do people search for a Vagaro alternative? Usually because the price grows with every calendar and add-on, or because a one-chair studio does not need payroll, memberships and forms in the same menus.

Avana covers what a small salon uses daily: a booking page with your own name, a calendar on your phone, deposits against no-shows, email reminders and client records with notes and formulas. Business is $20.99 a month with sales tax already included.

What you give up

Vagaro includes text reminders and a marketplace listing. Avana does not send texts in the US yet, and it has no marketplace, so new clients reach you through Google, Instagram and referrals. If those two features are central to how you work, weigh that honestly.

Ready to look at the move? Our Vagaro switching guide shows how to export your customers and import them. Or compare GlossGenius, Square Appointments and every alternative.

Read on
Switch from Vagaro GlossGenius alternative All alternatives Pricing Deposits

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