Acuity Scheduling alternatives
Six tools salons weigh up against Acuity Scheduling, with the monthly price and the fee on new clients for each. Kiri is ours, so every source is linked at the bottom of the page.
Why owners look past Acuity Scheduling
- It is a general scheduler, not salon software: no portfolio, marketplace or point-of-sale.
- There is no free plan, and text reminders start on the $34 Standard plan.
- Each plan caps the number of calendars at one, six or 36.
What Acuity Scheduling does well
- A low entry price: one calendar from $16 a month billed annually.
- Intake forms on every plan, with packages, memberships and gift certificates on Standard and above.
- Takes payments and deposits through Stripe, Square, PayPal or Venmo.
Acuity Scheduling today: A general appointment scheduler from Squarespace. $20 a month for one calendar ($16 billed annually), up to $69 for 36 calendars. No marketplace.
Price and fees, in one table.
| Tool | Monthly price | Fees on bookings | Contract | More |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KiriOurs | $0 to list. Booking system: $20/mo + $10 per staff member, opt-in, when it launches | None. No commission, no new-client fee | None. Leave any time | Kiri for salons |
| Square Appointments | Free; Plus $49 and Premium $149 per location/mo | No commission | Monthly per location | Kiri vs Square Appointments |
| GlossGenius | From $24/mo billed annually ($28 monthly); Gold $48, Platinum $148 | No marketplace commission | No contracts | Kiri vs GlossGenius |
| Fresha | $19.95/mo solo; $14.95 per team member/mo | 20% of a new marketplace client’s first booking (min $6); returning clients free | Monthly, cancel anytime | Kiri vs Fresha |
| Vagaro | $30/mo one calendar ($23.99 promo for 6 months); +$10 per extra calendar | No marketplace commission | Monthly, cancel anytime | Kiri vs Vagaro |
| StyleSeat | $35/mo per its help center; $19/mo offer for new sign-ups | New Client Connection: 30% of a new client’s first appointment (max $50) | No contract, cancel anytime | Kiri vs StyleSeat |
| Acuity SchedulingFor reference | From $20/mo ($16 billed annually) for 1 calendar; $34 up to 6; $69 up to 36 | No commission | No setup or cancellation fees | Kiri vs Acuity Scheduling |
The six alternatives.
- 01
KiriOurs
A free salon listing: a page built from your work, booking requests you accept or decline, and no commission. It does not take payments; a booking system is planned as an opt-in add-on at $20 a month plus $10 per staff member.
Fits best
Solo stylists, small teams and salons of any size that want new clients to find them by the work they do, a page built to rank for their name and area, and booking requests without paying a platform for the privilege.
Kiri for salons → - 02
Square Appointments
A scheduler tied to Square’s point-of-sale. Free for one location with unlimited staff; Plus $49 and Premium $149 a location a month. No marketplace.
Fits best
When you already take payments on Square and want a free scheduler in the same system, and you do not expect the software to bring clients.
Kiri vs Square Appointments → - 03
GlossGenius
A booking, payments and marketing app with no marketplace. From $24 a month billed annually ($28 monthly), up to $148 on its top plan.
Fits best
When you want booking, payments and marketing in one polished app, and you already have your own ways of bringing clients in.
Kiri vs GlossGenius → - 04
Fresha
Booking, payments and a consumer marketplace. $19.95 a month for one calendar or $14.95 per team member, plus 20% of a new marketplace client’s first booking.
Fits best
When you need instant self-booking with deposits and built-in card payments today, and you are fine paying 20% of the first visit for clients its marketplace sends.
Kiri vs Fresha → - 05
Vagaro
An all-in-one salon suite. $30 a month for one calendar and $10 for each extra calendar up to seven, with paid add-ons. No marketplace commission.
Fits best
When you want one paid suite for everything, from payroll to memberships, and are happy to pay for the add-ons you use.
Kiri vs Vagaro → - 06
StyleSeat
A booking app and consumer marketplace. $35 a month per its help center, plus 30% of a new client’s first appointment, up to $50, through New Client Connection.
Fits best
When the StyleSeat marketplace already fills your calendar, and you are willing to pay 30% of a first appointment, up to $50, for each new client it connects.
Kiri vs StyleSeat →
You may not need to switch.
Kiri is not a point-of-sale and does not try to be one. Acuity keeps the calendar; Kiri is where new clients find you. Link your Kiri page from your bio, accept the request in Kiri Studio, then add it to Acuity.
Kiri fits best
Solo stylists, small teams and salons of any size that want new clients to find them by the work they do, a page built to rank for their name and area, and booking requests without paying a platform for the privilege.
Kiri vs Acuity Scheduling, in full →Asked before switching.
- Is there a free alternative to Acuity Scheduling?
- Two tools on this page cost nothing to start. Kiri is a free listing: a salon page, booking requests and no commission. It does not take payments. Square Appointments has a free plan for one location with unlimited staff that covers the calendar and payments, but it has no marketplace to bring new clients.
- Which Acuity Scheduling alternatives charge no commission on new clients?
- Kiri, Square Appointments, GlossGenius and Vagaro charge no commission on new clients. Fresha takes 20% of a new marketplace client’s first booking, with a $6 minimum. StyleSeat takes 30% of a new client’s first appointment through New Client Connection, to a maximum of $50.
- Do I have to leave Acuity Scheduling to use Kiri?
- No. Kiri is not a point-of-sale and does not try to be one. Acuity keeps the calendar; Kiri is where new clients find you. Link your Kiri page from your bio, accept the request in Kiri Studio, then add it to Acuity.
Sources
- Acuity Scheduling pricing page
- Square Appointments pricing page
- GlossGenius pricing page
- Fresha pricing page
- Vagaro pricing page
- StyleSeat help center: How much does StyleSeat cost?
Prices and terms belong to each company and change. We quote their public pages as of November 12, 2026; check the current page before deciding. Kiri is not affiliated with any of them.
Start with the free one.
Send us the form today. We build your page, you check it, and booking requests start coming in beside whatever you run now, or decide to run next.