Vagaro has been around for years and is one of the more full-featured salon and spa platforms on the market, with a wide range of tools and a large template/add-on ecosystem. Some Canadian salons use it, largely because of that feature depth. Here's how it actually compares to Zivly once you look past the base subscription price.
A note on sourcing: Vagaro doesn't publish a single simple price list, and figures below are based on publicly available information as of this writing. Confirm current numbers directly with Vagaro before deciding.
Pricing: Scaling CAD Subscription + Add-Ons vs. Flat CAD Per Staff
Both platforms bill Canadian accounts in CAD, so this isn't a currency story - it's a structure story. Vagaro's base subscription starts noticeably higher than Zivly's, and several commonly-used features are priced as separate add-ons rather than bundled in.
| Zivly | Vagaro | |
|---|---|---|
| Base price | CA$10.99/staff/mo (Team) | CA$35/mo (1st staff/calendar)* |
| Additional staff | CA$10.99 each, flat | Scales incrementally per calendar* |
| Currency | CAD - fixed | CAD (on Canadian accounts)* |
| Custom website / marketplace | Free marketplace profile + SEO subdomain | MySite add-on, ~CA$30/mo* |
| Text marketing | Included | Paid add-on* |
| Reputation / review tools | Included | Paid add-on* |
| Free solo plan | ✅ Free forever, 300 bookings/mo | ❌ Not offered* |
*Based on publicly reported Vagaro Canadian pricing as of this writing; confirm current terms directly with Vagaro, since plans and fees can change.
Vagaro's base price for a single staff member already starts above Zivly's per-staff rate, and the gap for a solo operator is even wider since Zivly's Solo plan is free. And the moment you want a custom website (MySite), text marketing, a reputation/reviews tool, digital intake forms, or extra cloud storage, those get added on as separate monthly charges - each one is a small number on its own, but they compound quickly for a salon that wants a full marketing toolkit.
What's Included by Default
Zivly bundles the tools most salons actually need into every plan: automated SMS/email reminders, client management, payroll, full reporting, and a free marketplace profile with an SEO-friendly subdomain. None of that requires an upgrade or an add-on. The only charges that pass through are SMS delivery beyond the free allowance and standard Stripe processing rates - nothing else.
Hiring: A Feature Vagaro Doesn't Have
Vagaro doesn't offer a way to post job openings or collect applications inside the platform - like most salon software, hiring happens elsewhere. Zivly's built-in job postings feature lets you create a listing, share a public application link, and collect CVs directly in your dashboard, on every plan, at no extra cost.
Where Vagaro Has an Edge
Vagaro's ecosystem is genuinely broad - it supports more business types beyond salons (fitness, wellness, tattoo studios, and more) and has a long track record with a large template and integration library. If your business needs very specific, niche customization that a newer platform might not yet support, Vagaro's maturity is worth weighing.
The Bottom Line
For a Canadian salon that wants predictable CAD pricing without a growing list of paid add-ons, Zivly is the simpler, more cost-effective choice - especially for solo operators, who can run the whole business for free. Vagaro remains a reasonable option for businesses that specifically need its broader ecosystem and don't mind assembling their toolkit add-on by add-on.
See how Zivly stacks up across the whole market in our best salon software in Canada guide, or start with the free Solo plan to try it yourself.