DaySpark and Vagaro are both booking and client management platforms that serve the salon, spa, and aesthetic space — but they’re built with different priorities. Vagaro was designed as a broad, multi-industry platform with a consumer marketplace at its center. DaySpark was built specifically for appointment-based service businesses, with scheduling, client communication, intake forms, and payments working together without requiring add-ons to unlock the features most med spas actually need.
This comparison breaks down how the two platforms compare across the factors med spa owners ask about most.
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Plans and pricing
DaySpark has three tiers:
- Essential ($49/mo monthly, $40/mo annual) — up to 3 staff, 1 location, online booking, email reminders, packages, memberships, payments and checkout
- Growth ($89/mo monthly, $75/mo annual) — up to 10 staff per location, multi-location, email and SMS reminders (SMS requires a $5/mo add-on, US and Canada only), intake and consent forms, user roles and access controls
- Professional ($129/mo monthly, $105/mo annual) — up to 20 staff per location, staff commission tracking, all Growth features
All plans include a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. No booking commissions or marketplace fees.
Vagaro starts at approximately $30/month for a single-user account, with per-user pricing as the team grows. Key features like SMS reminders, text marketing, and intake forms require paid add-ons on top of the base subscription.
Edge: DaySpark’s pricing within a tier is stable as your team grows (no per-seat fees until you upgrade tiers). Vagaro’s per-user pricing makes costs less predictable as you hire.
At a glance
| DaySpark Essential | DaySpark Growth | Vagaro (base) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $49/mo | $89/mo | ~$30/mo + add-ons |
| Staff limit | 3, 1 location | 10 per location | Per-user pricing |
| Online booking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Consumer marketplace | No | No | Yes |
| Email reminders | Yes | Yes | Add-on |
| SMS reminders | No | Yes (+ $5/mo add-on) | Add-on |
| Intake/consent forms | No | Yes | Add-on |
| Deposits at booking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Packages and memberships | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-location | No | Yes | Yes |
| User roles | No | Yes | Yes |
Scheduling
DaySpark: Scheduling is built around real-time team availability. Services are assigned to specific providers, clients see only open slots that match the selected service and provider, and bookings are confirmed immediately. Adding a new provider or service is fast — there’s no hidden configuration complexity.
Vagaro: Vagaro also supports multi-provider scheduling and has been doing it reliably for years. The calendar views are functional, and providers can manage their own availability. Where it gets more complex is the overall interface — the scheduling module sits inside a dashboard with a lot of competing feature navigation, which can slow down front desk staff who use it dozens of times a day.
Edge: DaySpark for ease of use; roughly even on core scheduling functionality.
Automated reminders
DaySpark: Email reminders are included on all plans. SMS reminders are available on Growth and Professional plans and require a separate SMS add-on ($5 USD/month for 125 messages in the US; $6.50 CAD in Canada). Together, the two-channel reminder sequence meaningfully reduces no-shows.
Vagaro: SMS reminders require the Vagaro Text Marketing add-on. Email reminders beyond basic confirmation emails also require the email marketing add-on. These add meaningful cost on top of the base subscription.
Edge: DaySpark’s email reminders are included with no add-on for all users. SMS on DaySpark’s Growth plan requires a small add-on but is still simpler and cheaper than Vagaro’s text marketing suite for practices that just want appointment reminders, not marketing campaigns.
Intake and consent forms
DaySpark: Digital intake and consent forms are included on the Growth plan and above. You build your forms, assign them to specific services, and they’re automatically sent to clients as part of the booking confirmation. By the time a client arrives, their forms are already complete.
Vagaro: Vagaro offers intake forms but they require a paid add-on. The integration into the booking flow exists but has historically been less seamless than practices would like.
Edge: DaySpark for practices on the Growth plan — forms are native and integrated into the booking flow. If you’re on DaySpark’s Essential plan, forms are not included (Growth plan required).
Marketplace and new client discovery
Vagaro: This is Vagaro’s most significant advantage for practices still building their client base. The Vagaro marketplace gives your business a listing alongside other local salons and spas, which can drive new client bookings.
DaySpark: DaySpark does not have a consumer marketplace. Bookings come through your own booking page, embedded on your website or Instagram bio, or via a direct link you share. This means you own the client relationship fully — no comparison shopping window next to your listing — but discovery depends on your own marketing.
Edge: Vagaro for new client discovery if marketplace traffic is a priority. DaySpark for practices that prefer owning the client relationship and drive traffic through their own website or social channels.
Which is better for your med spa?
Choose DaySpark Growth if:
- You want intake forms and SMS reminders without separate add-on pricing headaches
- Your team is 1–10 providers at one or more locations
- You’re setting up a new practice and want to be live quickly (14-day free trial, no credit card)
- You drive bookings through your website, Google, or social — not a marketplace
Choose DaySpark Essential if:
- You’re a solo practitioner or a team of up to 3 at one location
- You want solid scheduling, email reminders, packages, and memberships at a lower starting price
- You plan to grow into forms and SMS reminders when ready
Choose Vagaro if:
- Marketplace discovery is a meaningful part of your new client acquisition strategy
- You want a retail POS with inventory management alongside booking
- You’re already on Vagaro and the add-on costs aren’t a pain point
Both platforms will keep your calendar filled and your appointments organized. The real question is which set of features you need and whether the platform’s cost structure makes sense as you grow.
DaySpark offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required — it takes about an hour to set up with your actual services, team, and availability, and you’ll know whether it fits before you commit.