6 Best Square Appointments Alternatives (For Retail, Salons & Spas)

• Deep CRM Integration: Associates can access a customer’s unified profile via Endear’s Retail CRM, including purchase history, preferences, and prior interactions, allowing them to prepare in advance and deliver a more personalized in-store or virtual experience.
• Omnichannel Booking Channels: Customers can book appointments from a retailer’s website, via SMS or email links shared by associates, or through geo-aware links that route shoppers to the correct store location. This makes it easy for customers to book, reschedule, or cancel with minimal friction.
• Direct Revenue Attribution: Endear tracks sales generated directly from appointments, providing clear ROI on clienteling efforts and proving the value of in-store consultations.
• Integrated Communication & Follow-up: The platform automates confirmations and reminders. After the appointment, associates can use the same system to send a thank-you message with a pre-populated shopping cart of items discussed, directly linking the service to a sale.

• Unifies Online & In-Store: Endear turns identified customer data into highly personalized retail appointments, creating better experiences that boost conversion and loyalty.
• Empowers Store Associates: The platform turns salespeople into expert stylists by giving them the data and tools needed to build genuine relationships and provide truly personalized service.
• Reduces Customer Friction: By supporting booking, reminders, follow-ups, and analytics in one system, Endear streamlines both the customer journey and internal store operations.

• Dependent on the Endear Ecosystem: Appointments is a feature of the broader Endear platform, not a standalone tool. It requires a full commitment to their clienteling suite.

Endear uses a “Request a Demo” pricing model. Pricing is customized based on factors such as number of store locations, associates, and feature usage, and is generally positioned for mid-market to enterprise retailers.

Endear Appointments is best suited for mid-market to enterprise omnichannel retail brands, particularly in verticals such as apparel, luxury, jewelry, bridal, and specialty retail, where personalized, consultative selling plays a key role in driving revenue.

• Client-Facing Marketplace: Businesses are listed on Vagaro.com and the Vagaro app, turning the software into an active client acquisition channel.
• Comprehensive Business Suite: It bundles online booking, a full-featured Point of Sale (POS) system, client management (CRM), inventory tracking, and employee management.
• Marketing Automation: The platform includes built-in tools for email and text campaigns, daily deals, loyalty programs, and automated review requests.
• Digital Forms & Waivers: Create and require clients to fill out custom intake forms, liability waivers, or SOAP notes digitally before their appointment.

• Powerful Client Acquisition: The public marketplace is Vagaro's killer feature, actively helping businesses get discovered by new local customers.
• Exceptional All-in-One Value: It packs an immense amount of functionality into its base subscription, eliminating the need for multiple separate software tools.
• Industry-Specific Features: Tools like resource booking (for specific rooms or equipment), tip management, and client formula notes show a deep understanding of the industry's needs.

• Steep Learning Curve: The sheer number of features can be overwhelming for new users, and the interface feels dense.
• "A La Carte" Pricing: Many powerful features, like a website builder or text marketing, are paid add-ons that can significantly increase the monthly cost.
• Inconsistent Customer Support: User reports on support quality are mixed, with some experiencing long wait times for resolving complex issues.

Vagaro’s pricing starts at $35/month per bookable calendar and scales from there based on number of locations and additional calendars. 

Choose Vagaro if your primary goal is to manage your entire salon, spa, or fitness business and attract new local clients through a single, powerful platform.

• Advanced Intake Forms: Create detailed, custom forms to collect any information you need from clients at the time of booking.
• Integrated Payments & Commerce: Require deposits, charge full amounts, and sell appointment packages, gift certificates, or even subscriptions directly through your booking page.
• Complex Scheduling Logic: Easily manage multiple staff and locations, different appointment types, recurring bookings, and group classes with attendee limits.
• Automated Client Communication: Send customized, branded confirmation emails, text message reminders, and follow-up emails to reduce no-shows.

• Unmatched Flexibility: Acuity adapts to your business model with deep customization for intake, payments, and appointment types.
• Powerful Monetization Engine: The ability to sell packages, subscriptions, and memberships transforms your scheduler into a revenue-generating tool.
• Robust Automation: Acuity saves countless administrative hours by automating reminders, calendar syncing, and client follow-ups.

• Steep Learning Curve: The vast number of features can be overkill for simple needs and requires a significant time investment to master.
• Dated Backend Interface: While the client-facing page is modern, the administrator's backend can feel clunky and less intuitive than newer competitors.

As part of Squarespace Scheduling, plans start with the "Emerging Plan" at around $16/month (billed annually) and scale all the way up to custom, Enterprise plans.

Pricing starts at $20/month for a single calendar and scales all the way to a custom enterprise plan. 

• Consumer-Facing Marketplace: Businesses are featured in the popular Mindbody app, providing a built-in channel for attracting new clients.
• Comprehensive Management Hub: Integrates POS, staff management, payroll, CRM, automated billing, and membership management into a single dashboard.
• Integrated Marketing Suite: Includes tools to automate email and SMS campaigns, manage intro offers, and run client loyalty programs.
• Virtual & On-Demand Content: Host live-streamed classes and build a library of pre-recorded video content to monetize virtual offerings.

• Unparalleled Feature Depth: Mindbody can genuinely run an entire multi-location studio or spa, from the front desk to back-office reporting.
• Massive Client Acquisition Engine: Exposure on the Mindbody app connects businesses to a huge, active user base searching for wellness services.
• Robust Reporting & Analytics: Provides deep, data-driven insights into business performance, crucial for making strategic decisions.

• Very High Cost: Mindbody is one of the most expensive options, making it inaccessible for many small businesses.
• Steep Learning Curve & Dated UI: The software is often described as clunky and unintuitive, requiring significant staff training.
• Restrictive Contracts: The platform is known for long-term contracts with auto-renewal clauses that can be difficult to cancel.

Mindbody offers three tiers (Starter, Accelerate and Ultimate) but your ultimate pricing is based on a custom quote.

Mindbody is the enterprise solution for large, established, and multi-location gyms, yoga studios, and high-end spas that need an all-encompassing management system and have the budget for it.

• Elegant Online Presence: Provides a stunning, fully customizable online booking website that looks and feels like a high-end custom site.
• Integrated Payments & Hardware: Offers a complete, built-in payment solution with stylish, brandable card readers to maintain your aesthetic during checkout.
• Automated Client Management: Acts as a powerful CRM, automating appointment confirmations, reminders, thank-you notes, and marketing campaigns.
• All-in-One Business Dashboard: Centralizes calendar management, service menus, inventory tracking, and sales analytics in one intuitive interface.

• Superior Aesthetics: This is GlossGenius's primary advantage. The entire platform, from the booking site to client communications, is designed to elevate your brand image.
• Exceptional Ease of Use: The interface is clean, intuitive, and user-friendly, eliminating the need to juggle multiple software subscriptions.
• High-Touch Customer Support: They offer a "white-glove" service to transfer all your data from a previous system for free, drastically lowering the barrier to switching.

• No Free Tier: Unlike some competitors, GlossGenius does not offer a free plan, creating a cost barrier for those just starting.
• Limited Scalability: It lacks some of the advanced features needed by large, multi-location operations, like complex payroll or robust retail inventory management.
• Closed Ecosystem: It offers very few third-party integrations, which can be a drawback for businesses that rely on specific external software.

GlossGenius offers three subscription tiers, starting at $28/month and scaling up to $168/month. In addition, their payment processing fee is a flat 2.6% for all transactions.

GlossGenius is perfect for style-conscious independent professionals and small, boutique salons who want a simple, all-in-one platform that makes their brand look incredibly premium.

• Multi-Staff Management: Create separate calendars, logins, and schedules for each team member-even on the free plan.
• Integrated Payments: Accepts online payments via Square, Stripe, and PayPal directly from the booking page to reduce no-shows.
• Class & Group Bookings: Has built-in functionality for managing group sessions and classes with set attendance caps.
• Broad Accessibility: Offers web, desktop, and mobile apps, plus integrations for social media "Book Now" buttons and video conferencing tools.

• Exceptionally Generous Free Plan: The free plan supports up to 4 users, unlimited appointments, and online payments via Square, offering incredible value.
• Ease of Use: The platform is incredibly intuitive, allowing businesses to get their booking page up and running in under an hour.
• Strong Team Functionality: It's built from the ground up to support teams, making it a great fit for businesses with multiple service providers.

• Limited Branding Customization: The booking page offers fewer options for customization compared to more advanced tools like Acuity.
• Lacks Advanced Scheduling Logic: It doesn't natively support selling appointment packages or memberships.
• Basic Reporting: The built-in analytics are functional but lack the deep, customizable insights that larger businesses might need.

Setmore offers a generous free tier and a pro plan costing $12 per month.

Setmore is the best free alternative to Square Appointments for small service businesses across any vertical that need multi-staff scheduling without the industry-specific frills.

This is the most important question. A tool built for a salon is not the right fit for a global retail brand.

• If you're an omnichannel retailer using Shopify, your needs are unique. You don't just need a booking tool; you need a sales tool that connects your online data to your in-store experience. Endear is built specifically for this purpose and is in a class of its own.
• If you're a salon, spa, or barber, your best bets are purpose-built platforms like Vagaro or GlossGenius.
• If you're a consultant, coach, or therapist, the deep customization of Acuity Scheduling is likely your best fit.

What problem are you trying to solve by moving away from Square?

• Driving measurable in-store sales from online? -> Endear is the only platform that directly attributes revenue to appointments.
• Acquiring new local clients? -> Look at tools with a built-in marketplace like Vagaro or Mindbody.
• Automating a complex booking process with custom forms? -> Acuity Scheduling is the clear winner here.

Your budget will quickly narrow the field.

• Free/Low-Cost: Setmore (robust free plan) wins out here.
• Mid-Tier/Scalable: Vagaro, Acuity, and GlossGenius offer a great balance of features and price.
• Premium/Enterprise: Mindbody and Endear are premium investments for established businesses focused on scaling.