Every salon software company's comparison page says the same thing about itself: easiest to use, most features, best value. That's not useful information, because it's true of none of them uniquely and it tells you nothing about how the software will actually feel to run your specific salon on six months from now. Here's what's actually worth checking, regardless of which platform you end up choosing.
Read the pricing structure, not just the sticker price
The advertised monthly number is rarely the whole story. Some platforms charge per staff calendar, so the price quietly climbs as your team grows. Some take a commission on new clients booked through a marketplace — sometimes 15-20% of that client's first booking — on top of the subscription. Some have a setup fee that isn't mentioned until checkout. None of these are necessarily dealbreakers, but they need to be visible before you commit, not discovered on your first invoice. Ask directly: is this price per location, per staff member, or flat? Is there a commission on any booking? Is there a setup fee?
Check what happens if you want to leave
A platform that makes it easy to sign up and hard to export your client data or leave without a lock-in period is telling you something about how confident it is you'll actually want to stay. Ask specifically: is there a contract term, or is it month-to-month? Can you export your full client list and appointment history if you switch? A platform confident in its product doesn't need to make leaving difficult.
Confirm the features you actually need are real, not "coming soon"
Feature lists often include things still in development, labeled subtly enough to miss on a quick read. If a specific feature matters to your decision — a check-in kiosk, deposit collection, an AI receptionist — ask directly whether it's live today or planned for a future release, and get a specific answer rather than a vague "yes, we support that."
Ask about data migration specifically
Switching software with years of client history feels risky, and that risk is legitimate — but most platforms worth using have a real answer for it, not just "export a CSV and figure it out." Ask what actually gets migrated (client list, appointment history, service menu) and who does the work — you, or the new platform's team.
Try it with your real data before deciding
A demo with sample data always looks clean. The real test is your actual client list, your actual service menu, your actual busy Saturday — which is exactly why a genuine free trial with no immediate charge matters more than a polished sales call. If a platform is confident in its product, a real trial period should be an easy yes.
Where Certxa fits into this
We'd rather you ask these exact questions of us too: flat monthly pricing with no per-seat markup up to unlimited staff on the Professional plan and above, no marketplace commission — just a flat $0.60 connection fee per transaction on top of Stripe's own rate, no contract, and free migration from GlossGenius, Vagaro, Square Appointments, Booksy, and Fresha. See the honest, numbers-based breakdowns on our GlossGenius, Vagaro, and Fresha comparison pages — including where those platforms do things well.
See Certxa's pricing or start a free trial and bring your real data.