Last Updated on January 23, 2026 by Ewen Finser
Rosy is a comprehensive salon management software that has served countless small businesses well with affordable pricing and straightforward features.
But as your salon grows beyond the basic features you needed on opening day, you start hitting walls that Rosy simply can’t break through. And the more time you and your staff spend trying to find workarounds for the limited features, the more productivity drops across the salon.
Whether you’re outgrowing Rosy’s limitations or concerned about the uncertainty surrounding their merger, there are solid Rosy Salon Software Alternatives that can support your growth without the frustration — and most of them make the transition as smooth and simple as possible.
Where Rosy Falls Short
First, I want to get specific about some of the shortcomings I personally experienced while using Rosy. While it can be a great platform when you’re first starting out, I found that it had some limitations that ultimately held me back from achieving my business goals.
A Separate Marketing Dashboard
Rosy’s marketing tools live in a completely separate dashboard from your main system. Email campaigns, automated messages, and its AI-powered marketing tool all require switching away from the main Rosy platform to something that’s laid out completely differently from the main dashboard. I personally find it very frustrating that I have to remember how to use two completely different platforms to run my business.
Limited Integration Options
Rosy offers Facebook and Google booking integrations, but beyond that, there’s very little. It does integrate with Tippy, which allows for instant tip payouts, but it doesn’t offer payroll processing for your stylists. For growing salons that rely on multiple business tools working together seamlessly, this forces you into a lot of manual workarounds or additional subscriptions.
Limited Reporting Options
While Rosy offers 60+ different reports, the customization options are minimal; you can’t tailor reports to track specific metrics unless you pay for the highest tier. As you grow and need deeper insights into service profitability, stylist performance trends, or client retention patterns, Rosy’s one-size-fits-all reporting approach becomes a real limitation.
Poor Scalability for Growing Salons
Rosy can technically support salons with 20+ stylists, but the platform is clearly designed for one to four providers. The signature features that work fine for a solo stylist or small salon get really clunky with a larger team. To make matters worse, I noticed frequent server interruptions, which meant my salon didn’t have access to our appointment books at certain times.
An Uncertain Future After the Merger with Aura
Although Rosy completed its merger with Aura in August 2024, the platforms are still entirely separate. I’ve looked, but I haven’t seen any public communication about platform consolidation, pricing changes, or Rosy’s long-term viability. This means that we salon owners are left wondering whether to invest more time and energy into a system that might fundamentally change or disappear!
That uncertainty alone is reason enough to explore alternatives, in my opinion.
The Best Rosy Salon Software Alternatives
In light of these problems, I’ve tried quite a few salon software options in search of something better! With my own experience combined with that of many other salon owners I’ve spoken to, I feel that these are the best alternatives to Rosy, depending on your specific salon size and needs.
Boulevard: The Best All-in-One Software for Growing Salons
Boulevard was built from the ground up specifically for salons and spas, as opposed to being a repurposed software that was adapted from fitness studios or generic service businesses.
For example, the Precision Scheduling feature automatically optimizes your calendar by suggesting booking times that most efficiently fill gaps. So if you have a two-hour opening between a cut and a color appointment, the system prioritizes booking that slot with services that fit perfectly in that window!
Boulevard also includes multi-merchant setup directly within the platform on all tiers, while Rosy offers a completely separate platform for booth rental salons. Here, each stylist can have payments routed to their own account, maintain separate client lists, and keep private notes and formulas… all within the same system.
Overall, my favorite thing about Boulevard is that everything lives in one platform (booking, point of sale, marketing, inventory, and payroll) — which eliminates the separate marketing dashboard problem that plagued me as a Rosy user.
Pricing: Starts at $176/month for Essentials, $293/month for Premier, and $410/month for Prestige, plus custom Enterprise pricing for large operations. It’s a big step up from Rosy’s pricing, but for all the extra features and reporting options, I find it pays for itself in spades.
Pros:
- Exceptional customer support
- Purpose-built for salons means intuitive workflows
- Precision Scheduling fills gaps and maximizes revenue
- Modern, clean interface despite comprehensive functionality
- Everything in one place (no separate marketing platform like Rosy)
Cons:
- Likely more than simpler salons really need
- Premium pricing
- No free trial (demo only; must speak with sales team)
Best for: Boulevard is excellent for established salons that are ready to consolidate multiple tools into one comprehensive platform. If you already run a multi-location salon and need centralized management, this is definitely worth considering.
Vagaro: Best for Small, Budget-Conscious Teams
Vagaro has built a reputation as the value brand of salon software. It includes calendar tools, automated appointment reminders, point of sale, and comprehensive client management capabilities.
It also includes waitlist management that lets clients add themselves to your waitlist when their preferred time isn’t available, which can make a huge difference in revenue. When a spot opens up, the system automatically notifies waitlisted clients.
What really sets Vagaro apart is its marketplace exposure. No matter which plan you choose, you can list your salon commission-free on Vagaro’s consumer-facing platform, where potential clients can discover you organically.
Pricing: Starting at just $23.99/month for solo stylists, Vagaro delivers all the essential features without breaking the bank.
Pros:
- Scales with your team size and locations
- Very affordable entry point
- Month-to-month pricing with no long-term contracts
- Free marketplace listing drives new client discovery
- All basics included at the base tier (booking, POS, reminders, client management)
Cons:
- Occasional glitches and performance issues
- Add-on fees accumulate quickly for premium features
- Limited customization options compared to premium platforms
Best for: Vagaro is a good choice for salons with two to six chairs that want affordability with built-in client acquisition through the marketplace. If you’re still building clientele and need exposure without commission cuts eating into your revenue, Vagaro delivers better value than Rosy at a similar price point.
GlossGenius: Best for Solo-to-Small Teams Who Value Aesthetics
GlossGenius has built a devoted following among hairdressers and salon owners thanks to its focus on the client experience.
The platform is simply beautiful: It includes a sleek, modern interface that appeals to image-conscious stylists and creates a premium booking experience for clients. But the design goes beyond surface-level aesthetics. For example, the calendar is color-coded and visually intuitive so that staff can easily see their day at a glance.
That’s why I find GlossGenius to be a particularly smart choice if that sleek, luxurious client booking experience aligns well with your salon’s branding. A strong, cohesive brand can help your salon attract loyal clients and drive referrals, after all!
Aside from aesthetics, one of GlossGenius’s strongest features is no-login booking. Clients can book appointments without creating an account or remembering passwords, which dramatically reduces friction and can seriously help your booking rates.
Pricing: Starting at $28/month for the Standard tier, GlossGenius is affordable for solo stylists while still feeling polished and professional.
Pros:
- Simple, intuitive interface that’s easy to learn
- Strong mobile app for on-the-go management
- Transparent 2.6% processing fees with no surprises
- Sleek, professional design for both stylists and clients
- Premium booking experience keeps clients coming back
Cons:
- Big pricing jump from Gold to Platinum ($56 to $168)
- Adding payroll for 10 staff members immediately adds $100/month
- No website widget integration (separate GlossGenius-hosted booking page)
Best for: GlossGenius is ideal for solo stylists and small teams of up to nine providers who value beautiful design and client-facing experience. If aesthetics matter to your brand and you want clients to feel like they’re booking with a high-end salon, GlossGenius delivers that premium feel at an accessible price.
Mindbody: Best for Multi-Service Salons
Mindbody was built for wellness, beauty, and fitness businesses, which is why I feel it’s ideal for salons that offer more than just hair services. Originally developed for the yoga and boutique fitness industry, it’s since evolved to serve hybrid businesses that need to manage appointments, classes, retail sales, and merchandise all in one place.
Mindbody’s biggest claim to fame is its massive consumer app, which can drive significant new client bookings. Basically, when potential clients search for services in your area, your salon and services appear in their results, and they can book with you directly.
Pricing: The Starter tier begins at $99/month, which is notably higher than Rosy’s $44/month entry point — but you get a lot for that price, like marketplace exposure, unlimited stylists, payment processing with no monthly fees, and a huge range of management tools for your team, schedule, inventory, and revenue.
Pros:
- Excellent class and workshop booking functions
- Massive consumer app drives new client bookings
- Simple, user-friendly booking from the client perspective
- 24/7 support available through Mindbody’s AI assistant
- Works seamlessly across multiple service types
Cons:
- High base pricing
- Support can be slow to respond despite 24/7 availability
- “Discovery fee” charged when new clients book through the marketplace
Best for: Mindbody is best for multi-service salons that combine hair, spa, wellness, or fitness under one roof, delivering a more comprehensive range of functionality that Rosy simply can’t provide.
Fresha: Best for an Affordable All-in-One + Marketplace
Fresha stands out for its true website integration capabilities. Unlike other platforms that redirect clients to a separate booking website, Fresha lets you embed booking directly on your website so that clients never leave your branded experience.
Similar to Vagaro and Mindbody, Fresha offers a marketplace that gives you organic discovery opportunities with new clients. But unlike other platforms, this one includes HIPAA compliance at the base tier, which matters if you’re offering any medical-grade treatments or services that require documentation.
I personally love that Fresha offers plans for both solo stylists and multi-chair salons, because it means you won’t outgrow the software the moment you start hiring staff. Its Team plan includes shift scheduling, tips management, sales commissions tracking, and timesheets.
Pricing: Starts at $19.95/month for solo practitioners, while the Team plan runs $14.95/month per bookable team member.
Pros:
- Very affordable for small teams
- Robust inventory management included
- Marketplace drives discovery organically
- HIPAA compliance without premium pricing
- Embed booking directly on your website with no redirect
Cons:
- Locked into Fresha payment processing
- Email support for the basic plan has a 48-hour response time
- 20% marketplace commission on every new client’s first visit (minimum $6)
Best for: Fresha can be a great choice for solo stylists and small teams who want affordable, fairly comprehensive software with built-in marketing. If you’ve invested in building your own website and want online booking to stay on-brand (instead of redirecting clients elsewhere like Rosy and GlossGenius do), Fresha’s embeddable widget delivers that seamless integration.
How to Choose the Best Salon Software for Your Business
Picking the right salon software comes down to three factors: your current team size, your growth trajectory, and your ideal budget.
- Ready to consolidate everything related to running and growing your salon in one place? Boulevard’s purpose-built, all-in-one platform eliminates the separate marketing dashboard problem and supports serious growth.
- If you’re staying small with two to six chairs and need budget-friendly basics with marketplace exposure, Vagaro delivers affordability without commission fees.
- Beautiful design matters and you’re managing under 10 stylists? GlossGenius provides premium aesthetics with transparent pricing.
- Running a multi-service business combining hair with spa or wellness? Mindbody’s marketplace and cross-category functionality shine here.
- Want true website integration plus affordable marketplace exposure for your growing team? Fresha embeds directly on your site without Rosy’s limitations.
For my salon, we needed an all-in-one platform that wouldn’t make us pay for other apps or subscriptions. We ended up going with Boulevard, since it provides everything we need in a typical salon management tool (scheduling, POS, client management) and adds in marketing tools (email campaigns, SMS, automated reminders, and rebooking campaigns) right alongside it. No more trying to remember how to navigate multiple totally separate dashboards!
I recommend signing up for demos and trials, asking about migration support, and choosing the platform that solves your specific frustration with Rosy.
Whether you’re frustrated about the separate marketing dashboard, exhausted of the limited integrations, or concerned about the Aura merger, the right software will make your operations simpler while fully supporting your growth plans.