7 Best EMR Software for Medical & Aesthetic Practices in 2026
Key Takeaways Pabau: Best for med spas and aesthetic clinics seeking an all-in-o...
December 4, 2025
Choosing the right Vagaro alternative can be tricky. The platforms often look similar on the surface, which makes it hard to spot the differences that matter.
That’s why we’ve compared the best options, breaking down their pricing and strengths to help you make a confident decision.
| Name | Best for | Standout feature | Starting price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pabau | Medical-aesthetic clinics and multi-location practices | Structured clinical records and a full client-journey workflow | $69 per user/month |
| Fresha | Beauty and wellness teams | Marketplace-driven bookings | From $19.95/month |
| Acuity Scheduling | Solo providers or small teams | Flexible online scheduling | $16 per month |
| Mindbody | Fitness, wellness, and class-based businesses | Advanced class and membership management | Quote-based |
| GlossGenius | Small salons and beauty studios | Clean, branded booking pages | $24 per month |
| Rosy | Small salons and spas | Simple salon-first booking | $44 per provider/month |
Pabau: Best All-In-One Platform
Pabau is the best Vagaro alternative when basic booking isn’t enough. It’s an all-in-one practice management system shaped around the full client journey.
All your scheduling, forms, payments, communication, and marketing run from one setup. That alone tidies your operations and takes the pressure off needing extra tools.
Practices scaling from solo to multi-location rely on Pabau because it brings structure to everything from consultations to follow-up care.
Key features
Here are the key features that make Pabau stand out against Vagaro and other alternatives.
- Clinical workflows
Pabau gives practitioners a structured path through every appointment. You can:
- Review medical history
- Complete consultation notes
- Add before and after photos
- Record treatment details
All of this is stored in the client record, making it easy to access their history across locations or while working off-site.
- Automated client journey
Pabau automates the whole appointment flow:
- Confirmations and reminders
- Intake forms
- Pre- and post-care
- Follow-ups
You choose whether each message goes by email or SMS.
Simple filters let you build custom audiences, so each automation goes to the right clients and cuts down routine admin.
- Reporting and performance insights
Pabau gives you a full set of reports that show how your clinic is performing. You can track:
- Revenue
- Bookings
- Client activity
- Practitioner performance
- Inventory and usage
Data can be displayed in visual charts, including pie charts and graphs, which makes key trends easier to understand. This helps you pick up performance patterns quickly and share clear insights with your team.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Users | Clients | Key inclusions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Startup | $69 / month (per user) |
1 | < 100 clients | Booking, reminders, records, photos, POS |
| Team | Talk to sales | 2–3 users | Unlimited clients | Full feature set |
| Medium | Talk to sales | 4–5 users | Unlimited clients | Full feature set |
| Group | Talk to sales | 6–15 users | Unlimited clients | Full feature set |
| Enterprise | Custom quote | 15+ users | Unlimited clients | Dedicated onboarding + full feature set |
Check out Pabau’s pricing page for more detailed information.
Where Pabau shines
- Clinical strength: Documentation built for medical-aesthetic care.
- True all-in-one system: Scheduling, records, payments, marketing, and analytics in one place.
- Ready for growth: Supports busy clinics, large teams, and multi-location setups.
Where Pabau falls short
- Better suited for medi-aesthetics: Salons and spas may find the medical depth unnecessary.
- Learning curve: It takes some onboarding to settle into the workflow.
- Pricing fits growth-focused clinics: It’s not the cheapest option for single-operator start-ups.
Customer reviews
“Pabau provides fantastic support to streamline my business with automation, strategic marketing, productivity insights, and enhanced patient management all in one place.” – Joanne P., verified G2 reviewer
“I’ve had a great experience using Pabau for my new aesthetic clinic. The system is incredibly user-friendly and has streamlined everything from bookings to patient records. Their support team is always responsive and helpful, making the whole process stress-free. Pabau has truly helped us save time, stay organized, and deliver an even better experience for our clients. Highly recommend!” – Jaisyn P., verified G2 reviewer
Who Pabau is best for
- Medical-aesthetic clinics: Injectables, skin, and IV therapy teams that need proper clinical structure.
- Multi-location practices: Teams that need visibility, structure, and role-based control.
- Clinics replacing multiple tools: Practices ready to bring booking, records, and marketing into one system.
Looking for a stronger alternative to Vagaro?
Book a demo and see how Pabau compares.
Fresha
Key Features
Fresha is a booking and management platform used across the beauty and wellness industry.
The system runs on a no-subscription model. Instead, businesses pay transaction fees on bookings made through Fresha. It covers appointment scheduling, payments, point-of-sale, and simple client records.
Want a side-by-side look at Fresha, Vagaro, and Pabau? Check out our comparison page.
- Online booking: Clients book through the Fresha marketplace or your shared link.
- Point of Sale (POS) and payments: Built-in checkout, payment processing, and inventory tools.
- Client profiles: Stores basic client details, past appointments, and service history.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Who’s it for |
|---|---|---|
| Independent | $19.95/month | One-person businesses |
| Team | $14.95 per team member/month | Multi-staff businesses |
| Enterprise | Custom | High-volume teams (20+ staff) |
Where Fresha shines
- Low upfront cost: No subscription fee makes it attractive for small beauty teams.
- Fast adoption: Simple workflows mean most users can start taking bookings right away.
- More new clients: Fresha’s marketplace often sends extra bookings to beauty teams.
Where Fresha falls short
- Commission fees: Takes a cut from new clients who book through the marketplace.
- No branded booking: Clients leave your website and browse other providers beside you.
- Limited customization: Booking pages lack full website widget integration for seamless embedding.
Pro tip: Keep revenue in your own booking flow. Pabau avoids the commission cuts that marketplace systems like Fresha charge.
Customer reviews
“Client payments and booking appointments are now a breeze; their support/onboarding has been engaging and helpful. The ‘pay as you go’ model is ideal for a small business starting out, but powerful for those already going full steam.” – Michael R., Capterra reviewer
“The platform is easy and effective. However, it lacks customization and customer service takes a while to respond.” – Stuart C., Capterra reviewer
Who Fresha is best for
- Beauty-first businesses: Hair, nail, lash, brow, and spa teams that need simple salon management.
- Small businesses: Ideal for simple booking without medical or advanced workflow needs.
Acuity Scheduling
Acuity Scheduling is an online system for managing appointments.
It lets businesses offer time slots, organize calendars, and run appointment scheduling with minimal setup.
Compared to Vagaro, Acuity focuses solely on scheduling, not broader business tools.
Key features
- Online scheduling: Clients book through your Acuity link with real-time availability.
- Payment processing: Supports Stripe, Square, and PayPal for deposits, tips, and full payments.
- Calendar sync: Connects with Google, iCloud, and Outlook.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Who’s it for |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $16/month | Solo providers |
| Standard | $27/month | Small teams |
| Premium | $49/month | Growing businesses |
| Enterprise | Custom | Large operations |
Where Acuity Scheduling shines
- Simple setup: Great for teams that want fast, low-friction scheduling.
- Affordable plans: Starts at a lower price point than most all-in-one platforms.
- Calendar flexibility: Smooth syncing for people managing multiple calendars.
Where Acuity Scheduling falls short
- No clinical workflows: Lacks medical notes, charting, and structured records.
- Limited scope: Doesn’t include marketing, reporting depth, or broader client management.
- Not suitable for growth: Teams offering advanced treatments outgrow it quickly.
Pro tip: Use a system that covers more than scheduling. Pabau brings notes, payments, and follow-ups into one place.
Customer reviews
“I love how you can sync the appointments with your calendar for both the owner and for clients. I like how it offers another layer for my clients” – Stacey W., verified G2 reviewer
“Acuity Scheduling has limited and basic reporting features, which sometimes feel insufficient.” – Saksham G., verified G2 reviewer
Who Acuity Scheduling is best for
- Solo or small service providers: Coaches, trainers, stylists, wellness practitioners.
- Teams needing only booking: Best for simple scheduling without medical requirements.
Mindbody
Mindbody is a booking and business management software.
It’s built for busy schedules, group sessions, and membership-style services. Larger studios and wellness teams often choose it when they need more operational depth than Vagaro can offer.
Another advantage is Mindbody’s large consumer booking app. Clients use it to discover local fitness, beauty, and wellness services, which often leads to extra bookings.
Key Features
- Scheduling: Handles class scheduling, appointments, waitlists, and resource management.
- Marketing tools: Includes email, SMS, promotions, and lead-generation basics.
- Integrated payment processing: Handles card payments, membership billing, and sales tracking across services.
Pricing
Mindbody uses a quote-based pricing model across all plans. You’ll need to speak with their sales team to get exact costs for Starter, Accelerate, or Ultimate.
Where Mindbody shines
- Marketplace reach: The Mindbody app helps bring in steady new client traffic.
- Scalable setup: Plans support large teams, multiple instructors, and complex schedules.
- Operational depth: Strong tools for managing memberships, attendance, and multi-service workflows.
Where Mindbody falls short
- Higher cost: Known for premium pricing, especially at scale.
- Feature gating: Key tools often require more expensive plans.
- Not clinical-focused: Lacks Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and medical documentation.
Customer reviews
“Mindbody has helped clients schedule classes, make payments, and purchase retail easily. If it’s easy to sign up, it’s easy to take classes.” – Julie B, verified G2 reviewer
“Alerts, staff alerts, and notes cannot all be seen from the appointment screen. Need to go into the patient’s account to see all of them.” – verified G2 reviewer
Who Mindbody is best for
- Fitness and wellness businesses: Gyms, yoga studios, pilates, massage, and boutique fitness.
- Growing or multi-site teams: Suited for businesses with high client volume and busy class timetables
GlossGenius
GlossGenius is a Vagaro competitor built for salons and studios that want clean, branded booking with minimal setup.
It covers appointment scheduling, payments, and basic client records without extra add-ons.
The platform also helps with daily tasks through automated reminders, no-show protection, intake forms, and simple reporting.
Key features
- Website builder: Create a branded booking site and simple web page without extra fees.
- Flat-rate payments: One clear processing rate and built-in checkout tools.
- Client management: Stores appointment history, notes, and basic records.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Who’s it for |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | From $24/month | Solo providers |
| Gold | From $48/month | Small teams |
| Platinum | From $148/month | Growing businesses |
Where GlossGenius shines
- Strong branding: Attractive booking pages that look polished out of the box.
- Predictable fees: Flat processing rates help with budgeting.
- Quick onboarding: Most teams can start using it straight away.
Where GlossGenius falls short
- Surface-level records: No structured medical histories or detailed notes.
- Limited workflow depth: Few advanced settings for growing clinic needs.
- Basic analytics: Reporting tools lack the insight that fast-growing clinics rely on.
Pro tip: If you need reporting that goes beyond sales and appointment totals, choose a system built for clinical insight. Pabau provides you with treatment, utilization, and practitioner data that you can act on.
Customer reviews
“I’m very satisfied with GlossGenius. I haven’t experienced any issues. I love my wait list options and how easy it is for clients to add themselves to the waitlist.” – Patty G., Capterra reviewer
“Gloss Genius is a solid product, but it doesn’t have all of the features I need as a massage therapist. A nail tech I work with uses it and loves it, though!” – Arleta Z., Capterra reviewer
Who GlossGenius is best for
- Small salons and studios: Ideal for teams that want simple booking and clean branding.
- Independent professionals: Suited for solo operators who need predictable pricing without add-ons.
Rosy
Rosy is a simple, salon-first scheduling system created by hairdressers. It handles everyday booking, reminders, and checkout in a way that suits stylists and spa teams.
Compared with Vagaro, Rosy has a lighter setup and fewer extras. That makes it a better match for small salons that want ease over complexity.
Want a deeper comparison? See our Vagaro vs Rosy breakdown for a full feature-by-feature look.
Key Features
- Online scheduling: Clients can pick a time, confirm it, and get updates automatically.
- Built-in POS: Handles checkout, retail sales, gift cards, and inventory management.
- Social media booking links: Lets clients book from platforms like Facebook or Instagram.
Pricing
| Providers | Price |
|---|---|
| 1 provider | $44/month |
| 2 providers | $55/month |
| 3 providers | $85/month |
| 4+ providers | $99/month |
Where Rosy shines
- Easy to use: Clean menus and a simple layout help small teams get started fast.
- Good for classic salon workflows: Designed around cut, color, and spa-style appointments.
- Low lift setup: You can run your day without digging through advanced settings.
Where Rosy falls short
- No forms or waivers: There are no customizable intakes, medical questions, or built-in consents.
- Limited depth: Reporting, notes, and documentation tools are much lighter than Vagaro.
- Support concerns: Users often mention slow or inconsistent customer service.
Pro tip: Pabau includes built-in forms and consents, so every appointment is properly documented. That’s a gap salon-first systems like Rosy don’t cover.
Customer reviews
“Rosy sends my clients a reminder of their appointment, which cuts down the number of no-shows that I have” – Susan Y., Capterra reviewer
“I just wish there was a better report for referrals. And I wish it was simpler to close the books for certain days or have them auto open 6 weeks out, etc.” – Nicole D., verified G2 reviewe
Who Rosy is best for
- Small salons and spas: Ideal for teams that want straightforward booking without advanced features.
Reasons to consider an alternative to Vagaro
Vagaro does the job for a lot of practices, up to a point.
Growth, complexity, and clinical work are usually where the cracks show. These are the reasons teams start weighing up other options.
Limited clinical features for medical-led treatments
Vagaro works well for beauty and wellness.
But practices offering medical-grade procedures often find the system too light for what they need. The gaps tend to show up in areas like:
- Documentation
- Digital consents
- Treatment charting
- Before-and-after photos
The setup is geared toward salons, so regulated workflows feel patched together.
Pabau handles clinical documentation properly with built-in charting, smart forms, medical notes, and photo tools.
Difficulties with scaling across multiple locations
Once teams grow, Vagaro can feel restrictive. The difficulties show up in areas like:
- Permissions and staff roles
- Location-specific reporting
- Keeping a clean audit trail
These become tricky to manage as practitioner numbers rise.
Pabau supports multi-location practices with role-based access, centralized reporting, and consistent client journeys.
Add-ons can increase costs quickly
While Vagaro’s base pricing looks attractive, many practices end up paying extra for:
- Messaging
- Marketing tools
- Advanced reporting
- Extra storage
These add-ons create unpredictability for growing teams.
Pabau keeps everything in one place, including consultations, comms, automations, and payments, so scaling stays predictable.
Interested in a platform built for clinical workflows and multi-location growth?
A final word on Vagaro vs. alternatives
The best Vagaro alternative really depends on the type of practice you run. Beauty-led teams usually feel comfortable with lighter salon systems.
Clinics that rely on consultations, medical notes, and structured workflows often need a platform with more depth.
If that sounds closer to your setup, Pabau tends to be the stronger long-term match.
Book a demo to see how Pabau supports the way your business runs.
