This is the client-acquisition half of the story we started in our salon CRM software comparison. That article covered keeping the clients you already have. This one is about finding the right salon software for new clients — how each of the six platforms actually gets a first-time client into your chair, whether that’s through a public marketplace with a commission attached, bundled into the subscription for free, or left entirely up to your own SEO and social media.
The distinction matters because “best salon booking software” searches often assume all six platforms compete on the same thing. They don’t. Two of them (Fresha, Booksy) are built around an active consumer marketplace and take a cut for the new clients it brings you. Two more (Vagaro, Square) include a marketplace at no extra charge. The last two (Mangomint, GlossGenius) don’t run a marketplace at all — new client acquisition is entirely on you.
All commission structures and pricing below are verified against each platform’s own pricing page, help center, or official app store listing as of July 2026.
Which salon booking software gets you new clients without charging a commission?
Direct answer: Vagaro and Square Appointments both include marketplace exposure inside their regular subscription — no per-client commission on top. Mangomint and GlossGenius don’t run a public marketplace at all, so there’s nothing to pay a cut on, but you’re also relying entirely on your own website, Google ranking, and social media to be found. Fresha and Booksy are the opposite model: their marketplaces are genuinely large and active, but each charges a commission specifically on new clients who book through it.
The marketplace-with-commission model: Fresha and Booksy
Direct answer: Fresha charges a one-time 20% commission (minimum $6) on the first booking from any new client who finds you through the Fresha Marketplace — confirmed directly on Fresha’s own pricing page. Booksy’s equivalent is the optional Boost feature, which charges 30% of a client’s first visit only, per Booksy’s own app store listing. In both cases, the fee applies once per client, not to every future visit.
- Fresha: Listing on the Fresha Marketplace is required to take bookings through Fresha’s website and social channels at all — you can unlist to avoid the fee, but that also disables those booking channels. Clients who find you through your own website, Google, or social media are never charged this fee, even if they book online.
- Booksy: Every Booksy subscription includes a marketplace listing at no extra charge. Boost is an optional add-on specifically for increased visibility and priority placement in marketplace search results — the 30% first-visit fee only applies to clients who came through a Boost-driven placement, not to your regular marketplace listing.
Marketplace included in the subscription: Vagaro and Square Appointments
Direct answer: Vagaro’s Marketplace listing and Square’s “Square Go” marketplace app are both free inclusions in their standard subscriptions — there’s no separate commission charged when a new client discovers and books through either.
- Vagaro: Free listing on the Vagaro Marketplace is included at every subscription tier, alongside direct booking integrations for Instagram, Facebook, and Apple Maps.
- Square Appointments: Square Go is described by Square as its free marketplace app for client discovery, on top of social media booking buttons for your own business page.
Direct-only platforms: Mangomint and GlossGenius
Direct answer: Neither Mangomint nor GlossGenius operates a public consumer marketplace. New client acquisition depends entirely on your own booking website, search ranking, and social presence — no commission structure exists because there’s no marketplace to take a cut of.
- Mangomint: Direct booking links are shared via social media, your own website, and marketing campaigns. There’s no built-in discovery layer beyond what you actively promote yourself.
- GlossGenius: GlossGenius’s own marketing states that its booking site “ranks on Google, so new clients find you when they’re searching” — an SEO-driven approach rather than a marketplace one, paired with Instagram-based social booking.
What does a marketplace new client actually cost you?
Direct answer: on Fresha, a new client booking a $100 service through the marketplace costs $20 in commission (or $6, whichever is higher) — a one-time charge, never repeated for that client’s future visits. On Booksy, that same $100 first visit under Boost costs $30, also one-time.
Whether that’s a good deal depends entirely on what you’d otherwise spend to get that client in the door. Compared to running paid ads or offering a discount to attract a first-time client, a one-time 20–30% commission on a single visit — with zero cost on every visit after — is frequently cheaper. The math changes if your average ticket is low and the $6 minimum commission on Fresha eats a larger share of a small booking, or if you’re already fully booked from repeat and referral business and don’t need the marketplace’s client volume at all.
What happens to marketplace reviews and client history if you switch?
Direct answer: reviews and ratings built up on a marketplace stay with that marketplace, not with you — switching salon software for new clients away from Fresha or Booksy means starting your public review count over from zero on whatever you move to next.
This is a real switching cost that’s easy to miss when comparing feature lists side by side. A salon with 300 reviews on the Booksy marketplace loses that visible track record the moment it moves to a platform without a comparable public marketplace, like Mangomint or GlossGenius — the client relationships and booking history transfer, but the public reputation signal built up specifically on that marketplace doesn’t. If your marketplace reviews are a meaningful part of how new clients decide to book with you, factor that into any decision to switch away from a marketplace-based platform, not just the monthly subscription cost.
Comparison table: new client acquisition by platform
| Platform | Consumer marketplace? | Commission on new clients | Direct/social booking | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vagaro | Yes, included free | None | Instagram, Facebook, Apple Maps, own website widget | Wanting both channels without an added fee |
| Fresha | Yes, core to the model | 20% one-time (min $6) — marketplace clients only | Free — no fee for clients from your own website, Google, or social | Low fixed cost + performance-based client acquisition |
| Booksy | Yes, included free | 30% one-time, only on Boost-driven first visits | QR code, social and Google booking buttons | High-discovery businesses (barbers, walk-in-driven salons) |
| Mangomint | No | None (no marketplace) | Social media, website, and campaign links only | Established salons with their own client pipeline |
| GlossGenius | No | None (no marketplace) | SEO-optimized booking site + Instagram booking | Solo pros who already have a social following |
| Square Appointments | Yes — Square Go, included free | None | Social media booking buttons on your own page | Businesses already using Square for payments |
Commission rates and marketplace availability are as published by each provider in July 2026 and are subject to change — confirm current terms on the official pricing or help center page before relying on them for a business decision.
Which acquisition model fits your situation?
Direct answer: the best salon software for new clients depends on how much of a client pipeline you already have, not on which platform has the biggest marketplace in the abstract.
- New business with no client base yet: Fresha or Booksy’s marketplaces give you access to an existing pool of people already searching for services near them — worth the commission when you have zero pipeline of your own.
- Established salon with steady referrals and repeat clients: Mangomint or GlossGenius avoid paying anything for clients you’d likely have gotten anyway through word of mouth.
- Want marketplace reach without a per-client fee: Vagaro or Square Appointments include a marketplace listing in the base subscription — you get the discovery channel without a commission structure on top.
- Heavy walk-in or barbershop-style business: Booksy’s marketplace and Boost tool are built around exactly this kind of high-frequency, high-discovery model.
Pros and cons for new client acquisition specifically
- Vagaro — Pro: marketplace and social booking with no commission. Con: marketplace itself is smaller than Fresha’s or Booksy’s in most US metro areas.
- Fresha — Pro: no fixed cost for clients who don’t come from the marketplace. Con: the $6 minimum commission stings on low-ticket services.
- Booksy — Pro: large, active consumer marketplace built specifically for the beauty industry. Con: Boost’s 30% rate is the highest of the six commission models here.
- Mangomint — Pro: zero acquisition-cost overhead. Con: no built-in discovery channel at all — 100% dependent on your own marketing.
- GlossGenius — Pro: booking site is designed to rank well organically. Con: same lack of a discovery layer as Mangomint, with the added dependency on Instagram specifically for social booking.
- Square Appointments — Pro: Square Go marketplace at no extra cost if you’re already in the Square ecosystem. Con: Square Go’s reach is smaller and less beauty-specific than Fresha or Booksy’s marketplaces.
For the retention side of this — what keeps a client coming back once you have them — see the salon CRM software comparison linked at the top of this article. For a closer look at two of the marketplace-driven platforms specifically, see our full Vagaro review and Booksy review.
FAQ
Which salon software has the biggest marketplace for finding new clients?
Fresha and Booksy both run large, beauty-industry-specific consumer marketplaces. Both charge a one-time commission (20% on Fresha, 30% via Booksy’s Boost) only on a new client’s first visit.
Does Fresha charge a commission on every booking?
No. The 20% marketplace new client fee (minimum $6) only applies once, to a new client’s first booking made through the Fresha Marketplace. Returning visits from that same client, and any bookings from clients who find you through your own website, Google, or social media, aren’t charged this fee.
Do Mangomint and GlossGenius have a marketplace app for clients?
No. Neither platform runs a public consumer marketplace. Both rely on your own booking website, Google search ranking, and social media presence to attract new clients — which means no commission, but also no built-in discovery audience.
Is a marketplace commission worth paying?
It depends on your pipeline. If you have little to no organic client flow, a one-time commission on a first visit is often cheaper than paid advertising for the same result. If you’re already fully booked through referrals and repeat business, a commission-free or no-marketplace platform avoids paying for clients you’d likely have gotten anyway.
What’s the best salon software for new clients with no existing following?
Fresha or Booksy, since both put you in front of people already searching within an active marketplace rather than relying on your own social following or search ranking to generate that first wave of bookings.
Do marketplace reviews transfer if I switch platforms?
No. Reviews and ratings accumulated on a platform’s own marketplace (Fresha’s, Booksy’s) stay tied to that marketplace listing. Moving to a different platform — especially one without a comparable public marketplace, like Mangomint or GlossGenius — means starting that public review count over.
Sources: Fresha pricing, Fresha marketplace fee help center, Booksy Biz App Store listing, Vagaro pricing, Mangomint, GlossGenius App Store listing, Square Appointments.