Square Appointments is hard to beat on price for a solo professional: the free plan covers online booking and reminders, and it ties neatly into Square payments. The trouble starts when you grow. Teams need a paid plan per location, online payments on the free plan cost more, and loyalty and marketing are separate paid add-ons.
This guide covers what Square Appointments costs in 2026 and the best Square Appointments alternatives for salons, spas and fitness studios.
Booking, deposits and loyalty in one free website
Loop builds your booking site from your Instagram and adds rebooking reminders, a phone loyalty card and rewards for clients who post about you. 0% commission.
What Square Appointments costs in 2026
| Plan | Price (US) | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 per location | Individuals |
| Plus | $49/month per location | Small teams; adds class bookings, waitlist and more staff tools |
| Premium | $149/month per location | Bigger teams; adds resource scheduling and advanced permissions |
| Pro | Custom | Businesses processing over $250,000 a year |
Online payments are 3.3% + 30¢ on the free plan and 2.9% + 30¢ on paid plans. In-person payments on Plus and Premium are 2.5% + 10¢. Plus and Premium each come with a 30-day trial.
Why businesses look for a Square Appointments alternative
- The jump from free to $49. Adding staff or class bookings means paying per location.
- Add-ons stack up. Loyalty, marketing and payroll are sold separately.
- It's built around payments. Great for Square sellers, less so if you'd rather use another processor.
- Generic booking pages. Your booking site looks like everyone else's Square site.
The best Square Appointments alternatives compared
| Tool | Starting price (US) | Best for | Loyalty built in? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loop | Free to start | Salons, spas and studios that want their own branded site | Yes, plus posting rewards |
| GlossGenius | $24/month billed yearly | Solo beauty pros | Packages and memberships |
| Fresha | $19.95/month solo, $14.95 per team member | Salons that want marketplace clients | Check current add-ons |
| Booksy | $29.99/month + $20 per team member | Barbers and stylists | Check current features |
| Mindbody | Quote-based tiers | Established fitness studios and spas | Check current tiers |
US list prices checked November 2026. Confirm with each vendor before switching.
1. Loop
Loop gives you a website in your own name, built from your Instagram, where clients book directly. It comes in two versions:
- For salons and spas: online booking, deposits and cancellation rules, rebooking reminders when a treatment is due, and a loyalty card on the client's phone.
- For gyms and studios: class and PT bookings, class packs and intro offers, and points for every class with bonus rewards for streaks.
Both reward customers for posting about you on Instagram and TikTok, so each visit brings in the next. It's free to start, takes 0% commission and goes live in about five minutes. It doesn't replace a POS, so if you sell lots of retail in-store, keep Square for payments.
2. GlossGenius
Polished booking sites and a flat 2.6% card rate. Standard is $24 a month billed yearly. See our GlossGenius alternatives guide.
3. Fresha
$19.95 a month solo or $14.95 per bookable team member, plus 20% on new marketplace clients. Our Fresha alternatives guide covers the trade-offs.
4. Booksy
$29.99 a month plus $20 per team member, with a consumer marketplace and optional Boost. See Booksy alternatives.
5. Mindbody
Full studio and spa management with a consumer app, priced by quote and aimed at established businesses. Compare it in our Mindbody alternatives guide.
Running a gym or studio?
Get a free studio website with class bookings, class packs, intro offers and rewards for members who show up and post. 0% commission.
Build my free studio siteWhich alternative fits your business?
- Salon or spa outgrowing the free plan: Loop keeps booking free and adds loyalty; GlossGenius if you want built-in payments at a flat rate.
- Fitness studio paying for Plus to get class bookings: Loop's studio site covers classes, packs and intro offers. See also pilates studio software and boutique fitness studio software.
- You need new clients from a marketplace: Fresha or Booksy.
- You sell a lot of retail in-store: stay on Square for payments and add a booking and loyalty site alongside it.