# GlossGenius vs. Square: A Complete Guide Choosing between GlossGenius and Square comes down to more than a price tag — it comes down to what your business actually needs to grow. This complete GlossGenius vs Square breakdown covers everything that matters: subscription costs, payment processing rates, industry-specific features, customer support, and real member reviews. Whether you're building from the ground up or ready to switch, you'll walk away knowing exactly which platform is built for the way beauty, wellness, and health businesses actually run in 2026. **GlossGenius Staff** March 16, 2026 ## Key takeaways - GlossGenius is purpose-built business management software for beauty, wellness, and health businesses, while Square Appointments is a general scheduling tool that requires paid plans for advanced features. - GlossGenius offers a flat payment processing rate across all transaction types and plans, whereas Square Appointments charges variable rates that fluctuate based on the transaction method. - GlossGenius includes industry-specific features like processing time for beauty, wellness, and health businesses, plus built-in marketing tools, helping businesses see an average 22% increase in appointments within their first year. - Square Appointments provides a free tier for basic scheduling needs, but adding essential business tools like marketing, loyalty, and payroll requires separate subscriptions. Finding the right software for your needs can feel overwhelming, especially for small businesses looking to build from the ground up. Read on for a comparison of two popular booking software options: GlossGenius and Square, diving into their features, pricing, customer support, and reviews to see what's right for your business. ## GlossGenius vs Square at a glance GlossGenius is a tailored platform for industry businesses featuring a consistent 2.6% processing fee, while Square Appointments is a broad booking platform with a free tier but variable fees and certain features locked behind paid plans. Here's a quick snapshot before we dive deeper. | | GlossGenius | Square Appointments | | --- | --- | --- | | **Best for** | Beauty, wellness, and health businesses wanting an all-in-one solution | Businesses needing basic free scheduling without marketing or inventory tracking | | **Starting price** | Starting at $24/month | Free - $149/mo | | **Payment processing** | Flat 2.6% on all transaction types | 2.4%–3.5% + $0.15-$0.30 (varies by type) | | **Key strength** | Industry-specific features, transparent pricing, no hidden fees | Free tier, broad ecosystem of Square products | | **Marketing tools** | Built-in email and text marketing on all plans | Requires paid Plus or Premium plan | ## What is GlossGenius? GlossGenius is business management software designed specifically for beauty, wellness, and health businesses. Instead of spending more time on admin than actual work, you can combine scheduling, payments, marketing, [client management](/content/client-management/index.html), and staff tools into one streamlined platform — all with a modern, sleek design that reflects the aesthetic standards of the personal care sector. ## What is Square Appointments? Square Appointments is the scheduling arm of Square's broader business ecosystem. It offers online booking and payment processing for a range of industries, not just beauty, wellness, and health. While it includes a no-cost plan for simple calendar management and other basic features, many features that beauty, wellness, and health business owners need — like marketing, loyalty programs, and advanced staff tools — require additional paid subscriptions. ## GlossGenius vs Square subscription plans GlossGenius starts at $24/month with all core features included, while Square Appointments offers a free basic plan but charges extra for marketing, loyalty, and other features most service businesses require. Reviewing the included features in each plan is crucial — you don't want to pick a plan that's missing something critical for your business. ### GlossGenius plan options - **The Standard Plan (starting at $24/month):** Covers all business essentials like a customizable booking website, online booking features, payment processing, and client/ [inventory management](/content/salon-inventory-management/index.html). Best for service-based business owners getting started. - **The Gold Plan (starting at $48/month):** Includes all the features from the Standard Plan plus advanced features like forms and waivers, waitlists, rebooking reminders, and Reserve with Google. Supports up to 9 staff members. - **The Platinum Plan (starting at $148/month):** Includes all the features from the Gold Plan plus extra features for larger businesses: unlimited staff at no extra cost, staff scorecards, goal setting, premium customer support, and customizable commission structures. ## GlossGenius vs Square feature breakdown Features are one of the most important things to consider when picking software to run your service-based business. What features a platform offers and how intuitive they are to use can be critical to how much time you spend on regular business tasks. Here's a high-level look at some of the features GlossGenius offers that Square Appointments doesn't. | Feature | GlossGenius Standard Plan | GlossGenius Gold Plan | Square Appointments Free Plan | Square Appointments Plus Plan | Square Appointments Premium Plan | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly Price | Starting at $24 | Starting at $48 | $0 | $49 | $149 | | 24/7 Online Booking | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | | Complimentary book transfer | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | | Processing time | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✗ | ✔️ | ✔️ | | Text reminders | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | | Built-in text & email marketing | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✗ | ✔️ | ✔️ | | Stylish card readers | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | | Flat payment processing fees | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | | Chargeback protection | ✗ | ✔️ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | | Inventory Management | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✗ | ✔️ | ✔️ | | Social Media Templates | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | | Custom forms and waivers | ✗ | ✔️ | ✗ | ✔️ | ✔️ | | Custom cancellation policies | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✗ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ## Pros and cons of GlossGenius vs Square ### GlossGenius pros and cons **Pros:** - Flat 2.6% payment processing rate on all transaction types — no hidden fees - Specifically designed for personal care businesses with industry-specific features - Built-in email and text marketing included on all plans - Stylish, customizable card readers and booking site templates - Businesses on GlossGenius have a 75%+ rebooking rate - Free data transfer from any previous booking system - Clients can book in under 30 seconds **Cons:** - No free plan (though a 14-day free trial is available on all tiers) - Waitlists and staff management requires Gold or Platinum plan ### Square Appointments pros and cons **Pros:** - Free plan available for entry-level booking requirements - Broad name recognition and established brand - Wide range of POS hardware options and payment plans - Part of a larger ecosystem of Square products for businesses in multiple industries **Cons:** - Variable payment processing fees — up to 3.5% + 15¢ for card-on-file transactions - Essential features like marketing, loyalty, and advanced texting require paid plans - Built for general businesses, not specifically for the beauty, wellness, and health industry - Per-location fees on paid plans can add up for multi-location businesses ### Who should choose GlossGenius vs Square Choose GlossGenius if you want transparent pricing and beauty-specific features. Choose Square if you need only simple, no-cost calendar tools or already use other Square products. Here's a more detailed breakdown. ### Choose GlossGenius if - You run a beauty, wellness, or health business and want software built for your industry - You want one flat payment processing rate with no hidden fees or surprise charges - You need built-in marketing tools (email and text) without paying for extra modules - Aesthetics matter to you — from your booking site to your card reader - You want an all-in-one platform where scheduling, payments, marketing, and client management live in one place - You're growing your business and want a platform that scales with you (on average, businesses on GlossGenius see a 26%+ increase in revenue within their first year) ### Choose Square Appointments if - You want free basic appointment scheduling and don't need marketing, loyalty, or advanced client management tools - You're already using other Square products and want to stay within that ecosystem - You're testing the waters with a free plan before committing to paid software - You run a business outside the beauty, wellness, and health industry that doesn't need industry-specific features like processing time or stylish card readers - You need a wide range of POS hardware options, including countertop registers For members transitioning from other software options, like Square Appointments, GlossGenius offers free data transfers for new members. To spare you the difficulty of managing client history and preferences from scratch, GlossGenius will seamlessly transfer all appointments, client lists, services, and products from your current booking system, no matter what it is, over to GlossGenius for free. GlossGenius also offers [a 14-day free trial](https://app.glossgenius.com/signup) so you can see how GlossGenius can work for your business, no credit card required.