How we compare
Built for the road, not the front desk.
Most booking tools were made for a salon with a counter. We were made for one artist and a car. Here's where that shows up.
| goldenhourFor the road | Vagaro | GlossGenius | Square Appts | Booksy | Acuity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platform commissionWhat the tool takes off your booking | 0% | varies | varies | varies | varies | varies |
| Your own domain, freebook.yourbrand.com with auto-SSL | varies | varies | varies | |||
| Cards at the doorPocket-size reader or scan-to-pay QR | varies | varies | varies | |||
| Travel zones & feesDistance-tiered fees, auto-applied at booking | flat fee | flat fee | ||||
| Mobile-first “Today” routingYour day's stops, in order | ||||||
| Per-visit formula cardsDHA %, oz, lot — every appointment | varies | varies | ||||
| You own the client listFull CSV export, anytime | varies | varies | varies | |||
| Flat priceWhat you pay the platform monthly | $19.99/mo | tiered | tiered | tiered | tiered | tiered |
Comparison reflects goldenhour's focus, not a knock on anyone's work — these are all capable tools for salons with a front desk. Competitor features and pricing change often; where we can't verify a detail for solo mobile use, we say “varies.” Last reviewed June 2026.
Why it matters
Three differences you feel every week.
0% commission
A $95 booking is $95 in your bank. On a platform taking a cut, the same booking quietly loses money before it reaches you.
The drive, priced in
Travel zones add the right fee at checkout automatically — no quotes, no “where are you based?” texts, no eating the gas on a long haul.
Your list, your call
Clients are yours to keep and yours to take. Export everything to CSV the day you decide to leave — no lock-in, no middleman.
Made for the road
The golden hour starts here.
One person, one car, one craft — live in five minutes. No card to start.