By DK, Riverd Founder. Last updated: 2026-10-06.
Most lists of the best booking sites for estheticians are written for salons: several chairs, a retail shelf, a front desk, and staff payroll. A solo esthetician in a studio suite needs less than that and needs it to work well. Clients should book a facial, peel, or lash lift at the right length, fill in a consent form before they arrive, get a reminder, and have a card on file in case they do not show.
This post compares six booking apps on the things that matter to one esthetician working alone: what they cost, whether there is a free plan, whether intake and consent forms are included, how reminders work, and what card payments cost. Every price was checked on the vendor's own pricing page. Riverd's own esthetician booking software page covers what its free plan includes for a skin care practice.
What is the best booking app for a solo esthetician?
The best booking app for a solo esthetician is the one that covers booking, intake and consent forms, reminders, and card payments at a price that fits one person. GlossGenius and Vagaro suit estheticians who also sell retail or plan to hire. Booksy bundles most features for one flat price. Riverd and Square Appointments have free plans for solo practitioners.
Here are the published prices as of September 2026, taken from each vendor's pricing page on 2026-09-22. Prices change, so confirm on the linked page before you sign up.
| App | Free plan | Price for one esthetician | Card processing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverd | Yes, Brook, up to 20 appointments a month | River, $39/mo billed annually or $59 month to month (50 sessions) | Your own Square's rate; Riverd's $1 per charge on Brook comes out of the payment |
| GlossGenius | No (free trial) | Standard, $28/mo or $24/mo billed annually | Flat 2.6% |
| Vagaro | No (30-day trial) | $30/mo, or $23.99/mo for the first 6 months | 2.6% + 10¢ in person under $4,000 a month (rates) |
| Booksy | No (14-day trial) | $29.99/mo plus tax | 2.69% + 30¢ keyed or mobile |
| Square Appointments | Yes, for solo professionals | $0 on Free; Plus is $49/mo | 2.6% + 15¢ in person, 3.3% + 30¢ online |
| Acuity Scheduling | No (7-day trial) | Starter, $20/mo or $16/mo billed annually | Through your own processor |
Forms and reminders, from the same pages:
| App | Intake and consent forms | Reminders |
|---|---|---|
| Riverd | Every plan, 3 form types on Brook | Email on every plan, text on River and Fjord to US and Canadian mobile numbers |
| GlossGenius | Gold plan, $56/mo or $48/mo billed annually | Unlimited client notifications included |
| Vagaro | Listed as a feature; confirm your plan | Unlimited reminders included |
| Booksy | Custom forms and liability waivers included | Included |
| Square Appointments | Not listed on the pricing page | Included on Free |
| Acuity Scheduling | Custom intake forms on Starter | Email on Starter, text from Standard ($34/mo, or $27 billed annually) |
Two apps in this space are left out on purpose. Fresha's pricing page did not show US prices when we checked, so we could not confirm a figure. MindBody is built for studios and multi-staff businesses and does not publish prices.
Are there free booking sites for estheticians?
Yes, there are free booking sites for estheticians. Riverd's Brook plan is free for up to 20 appointments a month with no credit card, and Square Appointments has a free plan for solo professionals that charges per card payment. GlossGenius, Vagaro, Booksy, and Acuity offer free trials, then a monthly fee. A free plan suits a new or part-time book.
Twenty appointments a month is roughly five clients a week, which fits an esthetician building a book or working part time alongside a spa job. Past that, Riverd's River plan at $39 a month billed annually raises the cap to 50 sessions and adds text reminders to US and Canadian mobile numbers, and Fjord at $49 a month billed annually is unlimited. For a sense of how the monthly fee compares with the other costs of solo practice, the massage software cost breakdown walks through the same vendors at three weekly volumes.
On a free plan, look at what happens to the card fees. Square's Free plan has no monthly charge, and you pay 2.6% + 15¢ on each in-person card payment. Riverd does not process payments itself: you connect your own Square account, and Riverd's flat fee of $1 per charge on Brook (50¢ on River, 25¢ on Fjord) comes out of the payment along with Square's rate.
Which esthetician software includes intake and consent forms?
Esthetician software that includes intake and consent forms in 2026 includes Riverd on every plan (free Brook included), Booksy on its single plan, Acuity from its Starter plan, and GlossGenius from its Gold plan. Vagaro lists forms and waivers as a feature. Check whether the form can be signed on a phone before the visit and attached to the client's record.
For estheticians, the consent form does real work. Chemical peels, waxing, dermaplaning, and microneedling each have contraindications that a client may not think to mention. Isotretinoin is the classic example: the National Library of Medicine's MedlinePlus isotretinoin page tells patients to "plan to avoid hair removal by waxing, laser skin treatments, and dermabrasion" while taking the drug and for 6 months after. A good esthetics intake asks about current medications (including isotretinoin and topical retinoids), recent sun exposure or tanning, pregnancy, allergies, active breakouts or cold sores in the treatment area, and recent procedures such as fillers or laser work, then ends with a signed consent statement for the specific service.
In Riverd, client intake forms work like this:
- More than one form. Brook includes 3 form types with unlimited sends, and each form can point at its own services. A general intake can go to every new client while a separate peel consent goes only to clients who book a peel.
- Plain-language editing. You start from a general health-history form and add questions by describing them, such as "add a question about isotretinoin in the last 6 months." There is no form builder to learn.
- Signed before the visit. The client fills the form on their phone and signs with their typed name. The signed form attaches to the client and the session, and you can open it as a PDF.
- US practices. Intake forms are available to practices in the US.
One honest limit: Riverd has no face chart or photo charting. Its Patient Book diagrams are anatomical body maps (front, back, sides, hands, and feet), which suit body waxing or back facials better than a facial map. For facials, most estheticians write treatment notes instead, and each session in Riverd has its own private note that is never shown to the client.
What does GlossGenius cost compared to free options?
GlossGenius costs $28 a month on its Standard plan, or $24 a month billed annually, as of September 2026. Forms and waivers are on the Gold plan at $56 a month, or $48 billed annually. Free options cost $0 a month: Riverd's Brook plan covers up to 20 appointments with intake forms included, and Square Appointments Free charges only for card processing.
Over a year, the gap is easy to work out. GlossGenius Gold billed annually is $576 ($48 × 12). Riverd's River plan billed annually is $468 ($39 × 12), and Brook is $0 while you stay at or under 20 appointments a month. GlossGenius earns its price if you use what it is built around: a branded booking site, retail and inventory, packages and memberships, text marketing, and staff tools as you grow. Riverd does not sell retail, packages, memberships, or gift cards, and those are on its roadmap rather than shipped. If product sales are a real part of your income, weigh that before you choose.
Card fees change the math too. GlossGenius charges a flat 2.6% with no extra fee for card-on-file or manual entry, according to its pricing page. With Riverd you pay your own Square's processing rate plus Riverd's flat fee per charge.
How do no-show protections work in these apps?
No-show protection in these apps works by keeping a card on file and charging a fee the client agreed to. GlossGenius lists built-in deposits and card-on-file policies, and Booksy lists no-show protection. In Riverd, if you require a card to book, the client saves a card when they book and agrees to your policy, no money moves at booking, and you charge the agreed fee yourself if they do not show.
Riverd's card payments have two settings for no-shows: off, or card required to book. You set the fee and the cancellation window. When a client misses a lash fill, you charge the fee they agreed to in one tap from the session screen, and the money goes straight to your own Square account. The charge is never automatic, and it only goes through on a policy the client accepted when they booked. For the full picture of taking cards as a solo practitioner, see accepting card payments as a solo practitioner.
Everything Riverd does for estheticians, from online booking to reminders, is on the free esthetician booking software page. More on running the business side of a solo practice is in the practice growth hub.
Key Takeaways
- For one esthetician, compare apps on forms, reminders, and card fees, not on salon features like payroll and inventory.
- GlossGenius Standard is $28/mo ($24 billed annually), and its forms and waivers sit on Gold at $56/mo ($48 billed annually).
- Riverd and Square Appointments have free plans, and Riverd's Brook plan includes intake and consent forms.
- Ask about isotretinoin, retinoids, sun exposure, and pregnancy on every intake before a peel or wax.
This is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. Scope of practice, consent, and record-keeping rules for estheticians vary by state, so check with your state cosmetology or esthetics board.
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