Vagaro vs Booksy vs Bronzly: Which Booking Platform is Best for Spray Tan Studios?

The only comparison that matters for spray tan artists

Most booking platform comparisons are written for hair salons or general beauty businesses. This one is written specifically for spray tan artists and studio owners — which means we weight the features that matter for sunless tanning, not for blowouts.

The three platforms most spray tan artists consider: **Vagaro** (the market leader by install base), **Booksy** (strong marketplace discovery), and **Bronzly** (built only for spray tan). Here is an honest comparison.

Overview

Vagaro

Vagaro is the most widely installed salon software in the US. It covers every beauty category, has strong reporting, handles multi-location studios, and integrates with Quickbooks. The trade-off: it was built for hair salons. Spray-tan-specific features are absent.

**Founded:** 2009 | **Pricing:** $30–$85/month + add-ons | **Install base:** 60,000+ businesses

Booksy

Booksy is a marketplace-first platform — it gives your business visibility on the Booksy consumer app, where clients search for local beauty services. Strong for new artists who need discovery. Feature set is thinner than Vagaro, and there are no spray-tan-specific tools.

**Founded:** 2014 | **Pricing:** $40/month + $1/completed appointment | **Install base:** 150,000+ businesses globally

Bronzly

Bronzly was built specifically for spray tan artists and studios. Every feature was designed around sunless tanning workflows — rinse reminders, tan history CRM, Fitzpatrick skin type tracking, solution notes, and a B2C marketplace for client discovery.

**Founded:** 2024 | **Pricing:** $79–$299/month | **Best for:** Solo artists and studios where spray tan is the primary service

Feature comparison

| Feature | Vagaro | Booksy | Bronzly |

Pricing comparison

| Plan | Vagaro | Booksy | Bronzly |

**At 30 appointments/month:** Vagaro at $30/mo + 2.75% on $2,700 in transactions = $104. Booksy at $40 + $30 in per-appointment fees + 2.6% = $140+. Bronzly at $79 with full spray-tan features = $79. At volume, Bronzly's flat pricing wins.

The rinse reminder question

This is the single most meaningful product difference between Bronzly and every other platform.

A spray tan client who rinses too early gets a light, uneven result. A client who over-develops on a rapid solution gets orange overtones. The correct rinse window depends on:

• DHA percentage of the solution used
• Whether it is a rapid or standard solution
• The depth of color the client requested

No general salon software knows any of this. Bronzly captures the solution at appointment time and sends an SMS rinse reminder at exactly the right moment — within quiet hours, never at 2 AM.

For a spray tan artist who does 30+ appointments per month, this feature alone prevents dozens of result complaints and generates organic word-of-mouth from clients who get their best tan ever.

When to choose each platform

Choose Vagaro if:

• You operate a full-service salon that includes spray tan alongside hair, nails, or other services
• You need multi-location management
• You want Quickbooks integration for accounting
• You have a large team (5+ artists) that needs complex scheduling rules

Choose Booksy if:

• You are brand new and need marketplace discovery to find your first clients
• Your primary goal in the next 6 months is building your client base from zero
• You are comfortable with a per-appointment fee model

Choose Bronzly if:

• Spray tan is your primary or only service
• You want automated rinse reminders
• You want a spray-tan-specific client CRM
• You want a marketplace for client discovery plus full artist tools in one platform
• You are scaling a studio and need multi-artist features without paying Vagaro's enterprise pricing

Switching from Vagaro or Booksy to Bronzly

Migration takes under 2 hours. Steps:

1. Export your client list as CSV from Vagaro or Booksy
2. Import to Bronzly (direct CSV import, no manual entry)
3. Update your Instagram bio link and booking embeds
4. Send a migration announcement to your existing clients via SMS or email

Most artists who switch report that the rinse reminder alone pays for the platform difference within the first week — fewer client complaints, fewer "is it time yet?" texts, and higher rebooking rates from clients who loved their results.

Frequently asked questions

Is Bronzly more expensive than Vagaro?

The Glow plan ($79/month) is more expensive than Vagaro's entry tier ($30/month). But when you add Vagaro's transaction fees and the cost of manual rinse reminder workflows, the total cost of ownership is similar — with Bronzly delivering significantly more spray-tan-specific value.

Does Booksy help with discovery in 2026?

Yes. Booksy's marketplace still drives meaningful client discovery, especially for new artists in major markets. The limitation is that once clients are on your books, Booksy's toolset for managing spray-tan-specific client relationships is minimal.

Can I use both Booksy for discovery and Bronzly for operations?

Some artists do this in their first year. Booksy drives new client bookings; Bronzly handles ongoing client management. Over time, Bronzly's marketplace grows, and most artists consolidate to one platform.

Does Vagaro have a spray tan solution tracker?

No. Vagaro has general service notes, but no spray-tan-specific fields for DHA percentage, skin prep, or rinse timing.

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*Updated May 2026. Pricing and features verified as of May 2026. Check each platform's current pricing page for the latest rates.*

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