Starta.one
GlossGenius is a beautifully designed mobile-first platform for US beauty professionals, but it locks you into its payment processor (2.6% per transaction), has no loyalty program, and limits desktop access to calendar only. Starta.one includes all features out of the box with an AI assistant, works globally, and lets you connect your own payment processor.
GlossGenius has exceptional design and mobile UX — arguably the best-looking salon software available. However, it's US-only, charges 2.6% on every transaction with no option to use your own processor, has no loyalty program, and gates team analytics behind its $148/month Platinum plan.
Starta.one works globally, has a free plan, built-in AI for business automation, and complete financial tools with no transaction fees.
Starta.one Lite — free, unlimited bookings
Starta.one Pro — from €6.29/mo. Up to 5 employees included, +€1.99/mo per additional
Standard $24/mo (annual) or $28/mo. Gold $48/mo (annual) or $56/mo. Platinum $148/mo (annual) or $168/mo. Plus 2.6% on every transaction.
No free plan. Payroll add-on: $40/mo + $6/person. US only. Team analytics and commissions require Platinum at $148+/mo.
Starta.one Pro is from €6.29/mo with up to 5 employees included and no transaction fees. Starta.one Lite is free. GlossGenius starts at $24/month but adds 2.6% per transaction on top; advanced team features require the Platinum plan at $148/month, and payroll is a separate $40+/month add-on.
Describe your business to AI and it creates services, schedule, and booking page in minutes. GlossGenius's AI only covers marketing content and analytics questions.
Automated reminders, smart schedule optimization, reactivation of inactive clients. GlossGenius requires manual management of scheduling and operations.
Performance analysis, personalized recommendations, identifying revenue growth opportunities. GlossGenius's AI Growth Analyst answers questions but doesn't automate actions.
GlossGenius locks you into its payment processor at 2.6% per transaction — you can't use your own Stripe or Square. On $10,000/month in sales, that's $260/month in processing fees alone. Starta.one lets you connect your own processor with no platform fees.
GlossGenius has no points, rewards, or loyalty system. They offer memberships and packages as alternatives, but no automated loyalty program. Starta.one includes a full loyalty system with flexible reward rules.
Staff analytics and commission tracking require GlossGenius Platinum at $148/month. Payroll is a separate add-on at $40/month plus $6 per person. Starta.one includes salary management with custom formulas on Pro.
GlossGenius only works in the US and can only be fully managed via its mobile app — the web browser shows only the calendar. Starta.one works globally with a full web-based admin panel.
GlossGenius has strong design and mobile UX — built for solo US beauty professionals. Starta.one is a global platform with a built-in AI assistant, a full loyalty program, no transaction fees, a complete web admin panel, and team features (payroll, analytics) on Pro from day one — without upgrading to Platinum at $148/month.
Starta.one Pro — from €6.29/mo with up to 5 employees included, +€1.99/mo per additional, no transaction fees. Lite — free. GlossGenius: Standard $24/month (annual billing), Gold $48/month, Platinum $148/month — plus 2.6% on every card transaction. Payroll in GlossGenius is an extra $40/month plus $6 per team member.
GlossGenius has AI Growth Analyst and AI Marketing Assistant — they answer business questions and generate marketing content. Starta.one adds AI for business setup from a chat description, schedule optimization and gap filling, operational automation, and client reactivation — a full AI workflow from setup to daily operations.
Yes. Starta.one lets you connect any preferred processor (Stripe, Square, others) with no platform fees. GlossGenius requires their built-in processor at 2.6% per transaction; external payments can only be marked as paid manually, you can't integrate your own processor.
Global availability (GlossGenius is US-only), full web-based admin panel (GlossGenius is calendar-only in browser, all management is mobile), built-in loyalty program, no transaction fees, AI automation for setup and operations, a genuinely free Starta.one Lite, and the full CRM/P&L/payroll/inventory stack on Pro without separate add-ons.