Vagaro Runs Spas.
LVL2 Runs Tattoo Shops.
Vagaro is a salon, spa, and fitness scheduler that charges $23.99/mo plus $10-$100+ in add-on fees for features like forms, text marketing, and a branded app. LVL2 includes all features at every tier — plus SMS booking, stencil generation, flash workflow, convention mode, the LVL2 Bot, Ink Studio, and 50+ tattoo-specific features Vagaro was never designed to have. Free to start. Built by a tattoo artist.
Reviewed March 25, 2026 · Vagaro public pricing/pages + LVL2 repo-verified data
Death by Add-Ons
Vagaro starts at $23.99/mo. Then forms are $10/mo. Text marketing is $20/mo. A branded app is $100/mo. Website builder is $20/mo. The price you see is never the price you pay. LVL2 includes everything.
Spa Software, Not Tattoo Software
Vagaro serves 220,000 salon, spa, and fitness professionals. They added a tattoo page, but the platform was built for facials and haircuts. No stencil tools, no flash workflow, no convention mode.
Generic AI vs Tattoo AI
Vagaro's AI writes service descriptions and generates forms. LVL2's AI books appointments via text, generates tattoo concepts, creates stencils, and the LVL2 Bot is trained on tattooing and art theory.
// Who built this
Built by a tattoo artist.
Not a spa software company.
Vagaro serves 220,000 professionals across salons, spas, and fitness studios. Their tattoo shop page is a subsection of their business — not their mission. LVL2 was built by a working tattoo artist who still tattoos every day. Every feature exists because it solved a real problem in the chair. When you use LVL2, you're supporting a tattoo artist, not funding a spa software company.
50+ features built for tattooing
Vagaro handles booking for spas. These are the features LVL2 has that Vagaro doesn't — and they're the ones that let you run a tattoo business, not just manage appointments.
SMS Booking
Clients book via text message. No app, no login, no marketplace. Just a text and they're booked. Vagaro requires clients to use their app or website. LVL2 meets clients where they already are — their text messages.
AI Booking Bot
LVL2's AI Booking Bot handles SMS conversations, qualifies leads, collects deposits, and books appointments automatically. Vagaro has no AI booking — just a calendar widget.
LVL2 Bot
Your own AI assistant trained on business operations, tattooing, and art theory. Vagaro's AI generates service descriptions. The LVL2 Bot actually understands your industry.
Stencil Generation
Generate stencils from designs right in the platform. Border customization, sharing, daily challenges. Vagaro doesn't know what a stencil is — because salons don't need them.
Flash Sheet Upload
Upload flash sheets with numbered pieces. Clients pick by number before the appointment. Vagaro has no flash workflow — because barbershops don't sell flash.
Flash Marketplace
All flash drops across the platform in one browsable marketplace. New eyeballs on your work. Vagaro has no concept of flash art.
Convention Mode
Switch to convention mode when you're on the road. Queue management, walk-in flow, flash-only checkout, booth payments. Vagaro was built for a fixed salon location.
Ink Studio
Mix and save ink color recipes. Browse ink brands, create custom formulas, organize your ink library. Know exactly what colors you used on every piece. Not a feature a spa scheduler needs.
POS Kiosk
Turn your iPad into a full POS kiosk. Walk-in check-ins, ID verification, digital waivers, and payments. Vagaro has POS too — but not with convention mode, walk-in queues, or tattoo-specific waivers.
Digital Products
Sell digital art, courses, tutorials, flash packs, stencil files — anything downloadable. Instant delivery. Vagaro's store sells physical products, not digital downloads.
Shipping Integration
Real shipping for your merch shop. Rates, labels, tracking. Ship anywhere. Vagaro's online store has no shipping integration — it's built for in-salon retail.
Abandoned Cart Recovery
Client adds merch and bounces? Automatic recovery emails bring them back. Vagaro doesn't have cart recovery — because their store wasn't built for e-commerce.
Client Portal
A full portal your clients use — appointment history, forms, payments, healing journey, mood boards, tattoo passport. Not just a booking confirmation page.
Convention Applications
Apply to events and conventions from LVL2. Track status, manage your convention calendar, list appearances. Vagaro doesn't support conventions.
Guest Spots
List guest spots, manage availability at other shops. Applications, approvals, scheduling. Built in. Vagaro has no concept of traveling artists.
Collabs
Multi-artist pieces with shared scheduling and payment coordination. Built into the platform. Vagaro doesn't support collaborative bookings.
Social Feed
Built-in social where you connect with other artists. Post work, follow, comment, react. A real community — not a business listing on a spa directory.
AI Tattoo Ideas
Clients describe what they want, AI generates tattoo concepts. Speeds up consultation. Vagaro's AI writes descriptions — it doesn't create art.
Healing Journey & Tattoo Passport
Clients track healing with check-ins, milestones, aftercare reminders. Plus a tattoo passport — every piece recorded. Professional follow-through.
Art School
Learn tattooing and art theory right inside LVL2. Courses, lessons, educational content for every skill level. Vagaro doesn't teach you your craft.
Apprenticeship Management
Manage apprentices in your studio. Assign mentors, track progress, share resources. Structured tools for growing the next generation of artists.
Exchange
Sell or share digital assets with other artists — brush sets, palettes, references, courses. An artist-to-artist marketplace inside the platform.
Expense Tracking
Track every business expense with categories, receipt uploads, and reporting. Know exactly what you're spending. Vagaro charges $30-40/mo extra for QuickBooks/Xero integration.
Tax Summary & Reports
Generate tax reports anytime. Income, expenses, net profit, all organized. No $30/mo accounting add-on needed.
Loyalty & Rewards
XP system, tiered loyalty, achievements, badges. Clients earn rewards for booking, buying, referring. Vagaro has a basic loyalty points system — LVL2 gamifies retention.
Community XP & Leaderboard
Artists earn XP for activity and engagement. Leaderboard rankings, trending status. The more active you are, the more visible you become.
Invoices
Generate and send professional invoices with PDF export. Track payments, send reminders. Vagaro doesn't have invoicing — it's built for checkout, not billing.
Mood Boards
Clients upload mood boards with references and inspiration. Auto-attached to booking requests. Your artists see what the client wants before they arrive.
Supply Store
Order needles, ink, machines, aftercare right from LVL2. One platform for everything. Vagaro sells nothing to artists.
$0 Add-On Fees
Every feature on this page is included in your plan. No $10/mo forms add-on, no $20/mo marketing add-on, no $100/mo branded app fee. LVL2 doesn't nickel-and-dime you.
Where Vagaro is solid
Vagaro is a well-established platform with 220,000 professionals. If you run a salon or spa alongside your tattoo work, Vagaro's broad feature set for beauty and wellness might be useful. Their POS works, their booking calendar works, and intake forms are available (as an add-on). They also have payroll for studios with employees.
But if you're a tattoo artist, you're paying for a platform built for a different industry and nickel-and-dimed for features that should be included. LVL2 gives you the same booking simplicity with all features included and 50+ tattoo-specific tools Vagaro was never designed to have.
Spa scheduler vs
tattoo business OS.
| Feature | LVL2 | Vagaro |
|---|---|---|
| Online booking page | ||
| Calendar sync (Google/Apple) | ||
| Auto SMS reminders | ||
| Review collection | ||
| Team / multi-artist support | ||
| Intake forms | $10/mo add-on | |
| Gift certificates | ||
| Memberships | ||
| POS system | ||
| Online product store | ||
| Email marketing | ||
| Client profiles & history | ||
| Mobile app | ||
| Tattoo-native platform | ||
| Fee only applies to deposit | Starter/Pro | |
| SMS booking (book via text) | ||
| AI Booking Bot (SMS) | ||
| LVL2 Bot (trained on tattooing + art theory) | ||
| AI tattoo idea generation | ||
| Stencil generation | ||
| Flash sheet upload (numbered pick) | ||
| Flash marketplace | ||
| Convention mode | ||
| Walk-in mode & queue | ||
| Event queue management | ||
| Convention applications | ||
| Guest spots | ||
| Collabs (multi-artist pieces) | ||
| Digital products (art, courses, tutorials) | ||
| Shipping integration (rates + tracking) | ||
| Product reviews (verified buyers) | ||
| Product waitlists | ||
| Abandoned cart recovery | ||
| Client portal | ||
| CRM + full client history | Basic | |
| Invoices (generate + send + PDF) | ||
| Estimates & quotes (AI-assisted) | ||
| Social feed (artist community) | ||
| Followers (clients subscribe to artists) | ||
| Waitlists (organized + automatic matching) | ||
| Ink Studio (color mixing + ink recipes) | ||
| Exchange (artist-to-artist marketplace) | ||
| Art School (learn tattooing + art theory) | ||
| Apprenticeship management | ||
| Healing journey & aftercare tracking | ||
| Tattoo passport (client tattoo record) | ||
| Mood boards (shared with clients) | ||
| Artist discovery map | ||
| Loyalty program & rewards (XP) | ||
| Community XP & leaderboard | ||
| Client referrals (track + reward) | ||
| Video consultations | ||
| Expense tracking (receipts + categories) | ||
| Tax summary & reports | ||
| Campaigns (marketing automation) | ||
| Lifecycle automation (client journeys) | ||
| Two-way client messaging | ||
| Client wallet & credits | ||
| Instant payouts | ||
| Booking page customization (themes + animated backgrounds) | ||
| QR code generation | ||
| Business card generator + digital business cards | ||
| Supply store (needles, ink, machines) | ||
| Custom domain | ||
| Artist verification system | ||
| Auto booth rent collection | ||
| Next-available artist routing | ||
| Collaborative studio workspace | ||
| Time tracking | ||
| Featured marketplace placements | ||
| Owner reports (PDF export) | ||
| 1099-NEC tax summary | ||
| Text marketing | $20/mo add-on | |
| Branded mobile app | $100/mo add-on | |
| Website builder | $20/mo add-on |
Vagaro's price tag has a price tag.
LVL2 Pricing
Starter: $0/mo — 9.8% booking fee on deposits only, all features included
Pro: $39/mo — 4.8% booking fee on deposits only, all features included
Studio: $99/mo — Stripe fees only, all features included
Vagaro Pricing
Base: $23.99/mo (1 calendar) — $83.99/mo (7+)
Forms: +$10/mo · Text Marketing: +$20/mo
Branded App: +$100/mo · Website: +$20/mo
Processing: 2.2%-3.5% + $0.10-$0.19 per transaction
LVL2 Starter is free. Vagaro starts at $23.99/mo for one calendar — but that's before add-ons. Forms alone cost $10/mo. Add text marketing ($20/mo), a branded app ($100/mo), and a website ($20/mo) and you're looking at $170+/mo. For a spa scheduler with no tattoo-specific tools.
LVL2 Pro at $39/mo includes everything — forms, marketing, SMS booking, AI tools, stencils, flash workflow, convention mode, Ink Studio, expense tracking, the supply store, and 50+ features Vagaro doesn't have at any price. No add-ons. No hidden fees. Less money, more platform, purpose-built for your industry.
Common Questions
Is LVL2 or Vagaro better for tattoo artists?+
How much does Vagaro really cost for tattoo artists?+
Does Vagaro have tattoo-specific features?+
Does LVL2 have a merch shop?+
Can I use LVL2 as a POS at my shop?+
Does LVL2 have an AI assistant?+
Who built LVL2?+
Does LVL2 work for studios?+
Can I sell memberships and gift certificates?+
Does LVL2 handle expense tracking and taxes?+
Stop paying spa prices
for a spa scheduler.
$0 add-on fees. 50+ features Vagaro doesn't have. SMS booking. Stencil generation. Flash workflow. Convention mode. LVL2 Bot. Ink Studio. AI tattoo ideas. Merch shop with shipping. Digital products. Expense tracking. Tax reports. All features included at every tier. Built by a tattoo artist. Set up in minutes.