SpaSphere · the GlossGenius alternative
A Booking Link Isn't a Business
On GlossGenius, SOAP notes, forms, and AI marketing sit on the Gold tier, and sequenced treatment plans and documented protocols aren't offered at all. SpaSphere is built for estheticians: treatment plans, protocols, and skin SOAP notes included in one plan.
Thirty days for $1, then $139 a month with four team members included.
The short version
SpaSphere is a spa management platform built specifically for estheticians, with treatment plans, skin SOAP notes, branded websites, and documented protocols included in one $139/mo plan. GlossGenius is a salon and spa platform built booking-and-payments first, with an entry plan that costs less than SpaSphere. SOAP notes and forms start on its Gold tier, and sequenced treatment plans, documented protocols, and local market pricing data aren't offered on any tier. The two products serve different jobs: GlossGenius gets you taking payments fast; SpaSphere runs a skin practice.
Switch from GlossGenius to SpaSphere if:
- You want treatment plans and skin SOAP notes included, not tier-locked
- You want one plan, not feature-by-feature upgrades
- You want a full website on your own domain, with a blog and client portal, not a booking page your domain redirects to
Compare what card on file costs you
Starting November 16, 2026, GlossGenius charges 3.4% + 15¢ for card on file, online and keyed in. SpaSphere is 2.9% + 30¢.
Deposits, no-show fees, memberships, online booking and “just put it on my card”: everything GlossGenius now bills at 3.4% + 15¢.
GlossGenius card-on-file fees: $3,120 a year before, $4,200 with new rates, $1,080 more. SpaSphere: $3,720 a year.
Your GlossGenius card-on-file fees
Before
$3,120
per year
With new rates
$4,200
per year
$1,080 more than before
+34.6% for the same charges, from 2.6% flat to 3.4% + 15¢.
SpaSphere processing
2.9% + 30¢, no SpaSphere markup
$3,720
About $480 a year less than GlossGenius's new rates. $0.60 less on every $150 charge.
$1 for 30 days, then $139 a month.
Card-on-file, online and keyed-in processing fees only, assuming every charge is your average charge. GlossGenius: its published U.S. rate as of October 2026; before is the flat 2.6% it advertised for every payment type. SpaSphere: Stripe's standard U.S. rate; we don't add a SpaSphere markup to Stripe's standard processing rates.
Why estheticians leave GlossGenius
GlossGenius gives you a clean booking site and a payment flow. SOAP notes and forms are a Gold-tier upgrade, and treatment plans, protocols, and retention flags that explain themselves aren't part of the product.
Booking first
Your site lives on GlossGenius; your own domain can only redirect to it
Clinical tools on a higher tier
SOAP notes, forms, AI marketing, and custom reports start on Gold
Not built for skin care
Generic SOAP notes from Gold up; no skin assessments, no sequenced treatment plans with enforced waits, no documented protocols on any tier
A clean booking link. Not a whole business.
Quick side-by-side comparison
Multi-session treatment plans
SpaSphere
Ordered steps with an enforced minimum wait between sessions, bundle pricing, deposit booking, automatic step-ready emails, progress in the client portal
GlossGenius
Memberships and packages, which prepay a quantity but neither sequence the steps nor hold the gap between them
Treatment protocols
SpaSphere
Your method documented: per-step products and duration, suitability by skin type and Fitzpatrick range, explicit contraindications, published to your team
GlossGenius
Not offered
Local market pricing data
SpaSphere
Pricing for your zip by service category in basic, premium and luxury tiers, with your own menu scored above, below or at market. Refreshed monthly
GlossGenius
Not offered
Skin SOAP notes
SpaSphere
Skin-specific SOAP notes included in the plan
GlossGenius
Generic SOAP notes on Gold ($48-56/mo) and up; not on Standard
Skin assessments and before/after photos
SpaSphere
Included: skin type and Fitzpatrick type, prioritized concerns, barrier, sensitivity and hydration ratings; before/after photos attach to SOAP notes
GlossGenius
Before/after photo reminders; no structured skin assessment
Availability that protects your day
SpaSphere
Smart Availability can offer only the times next to appointments you already have, with every other time one click away, so new bookings keep your day together
GlossGenius
Not offered
Website on your own domain
SpaSphere
A full site served on your own domain, with a client portal, a blog you can embed live booking into, a skin type quiz, and an ingredient checker
GlossGenius
Booking site hosted by GlossGenius; your own domain can only redirect to it
Retention against each client's own rhythm
SpaSphere
Clients flagged against their own visit rhythm with the reasons listed, and a win-back Sophie drafts in your voice and you approve before it sends
GlossGenius
Automated rebooking reminders; AI marketing assistant on Gold+
Card on file processing
SpaSphere
2.9% + 30¢, Stripe's standard rate with no SpaSphere markup: $4.65 on a $150 charge
GlossGenius
3.4% + 15¢ for card on file, online and keyed in (was a flat 2.6%): $5.25 on a $150 charge
Pricing model
SpaSphere
$139/mo, one plan, up to 4 team members and 86 capabilities included, optional extras
GlossGenius
Standard $24-28/mo (solo only); Gold $48-56/mo adds SOAP notes, forms, and AI marketing; Platinum $148-168/mo
Competitor pricing, plan names, and feature availability verified against each platform's public pricing page and help center as of September 2026 (GlossGenius processing rates: October 2026). Vendors update plans and pricing without notice - confirm current details on the competitor's site before making a buying decision.
You built a skincare practice.
Not a booking link. Not a starter tool.
What's included matters more than the sticker price
GlossGenius tiers its clinical tools. SpaSphere includes them all.
On GlossGenius, SOAP notes and forms sit on a higher tier and treatment plans aren't available at all. SpaSphere is one plan with the esthetician tools built in, from day one.
- Skin SOAP notes and forms - included in the plan (Gold and up on GlossGenius).
- Sequenced treatment plans and documented protocols - included (not offered on GlossGenius).
- A full website on your own domain, with a blog and client portal - included (GlossGenius hosts a booking site your domain redirects to).
- Retention flags with the reasons listed and a win-back drafted for you - included.
When GlossGenius can still be a good fit
- Good fit: You want a clean booking app and only need basic setup to start.
- Good fit: You are early stage and don't need care plans, SOAP notes, or deeper reporting yet.
- Good fit: You don't need treatment plans, protocols, or skin assessments yet.
When SpaSphere is a better fit
- Better fit: You want what you learn in the treatment room - SOAP notes, a skin assessment, a treatment plan - to carry into your client's next visit, all in one plan.
- Better fit: You run (or plan to run) structured treatment plans with progress visibility.
- Better fit: You want growth tools like retention flags and real marketing included, not upsold.
What to compare before you switch
- Add up the real cost - plan tier plus every outside tool you still need.
- Check what's available at all - not just what's cheaper on each plan.
- See whether clinical features (protocols, treatment plans, SOAP notes) are included, tiered, or absent.
Also see simple pricing for clear plan details, or compare prices and fees in best booking websites for estheticians.
If you remember one line from this page:
GlossGenius gets you booked. SpaSphere runs the skin practice behind the booking.
FAQ
Isn't GlossGenius cheaper than SpaSphere?
Yes, on sticker price. GlossGenius's Standard plan is $24-28/mo and Gold is $48-56/mo. The difference is what a skin practice still needs after that: sequenced treatment plans, documented protocols, skin assessments, and a full website on your own domain aren't offered on any GlossGenius tier. SpaSphere includes all of them at $139/mo, for up to four team members.
What does SpaSphere include that GlossGenius doesn't have on every plan?
Skin-specific SOAP notes on every plan (GlossGenius offers generic SOAP notes from its Gold tier up), structured multi-session treatment plans built around skin progress (GlossGenius has memberships and packages, not skin-progress workflows), clients flagged against their own visit rhythm with the reasons listed and a win-back Sophie drafts in your voice for you to approve (GlossGenius has automated rebooking reminders and AI marketing on Gold+), and Skin Assessments, with before/after photos on SOAP notes.
Will I lose any of my favorite GlossGenius features?
Core booking, payments, deposits, and client records all carry over directly. What changes is that the growth layer (marketing, notes, treatment plans, website, retention) stops being a patchwork of upgrades and outside tools and becomes one platform.
Did GlossGenius raise its processing fees?
Yes, for card on file. GlossGenius used to charge a flat 2.6% on every payment type. Starting November 16, 2026, its published rate for card on file, online and keyed-in payments is 3.4% + 15¢, which is $5.25 on a $150 charge. SpaSphere processes through Stripe at 2.9% + 30¢ for the same charge, $4.65, and we don't add a SpaSphere markup to Stripe's standard processing rates.
Can I move my client data from GlossGenius?
Yes. We move everything for you within 48 hours - clients, services, and appointment history, and your client notes come across too. If you'd rather do it yourself, import a client CSV under Settings > Import & Export.
Is this only for bigger teams?
No. SpaSphere is designed for independent estheticians and small boutique teams. One plan with no feature tiers, 30-day $1 trial, cancel any time.
Moving from GlossGenius?
Here’s how to export your client list, step by step — what the file includes, what it doesn’t, and how to bring it across.
Export your clients from GlossGenius