Beauty definitely lies in the eye of the beholder, but with the right salon software, the power to manage beauty business lies with you. From tracking the next spa schedule to editing a custom requirement, the software fundamentally handles appointment management of your salon to permanently eliminate long queues of angry clients. It offers powerful customer relations management through facilities like custom packages, client portal, special birthday promotions, and other incentives that will compel customers to revisit your salon. Unproductive manual tasks of counting manicure towels and facial kits can be completely replaced by the software’s smart inventory management tools, to enable you to invest your valuable time in bagging profitable deals. Furthermore, multi-channel booking capabilities through social media integration simplify the entire process of client acquisition and marketing with just the click of a button. A large database of employee data, client data, and point of sale are backed by a security tool that is in-built in such software. Not just gorgeous, but also make your client feel special with these top-rated salon software listed below and add a spark to your business.
- Shortcuts Software
- Australia
- Not provided by vendor
- Yes, get a free trial
What is the Best Software for Salon in 2023?
» Our score is based on user satisfaction (reviews & ratings), social media buzz, online presence, and other relevant information. If your company is part of this list, use this badge on your website and social media to let your readers know about your success.
List of Best Salon Management Software | Top Hair Salon Software Reviews
1. ZENOTI – All-in-1 spa, salon and fitness management software
About ZENOTI : Zenoti provides an all-in-one, cloud-based software solution for the spa, salon and med spa industry. The Zenoti platform is engineered for reliability and scale, harnessing the power of enterprise-level technology for businesses of all sizes. Zenoti powers thousands of spas and salons in over 50 countries. Zenoti allows users to seamlessly manage every aspect of the business in a comprehensive mobile solution: online appointment bookings, POS, CRM, employee management, inventory management, built-in marketing programs and more.
ZENOTI Salon Features : Client Profiles, Employee Management, Inventory Management, Loyalty Program, Multi-Location, Payroll Management, Point of Sale (POS), Recurring Appointments
“I love that the system is so quick to respond. Any question you have, any time of the day, they respond immediately. Its incredibly convenient and helpful. They have excellent customer service which I favor so much. They are reliable, transparent and super informative. Love this Company! ” – Erica M.
Zenoti Software
United States
201 – 500
2010
Not provided by vendor
Yes
4.6
90+ Reviews
3.5
10+ Reviews
2. Shortcuts Software – Smarter Business Technology
About Shortcuts Software : Shortcuts provides software to leading salons across the world. Offering software solutions in 9 languages to over 14,000 clients in 48 countries, Shortcuts clients range from multi-site chains and franchises to single-site businesses. Designed specifically for the salon industry, Shortcuts is continually updating the core products with the largest R&D team in the industry. Request a free demo to see why Shortcuts suits you!
Shortcuts Software Salon Features : Booth Rental Management, Client Profiles, Employee Management, Inventory Management, Loyalty Program, Multi-Location, Payroll Management, Point of Sale (POS), Recurring Appointments
“Tech & Customer Support! Everyone at Shortcuts is very helpful and willing to spend the extra time to make sure you fully understand and get the most of their product/software. Eric has been our account rep – and he has been awesome! Yes, shortcuts is awesome! If I were to do it all over again, I would def make the same choice!” – Ryan F.
Shortcuts Software
Australia
51 – 200
1994
Not provided by vendor
Yes
4.2
110+ Reviews
4.0
02 Reviews
3. Trafft – Salon management software that successful salon owners use
About Trafft: Trafft.com is a simple-to-use SaaS booking tool for individuals and professionals. It is used in a broad spectrum of business categories such as salon industry, fitness, consulting, photography, health care, cleaning, and more. It takes the role of digital business partner for managing up to 80 employees. There is no need to download or install it on your computer, you can use it by a simple log-in. But, if you already have a website, you can integrate it with ease.
Trafft Salon Features : Booth Rental Management, Client Profiles, Employee Management, Inventory Management, Loyalty Program, Multi-Location, Payroll Management, Point of Sale (POS), Recurring Appointments
“Our favorite salon software so far. We tested quite a lot of salon software until we tried Trafft. Our clients really like the booking page.” – Helena C.
Trafft
Serbia
11 – 50
2021
$12.00/month
Yes
5.0
20+ Reviews
4.6
10+ Reviews
4. Salonist – #1 Software For Salons & Spas
About Salonist : Salonist is the salon business management software. You can operate this software on laptop, computer as well as mobile. It is also an analytic tool, that gives you customized report of your salon/spa business. If you need a feature-rich salon management software, then Salonist is the best choice without having any second thoughts in mind.
Salonist Salon Features : Client Profiles, Employee Management, Inventory Management, Loyalty Program, Multi-Location, Payroll Management, Point of Sale (POS), Recurring Appointments
“Salonist has helped me to surmount the main day to day concerns of running a salon. The systems log everything, who is accessing currently, how many customers I’ve got till now, how much money we have charged, and which product needs a replacement. Even if I am away, I can have a track of everything with me.” – Neeraj G.
Salonist
India
11 – 50
2017
$39.00/month
Yes
5.0
04 Reviews
5.0
01 Reviews
5. SimpleSpa – Salon & spa management solution
About SimpleSpa : SimpleSpa has been designed from the ground up, offering a new Appointment Manager, Staff, Online Appointment Booking which has been made simple for your clients to book their appointments, SimpleSpa now offers Multiple Location Management per Business, Multiple Employee & Staff Support for each location, and Services Intelligently grouped by Categories, Products with Inventory Control, Gift Certificates & and the ability to create custom service packages.
SimpleSpa Salon Features : Booth Rental Management, Client Profiles, Employee Management, Inventory Management, Loyalty Program, Multi-Location, Payroll Management, Point of Sale (POS), Recurring Appointments
“What I like the most is our staff gets a text with the appointments for the day. This is just amazing, no need to sign in to a computer or download any apps. Overall we are very happy and highly recommend simple spa.” – Lisa T.
SimpleSpa
United States
11 – 50
2000
$10.00/month
Yes
5.0
30+ Reviews
4.9
04 Reviews
6. You’reOnTime – The leading software for running salons, spas and clinics
About You’reOnTime : Launched in 2012, You’reOnTime is a provider of industry leading cloud-based software for service-based businesses, including hair and beauty salons, laser clinics, barbers and medical spas. Under the You’reOnTime brand clients in over 20 countries have been using the system to manage their appointments, sales, and marketing.
You’reOnTime Salon Features : Booth Rental Management, Client Profiles, Employee Management, Inventory Management, Loyalty Program, Multi-Location, Payroll Management, Point of Sale (POS), Recurring Appointments
“I spent weeks and weeks researching and trying to find a CRM tool that ticked all my requirements. Finally I found You’re on Time and I’m continually amazed at the ease of use, regular software updates, and exceptional customer service they provide.” – Amanda Mckinnon
NewChurchTek
Australia
02 – 10
2010
$19.00/month/user
Yes
4.8
40+ Reviews
0.0
0 Reviews
7. Fresha – World’s Top Rated software for Salons and Spas
About Fresha: Fresha is the world’s top rated software for the beauty and wellness industry and its the only platform that is 100% subscription free. Fresha came out on top in all three rating categories for salon software; most popular, most affordable and most user-friendly. The Platform provides an all-in-one solution for all your needs taking the hassle out of running a business by managing appointment bookings, point-of-sale, customer records, human resources, inventory, and financial reporting. The system offers mobile apps for clients and real-time booking integrations to Instagram, Facebook and Google. Fresha.com also comes with integrated card payment processing to protect against no-shows and late cancellations. Fresha is used by 50,000 beauty businesses, 250,000 Stylists and Therapists in more than 120 Countries. Fresha was formerly known as Shedul.
Fresha Salon Features : Booth Rental Management, Client Profiles, Employee Management, Inventory Management, Loyalty Program, Multi-Location, Payroll Management, Point of Sale (POS), Recurring Appointments
“Fresha is the best salon software i have ever used. It is extremely user friendly for both myself and my clients. I.ve used many systems in the past including Zenoti, Mindbody, Phorest and by far I recommend Fresha the highest. Many of my colleagues already use it and have the same feedback.” – Leith M.
Fresha.com
United Kingdom
51 – 200
2014
Free
Yes
4.9
1100+ Reviews
0.0
0 Reviews
8. BookingKoala – The Perfect Platform To Grow A Service Business
About BookingKoala : Cleaning services, dog walking services, marketers, tutors and many more. From booking clients online when you’re sleeping, to managing your business on the go. It is all here in one place. When you need to find more clients, give pricing, find availability, send out a confirmation, send out a reminder, gather feedback, get reviews, charge the client, send payment, and more. BookingKoala has you covered. Set up your store or use our default options for new start ups and launch in less than 60 seconds.
BookingKoala Salon Features : Booth Rental Management, Client Profiles, Employee Management, Inventory Management, Loyalty Program, Multi-Location, Payroll Management, Point of Sale (POS), Recurring Appointments
“I would have to say that the provider login is the best part. I no longer have to call or create schedules. This is something really awesome.”- Holly L.
BookingKoala
United States
11 – 50
2017
$29.00/month/user
Yes
5.0
30+ Reviews
5.0
20+ Reviews
9. baxus – Salon + spa software for small businesses
About baxus : baxus is a web-based spa and salon management solution designed specifically for single salon operators and small businesses. The solution allows users to book appointments, sell or market their services and generate reports to analyze various parameters. baxus offers a full knowledge base, webinars and user community for the quick resolution of any problems faced by users.
baxus Salon Features : Booth Rental Management, Client Profiles, Employee Management, Inventory Management, Loyalty Program, Point of Sale (POS)
“The value of this software is amazing, there is part of you who thinks its too good to be true! Trust me it delivers exactly what it promises. I have found it easy to navigate my way around, very user friendly. Honestly there really are no cons about the software.” – Demetria M.
baxus
New Zealand
02 – 10
2016
$12.00/month/user
Yes
4.6
20+ Reviews
0.0
0 Reviews
10. booxi– Online booking & appointment reservation for small business
About booxi : booxi has for mission to empower businesses with easy to use tools to highly improve customer experience and streamline operations related to events and appointments scheduling. booxi saves many hours per months to thousands of businesses as well as offering a state of the art customer experience. booxi is a solution that scales to your needs, from a single person or a single store to hundreds of employees and stores.
booxi Salon Features : Client Profiles, Employee Management, Multi-Location, Point of Sale (POS)
“The best thing about booxi is that we don’t have to do anything. We set the schedule and customers choose the available time that they want to come in so that our mechanics know that they have an appointment!” – Alexandre Therrien
booxi
Canada
02 – 10
2013
$20.00/month
Yes, get a free trial
4.7
20+ Reviews
4.5
02 Reviews
11. MIKAL SMS – MIKAL Salon & Spa Software
About MIKAL SMS : The MIKAL Corporation has been involved in the Beauty Industry since 1981. Our goal is to provide Beauty Salons, Day Spas, and Independent Operators with the most advanced Salon Marketing and Management Systems available. Our Salon Management Systems, MIKAL SMS, have been helping the Beauty Industry with specific Salon Management Software and Day Spa Management Software that completely handles front desk operations, inventory control, employee management and payroll.
MIKAL SMS Salon Features : Booth Rental Management, Client Profiles, Employee Management, Inventory Management, Loyalty Program, Multi-Location, Payroll Management, Point of Sale (POS), Recurring Appointments
“Mikal does everything I need, even things I didn’t know I needed and now can’t imagine being without. It ‘s fairly straightforward to train new team members on, the support with the software is insurmountable. The software is tailor-fit to my specific preferences..”- Miranda S.
MIKAL
United States
11 – 50
1981
$39.00/month
Yes
4.9
20+ Reviews
0.0
0 Reviews
12. CHIDESK – Online Salon Software
About CHIDESK : In a busy salon environment you need a fast and reliable spa software platform to keep up with your customers. ChiDesk will help you streamline the check-in, sale and scheduling processes at your business. The user-friendly ChiDesk interface makes scheduling your appointments quick and easy. Drag and drop bookings, colour code your services & packages for easy reference, create recurring client bookings and make use of the quick booking function for walk-in clients.
CHIDESK Salon Features : Booth Rental Management, Client Profiles, Employee Management, Inventory Management, Loyalty Program, Multi-Location, Payroll Management, Point of Sale (POS), Recurring Appointments
“Chidesk has really changed the way we do business. Thanks to the cloud based software I can keep tabs on my business without having to be in the building as with other software. The features have helped us to stream line our business, improving productivity and increasing profit.” – Gunther D.
SpaGuru
United Africa
02 – 10
2009
$40.00/month
Yes
4.6
20+ Reviews
4.8
02 Reviews
13. STX -Salon, Spa & Fitness Management Software
About STX : Since 1981, STX has been an industry leader for premium salon and spa software. An Apple Design Award winner for Best User Experience, STX is the easiest management system to learn and use – put it to work today and unleash new efficiencies and revenue streams for your business.
STX Salon Features : Booth Rental Management, Client Profiles, Employee Management, Inventory Management, Loyalty Program, Multi-Location, Payroll Management, Point of Sale (POS), Recurring Appointments
“We have been with STX since 1993! I didn’t know much at all about computers, but I knew I needed to automate the salon. The tech support has always been amazing (I spent long phone calls with Brenda!) I have never had any glitchy software or viruses. It has always been super easy to teach new staff members. Love my STX! ” – Sandra H.
STX Software
United States
11 – 50
1981
$49.99/month
Yes
4.2
20+ Reviews
4.7
05 Reviews
14. MioSalon – Salon & Spa Software
About MioSalon : MioSalon is an end-to-end and affordable Spa & Salon online software. It has built with powerful online booking, calendar, billing, marketing, feedback, and analytics. It is suitable for both independent and multiple location beauty businesses. Waffor Inc is a software company provides an online solution for health and beauty businesses. The specialized end-to-end salon and spa management software built on a personalized marketing platform.
MioSalon Salon Features : Booth Rental Management, Client Profiles, Employee Management, Inventory Management, Loyalty Program, Multi-Location, Payroll Management, Point of Sale (POS), Recurring Appointments
“Easy to use and customazible options available. Love the ERP that sends automatic reminders and have options that to set birthday’s and anniversary SMS for the customer’s. Anyone can operate the software without deep computer knowledge, a few clicks and that’s it.” – Manikantan N.
Waffor Retail Solutions
India
11 – 50
2015
Not provided by vendor
Yes
4.7
10+ Reviews
4.5
02 Reviews
15. Full Slate – Cloud based appointment scheduling software
About Full Slate : Full Slate offers comprehensive software-as-a-service (SaaS) scheduling. SMB’s do not need to download or maintain software and can access it from any Internet-connected computer, tablet, iPhone or Android phone. Businesses pay a monthly subscription starting at $29.95 for a single practitioner for unlimited clients and unlimited appointments. Key features include new appointment notifications by email and SMS, synchronization to other calendars, flexible booking rules, ‘book now’ buttons, scheduling widgets, Facebook integration, automated appointment reminders and followup emails
Full Slate Salon Features : Client Profiles, Multi-Location, Recurring Appointments
“Ease of use and ease of setting up. I liked clients being able to book appoinments themselves without talking to me beforehand. Ability to quickly set up patient scheduling and monitor bookings online without personally getting involved in the booking process myself.” – Carolyn M.
Full Slate
United States
11 – 50
2008
$29.95/month/user
Yes
3.8
10+ Reviews
2.3
05 Reviews
Get Quick Comparison of Top Salon Software
Salon Features | ||||||||||
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Price | Free | Not provided by vendor | $19.00/ month/user | Not provided by vendor | $29.00/ month/user | $10.00/ month | $12.00/ month/user | $20.00/ month | $39.00/ month | $40.00/ month |
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Salon Software Buyer's Guide
Salon professionals often have a hard time managing multiple customer appointments in their routine, and it gets more detrimental during peak times. Salon professionals can utilize the salon software to make their work easy and manage appointments, accommodate requests for new ones, and schedule and reschedule appointments to make their business more profitable and efficient.
» What is the meaning of salon?
A salon, by definition, is a facility that offers a variety of beauty services to women and men. Whether it is a haircut, a hairstyle, personal grooming or skincare, there is a wide selection of salon services available for people. People visit salons when they want to pamper themselves and feel rejuvenated.
» What Is Salon Software?
Salon Management Software is the solution that helps salon owners and independent styling professionals in managing their daily business operations. The software automates a variety of tasks that include bookings, scheduling, and confirmation of appointments, inventory tracking, customer interactions, secured data storage, staff management, and implementation of marketing campaigns.
» What are the Features of Salon Software?
The web-based salon management software is an easy-to-use solution that gives users of the beauty industry to adopt the technology. This helps them to optimize their customer relationships, increase productivity, and driving profitability. The software offers complete industry-specific solutions and integrates with less effort and efficiently into your salon and spa.
The platform’s intuitive interface offers you stress-free navigation of features for more efficient business handling. If you decide to install a quality salon software, then it is good to consider all the basic and key features to investigate before investing in one.
› Appointment Management
You can book, schedule, reschedule, and follow up on appointments easily online and through mobile apps. The best salon management software allows you to confirm appointments through SMS text messages.
› Customer Management
The software allows you to capture useful client information to support your marketing campaigns, makes easy for you to reach your audience. The software should enable you to segment and categorize customers, track client’s spent, and collect customer feedback.
› Staff Management
The software makes it easy for you to track your employee’s metrics such as employee schedules, availability, and customer satisfaction as well as retention.
› Activity Dashboard
With the hair salon software, you can keep a track of your daily appointments and activities ensuring you never miss anything. Your free dashboard displays up-to-date bookings, cancellations, online bookings, and client notifications.
› Reduce No-Shows
The software should send automated reminders and customized messages to your clients regarding your appointments and inform them of any changes.
› Online Bookings
Your software should allow customers to book, cancel, or reschedule appointments through your website, or social media, or with a mobile app.
› Reporting
The software should generate customized reports regarding your employee performance, measuring marketing campaign's effectiveness, measuring customer satisfaction through stylist or service categories, and evaluate revenue trends.
› Billing and POS Processing
You should be able to generate bills and process payments using common payment methods such as credit and debit cards, cash, and e-wallets. It should allow your customers to use a POS solution to redeem gift coupons.
» What are the Benefits of Salon Software?
Salon software is an innovative tool that helps salon owners to automate their business operations, generate more revenues, and control the business. The more customers you have, the more business opportunities you get and increase your revenue. More benefits come with the use of salon software.
› Marketing Campaigns
The software enables you to carry out SMS and email-based marketing campaigns to attract customers. These campaigns can offer loyalty cards, promotional packages, membership programs, and gift coupons.
› Mobile Accessibility
You can oversee your salon or spa operations remotely with the use of the salon software. Meanwhile, your stylists can also manage bookings and appointments, check their schedules from anywhere and anytime. The platform interface is designed for easy navigation on any mobile device for effortless use by the users.
› Streamlines Appointments
You can eliminate the risk of double bookings with the use of the software. It allows you to schedule and reschedule appointments easily, and confirms it to your clients saving you time.
› Social Media Integration
You can integrate the software with your social media business pages, where your clients can book or cancel appointments. You can also reach your clients with special offerings, rewards, and discounts with this opportunity.
› Inventory Management
Your software alerts you when you run out of a product, so you can restock immediately and serve your clients without a delay. With the best salon management software, you no more encounter bottlenecks in your operations that impact your customer satisfaction.
» What is the Cost of Salon Software?
Salon and spa business owners are using web-based salon software to automate their business activities, increase work speed and profit margins, and eliminate silly mistakes. You can multiply your salon business when you carefully use the salon management software. When you decide to install a salon management system into your business, it is important to see how experts evaluate the software’s in their reviews. And find out if the owner's satisfaction level, who bought the software before. With this information, you must prepare to make an informed buying decision that you won’t regret later.
You can shortlist a few software and request for a demo and quote. If you are not sure if the software is useful for your business needs, you can use a free trial of that particular software. If you feel the current software is not suitable for your business needs, you can try another software’s free version. The salon software costs range from $9.90/month with limited bookings and features, to $59/month for unlimited bookings and features usage. Once you finalize on one product, ask that vendor the level of support they provide. You should ensure that your employees should get adequate training to learn to use salon software.
» Questions to ask a vendor when buying Salon Software
1. How long have you been in this business?
2. Who are your clients? Can you share a few case studies with me to have a better understanding?
3. Can you give me a working demo?
4. How will your salon software help manage my appointments? Will it automate the process completely?
5. Does the solution offer email integration?
6. How will the system aid in managing relationships with customers? Does it include means to increase customer engagement?
7. Does the software facilitate social media marketing?
8. How user-friendly is this system to use?
9. How much time will it take for a person with zero technical background to understand and navigate the solution?
10. Does the software offer functionality to manage my salon’s retail line?
11. What are your data safety standards?
12. How secure is your software?
13. Does the software come in with mobile support?
14. What kind of insights and analytics will the software provide?
15. What level of customization is possible with this system?
16. Does the solution offer easy collaborations among team members?
17. Can it provide timely alerts and updates?
18. When was the last software upgrade?
19. What is the installation process?
20. What is the training period?
21. Will I get a dedicated point of contact for support?
22. Are support and maintenance included in the subscription?
23. Do you offer a full-featured free trial?
24. How scalable is your system?
» Conclusion
Organizations, regardless of their size, have their unique needs and requirements. Try to find an ideal software that fulfills all your business needs. Making a smart decision by customizing the software for your special requirements, budget, staff member skill levels, and other factors that help your business to grow. For this reason, do not rush and pay for the best salon software. Do your homework and shortlist the best salon software products, contact the vendor for clarifying your doubts, and settle for the product that suits your needs.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is a salon management system?
You can easily develop your salon business through salon software. It's popular technology to grow your salon business. You can manage your salon appointments, salon marketing, POS, and whole salon operations through salon management software. You can even manage your employee data, commission management, inventory, and payroll through salon software.
What are key features of salon management software?
- Appointment scheduling
- Client profile management
- Point of sale
- Online booking
- Inventory management
- Employee management
- Payroll management
- Marketing
- Analytics & reporting
What are the benefits of salon management software?
- Flexible appointment scheduling
- Improved business revenues
- Targeted marketing
- Improved client management
- Improved inventory management
- Improved employee management
- Cost-effective and time saving
What is the best software for salon management?
- ZENOTI
- Shortcuts Software
- Salonist
- SimpleSpa
- You’reOnTime
- BookingKoala
- baxus
- booxi
- MIKAL SMS
- CHIDESK
- STX
- MioSalon
- Full Slate
How much does salon software cost?
The software can begin around $19/month to $125/month.
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