Salon and spa software runs the appointment book, but the money sits in commission pay for stylists, deposits that survive a no-show, and retail stock beside the treatment list.
The commercial question in this category is whether you pay a subscription or a commission on new clients. This guide ranks on both.
Vendors can pay for visibility on this page. It never changes what an entry
says about a product, including the criticism, and we earn nothing when you click through to a
vendor. How that works.
In short
What salon and spa software does
Salon and spa software books treatments, holds client and treatment history, pays staff on commission, takes deposits against no-shows and tracks the retail products sold alongside services.
In this order: setup effort, what it really costs, how your data comes back out, whether
you can leave, and who each salon and spa tool is built for. Why those five, and why there is no
score out of ten, is on the how we work page.
Quoted per site on a choice of payment plans, with a support contract
—
Hotel spas and day spas scheduling rooms, therapists and packages
Hair salons that want a quick, modern diary
Country is where the vendor is headquartered or contracts from, which is a
different question from where your data is hosted. Where the two tell different stories, the
entry says so.
Dutch salon booking with clear plans and no commission on your own bookings
Ranked #1 of 18 in Best Salon Software in 2026.
Published pricingEurope
Salonized publishes its plans, takes nothing from bookings you win yourself, and does the daily work of a salon without training days. Client records, stock, till and online booking are all where you expect them, and the calendar books treatment rooms and equipment as resources so they cannot be double-booked.
Groups move to a custom-priced plan with central or per-location data and reports at every level. The company now trades as Treatwell Salonized NL B.V., and the Treatwell marketplace integration, available in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and the UK, charges 35 percent on new marketplace bookings, so decide deliberately whether to switch it on.
What stands out
Published price
No commission
Benelux
Where it costs you
Multi-location and franchise features sit on a custom-priced plan
Owned by Treatwell, which sells its 35 percent marketplace as an add-on
Right for
Benelux salons that want published pricing and no booking commission
Wrong for
Large chains that want published pricing for multi-site features
NetherlandsPer month by plan and team size, published; multi-location plan custom-priced; Treatwell marketplace optional at 35% of new-client bookings
Salon software built around rebooking and client retention
Ranked #2 of 18 in Best Salon Software in 2026.
Pricing on requestEurope
Phorest is built around the measurements that predict a salon's next quarter: client retention, rebooking at the till, average spend per visit, and how each stylist performs on those. Staff see their own numbers, which changes behaviour more than any manager dashboard.
Stock, commission and multi-site reporting are all genuine. All four plans include unlimited staff, but none is priced publicly and there is no free trial, and the branded app, Ads Manager and memberships that make the case in the demo sit in the top tiers or are an extra line on the contract.
What stands out
Retention reporting
Client app
Multi-site
Where it costs you
Every plan is quoted and there is no free trial
Branded app, Ads Manager and memberships are gated to upper tiers or add-ons
Right for
Salons of five or more staff focused on rebooking and retention
Wrong for
A single chair wanting the cheapest working diary
IrelandPer location per month by plan (Starter, Grow, Ultimate, Elite), quoted; unlimited staff on every plan
Fast modern diary with card-on-file deposits and automations
Ranked #3 of 18 in Best Salon Software in 2026.
Published pricingNorth America
Mangomint is the fastest software here to use, and its no-show handling is the reason to pay for it: cards held on file, deposits or full prepayment taken at booking, and automations that chase confirmations without a person. Rooms and equipment are scheduled as resources.
The price is published at $120 per location plus $10 per user. The caveat is geography. Payment processing, tax handling and integrations assume the United States, so a European buyer should confirm how card mandates, VAT rates and their own terminal fit before signing anything.
What stands out
Published price
Card on file
Automations
Where it costs you
Built for American payment and tax conventions
$10 per user on top of the location fee, so the bill climbs with headcount
Right for
Salons losing money to no-shows and a slow front desk
Wrong for
European salons needing local payment and VAT handling
United States$120 per location per month plus $10 per user, published
German booking, reminders and card payments for local salons
Ranked #4 of 18 in Best Salon Software in 2026.
Published pricingEurope
Shore packages online booking, automated reminders, customer records and card payment into one German contract, with support and documentation in German and local payment conventions handled properly.
Reminder automation does most of the work on no-shows, which for a small salon is enough. The product is plainer than Phorest on retention analysis and than Mangomint on speed, and outside the German-speaking market the local advantages that justify it simply disappear.
What stands out
German market
Reminders
Payments
Where it costs you
Diary and reporting are plainer than the specialists
Payment hardware is a separate cost
Right for
German-speaking salons wanting booking, reminders and payments on one contract
Wrong for
Salons trading outside the German-speaking market and its integrations
GermanyPer location per month, published tiers, payment terminal extra
Booking, payments and a branded site for independent stylists and salons
Ranked #5 of 18 in Best Salon Software in 2026.
Published pricingNorth America
GlossGenius makes the solo stylist or small salon look like a larger business on the first day: a branded booking site, deposits and no-show protection, card payments at a flat 2.6 percent, inventory and client notes, on flat monthly plans per location that are published from $24.
It competes with Mangomint on ease rather than on depth. Tiered commission and multi-site reporting are thinner than Phorest or Zenoti, payroll is an add-on, and the payment side assumes an American card and tax environment.
What stands out
Independents
Payments included
Booking site
Where it costs you
Commission tiers and multi-site reporting are lighter than salon suites; payroll is a paid add-on
Payments and support are built for the United States
Right for
Independent stylists and small American salons wanting bookings and payments quickly
Wrong for
Multi-site groups or European salons needing local payment providers
United StatesFlat monthly plans per location from $24 billed annually, published; 2.6% card processing on top
Front-desk software for larger American salons and medspas
Ranked #6 of 18 in Best Salon Software in 2026.
Published pricingNorth America
Boulevard is front-desk software first: it schedules staff, rooms and equipment against service rules so self-booking does not create impossible days, takes deposits and requires a card to book, and gives managers numbers they act on the same afternoon. That fits a larger salon or a medspa with treatment protocols.
Its per-location tiers, from $143 to $410 list, put it among the more expensive here for a small team, with forms and the QuickBooks link as paid extras below the top tier, and its payments, integrations and support are built for the United States, which makes it hard to recommend in Europe.
What stands out
Medspa
Front desk flow
Self-booking
Where it costs you
Entry tier covers only five providers; the unlimited tiers start at $293 list per location
Little European presence or payment support
Right for
Larger American salons and medspas with a busy front desk
Wrong for
European salons and small independent studios watching cost
United StatesPer location per month in tiers, published: Essentials $143 for up to 5 providers; higher tiers unlimited professionals
Luxembourg salon system with its own booking marketplace
Ranked #7 of 18 in Best Salon Software in 2026.
Published pricingEurope
Salonkee's value is regional: in Luxembourg, Belgium and Switzerland its booking marketplace has genuine consumer traffic, and the software handles a salon serving clients in several languages without awkwardness. The administration side is solid without being distinctive, with chain support, stock and staff reporting in the higher packages.
Pricing is published from 49 euros a month, with the payments module for card deposits and no-show fees added on top. Take it where the marketplace is thin and you are buying an ordinary salon system with an empty marketplace attached. Ask for local reference salons before signing.
What stands out
Luxembourg and Belgium
Marketplace listing
Multilingual
Where it costs you
Marketplace traffic is concentrated in a few countries
Card payments and no-show charges need the paid payments module
Right for
Salons in Luxembourg, Belgium and Switzerland using local demand
Wrong for
Salons in countries where its marketplace has little traffic
LuxembourgMonthly subscription in three packages, published from 49 euros a month; payments module extra
British salon software on a subscription, with no marketplace attached
Ranked #8 of 18 in Best Salon Software in 2026.
Published pricingEurope
SalonIQ covers the parts that decide a salon's margin, commission, stock and rebooking, on a subscription with no marketplace in between, so a new client costs nothing extra.
For a British salon that fills its own book, that is a sensible shape. The vendor is small, which means fewer integrations and a real question about continuity, and a group of several sites will find the reporting lighter than Phorest's.
What stands out
No marketplace
Commission and stock
UK focused
Where it costs you
Small vendor with a thin partner network
Reporting is plainer than Phorest or Mangomint
Right for
UK independent salons wanting a subscription without marketplace commission on clients
Wrong for
Salons relying on a marketplace to find new clients
United KingdomPer month by bookable staff, published: 47 pounds solo to 137 pounds for 8 or more; 15+ quoted; setup from 175 pounds
Salon and spa software from New Zealand, strongest in Australasia
Ranked #9 of 18 in Best Salon Software in 2026.
Pricing on requestAsia-Pacific
Kitomba is a home-market product done properly: diary, point of sale, stock, staff targets and client retention reporting, supported by people in the same time zone from Wellington and Brisbane. For a New Zealand or Australian salon that local fit matters more than any feature gap.
Treatment rooms and equipment can be booked without double-booking, though a hotel spa posting to guest folios should still compare it with Premier. Beyond that region it offers nothing a European or American salon cannot get closer to home.
What stands out
Australasia
Salons and spas
Client retention
Where it costs you
Little presence outside New Zealand and Australia
Plans are priced through a questionnaire rather than published
Right for
Salons and spas in New Zealand and Australia focused on rebooking
Wrong for
Salons outside Australasia, or large chains spread across several countries
New ZealandMonthly subscription by plan (Lite, Grow, Pro, Enterprise), priced through a questionnaire; 20% off with Kitomba Pay
Low-cost booking and payments for salons, spas and studios
Ranked #10 of 18 in Best Salon Software in 2026.
Published pricingNorth America
Vagaro gets you a booking page, a diary and card payments from $23.99 a month, about the same as GlossGenius, and it serves salons, spas and fitness with the same product. Inventory, memberships, loyalty, reporting, 1,000 emails a month and a listing on its consumer marketplace are in the plan.
That breadth is the trade: each extra bookable calendar adds $10 up to seven, the cost per location depends on the features added, and the interface carries options that belong to somebody else's trade. Price the bundle you will actually run.
What stands out
Low entry price
Wide feature list
Marketplace listing included
Where it costs you
Price rises per bookable calendar and with optional features
Interface reflects serving several industries at once
Right for
Price-sensitive salons and studios that want a working diary cheaply
Wrong for
Operators wanting real depth in one specific trade
United StatesPer bookable calendar per month, published: from $23.99, $10 per extra calendar up to seven; optional features extra
Barbershop and salon booking with a consumer app behind it
Ranked #11 of 18 in Best Salon Software in 2026.
Published pricingEurope
Booksy won barbering because its consumer app is where those clients already search, and pricing of $29.99 a month plus $20 per extra team member fits a shop of chair renters where each person pays for themselves. Booking, reminders and payments are smooth.
Beyond appointments it thins out: inventory, treatment rooms, packages and commission payroll are all better handled elsewhere. Boost is optional and charged once per new client, so model it on your expected new-client volume, because that is the part of the bill that moves.
What stands out
Barbershops
Consumer app
Optional Boost commission
Where it costs you
Boost, if switched on, takes 30 percent of a new client's first visit, capped at $100
Weak on stock, rooms and commission payroll
Right for
Barbershops and independent stylists whose clients book on a phone
Wrong for
Spas with treatment rooms, packages and retail stock
Poland$29.99 per month plus $20 per additional team member, published; optional Boost commission on new clients
Salon system attached to Europe's largest beauty marketplace
Ranked #12 of 18 in Best Salon Software in 2026.
Published pricingEurope
Treatwell has the largest beauty marketplace in Europe, and for a new or quiet salon that demand is worth paying for. The mechanism matters: 35 percent is charged on a new client's first booking through the marketplace, and repeat bookings are commission-free, so the fee is a one-off acquisition cost.
The quieter cost is that clients who arrived that way keep returning through Treatwell's app, which puts the relationship and your ranking in the platform's hands. Use it deliberately for off-peak capacity, keep your own booking page prominent, and watch how many new clients arrive with a commission attached.
What stands out
Marketplace demand
Commission model
Europe wide
Where it costs you
35 percent commission on each new marketplace client's first booking
Regulars can migrate to booking through the marketplace brand
Right for
City-centre salons with empty midweek slots they cannot fill themselves
Wrong for
Salons with a full book and loyal regulars
United Kingdom35% commission on a new client's first marketplace booking; repeat and direct bookings commission-free; 2.5% on online prepayments
French salon booking on a flat subscription, not commission
Ranked #13 of 18 in Best Salon Software in 2026.
Pricing on requestEurope
Planity built its position by refusing the commission model: a salon pays a monthly subscription and keeps the value of every booking, which for a busy shop is straightforwardly cheaper than a percentage.
Online booking, reminders and the client app work well and the French support is close at hand. Outside France the consumer traffic is thin and the local integrations are missing, and a multi-site group will want more analysis than the reporting offers.
What stands out
France focus
Flat subscription
Online booking
Where it costs you
Marketplace and integrations weaken outside France
Group-level reporting is light
Right for
French salons and barbershops wanting a predictable flat monthly fee
Wrong for
Groups needing detailed reporting across several French sites
Salon, spa and medspa management for multi-location American businesses
Ranked #14 of 18 in Best Salon Software in 2026.
Pricing on requestNorth America
Meevo is built for the business where pay is complicated: tiered service commission, separate retail rates, memberships and several locations reporting to one owner. It reproduces a real pay run better than the lighter products here, which is the test the guide recommends.
The price is weight and paperwork, with quoted plans, an implementation that needs your rates entered carefully, and a dense interface. Outside North America its payment and tax handling is the wrong fit.
What stands out
Multi-location
Medspa
Commission payroll
Where it costs you
Quoted pricing and a planned implementation
Payments, tax and support assume the United States
Right for
Larger American salons, spas and medspas with complex commission structures
Wrong for
Single-chair stylists, or salons based outside North America
Australian salon and spa software with deep multi-site and franchise reporting
Ranked #15 of 18 in Best Salon Software in 2026.
Pricing on requestAsia-Pacific
Shortcuts has a long history with Australian salon chains and franchise groups, and that shows in central price lists, stock across sites and reporting a franchisor can use. For that buyer the local references and support matter more than a newer interface.
A single salon will find it heavier than GlossGenius or Kitomba, and pricing is quoted. It has offices in Manchester and Ontario, but outside Australia and New Zealand its franchise references are fewer, and where only a reseller covers your country there is little to recommend it over Zenoti or Phorest.
What stands out
Chains
Franchise groups
Australia
Where it costs you
Quoted pricing and an older interface
Strongest in Australia and New Zealand; elsewhere served from UK and Canadian offices or resellers
Right for
Australian salon chains and franchise networks needing central pricing and control
Wrong for
Independent salons, or businesses in countries served only through resellers
Appointment book, point of sale and reminders for small American salons
Ranked #16 of 18 in Best Salon Software in 2026.
Published pricingNorth America
DaySmart Salon does the basics at a low price: online booking, reminders, a point of sale and client history, in software that a small team learns in an afternoon.
It is one product in a portfolio that also serves vets, pet businesses and recreation centres, which shows in a generic feel. Commission tiers, stock management and reporting are less detailed than Meevo or Phorest, and it is aimed at American salons.
What stands out
Small salons
Point of sale
Reminders
Where it costs you
Commission, stock and reporting are less detailed than salon suites
Aimed at American salons, with payments and support to match
Right for
Small American salons wanting a simple diary, till and reminders
Wrong for
Multi-site groups or salons needing tiered commission payroll
United StatesPer month by plan, published: $29 (1 user) to $199 (6 users); unlimited-user tier quoted; free trial
Enterprise platform for spa, medspa and salon chains
Ranked #17 of 18 in Best Salon Software in 2026.
Pricing on requestNorth America
Zenoti is aimed at chains that need one price list, one membership programme and one inventory position across many centres, plus the clinical record-keeping medspas need. At that size it does things no independent-scale product attempts.
The cost is the whole enterprise apparatus: quoted pricing, an implementation project, configuration decisions that are hard to reverse, and support that customers report as uneven depending on where they are. Below about ten sites, look lower on this page.
What stands out
Chains
Medspa compliance
Central reporting
Where it costs you
Enterprise buying process and phased implementation
Support experience varies by region
Right for
Spa, medspa and salon chains running dozens of centres centrally
Wrong for
Independent salons and small groups under ten sites
United StatesQuoted per centre; multi-location pricing tailored to footprint
Premier Software, now owned by Journey, is built for spa operations, where a booking consumes a room, a therapist with the right qualification, and a piece of equipment, and where the charge may need to post to a hotel guest's folio through the property management system.
It handles packages, memberships and retail alongside that. The trade-offs are plain: quoted payment plans with a support contract, no public pricing or trial, and a look that newer products have long since overtaken.
What stands out
Hotel spa
Room scheduling
PMS links
Where it costs you
No published pricing, no trial, and a sales-led contract
Interface is dated compared with newer products
Right for
Hotel spas and day spas scheduling rooms, therapists and packages
Wrong for
Hair salons that want a quick, modern diary
United KingdomQuoted per site on a choice of payment plans, with a support contract
Salon and spa software books treatments, holds client and treatment history, pays staff on commission, takes deposits against no-shows and tracks the retail products sold alongside services. The differences that matter are rarely in the feature list, so this is
the order we would work through them.
01
Decide whether you need a published price
11 of the 18 tools here publish what they cost; the other 7 quote per organisation. The ones you can compare without a sales call: Salonized, Mangomint, Shore, GlossGenius, Boulevard, Salonkee, SalonIQ, Vagaro, Booksy, Treatwell Pro, DaySmart Salon.
02
Decide how much the jurisdiction matters
These 18 vendors are established in 10 countries across 3 regions (Europe 9, North America 7, Asia-Pacific 2). That decides whose disclosure law applies to what the vendor holds, wherever the servers are.
Free software with a marketplace commission is a distribution deal
The loudest offer in this category is software at little or no subscription cost, paid for by a fee on new clients the marketplace introduces. Treatwell Pro works this way, taking 35 percent of a new client's first marketplace booking, Booksy adds an optional one-time commission on new clients to its subscription, and for a salon with empty midweek slots it is rational: you pay only when someone walks in. The arithmetic turns when the salon fills.
Even where repeat bookings are commission-free, a regular who keeps booking through the marketplace app is a relationship the platform holds, and the platform also decides where you rank. Planity charges a flat subscription with no booking commission; Salonized does too, but as part of Treatwell it sells the marketplace as an add-on. Work out your annual commission at your current new-client rate, then compare it with a subscription before deciding which model you are in.
Calculate twelve months of commission at your real new-client numbers.
Ask how long a marketplace-introduced client keeps attracting a fee.
Check whether your own booking page can rank ahead of your marketplace listing.
Commission pay is payroll, and most products approximate it
Stylists are paid on a mix of base pay, service commission at tiered rates, retail commission at a different rate, and sometimes a share of a colleague's work. Most salon software models one flat percentage and leaves the rest in a spreadsheet, which is where disputes come from.
Phorest and Zenoti handle tiers and separate retail rates properly; lighter products do not. Ask the vendor to reproduce last month's actual pay run for two of your staff during the trial, using your real rates. If the numbers do not match what you paid, you have found the amount of manual work the product is quietly handing back to you every month.
Test a real pay run for your two most complicated staff members.
Confirm retail commission can differ from service commission.
Check whether a discounted service reduces the commission base automatically.
No-shows: a deposit only works if the card can be charged
A reminder message reduces no-shows; a card on file ends them. The gap between those two is where the money is, and it is also where European rules bite. Taking a card at booking and charging it later needs the mandate set up correctly at the time of booking, with strong customer authentication done up front, or the charge fails exactly when you need it.
Mangomint, Boulevard and GlossGenius all hold a card on file and take deposits at booking, Phorest and Shore handle deposits well, and some products only send reminders. Decide your policy first, including who waives the fee and when, because a cancellation charge applied inconsistently damages more goodwill than the no-show it punished.
Test a real card-on-file charge on a cancelled booking during the trial.
Confirm the deposit rules can differ by service and by new client.
Write the waiver policy down before you switch the feature on.
Retail stock is the half of the business the diary ignores
Shampoo, colour and skincare are inventory: they have stock levels, supplier orders, professional use versus retail sale, and a margin that is often better than the chair. Salon software treats this unevenly. Phorest and Zenoti track stock against both retail sales and back-bar consumption, Premier Software handles it alongside spa packages, and app-first products such as Booksy leave you counting bottles by hand.
If a third of your revenue is product, the stock module is not a secondary feature. Ask specifically how colour used in a service is deducted, because that is the part most products cannot do without a manual adjustment.
Ask how professional use is deducted from stock, not just retail sales.
Check whether supplier orders can be raised from reorder levels.
Confirm stock value appears in reporting next to service revenue.
What goes wrong most often when buying salon and spa software
Judging free software by the subscription line. Commission on new clients is the price, and it is a percentage of your growth rather than a fixed cost.
Letting the marketplace own the client relationship. Every regular who books through a platform is a regular you are renting.
Buying on the look of the diary and discovering the commission pay run still lives in a spreadsheet.
Turning on cancellation fees without a written policy. Staff waive them inconsistently and the protection quietly stops existing.
07
Frequently asked questions
6 answers
What is the best salon and spa in 2026?
Salonized leads our ranking of 18. Prices are on the website, the plan does not take a cut of your own bookings, and the day-to-day of diary, clients, stock and till is quick to learn. The calendar schedules treatment rooms and equipment alongside staff, and a multi-location plan on custom pricing reports per site or across all of them.
It now trades as Treatwell Salonized, so the Treatwell marketplace is sold inside it at 35 percent of each new marketplace booking; that is optional, but it is where the commission question returns.
Which salon and spa tools publish their pricing?
11 of the 18, with the pricing model each one publishes:
Salonized: Per month by plan and team size, published; multi-location plan custom-priced; Treatwell marketplace optional at 35% of new-client bookings.
Mangomint: $120 per location per month plus $10 per user, published.
Shore: Per location per month, published tiers, payment terminal extra.
GlossGenius: Flat monthly plans per location from $24 billed annually, published; 2.6% card processing on top.
Boulevard: Per location per month in tiers, published: Essentials $143 for up to 5 providers; higher tiers unlimited professionals.
Salonkee: Monthly subscription in three packages, published from 49 euros a month; payments module extra.
SalonIQ: Per month by bookable staff, published: 47 pounds solo to 137 pounds for 8 or more; 15+ quoted; setup from 175 pounds.
Vagaro: Per bookable calendar per month, published: from $23.99, $10 per extra calendar up to seven; optional features extra.
Booksy: $29.99 per month plus $20 per additional team member, published; optional Boost commission on new clients.
Treatwell Pro: 35% commission on a new client's first marketplace booking; repeat and direct bookings commission-free; 2.5% on online prepayments.
DaySmart Salon: Per month by plan, published: $29 (1 user) to $199 (6 users); unlimited-user tier quoted; free trial.
The other 7 quote per organisation.
Is there a free salon and spa tool?
No. None of the 18 offer a usable free tier.
Where are these salon and spa vendors established?
In 10 countries across 3 regions: Europe 9, North America 7, Asia-Pacific 2.
Salonized: Netherlands.
Phorest: Ireland.
Mangomint: United States.
Shore: Germany.
GlossGenius: United States.
Boulevard: United States.
Salonkee: Luxembourg.
SalonIQ: United Kingdom.
Kitomba: New Zealand.
Vagaro: United States.
Booksy: Poland.
Treatwell Pro: United Kingdom.
Planity: France.
Meevo: United States.
Shortcuts: Australia.
DaySmart Salon: United States.
Zenoti: United States.
Premier Software: United Kingdom.
What should you use instead of Salonized?
Phorest and Mangomint are the next two on this page. Phorest is for Salons of five or more staff focused on rebooking and retention; Mangomint is for Salons losing money to no-shows and a slow front desk.
Who should not buy Salonized?
Large chains that want published pricing for multi-site features. Multi-location and franchise features sit on a custom-priced plan.
If your salon and spa product belongs among these 18, tell us what it does and who it is for. Inclusion is an editorial call; what a listing is and is not is set out under software advice.
