What is the best salon booking software?

It depends on your salon. For a salon that wants online booking by stylist, WhatsApp reminders, deposits, POS and commission at one flat price per location, we recommend Timeo. Solo stylists who want a free plan may look at Square Appointments, and salons that want marketplace clients may look at Fresha or Booksy.

Who wrote this comparison?

Timeo did. We make Timeo, so we list it first. Every fact about another product comes from that vendor’s own public pages, checked on 9 November 2026, and anything we could not confirm is left out.

How much does salon booking software cost?

From the published prices here: Timeo is USD 29 to USD 49 a month per location, Square Appointments is free or USD 49 to USD 149, Booksy USD 29.99 plus USD 20 per extra user, GlossGenius USD 28 to USD 168, and Boulevard from USD 159. Many also charge card processing on every sale.

Is per stylist pricing more expensive?

It grows with your team. A salon with 8 stylists pays Timeo USD 49 a month per location whatever the headcount, while per user or per calendar plans add a fee for every stylist.

Can I take a deposit to stop no shows?

Yes. On Timeo you set a deposit on the services you choose, as a fixed amount, a percentage or the full price. Square, Vagaro, GlossGenius, Booksy, Fresha and Boulevard also list deposits.

Can I try Timeo before I pay?

Yes. Every plan has a 7 day free trial with no contract.

Compare

The best salon booking software, compared.

Seven booking systems a hair, beauty or nail salon is likely to look at, with what each one is best for and what it publishes about price.

In Malaysia? See the Malaysia salon booking comparison

How to choose

Price for your real team. Some systems charge per location, some per calendar or user, some per team member. Work out the bill for every stylist and the front desk.
Reminder costs. Check whether appointment reminders by text are included or capped, and which channels you get.
Card fees. Many salon systems require their own card processor. Compare the in person and online rates, not just the monthly fee.
Deposits. A deposit on long colour or treatment bookings is the simplest no show fix. Check which plan has it.
Commission. If stylists earn per service or product, the system should work out commission at checkout.

At a glance

Taken from each vendor's public pages on 9 November 2026. "Not stated" means we did not find it on the pages we checked, not that the product lacks it.

Best salon booking software: Published price (USD), Appointment reminders, Commission
Product	Published price (USD)	Appointment reminders	Commission
Timeo	USD 29 to USD 49 a month per location	Unlimited, by WhatsApp from your own number	On Team (USD 49)
Square Appointments	Free; Plus USD 49, Premium USD 149 per location	Included; texts on Plus and Premium	Plus and Premium
Vagaro	USD 23.99 intro rate, then USD 30, plus USD 10 per calendar	Unlimited notifications and reminders	Included; payroll add on
GlossGenius	USD 28, 56 or 168 a month (less billed yearly)	Unlimited client notifications	Platinum, or payroll add on
Booksy	USD 29.99 a month plus USD 20 per extra user	Always free	Included
Fresha	Per bookable team member; currency set by country	20 free texts or WhatsApp a month, then paid	Listed
Boulevard	From USD 159 a month (USD 143 billed yearly)	Texts billed by use beyond an allowance	Included

The 7, one by one

1. TimeoOur pick

Best for: Salons that want online booking by stylist, WhatsApp reminders, deposits, POS and commission in one system at a flat price per location.

USD 29 a month for a solo stylist, USD 39 for up to 5 staff logins, USD 49 for unlimited staff with commissions. Flat per location, not per stylist.
Clients book by service and stylist and only see times that stylist is free. A processing gap frees the stylist while colour develops.
WhatsApp confirmations and reminders from your own salon number: unlimited appointment reminders plus 500 other automated messages a month.
Deposits on the services you choose, as a fixed amount, a percentage or the full price, paid into your own payment account in your own currency.
Console in English, Chinese and Thai.

2. Square Appointments

Best for: Solo stylists and small teams that want a free plan with Square payments built in.

Free plan; Plus USD 49 and Premium USD 149 a month per location, with unlimited staff calendars.
Card rates on Square’s own processing from 2.4% + 15¢ in person (Premium) to 2.6% + 15¢ (Free).
Deposits on every plan; no show fees, commission tracking and text notifications on Plus and Premium.
30 day free trial on Plus and Premium; cancel or switch anytime.

3. Vagaro

Best for: Beauty and wellness businesses that want a low base price and add features as they need them.

USD 23.99 a month as an intro rate for the first 6 months (USD 30 after), plus USD 10 per bookable calendar up to seven.
Unlimited notifications and appointment reminders included.
Deposits and no show fees; commission, hourly and booth rent pay. Payroll USD 34 a month plus USD 5 per employee.
Card rates from 2.29% + 19¢ in person at higher volume. 30 day free trial.

4. GlossGenius

Best for: Solo and small to mid sized beauty businesses that want low flat pricing and a low in person card rate.

Standard USD 28, Gold USD 56 (up to 9 staff), Platinum USD 168 a month; less when billed yearly.
Unlimited client notifications; built in deposits and no show policies.
Custom commissions on Platinum. In person card rate 2.4% + 15¢ on its own processing.
14 day free trial, no card required, no contracts.

5. Booksy

Best for: Solo beauty pros and barbers who want a consumer booking marketplace at one low price.

USD 29.99 a month plus USD 20 per extra user.
Confirmations and reminders always free; 2,000 marketing texts a month.
Deposits and cancellation fees through Booksy’s own payments; card rates from 2.49% + 10¢.
Clients from its marketplace carry a one time 30% fee, capped at USD 100. 14 day free trial.

6. Fresha

Best for: Salons and spas that want marketplace exposure and are happy to pay per team member.

Independent plan for 1 bookable team member; Team plan priced per team member. The currency follows your country.
20 free texts or WhatsApp messages a month, then paid per message.
Deposits, no show fees and stored cards through its payment system. 7 day trial on paid plans.
New clients from its marketplace carry a one time fee.

7. Boulevard

Best for: Established salons and day spas that want premium scheduling and client experience.

From USD 159 a month, or USD 143 billed yearly, for 1 location and up to 5 providers; larger plans per location.
SMS notifications billed by the number of texts beyond the plan allowance.
Commissions and payroll connect; card rates from 2.65%.
Demo first; no free trial shown.

Why we built Timeo for salons

Salons lose money to empty chairs, not to software. So Timeo sends the reminder on WhatsApp from your own number, takes a deposit on the long bookings and works out who earned what at checkout, at one flat price that does not grow with every stylist you hire.

Start free See pricing

Questions salon owners ask

What is the best salon booking software?: It depends on your salon. For a salon that wants online booking by stylist, WhatsApp reminders, deposits, POS and commission at one flat price per location, we recommend Timeo. Solo stylists who want a free plan may look at Square Appointments, and salons that want marketplace clients may look at Fresha or Booksy.
Who wrote this comparison?: Timeo did. We make Timeo, so we list it first. Every fact about another product comes from that vendor’s own public pages, checked on 9 November 2026, and anything we could not confirm is left out.
How much does salon booking software cost?: From the published prices here: Timeo is USD 29 to USD 49 a month per location, Square Appointments is free or USD 49 to USD 149, Booksy USD 29.99 plus USD 20 per extra user, GlossGenius USD 28 to USD 168, and Boulevard from USD 159. Many also charge card processing on every sale.
Is per stylist pricing more expensive?: It grows with your team. A salon with 8 stylists pays Timeo USD 49 a month per location whatever the headcount, while per user or per calendar plans add a fee for every stylist.
Can I take a deposit to stop no shows?: Yes. On Timeo you set a deposit on the services you choose, as a fixed amount, a percentage or the full price. Square, Vagaro, GlossGenius, Booksy, Fresha and Boulevard also list deposits.
Can I try Timeo before I pay?: Yes. Every plan has a 7 day free trial with no contract.

Sources

Each vendor's own pages, checked on 9 November 2026.