Aura'd

Aura'd is salon booking software for hairdressers, lash technicians, and other beauty professionals. Clients can book through a branded app or website at any time, with availability updated in real time. Salon operators can manage client lists, promotions, preferences, and appointment notes. Automated SMS and email reminders are described as reducing no-shows by up to 90%.

Aura'd integrates with Stripe and accepts cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Clearpay, and Klarna. All plans have zero booking commission; card processing costs 1.9% + 20p. Branded appointment apps are available on iOS and Android. The REST API covers services, availability, bookings, and client management, with access listed on Premium. The API section describes API key authentication, HTTPS encryption, and claims 99.9% uptime. The Free plan allows 50 bookings per month and 5 services, with a basic booking page and email confirmations, but no email reminders, analytics, or custom branding. Solo costs £19 a month; higher plans add staff tools, payments, branding, and API access. Aura'd says setup takes under 15 minutes and offers free setup assistance.

Aura'd combines client booking, salon management, reminders, and payment options, with capabilities varying by plan. The free plan has booking and service limits, and card processing costs 1.9% + 20p.

Aura'd suits solo stylists and teams, including hair stylists, lash technicians, and beauty therapists. The Free plan may suit those needing a basic booking page, while paid plans add reminders, staff tools, payments, and branding.

Aura'd is booking and salon management software for independent stylists and beauty teams that want clients to book online and keep appointment records in one system. It is strongest for salons that need a branded booking route with reminders and room to add staff; the free tier is a small-scale starting point, while more advanced branding and API access require Premium.

Overview

Clients can book through a branded app or website at any hour, with availability updated in real time. That gives solo professionals and salons a direct route to appointments outside working hours. Client lists, promotions, preference tracking, and appointment notes add useful customer context around those bookings.

The product is aimed at hairdressers, lash technicians, and beauty professionals, from solo stylists to teams. Branded salon appointment apps are available on iOS and Android, and the platform also supports web and API access, though the API is limited to Premium.

Key features

Automated SMS and email reminders are described as reducing no-shows by up to 90%. Solo is the first plan with both reminder types; Free provides email confirmations but no email reminders. For a stylist who wants to follow up automatically, that makes the £19 monthly step up more consequential than its booking-page upgrades alone.

Aura'd integrates with Stripe and accepts cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Clearpay, and Klarna. All plans have zero booking commission, but card processing costs 1.9% + 20p. Business adds deposits and payments, so businesses that need those capabilities should account for its higher monthly fee as well as the processing charge.

Premium's REST API covers services, availability, bookings, and client management. API access uses key authentication and HTTPS encryption, and Aura'd claims 99.9% uptime. Those provisions may suit businesses connecting booking data to other systems, but the £149 monthly price makes this a substantial step beyond the core salon tools.

Aura'd says setup takes under 15 minutes and offers free setup assistance. Business includes priority support, which may matter more to salons with larger teams and more day-to-day scheduling needs.

Pricing

The free plan provides a basic booking page, email confirmations, up to 50 bookings per month, and five services. It excludes email reminders, analytics, and custom branding. Those limits make it a reasonable fit for a new or low-volume solo practice, but a busy schedule or need for a branded page will outgrow it.

Solo costs £19 per month and removes booking and service limits while adding a custom booking page, email and SMS reminders, analytics, and custom branding. It is the clearest fit for an independent stylist who wants a fuller client booking experience without staff management.

Team costs £39 per month and includes everything in Solo, plus up to five staff members, a staff portal, and staff scheduling. It suits a small salon coordinating several providers. Business costs £69 per month, includes everything in Team, and adds unlimited staff, deposits and payments, advanced analytics, and priority support; its value depends on needing those operational features.

Premium costs £149 per month and adds white label, a custom domain, a custom email sender, a branded PWA, and API access on top of Business. It is aimed at businesses that need a more fully branded platform or integrations. Aura'd also offers a free trial, but its length and renewal terms are not established here.

Platforms

Aura'd supports Android, iOS, and web. API access is available on Premium. The branded salon appointment apps for iOS and Android give salons a way to offer clients an app bearing their brand.

Who it's for

Aura'd makes the most sense for solo stylists who want to move beyond manual appointment handling, and salons that need shared scheduling as their staff grows. Its free plan can accommodate a small service menu and modest booking volume. Teams needing deposits, unlimited staff, or priority support have a clear upgrade path, while businesses that need API access or white-label branding should weigh Premium's much higher monthly price.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Free supports up to 50 monthly bookings and five services, giving a small practice a way to start without a subscription.
• Pros: Solo adds unlimited bookings, services, custom branding, analytics, and SMS and email reminders for £19 per month.
• Pros: Team and Business add staff scheduling and then unlimited staff, deposits, payments, and priority support as salon needs expand.
• Cons: Free lacks email reminders, analytics, and custom branding, and its booking and service caps limit its usefulness as a salon grows.
• Cons: Card processing costs 1.9% + 20p even though booking commission is zero.
• Cons: API access and white-label options are reserved for Premium at £149 per month.

Alternatives

Salon App Builder Software is a useful place to compare salon app-building options. Choose WellnessLiving if its Starter plan's one-staff setup and bundled booking, client app, staff app, and POS suit your operation. Next is worth considering if a free booking and scheduling app with optional unlimited SMS texts for $5.00 per month better fits your needs. Salonist offers a free plan with 50 appointments per month, online booking, calendar and scheduling, and staff shift management. SalonSynq may suit a solo business that values unlimited bookings and one user on its free plan, with manual payment logging and no online payments. ScheduleAnyone has a free option for up to 200 appointments and three staff for up to six months, making it an alternative for a team comparing short-term free capacity. Tonso is another option if its free model, where the business can pass booking fees to clients, better suits its payment approach. Appy Pie Salon App Builder is an alternative for salons seeking app publishing with hosting, SSL, push notifications, Stripe payments, loyalty, and app-store submission. Authic uses custom pricing, with fees agreed in the customer agreement.

Verdict

Aura'd is a strong fit for solo beauty professionals and growing salons that want direct online booking, client records, and a path to staff scheduling in one product. Its strongest case is the progression from a limited free plan to reminders and branding on Solo, then practical team tools on higher tiers. Look elsewhere if your salon needs a broad free allowance, or if API access is essential but Premium's £149 monthly price is out of reach.