SalonApp

SalonApp, also called Salon Manager, combines appointments, payments, staff schedules, and client records for salon businesses. Its calendar supports drag-and-drop scheduling, online booking, reminders, and no-show protection. Client profiles can hold color formulas, allergies, photos, preferences, and visit history. An AI receptionist answers calls in 16 languages and can book, cancel, or reschedule using the live calendar. The point-of-sale supports tap, chip, swipe, and online payments, with Square and Stripe integrations; bookkeeping can sync with QuickBooks and Xero. Marketing tools include email and SMS campaigns, audience segments, A/B tests, referrals, automated flows, and review requests. Staff features cover US and Canadian payroll, commissions, time clock, and booth rentals. It is available on Android, iOS, and the web. The free plan allows up to 15 clients, 20 appointments per month, and one staff member. Paid plans start at $39/mo, and each paid plan includes a 14-day trial with no credit card required to start.

SalonApp combines client management, scheduling, payments, marketing, and staff functions, with an AI receptionist as an additional option. The free plan is small; paid plans start at $39/mo and include a 14-day trial.

SalonApp suits independent stylists, salons, spas, and wellness businesses that need appointment, client, payment, and staff tools. The maker also presents it for multi-location operators; med spas are advised to keep clinical records in an EMR.

Overview

SalonApp brings appointment handling and salon operations together for independent stylists and teams that want client records, payments, and staff tools in one place. Its range is a particular draw for businesses that need more than a booking calendar, though the free tier’s tight caps and multiple plan tracks call for careful selection.

It runs on Android, iOS, and the web. Med spas can use it for front-of-house work, but clinical records should stay in an EMR.

Key features

Scheduling and client records

A drag-and-drop calendar, online booking, automated reminders, and no-show protection cover the appointment cycle. Client profiles hold color formulas, allergies, photos, preferences, and visit history, which is useful when service decisions depend on more than a name and appointment time. The free tier’s 20 appointments per month and 15-client ceiling make it suitable for a very small operation or initial trial, not a busy salon.

AI receptionist and payments

The AI receptionist answers calls around the clock in 16 languages and can book, cancel, or reschedule against the live calendar. The POS accepts tap, chip, swipe, and online payments, with Square and Stripe integrations. This pairing may help reduce interruptions at the front desk, but the AI plans have monthly minute quotas that buyers should compare with their call volume.

Back office, marketing, and safeguards

QuickBooks and Xero synchronization supports bookkeeping workflows. Staff tools include commissions, time clock, booth rental, and US and Canadian payroll; the product also supports tip calculation, contractor payments, tax filing, payroll reports, and direct deposit. That breadth is attractive to owners consolidating operations, although the more advanced staff and marketing functions sit above the entry-level plan.

Marketing includes email and SMS campaigns, audience segments, A/B tests, referrals, automated flows, and review requests. Intake forms, signatures, and photos are encrypted at rest; the maker says a BAA is available for HIPAA-applicable accounts. It also says data is protected with SSL encryption and row-level security, with daily backups on Supabase infrastructure.

Pricing

The free plan costs nothing and permits up to 15 clients, 20 appointments per month, and one staff member. It gives a solo stylist a way to begin without a subscription, but the appointment cap can become restrictive quickly.

Starter is $39 a month, billed monthly, for up to five staff, unlimited clients and appointments, POS and payments, basic reports, and email support. It is the clearest entry point for a small salon that needs core management without the larger teams, marketing, and payroll features.

Professional is $79 a month, billed monthly, and raises the ceiling to 15 staff while adding marketing and loyalty, commission tracking, payroll management, advanced reports and AI, and phone plus chat support. This is the more suitable salon plan for a growing team that needs those operating tools; smaller shops may not need the upgrade.

Enterprise is $149 a month, billed monthly, with unlimited staff, multi-location support, online booking, data export and backup, a dedicated account manager, and custom integrations. Its value is concentrated in larger or multi-site operations rather than a single small salon.

The separate AI Receptionist Solo plan is $39 a month for 500 AI-handled minutes monthly, 16 languages, booking, cancellation and rescheduling, and email support. AI Receptionist Starter costs $79 a month and includes 1,500 minutes, Solo features, message-taking, smart transfers, and priority email support. AI Receptionist Pro is $149 a month for 5,000 minutes, Starter features, priority phone routing, and a dedicated success manager. These plans suit businesses choosing phone coverage by call volume and routing needs; they should not be confused with the broader salon-management tiers.

Every paid plan includes a 14-day free trial, and no credit card is required to start.

Platforms

Android, iOS, and web access give owners and staff mobile and browser options. The product’s stated platform range does not include a desktop-specific operating system.

Who it's for

SalonApp is strongest for independent stylists, boutique salons, spas, and wellness businesses that want booking, client context, payments, and staff administration under one roof. Multi-location operators can consider Enterprise, while med spas should keep clinical documentation in an EMR and use SalonApp only for front-of-house operations.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Client profiles retain service-specific details such as formulas, allergies, and photos, beyond basic appointment history.
• Pro: The feature range spans payments, bookkeeping integrations, marketing, and payroll, giving growing teams room to centralize work.
• Pro: The AI receptionist can take appointment actions in 16 languages, with higher tiers adding message-taking and call routing.
• Con: The free plan’s 15-client, 20-appointment, and one-staff limits make it unsuitable for an established or growing salon.
• Con: Salon-management and AI-receptionist subscriptions are separate plan tracks, so buyers need to match the tier to the job rather than assume every feature is bundled.
• Con: The AI tiers cap monthly handled minutes, which may make a lower allowance a poor fit for a call-heavy business.

Alternatives

For a narrower payroll or operations shortlist, compare Salon Payroll Software, Salon Commission Management Software, Salon Membership Software, and Salon Marketing Software.

Gratsio is a freemium Android, iOS, and web alternative whose free plan has listing, product, blog, staff-seat, and booking-commission limits; consider it when those storefront and publishing limits fit better than SalonApp’s salon-management focus.

Salonist has a free marketplace-listing plan with 50 appointments per month, online booking, and calendar and scheduling tools; it may suit a salon prioritizing that appointment allowance.

DaySmart Salon is a paid alternative with a $29 a month Basic plan for one user, online booking, appointment confirmations, social booking, and payments; consider it if that narrower entry plan matches your needs.

GlossGenius is a paid alternative starting at $28 a month with a custom booking website, unlimited client notifications, email and text marketing, and inventory and retail tools; it may be preferable when those capabilities matter at a lower starting price.

Insight Salon Software, Spa/Salon Manager, Boulevard, and DaySmart Med Spa are additional alternatives to compare.

Verdict

SalonApp is a strong fit for salon owners who want client records, scheduling, payments, and staff operations together, especially if an AI receptionist or built-in payroll and marketing matter. The main reason to look elsewhere is the mismatch between a small free allowance and paid tiers that divide salon management from AI phone service; choose it when its broader toolkit justifies that plan selection.