Salonist

Salonist puts booking, point-of-sale, inventory, staff, payroll, marketing and reporting tools in one online system. It serves salons, spas, barbershops, aesthetic clinics and other appointment businesses. Customers can schedule through a website, Instagram or the Salonist app. Plans start with a free marketplace tier and continue with paid options that add POS, inventory, integrations and multi-branch capabilities.

Salonist is a cloud platform for salons, spas and related appointment businesses. Its free entry tier is limited to 50 monthly appointments, while paid plans add POS, inventory, marketing, staff controls and reporting. The one-time 15% marketplace fee applies to first visits from newly discovered clients. Expert is required for the branded app, custom integrations, API access and multi-branch reporting. It is suited to businesses preferring one system for bookings, payments and stock.

Salons and spas wanting appointments, POS and inventory together

Businesses transferring records from another system

Operators needing staff permissions, payroll data and reports

You need over 50 monthly appointments on a free tier

You require a branded app below Expert

A 15% first-visit marketplace fee does not fit your acquisition model

Salonist overview

Founded in 2017, Salonist provides management software for salons and spas. Its online service brings appointments, payments, stock, staff, promotions and memberships together.

Users include hair salons, massage centers, makeup artists, spas, barbershops, bridal salons, tattoo artists, pet groomers, nail salons, aesthetic skin clinics and salon booth renters.

Features

Customers may schedule at any hour through a website, Instagram or the Salonist app. Automatic reminders support recurring and package appointments, while calendars provide drag-and-drop views, room schedules and staff shifts.

The built-in point-of-sale system accepts card, contactless and Stripe Terminal payments. Bulk checkout, payment reporting and stock updates are included. Client profiles may store history, notes, surveys, documents, preferences and appointment information.

Promotional features cover coupons, gift cards, loyalty schemes, SMS and email campaigns, plus automated reminders. Stock management includes central inventory, audits, transfers, purchase orders, low-stock monitoring, retail sales and online product sales.

Staff and payroll features handle commissions, schedules, timesheets, KPI reports, roles and sign-in permissions. Reporting dashboards cover sales, clients, services, marketing, staff, packages and activity across branches.

Pricing

Market Place Listing is a no-cost plan with a 50-appointment monthly allowance, online booking, scheduling, staff shifts, a marketplace listing and staff reports.

Essential is priced at $59 per month on monthly billing. This tier raises the appointment allowance to unlimited and adds POS, reporting, customer history, coupons, retail products, expenses, reminders, website booking, memberships, e-wallet tools, commissions, tips, mobile POS, standard data import, chat, phone support and unlimited email notifications.

Advance is $109 per month with monthly billing. It contains Essential features and adds surveys, package reports, loyalty points, PayPal, warehouse tools, barcode labels, purchase orders, lead management, social booking, gift cards, room calendars, subscriptions, campaigns, inventory, timesheets, permissions and third-party SMS API access.

Expert is $179 per month when billed monthly. Along with Advance features, it provides QuickBooks, multi-branch reporting, Google Calendar, service-use inventory, a dedicated account manager, cash register, consent forms, card reader, mini website, waitlists, documents, custom integrations and API access.

Platforms

Salonist can be used in a browser or through Android and iOS apps, with cloud delivery and no computer or tablet installation. API access is listed for Expert.

The platform states that it operates in 13 languages and offers right-to-left Arabic layouts in calendars, POS and receipts. Expert offers a client app branded for the salon and published in both major app stores.

Support and migration

Support is available through in-app chat and email, with on-demand phone assistance on Essential and higher plans. Salonist states that critical app failures and queries receive 24X7 support and maintenance coverage.

Its public Help Center contains hundreds of articles on setup, staff, clients, appointments, inventory, reports, integrations, marketing, booking, mobile, warehouse, marketplace and billing. Free onboarding and data import cover clients, services, staff, products and appointment history from systems such as Zenoti, Fresha, Vagaro, Mindbody or spreadsheets.

More than 40 integrations are listed, including Stripe, PayPal, Razorpay, Clover, QuickBooks, Qoyod, Tabby, Tamara and Authorize.Net.

Limits and conditions

Market Place Listing permits up to 50 appointments each month. A new client discovered through Salonist's marketplace incurs a single 15% charge on the first visit; returning clients and direct bookings are excluded.

The salon-branded app is available only with Expert. Expert also lists custom integrations and API access, while third-party SMS API connections appear on Advance and Expert.

Account owners can set different staff access levels. Salonist uses HTTPS for sessions and lists PCI DSS, SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR and CCPA alongside its security claims.

Verdict

Salonist suits appointment businesses seeking scheduling, payments, client profiles, inventory and staff administration in one cloud platform. The free tier starts at 50 appointments per month, while paid levels expand POS, inventory, campaign and reporting capabilities.

Before selecting a plan, check usage limits and feature availability. Marketplace-sourced new clients carry a one-time 15% fee, and the branded app and custom API work are reserved for Expert. Confirm that the advertised integrations, languages and support options fit your operation.