Best Salon Software 2026

Comprehensive comparison of the top salon management platforms. Honest analysis based on pricing, features, support quality, and real user experiences from 1,000+ salons.

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EDITOR'S CHOICE
1

BookB

4.8
/ 5.0
Starting Price
From $20/mo
BEST FOR
Overall Value & Modern Features
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Strengths

  • +Lowest pricing with no transaction fees
  • +Modern, intuitive interface
  • +Excellent customer support
  • +No long-term contracts
  • +Comprehensive feature set
  • +Fast setup (under 30 minutes)

Weaknesses

  • -Newer platform (less brand recognition)
  • -Smaller integration ecosystem than enterprise solutions

Features

online Booking
pos
inventory
marketing
reporting
mobile App
multi Location
payroll
2

Vagaro

4.5
/ 5.0
Starting Price
From $25/mo + 2.7% transaction fees
BEST FOR
Established Salons Wanting All-in-One

Strengths

  • +Well-established platform
  • +Strong marketplace feature
  • +Good mobile apps
  • +Comprehensive features

Weaknesses

  • -Transaction fees add significant cost
  • -Interface can be overwhelming
  • -Customer support often slow
  • -Frequent upsells for features

Features

online Booking
pos
inventory
marketing
reporting
mobile App
multi Location
payroll
3

Square Appointments

4.3
/ 5.0
Starting Price
Free + 2.6% + 10¢ per transaction
BEST FOR
Solo Stylists & Side Hustles

Strengths

  • +Free tier available
  • +Trusted brand name
  • +Simple setup
  • +Good for part-time businesses

Weaknesses

  • -Transaction fees quickly exceed subscription cost
  • -Limited salon-specific features
  • -Basic reporting
  • -Not built specifically for salons

Features

online Booking
pos
inventory
marketing
reporting
mobile App
multi Location
payroll
4

Fresha

4.2
/ 5.0
Starting Price
Free + transaction fees
BEST FOR
Budget-Conscious Small Salons

Strengths

  • +Free software
  • +Marketplace exposure
  • +Basic features included
  • +Quick to get started

Weaknesses

  • -High transaction fees (hidden cost)
  • -Limited customization
  • -Forced marketplace participation
  • -Less control over client data

Features

online Booking
pos
inventory
marketing
reporting
mobile App
multi Location
payroll
5

Mindbody

4
/ 5.0
Starting Price
From $129/mo + setup fees
BEST FOR
Large Multi-Location Operations

Strengths

  • +Enterprise-grade features
  • +Powerful for multi-location
  • +Extensive integrations
  • +Strong brand recognition

Weaknesses

  • -Very expensive for small salons
  • -Steep learning curve
  • -Slow customer support
  • -Long-term contracts required
  • -Setup fees and implementation costs

Features

online Booking
pos
inventory
marketing
reporting
mobile App
multi Location
payroll
6

Boulevard

4.1
/ 5.0
Starting Price
Custom pricing (typically $300+/mo)
BEST FOR
High-End Salons & Spas

Strengths

  • +Premium client experience
  • +Beautiful interface
  • +Advanced booking features
  • +White-glove onboarding

Weaknesses

  • -Extremely expensive
  • -Overkill for most salons
  • -Long sales process
  • -Complex pricing structure

Features

online Booking
pos
inventory
marketing
reporting
mobile App
multi Location
payroll

Feature Comparison

FeatureBookBVagaroSquare AppointmentsFresha
Online Booking
Point of Sale
Inventory Management
Marketing Tools
Analytics & Reporting
Mobile App
Multi-Location
Payroll Integration

How We Ranked These Solutions

Our rankings are based on extensive research, real user feedback from 1,000+ salons, and hands-on testing of each platform. We evaluated solutions across multiple criteria:

Value for Money

30%

Total cost including hidden fees, transaction costs, and required add-ons

Feature Completeness

25%

Core salon management capabilities out of the box

Ease of Use

20%

Learning curve, interface design, and staff adoption

Customer Support

15%

Response time, availability, and problem resolution

Reliability

10%

Uptime, performance, and technical stability

We conduct hands-on testing with real salon scenarios, analyze pricing structures to reveal true costs, and survey hundreds of salon owners about their experiences. Our team updates these rankings quarterly to reflect product changes, pricing updates, and evolving user feedback.

Transparency note: We recommend BookB as our top choice because we built it specifically to address the shortcomings we identified in other salon software. However, our comparisons are honest about where competitors excel and where BookB has room to improve.

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