Overview

Pronto brings salon bookings, checkout, client records, inventory and reminders into one system for businesses ranging from barbershops to spas and tattoo studios. It is best suited to operators who want those workflows together and value a choice between cloud and self-hosted deployment. Its free plan offers a low-commitment start, while modest caps and several forthcoming features make it important to match the plan to the business’s current needs.

Clients can book with just a name and phone number, without an account or app download. The booking page can be linked from Instagram or Google, and client lists can be imported from Fresha, Vagaro, Booksy, Mindbody, Square or another platform that exports CSV. This makes Pronto a plausible fit for salons moving from another system, though the import path depends on having an exportable client list.

Key features

Appointments and client records

Online self-booking, staff calendars, cancellation controls, appointment payments and client CRM cover the core appointment flow. Avoiding an account requirement reduces friction for clients; importing an existing list can ease a switch. The free plan’s 50-booking monthly cap, however, is a real ceiling for a busy appointment book.

Checkout, inventory and reminders

The POS accepts cash, card and transfer, supports discounts and printed or digital receipts, and can continue checkout offline. That breadth helps businesses that need to keep sales moving when connectivity is unavailable. Inventory tracking rounds out the product, though the plans’ product caps make the Free and Starter tiers less suitable for businesses with larger catalogs.

Automatic confirmations and reminders can go through Email, Telegram, WhatsApp and Viber. The range gives salons several ways to reach clients, but no payment-processing fees or terms are established, so businesses should weigh those separately before relying on Pronto for payments.

Privacy and deployment

Pronto’s privacy policy describes TLS encryption in transit, encryption at rest, access controls and regular security reviews; it also says personal data is not sold. Passwords are hashed, card data is not stored by Pronto, and deleted-account data is removed or anonymized within 30 days except where legal retention applies. Cloud users can export client data and history at any time, while self-hosted data remains on the user’s server.

Self-hosting uses Docker Compose and requires at least 1 GB RAM. Linux, macOS and Windows with WSL2 are supported. That option suits teams that want data on their own server, but it also means taking responsibility for a deployment rather than simply choosing a hosted path.

Pricing

Pronto is freemium, with paid plans starting at $19/mo. The Free plan costs 0.00 USD per free, billed Forever, and allows 1 staff member, 100 clients, 50 bookings per month and 100 products. It is a sensible way for a solo operator to start, but the client and booking caps can make it a short runway for a growing salon.

Starter is 19.00 USD per month, billed Monthly, for 5 staff, unlimited clients and bookings, and 2,000 products. It removes the client and booking ceilings at a manageable team size, but the product limit still matters to inventory-heavy shops. Pro is 39.00 USD per month, billed Monthly, and raises capacity to 15 staff with unlimited clients, bookings and products. That is the more appropriate step for a larger single-location team that needs an uncapped catalog.

Agency is 79.00 USD per month, billed Monthly, with an unlimited team, unlimited clients and bookings, multiple locations, and priority support. It is the clearest fit for operators managing multiple sites or a larger workforce. White-label mode, API access, staff permissions and dedicated support with SLA are coming soon rather than current capabilities. Email support is listed, while the documentation directs users to GitHub issues for help.

Platforms

Pronto supports web, Linux, macOS, Windows and self-hosted deployment. That range gives desktop-oriented teams a local installation option alongside web access, with Docker Compose and the 1 GB RAM minimum relevant to anyone choosing self-hosting.

Who it's for

Pronto is aimed at beauty salons, hair salons, nail salons and barbershops, and also lists spas, lash studios and tattoo studios. It is strongest for teams seeking booking, POS, reminders and client handling in a single service, especially when a free start or keeping self-hosted data on their own server matters. Businesses that need API access, white labeling, staff permissions or SLA-backed support now should look elsewhere until those capabilities arrive.

Pros and cons

Pros: Account-free, app-free booking uses only a client’s name and phone number, reducing friction at the point of reservation.
Pros: Offline checkout and multiple payment types support day-to-day sales even when connectivity is interrupted.
Pros: Client imports from named salon platforms and CSV exports provide a practical route for bringing existing records into Pronto.
Pros: Cloud export and self-hosting give operators distinct data-portability choices.
Cons: Free is capped at one staff member, 100 clients, 50 bookings per month and 100 products, so it is better for a small operation than a busy salon.
Cons: Starter’s 2,000-product limit may constrain inventory-heavy businesses, making Pro the first tier with unlimited products.
Cons: API access, white-labeling, staff permissions and SLA support are not yet available, limiting teams that need those controls today.

Alternatives

Consider Salonist if a free appointment tier for up to 50 appointments monthly is sufficient and Android or iOS support is important; its listed free tier also includes online booking, calendar and scheduling, and staff shift management. Fresha is another freemium option, with a one-team-member Independent plan and an unlimited-team Team plan, for readers comparing a salon-focused service with different team tiers.

Choose DaySmart Salon if a paid product with a free trial and a $29.00 USD monthly Basic plan for one user is a better fit. Easy Salon may suit teams comparing professional-count tiers priced in BRL: its listed plans cover one to two or three to five professionals.

GlossGenius is worth comparing if its paid Standard plan at 28.00 USD per month, with a custom booking website and unlimited client notifications, matches the need. Wellyx Salon POS offers paid tiers including Excel at 99.00 USD per month for small to mid-sized studios, with membership management, online bookings and scheduling.

Booksy is a paid alternative at 29.99 USD per month plus tax, with all features included and a $20/month charge per additional user; payment processing and hardware are excluded. Boulevard is another paid option to compare for teams considering its listed Essentials and Premier tiers.

For category-specific comparisons, see Salon POS Software, Esthetician Software, Salon Inventory Management Software, Barbershop Scheduling Software, Salon Appointment Scheduling Software and Barbershop Software.

Verdict

Pronto is a strong fit for salons and barbershops that want bookings, checkout, client records and reminders together, with an affordable paid path and the option to self-host. Its main draw is the breadth of everyday workflows, including low-friction booking and offline POS; its main reasons to look elsewhere are the Free plan’s tight caps and the absence, for now, of advanced controls such as API access and staff permissions.

	GROOM	Pronto
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Free trial	No	No
Paid from	Free	$19/mo
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Web	Linux, macOS, self-hosted, Web, Windows
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Memberships	Yes	—
Inventory management	Yes	—
Client mobile app	No	—
Paid from	—	19 /mo

GROOM vs Pronto

GROOM

Pronto