Overview

Salonist is cloud software for appointment-led service businesses that want bookings, checkout and day-to-day operations in one system. It is a strong fit for salons and related businesses that need more than a booking calendar, but its free tier’s 50-appointment monthly ceiling and marketplace commission call for a close look.

It runs on web, iOS and Android without installation. Clients can book around the clock through a business website, Instagram or the Salonist app, with recurring and package bookings supported. Automatic reminders, cancellation controls, staff calendars, appointment payments and external calendar sync round out the booking workflow.

Key features

Booking, staff and client records

Online self-booking gives clients a route to schedule outside business hours, while customer history helps staff serve returning clients. Owners can set different access levels for staff, which is useful when access to profiles or business information should vary by role. Salonist also supports coupons, surveys, rewards, gift cards and campaigns on paid tiers, extending the system beyond appointment administration.

Checkout and stock

The integrated POS accepts card, contactless and Stripe terminal payments, and supports bulk checkout, payment reports and stock updates. That combination suits businesses selling retail products alongside services, because checkout and inventory activity are connected. Salonist lists more than 40 integrations, including Stripe, PayPal, Razorpay, Clover, QuickBooks, Qoyod, Tabby, Tamara and Authorize.Net, giving teams several payment and accounting options to consider.

Service and migration

Salonist states 99.95% availability and 24X7 support and maintenance coverage for critical failures or queries. Support includes in-app chat, email and on-demand phone support on Essential and above, in English, Arabic, French and other languages. Free onboarding and data import cover clients, services, staff, products and appointment history from systems such as Zenoti, Fresha, Vagaro, Mindbody or spreadsheets, reducing the work of switching systems.

HTTPS protects sessions when customers use the app. The custom-branded client app, published under the salon’s name in both major app stores, is reserved for the Expert plan, so businesses that want their own branded app must budget for the top tier.

Pricing

Salonist uses a freemium model with a free plan and a 7-day trial. The free Market Place Listing plan costs 0.00 USD per free and allows 50 appointments per month, online booking, calendar and scheduling, and staff shift management. That is a low-commitment way to establish a booking workflow, but the monthly cap limits its usefulness for busier businesses. Salonist charges 15% once on a first visit from a new client found through its marketplace; returning-client and direct bookings do not incur that fee.

Essential — 59.00 USD per month: Unlimited staff, POS, sales and appointment reports, customer history, coupons, inventory and reminders. It is the practical step up for a business that needs checkout and operational tools beyond the free booking allowance.
Advance — 109.00 USD per month: Everything in Essential, plus surveys, rewards, gift cards, campaigns, inventory management and third-party SMS API integrations. Choose it when retention and marketing tools matter enough to justify the higher monthly cost.
Expert — 179.00 USD per month: Everything in Advance, plus multi-branch reporting, a dedicated account manager, branded app, waitlists, custom integrations and API access. It is aimed at multi-location operators or teams that need a client app under their own brand or deeper integration options.

All three paid prices are billed monthly. The free tier is the clear entry point, but the 50-appointment cap and marketplace fee are important trade-offs; the branded app and custom integrations require a substantially higher spend.

Platforms

Salonist is available on Android, iOS and the web. Its cloud-based setup requires no installation, which suits teams working across mobile devices and browsers.

Who it's for

The product serves hair salons, massage centers, makeup artists, spas, barbershops, bridal salons, tattoo artists, pet groomers, nail salons, aesthetic skin clinics and salon booth renters. It is best suited to service businesses that want booking, POS, inventory and staff operations together. A small operation can start with the free plan if it stays within the appointment cap; businesses needing unlimited staff and POS should assess Essential, while multi-branch teams or those seeking a branded app should look at Expert.

Pros and cons

Pro: Booking, POS, inventory, staff tools and client history sit within one cloud platform, covering both service appointments and retail checkout.
Pro: Free onboarding and imports include appointment history and core business records, easing a move from several named salon systems or spreadsheets.
Pro: More than 40 integrations and multiple payment methods offer options for businesses with existing payment or accounting tools.
Con: The free plan stops at 50 appointments per month, making it a constrained long-term choice for higher-volume businesses.
Con: New marketplace clients carry a one-time 15% fee on their first visit, while the branded app and custom integrations are held for the $179.00 USD per month Expert tier.

Alternatives

For a no-cost option with a stated allowance of 50 bookings per month and explicit caps of one staff member, 100 clients and 100 products, consider Pronto; its listed platform range also includes Linux, macOS, Windows and self-hosting. DaySmart Salon is a paid alternative with a free trial and a $29.00 per month Basic plan that includes one user, online booking, appointment confirmations and social booking. For a paid option with a custom booking website and unlimited client notifications at $28.00 per month, consider GlossGenius, which also includes email and text marketing and inventory and retail tools. Easy Salon is another paid alternative, with monthly plans priced by professional count in BRL. Kitomba offers salon plans with online booking, stock management, POS and marketing tools. Wellyx Salon POS is a paid alternative whose Excel plan targets small to mid-sized studios and includes membership management, online booking and scheduling. Booksy costs $29.99 per month plus tax, with all features included, but charges $20 per month for each additional user and excludes payment processing and hardware. Boulevard is another paid option for teams comparing salon and med-spa software.

Readers comparing by workflow can also browse Salon POS Software, Salon Staff Scheduling Software, Barbershop Software, Esthetician Software, Spa Management Software and Salon Appointment Scheduling Software.

Verdict

Salonist is a sensible choice for salon and personal-care businesses that want appointments, checkout, inventory and staff administration under one cloud roof, with migration help to ease the transition. Start free only if 50 monthly appointments are enough and the marketplace commission is acceptable; look elsewhere if that cap is restrictive, or compare the paid tiers carefully if a branded app or custom integrations are essential.

	Salonist	SpaSphere
Free plan	Yes	No
Free trial	Yes	Yes
Paid from	$59/mo	$29/mo
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Android, iOS, Web	Android, iOS, Web
Free plan	Yes	No
Online booking	Yes	Yes
Payment processing	Yes	—
Paid from	—	139 /mo

Salonist vs SpaSphere

Salonist

SpaSphere