Overview

SalonApp brings salon scheduling, client records, payments, and staff operations into one platform. It suits independent stylists and salons that want booking and back-office tools together, particularly if they value a phone-answering AI receptionist. Its broad feature set is balanced by a sharply capped free tier and several distinct paid plans.

It runs on Android, iOS, and the web. For med spas, its role is limited to front-of-house operations; clinical records should stay in an EMR.

Key features

Booking and client records

A drag-and-drop calendar, online booking, automated reminders, and no-show protection cover the appointment cycle. Client profiles can hold color formulas, allergies, photos, preferences, and visit history, making the product a stronger fit for salons that need service-specific context than a booking calendar alone. The free plan's 20-appointment monthly cap makes it a trial-size option, not a lasting fit for a busier schedule.

AI receptionist and payments

The AI receptionist answers calls 24/7 in 16 languages and can book, cancel, or reschedule against the live calendar. Higher AI plans add message-taking and smart transfers, then priority phone routing. Minute quotas are central to choosing among them: Solo includes 500 AI-handled minutes monthly, Starter 1,500, and Pro 5,000.

The point-of-sale handles tap, chip, swipe, and online payments, with Square and Stripe integrations. QuickBooks and Xero synchronization can connect bookkeeping workflows. These integrations make SalonApp more useful as an operating hub, though they do not remove the need to check whether its plan and payment setup fit a salon's existing processes.

Marketing, payroll, and safeguards

Marketing includes email and SMS campaigns, audience segments, A/B tests, referrals, automated flows, and review requests. Staff tools cover commissions, time clock, booth rental, and payroll for the US and Canada. Commission tracking, tip calculation, contractor payments, tax filing, payroll reports, and direct deposit are also included among its payroll capabilities.

Intake forms, signatures, and photos are encrypted at rest; the maker says a BAA is available for HIPAA-applicable accounts. It also cites SSL encryption, row-level security, and daily backups on Supabase infrastructure. Those safeguards are relevant for handling client information, but med spas still need to keep clinical records in an EMR.

Pricing

SalonApp is freemium. Its Free plan costs 0.00 USD per free and allows up to 15 clients, 20 appointments per month, and one staff member. That is enough to explore basic use at very small scale, but the caps rule it out for most established teams.

Starter costs 39.00 USD per 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 team that has outgrown the free caps; it gives up the marketing, loyalty, commission tracking, payroll management, advanced reports, and phone and chat support in Professional.

AI Receptionist Solo also costs 39.00 USD per month and provides 500 AI-handled minutes monthly, 16 languages, appointment changes, and email support. AI Receptionist Starter costs 79.00 USD per month for 1,500 minutes, Solo features, message-taking, smart transfers, and priority email support. AI Receptionist Pro costs 149.00 USD per month for 5,000 minutes, Starter features, priority phone routing, and a dedicated success manager. These are receptionist tiers, so choose by expected call volume and routing needs rather than treating them as substitutes for the salon-management plans.

Professional costs 79.00 USD per month, billed monthly, and supports up to 15 staff with marketing and loyalty, commission tracking, payroll management, advanced reports and AI, plus phone and chat support. It fits growing teams that need those operational tools; teams beyond 15 staff need Enterprise, which costs 149.00 USD per month, billed monthly. Enterprise adds unlimited staff, multi-location support, online booking, data export and backup, a dedicated account manager, and custom integrations.

Every paid plan includes a 14-day free trial, and no credit card is required to start. The monthly prices make the entry cost clear, while the separate receptionist tiers mean a salon may need to compare its staffing plan and call-handling needs independently.

Platforms

Android, iOS, and web support give staff and owners access across mobile devices and browsers.

Who it's for

SalonApp is aimed at independent stylists, boutique salons, spas and wellness businesses, and multi-location operators. Starter suits a small staffed salon needing unlimited appointments; Professional is the more complete choice for teams needing payroll and marketing, while Enterprise is intended for multi-location or larger operations. Very small practices can begin on Free, but its one-staff, 15-client, and 20-appointment limits are restrictive. Med spas should use it for front-of-house work, not clinical records.

Pros and cons

Pros: Booking, client histories, POS, marketing, and payroll features can sit in one salon-focused system, reducing the need to piece together those workflows.
Pros: The AI receptionist can manage appointment changes around the clock in 16 languages, with higher tiers adding transfer and routing options.
Pros: Paid plans have a 14-day trial with no credit card required to start.
Cons: Free is constrained to 15 clients, 20 monthly appointments, and one staff member, so it is not a practical long-term plan for a growing salon.
Cons: Receptionist minutes are quota-based, and the higher-capacity options carry separate monthly prices from the core salon plans.
Cons: Clinical recordkeeping is outside its intended med-spa scope.

Alternatives

Gratsio is worth considering when a business needs its free plan's listing and store-product allowances rather than SalonApp's salon operations focus; its free tier allows three listings monthly, 10 product listings monthly, 25 store products, two blog posts monthly, and one staff seat, with stated service-booking commission.

Salonist may suit a salon seeking a free marketplace-listing plan with online booking, calendar, and scheduling; that tier allows 50 appointments monthly. Its Essential plan costs 79.00 USD per month.

Tersavia offers a free booking and client-management plan described as free forever, covering every location with no per-seat charge and no contract; consider it if those terms matter more than SalonApp's broader operations toolkit. Its web-only platform may also be a consideration.

Fresha offers an Independent plan for one team member and a Team plan for unlimited team members; choose it if those team-size options better match your salon.

SalonWings is a paid alternative with a quarterly plan priced at 5500.00 INR per once, valid 90 days, plus 18% GST; consider it if that billing structure is preferable.

Spa/Salon Manager has a Cloud Version for one employee at 74.00 USD per month; it may be a fit for a salon comparing a paid single-employee cloud plan.

DaySmart Salon offers a paid Basic plan at 29.00 USD per month for one user, with online booking, appointment confirmations, and Instagram and Facebook booking; consider it if those booking channels and lower stated entry price are priorities.

Insight Salon Software has a Solo Edition cloud plan at 25.00 USD per month for a single employee and a Partner Edition at 50.00 USD per month; it is another option when comparing paid salon software by team size.

For focused comparisons, see Salon Payroll Software, Salon Commission Management Software, Salon Membership Software, and Salon Marketing Software.

Verdict

SalonApp is a strong choice for salons that want appointments, client histories, payments, and staff administration together, especially those that can use its multilingual AI receptionist or built-in payroll and marketing tools. Choose Starter for a small team that needs uncapped appointments, Professional for broader staff operations, and Enterprise for multi-location scale. Look elsewhere if the free limits are too tight, if you need a simpler focused plan, or if clinical med-spa records must be managed in the same system.

	Idle	SalonApp
Free plan	No	Yes
Free trial	No	Yes
Paid from	—	$39/mo
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Web	Android, iOS, Web
Free plan	No	Yes
Commission tracking	Yes	Yes
Payroll reports	Yes	Yes
Paid from	—	39 /mo
Tip calculation	—	Yes
Contractor payments	—	Yes
Tax filing	—	Yes
Direct deposit	—	Yes

Idle vs SalonApp

Idle

SalonApp