Overview

Salonist is cloud-based management software for appointment-led beauty and personal-care businesses. It suits owners who want bookings, sales, stock and staff operations in one system, though the free tier’s 50-appointment monthly cap makes it a limited starting point for busy businesses.

It runs on web, iOS and Android without installation. Clients can book 24/7 through a business website, Instagram or the Salonist app, including recurring and package appointments. Automatic reminders, cancellation controls, staff calendars, appointment payments and external calendar sync support the booking workflow.

Key features

Bookings, staff and client access

Online self-booking can reduce the need to handle every appointment manually, while customer history helps staff work with returning clients. Owners can assign different access levels to staff, a useful control when not everyone should see the same profiles or information.

Point of sale and inventory

The integrated POS supports card, contactless and Stripe terminal payments, plus bulk checkout, payment reports and stock updates. That connection is useful for salons that sell products alongside services; payment processing and inventory tools are part of the broader system rather than separate workflows.

Integrations and service

Salonist lists more than 40 integrations, including Stripe, PayPal, Razorpay, Clover, QuickBooks, Qoyod, Tabby, Tamara and Authorize.Net. It states 99.95% availability and 24X7 support and maintenance coverage for critical failures or queries. Support is offered by in-app chat and email, with on-demand phone support on Essential and higher; supported languages include English and Arabic, among others. HTTPS browsing secures app sessions.

Free onboarding and data import cover clients, services, staff, products and appointment history from systems such as Zenoti, Fresha, Vagaro and Mindbody, as well as spreadsheets. That can ease a move from an existing booking system. A custom-branded client app, published under the salon’s name in both major app stores, is reserved for Expert.

Pricing

Salonist has a free plan and a 7-day trial. Paid plan prices are billed monthly.

Market Place Listing — 0.00 USD per free: Includes online booking, calendar and scheduling, and staff shift management, capped at 50 appointments per month. It is a low-cost way to establish booking, but the quota limits its usefulness as appointment volume grows.
Essential — 59.00 USD per month: Adds unlimited staff, POS, sales and appointment reports, customer history, coupons, inventory and reminders. It is the practical tier for businesses that need sales and stock management as well as scheduling.
Advance — 109.00 USD per month: Includes everything in Essential plus surveys, rewards, gift cards, campaigns, inventory management and third-party SMS API integrations. Choose it when customer engagement tools and SMS integrations justify the additional monthly cost.
Expert — 179.00 USD per month: Adds multi-branch reporting, a dedicated account manager, branded app, waitlists, custom integrations and API access. Its clearest fit is a multi-location operation or a business that needs its own branded client app or custom connections.

Salonist charges a one-time 15% commission on the first visit from a brand-new client found through its marketplace. Returning-client bookings and direct bookings do not incur that commission, so the fee matters most when marketplace discovery brings in new customers.

Platforms

Salonist is available on the web, iOS and Android. Its cloud-based access means businesses can use it on web and mobile without installing software.

Who it's for

The range of booking and retail tools suits hair salons, barbershops, spas, massage centers, makeup artists, bridal salons, tattoo artists, pet groomers, nail salons, aesthetic skin clinics and salon booth renters. Its breadth is an advantage for owners seeking one system across appointments and operations. Businesses with low appointment volume can start on the free tier; those needing a branded app must budget for Expert.

Pros and cons

Pro: Booking, POS, inventory, staff tools and client marketing sit in one platform, reducing the need to coordinate separate systems for core salon operations.
Pro: Free onboarding and import cover appointment history and operational records, which can make switching less burdensome.
Con: The free plan stops at 50 appointments per month, so growing businesses may need to move to the $59.00 USD per month Essential plan for unlimited staff and POS.
Con: The custom-branded client app is limited to Expert at $179.00 USD per month, putting salon-branded app publishing behind the highest listed tier.
Con: Marketplace-sourced first visits carry a 15% commission, which can reduce the benefit of acquiring new clients through that channel.

Alternatives

For a more focused salon staffing tool, compare Salon Staff Scheduling Software; for stock-focused options, see Salon Inventory Management Software. Businesses prioritizing checkout can compare Salon POS Software. Skin clinics may prefer to browse Esthetician Software, while spa operators can compare Spa Management Software; booth renters can review Salon Booth Rental Software.

Squadra is a web-based alternative with a free plan covering up to 10 employees at one location, including schedule sharing and phone or tablet clock-in. Consider it when workforce scheduling is the priority and that free employee and location allowance fits.

Kitomba is another salon-oriented option, with Lite covering online booking, stock management, POS with integrated EFTPOS and marketing tools. It may suit businesses seeking that combination in a paid product.

Altegio is a paid alternative with a free trial and web, iOS and Android support. Its listed one-month subscription is 7490.00 HUF per month for team members, with unlimited country coverage and VAT excluded.

Boulevard is a paid web and mobile option with Essentials and Premier plans. It is worth comparing for businesses considering a different salon or med-spa platform.

Calendall offers a free trial and web and mobile apps; its Basic plan covers appointment planning, client management, analytics and staff management. It is an alternative for businesses weighing those core management tools.

Rosy is a paid alternative with a free trial and a Just Me plan for one service-provider calendar. Its Standard Subscription with RosyPay discount is 29.00 USD per month, making it a comparison point for solo providers.

Zoho Shifts has a free plan and supports web, iOS and Android.

Daypart is an iOS and web alternative with a free trial and is built and run by one developer, Travis Rudisill of Ghostwood Software.

Verdict

Salonist is a strong fit for salons and related appointment businesses that want scheduling, checkout, stock and customer engagement tools under one roof, with migration support to help bring existing records across. Its main trade-offs are the free plan’s 50-appointment ceiling, commission on marketplace-acquired first visits and the Expert-only branded app. Choose it when operational breadth matters more than keeping every feature in a low-cost tier; look elsewhere if a capped booking plan or the price of Expert does not fit.

	NEXSalon	Salonist
Free plan	No	Yes
Free trial	No	Yes
Paid from	—	$59/mo
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Web	Android, iOS, Web
Free plan	No	Yes
Client history	Yes	—
Communication channels	email_sms	—
Retention campaigns	Yes	—
Mobile apps	none	—

NEXSalon vs Salonist

NEXSalon

Salonist