A hair salon books differently from a barbershop or a nail salon. One client is in for a 15-minute fringe trim, the next is booked for four hours of balayage. Color has processing time where the stylist is free. Clients come back every six to ten weeks, and a stylist needs last visit's formula in front of them. Most salon apps can take a booking. Fewer handle all of that well.
This guide is for salon owners. It covers what hair salon software needs to do, compares eight apps with real prices for a 5-stylist salon, and says who each one fits. If you have 1 to 3 chairs, our guide to the best salon scheduling apps for small salons prices them for smaller teams.
What hair salon software needs to do
Book long and short services correctly
A color and cut can run three hours. A men's cut runs 30 minutes. Your booking page should show each service with its real length, so clients can't book a balayage into a 45-minute gap at 5:15.
Use the processing time
While a color processes, the stylist is standing around for 30 to 45 minutes. Most hair salon apps let you split a color service into parts: application, processing, then rinse and finish. The processing part can be booked for another client, so the stylist can fit a quick cut or blowout in that gap. For a colorist, that adds a service or two a day. Check that the app does this, and whether clients booking online can take that time too.
Keep notes and formulas on the client
Your colorist needs to see last visit's formula before the client sits down, not after scrolling through old texts. Look for notes on the client's profile that every stylist can see.
Take deposits for long appointments
A no-show on a four-hour color is half a day of lost money. Deposits or a card on file with a no-show fee protect the long bookings. (More ways to cut them in how to reduce salon no-shows.)
Fit how you pay stylists
- Commission salons need the software to work out each stylist's share on every ticket, with tips kept separate. (See how to set up a hair stylist commission split.)
- Booth-rent salons need each stylist to get their own payouts, and sometimes rent tracking. (See how much to charge for booth rent.)
Bring clients back
Hair clients rebook on a rhythm. Reminders before the visit cut no-shows, and a "time to book again" text a few weeks later fills next month's book.
Handle walk-ins, if you take them
Many hair salons take walk-ins for cuts and blowouts. If yours does, you need a fair way to decide which stylist takes the next one. (See how to manage walk-ins and appointments in a hair salon.)
Hair salon software compared
Monthly prices for a salon with 5 stylists, from each company's published pricing in November 2026.
| Software | 5 stylists | Book during processing time | Commissions | Deposits / no-show fees | New-client fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SupaDay Grow | $70/mo | No (buffer time only) | Included | Included | None |
| Vagaro | ~$70/mo + add-ons | Yes | Payroll add-on | Yes | None for listing |
| GlossGenius Gold | $56/mo ($48 billed yearly) | Yes | Platinum ($168) | Included | None |
| Boulevard Essentials | from ~$159/mo | Yes (processing and finishing time) | Yes | Yes | None |
| Mangomint | ~$170/mo | Yes, online too | Payroll add-on ($90 for 5) | Card on file | None |
| Square Appointments | $0–$149/mo | Yes | Plus ($49) | No-show fees on Plus | None |
| Fresha Team | ~$75/mo | Yes | Included on Team | Yes | 20% of first marketplace booking (min $6) |
| Booksy | ~$110/mo | Yes | Not listed | No-show protection | 30% of first visit with Boost (max $100) |
Boulevard lists Essentials at $143 a month when billed yearly and about $159 month to month, for up to 5 calendars. Phorest and Meevo, two other well-known salon systems, don't publish prices; you get a quote after a sales call.
SupaDay: commission salons that also take walk-ins
SupaDay works out each stylist's commission on every ticket, keeps card tips separate and gives you a commission report to download. Clients book online from your Instagram or Google profile, get a text reminder the day before, and you can take a deposit or charge a cancellation fee. For walk-ins, a shared turn list shows which stylist is up next, and clients can check in with a QR code at the door. Grow includes 500 texts a month. Business ($22 per stylist, capped at $149) adds Google review requests and "time to rebook" texts.
Best for: commission salons with 3 to 10 stylists, especially ones that mix walk-ins and appointments. Watch out for: it can't book another client into a color's processing time yet. You can add buffer time before or after a service, but the whole appointment stays blocked. Client notes are a single notes field, without a separate formula card.
Vagaro: lots of features, and add-ons
Vagaro is $30 a month for one calendar plus $10 for each extra stylist, so a 5-stylist salon starts at $70. You can leave gaps in a service for processing and book into them. Payroll, rent collection for booth renters, text marketing and a check-in tablet are separate add-ons, and Vagaro lists salons on its marketplace for free.
Best for: salons that want a marketplace listing and a long list of tools to choose from. Watch out for: the add-ons. Price the plan with everything you'll actually use.
GlossGenius: small salons and booth renters
GlossGenius Gold covers up to 9 staff for $56 a month, or $48 billed yearly. Processing time, deposits and no-show policies come on every plan, and booth renters can get paid into their own bank accounts. Customizable commissions are on Platinum at $168 a month ($148 billed yearly), and payroll is extra. Card processing is 2.4% + 15¢ in person.
Best for: booth-rent salons and small teams that want something simple and good-looking. Watch out for: a commission salon pays for Platinum to get custom commission splits.
Boulevard: premium salons with a front desk
Boulevard is built for busy salons with a front desk. Its booking builds in processing and finishing time, and it pays stylists and booth renters automatically. Essentials covers up to 5 calendars from $143 a month billed yearly; bigger teams move to higher plans. (See SupaDay vs Boulevard for hair salons for a closer look.)
Best for: high-end, color-heavy salons with a front desk. Watch out for: the price. A 5-stylist salon pays about twice what most other apps here cost.
Mangomint: polished, with a price to match
Mangomint is $120 a month per location plus $10 per stylist, about $170 for 5 stylists. Processing and finishing time can be booked for other services, including from online booking. Payroll is an add-on at $50 a month plus $8 per worker, so commissions for 5 stylists add $90.
Best for: established salons that want a smooth front desk and are happy to pay for it. Watch out for: a commission salon pays about $260 a month once payroll is added.
Square Appointments: if you already use Square
Square's free plan covers booking, a calendar and checkout for one location. Plus ($49) adds no-show fees, a waitlist and commission tracking, and Premium is $149. You can set gap times in a service so the processing part can be booked. Card processing is 2.5% + 15¢ in person. (Full review: is Square Appointments good for salons.)
Best for: salons already using Square for payments and retail. Watch out for: no-show fees and commissions both need Plus.
Fresha: low price, fee on new clients
Fresha's Team plan is $14.95 per stylist, about $75 for 5. Processing and finishing time, commissions and no-show fees are included, and you can list on Fresha's marketplace. When a new client finds you there, Fresha takes 20% of their first booking, at least $6.
Best for: salons that want marketplace bookings at a low monthly price. Watch out for: on a $200 color and cut, a new marketplace client costs you $40.
Booksy: marketplace for appointments
Booksy is $29.99 a month plus $20 for each extra stylist, about $110 for 5. It handles processing time and includes no-show protection. Its Boost program brings in new clients for 30% of their first visit, capped at $100. (See the best Booksy alternatives for hair salons.)
Best for: appointment salons that get many new clients from the Booksy app. Watch out for: Boost fees on high-ticket color clients reach the $100 cap fast.
How to choose hair salon software
- Mostly color: you need bookable processing time, deposits and client notes. Boulevard, Mangomint, GlossGenius and Vagaro all handle processing time well.
- Commission salon: pick software that works out commissions at checkout. Check which plan includes it, since several apps keep it on their top plan or sell it as an add-on.
- Booth-rent salon: GlossGenius and Vagaro let each renter get their own payouts.
- New clients from a marketplace: Vagaro, Fresha and Booksy. Work out what the first-visit fee costs on your average ticket.
- You take walk-ins: look for a walk-in turn list and check-in, which most booking apps don't have.
- Price it for your real team: add the add-ons and the plan you actually need, and compare that total.
Try your top two during a free trial on a real busy day, with a color client booked. A calendar always looks tidy in a demo.
The bottom line
The best hair salon software is the one that matches how your salon earns. If most of your day is color, pick an app that books into processing time and takes deposits: Boulevard and Mangomint at the top end, GlossGenius and Vagaro for less. If you run on commission and take walk-ins, SupaDay works out every stylist's pay and keeps the walk-in line fair, at $70 a month for 5 stylists. See how SupaDay works for hair salons →
