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Scheduling · head to head

Acuity Scheduling vs Salon Ultimate

Acuity Scheduling logo

Acuity Scheduling

Scheduling

Scheduling made simple

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Salon Ultimate logo

Salon Ultimate

Beauty

Complete salon management made simple

From
$69/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Acuity Scheduling has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Acuity Scheduling starter tier limited to 1 calendar only; Salon Ultimate no per-seat pricing model, only per-location billing
  • They diverge on capability: Acuity Scheduling covers Appointment types, Salon Ultimate covers Appointment scheduling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Acuity Scheduling and Salon Ultimate actually diverge.

Attributes where Acuity Scheduling and Salon Ultimate differ
AttributeAcuity SchedulingSalon Ultimate
Starting priceFree$69/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
CategorySchedulingBeauty
Founded20032008

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Acuity Scheduling

  • Appointment types
  • Calendar sync
  • Payment processing
  • Email reminders
  • Client self-scheduling
  • Packages & memberships
  • Timezone detection
  • Squarespace

Only in Salon Ultimate

  • Appointment scheduling
  • Client database
  • Point of sale
  • Inventory management
  • Staff scheduling
  • Reporting & analytics
  • Email marketing
  • Square

Both cover

  • Online booking
  • Stripe
  • QuickBooks
  • PCI DSS
  • SSL encryption

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Acuity Scheduling

  • Client self-scheduling with automated time zone conversionnot Salon Ultimate
  • HIPAA-compliant scheduling for healthcare practitionersnot Salon Ultimate
  • Multi-location scheduling with multiple staff membersnot Salon Ultimate
  • Membership, package sales, and gift certificate managementnot Salon Ultimate

Salon Ultimate

  • Appointment managementnot Acuity Scheduling
  • Client retentionnot Acuity Scheduling
  • Inventory controlnot Acuity Scheduling
  • Business reportingnot Acuity Scheduling

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Acuity Scheduling

  • Starter tier limited to 1 calendar only
  • SMS/text reminders, memberships, and gift certificates require Standard or Premium tier
  • HIPAA compliance (BAA signature) exclusive to Premium tier at $49/month
  • Custom API and CSS access, and Acuity branding removal require Premium tier

Salon Ultimate

  • No per-seat pricing model, only per-location billing
  • Pricing applies per salon location, not per user

Pricing, plan by plan

Acuity Scheduling

Free
  • Starter$20/month
    • 1 calendar
    • Payment processing (Stripe, Square, PayPal, Venmo)
    • Email reminders
  • Standard$34/month
    • Up to 6 calendars
    • Starter features
    • Text message reminders
  • Premium$61/month
    • Up to 36 calendars
    • Standard features
    • HIPAA BAA compliance

Salon Ultimate

$69/month
  • BookedBy on Clover$69/month
    • Software and hardware included
  • Single Store$159/month
    • Advanced features for single location
  • Multi-Store$199/month
    • Multi-location management

Which should you pick?

Choose Acuity Scheduling if

  • You need appointment types.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want calendar sync.
Acuity Scheduling review

Choose Salon Ultimate if

  • You need appointment scheduling.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want client database.
Salon Ultimate review

Questions people ask

Is Acuity Scheduling or Salon Ultimate better?
Neither clearly leads. Acuity Scheduling starts at Free and Salon Ultimate at $69/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Acuity Scheduling or Salon Ultimate?
Acuity Scheduling has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Acuity Scheduling and $69/month for Salon Ultimate.
Does Acuity Scheduling or Salon Ultimate run on more platforms?
Acuity Scheduling runs on Web. Salon Ultimate runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Acuity Scheduling for free?
Yes. Acuity Scheduling has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Salon Ultimate starts at $69/month.
What is Acuity Scheduling best used for?
Acuity Scheduling is most often used for client self-scheduling with automated time zone conversion, hipaa-compliant scheduling for healthcare practitioners, multi-location scheduling with multiple staff members, membership, package sales, and gift certificate management. Of those, client self-scheduling with automated time zone conversion and hipaa-compliant scheduling for healthcare practitioners are not what Salon Ultimate is typically brought in for.
What can Acuity Scheduling do that Salon Ultimate cannot?
Acuity Scheduling covers Appointment types, Calendar sync, Payment processing, Email reminders. Salon Ultimate covers Appointment scheduling, Client database, Point of sale, Inventory management. Both handle Online booking, Stripe, QuickBooks, PCI DSS.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Acuity Scheduling: How much does Acuity Scheduling cost?

Starter is $20/month (monthly) or $16/month (annual, 20% savings). Standard is $34/month (monthly) or $27/month (annual). Premium is $61/month (monthly) or $49/month (annual). All include a 7-day free trial with no credit card required. Annual billing is prorated based on signup date.

Source
Salon Ultimate: How much does SalonUltimate cost?

SalonUltimate offers three subscription tiers billed monthly per location: BookedBy on Clover at $69/month, Single Store at $159/month for individual salons, and Multi-Store at $199/month for businesses managing multiple locations.

Source
Acuity Scheduling: How many calendars and staff can I manage per Acuity tier?

Starter supports 1 calendar. Standard supports up to 6 calendars. Premium supports up to 36 calendars. Text message reminders require Standard or higher. Multiple staff/location timezones are only available on Premium.

Source
Salon Ultimate: What features are included in all SalonUltimate plans?

All SalonUltimate plans include online booking, check-in and check-out capabilities, employee scheduling, customer management, service and pricing administration, inventory tracking, standard reporting, email and SMS marketing, unlimited support and training.

Source
Acuity Scheduling: Does Acuity Scheduling offer HIPAA compliance?

HIPAA Business Associate Agreement (BAA) compliance is only available on the Premium plan ($49-61/month). Premium also includes the ability to hide Acuity branding.

Source
Salon Ultimate: Is there a free trial for SalonUltimate?

No free trial period is mentioned on SalonUltimate's pricing page. Demos are available by contacting sales at [email protected] or calling +1 (855) 466-9332.

Source
Salon Ultimate: What is the difference between BookedBy on Clover and SalonUltimate Single Store plans?

BookedBy on Clover at $69/month includes software and hardware shipped to your business. SalonUltimate Single Store at $159/month is designed for individual salon locations seeking advanced features with no hardware included.

Source
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