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Food & Restaurant · head to head

Aloha POS vs DaySmart Salon

Aloha POS logo

Aloha POS

Food & Restaurant

Industry-leading restaurant POS solution

From
$150/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
DaySmart Salon logo

DaySmart Salon

Beauty & Salon

Intelligent salon and spa business platform

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Aloha POS high upfront hardware costs ($1,000+ per terminal) make it expensive to deploy across multiple locations; DaySmart Salon the $29 per month Basic plan includes only 1 user and excludes resource management, packages, memberships, payroll and digital forms
  • They diverge on capability: Aloha POS covers Table management, DaySmart Salon covers Online booking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Aloha POS and DaySmart Salon actually diverge.

Attributes where Aloha POS and DaySmart Salon differ
AttributeAloha POSDaySmart Salon
Starting price$150/month$99/month
PlatformsWindows, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryFood & RestaurantBeauty & Salon
Founded19882010

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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 Aloha POS

  • Table management
  • Order management
  • Labor scheduling
  • Inventory control
  • Enterprise reporting
  • Loyalty programs
  • NCR Back Office
  • Third-party delivery

Only in DaySmart Salon

  • Online booking
  • Appointment scheduling
  • Point of sale
  • Inventory management
  • Staff scheduling
  • Client management
  • Marketing automation
  • Business analytics

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Aloha POS

  • Point of Salenot DaySmart Salon
  • Order Managementnot DaySmart Salon
  • Inventory Controlnot DaySmart Salon
  • Staff Schedulingnot DaySmart Salon

DaySmart Salon

  • Appointment booking and staff scheduling for hair and beauty salonsnot Aloha POS
  • Salon point of sale with packages and membershipsnot Aloha POS
  • Commission based stylist payroll and expense trackingnot Aloha POS
  • Client reminders and marketing by text and emailnot Aloha POS

Where each one falls short

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

Aloha POS

  • High upfront hardware costs ($1,000+ per terminal) make it expensive to deploy across multiple locations
  • User interface is dated with functionality from 2005-era design, requiring training for staff familiar with modern applications
  • Network connectivity issues cause terminals to lose access to central database when Wi-Fi drops, leading to transaction failures
  • Requires proprietary terminals unlike competitors that run on standard iPads or Android tablets
  • Complex customization requires expensive professional services and cannot be configured by restaurant staff

DaySmart Salon

  • The $29 per month Basic plan includes only 1 user and excludes resource management, packages, memberships, payroll and digital forms
  • Extra users cost $9 per month each on Deluxe, Deluxe Growth and Premium
  • Messaging is metered per plan: 500 texts and 1,000 emails per month on Basic, 1,000 texts and 5,000 emails on Deluxe, 5,000 texts and 20,000 emails at the top tier
  • Text marketing, two way texting, reputation management and the website builder are paid add ons whose prices are not published
  • Expense tracking, advanced payroll, commission tracking, sliding scale commissions and overtime rules are limited to Premium Growth
  • Premium Growth is custom priced with no published rate

Pricing, plan by plan

Aloha POS

$150/month
  • Essentials$150/month
    • POS
    • Basic reporting
  • Professional$250/month
    • Advanced features
    • Labor management
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Custom pricing
    • Full suite

DaySmart Salon

$99/month
  • Starter$99/month
    • Online booking
    • Scheduling
    • Client management
  • Professional$199/month
    • Everything in Starter
    • POS
    • Inventory
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Custom solutions
    • API access
    • Dedicated support

Which should you pick?

Choose Aloha POS if

  • You need table management.
  • You work on Windows, Android.
  • You also want order management.
Aloha POS review

Choose DaySmart Salon if

  • You need online booking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want appointment scheduling.
DaySmart Salon review

Questions people ask

Is Aloha POS or DaySmart Salon better?
Neither clearly leads. Aloha POS starts at $150/month and DaySmart Salon at $99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Aloha POS or DaySmart Salon?
Aloha POS starts at $150/month and DaySmart Salon at $99/month.
Does Aloha POS or DaySmart Salon run on more platforms?
Aloha POS runs on Windows, Android. DaySmart Salon runs on Web, Ios, Android.
What is Aloha POS best used for?
Aloha POS is most often used for point of sale, order management, inventory control, staff scheduling. Of those, point of sale and order management are not what DaySmart Salon is typically brought in for.
What can Aloha POS do that DaySmart Salon cannot?
Aloha POS covers Table management, Order management, Labor scheduling, Inventory control. DaySmart Salon covers Online booking, Appointment scheduling, Point of sale, Inventory management. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Aloha POS: What are the hardware options for Aloha POS?

Aloha offers two main products: Aloha Essentials POS which runs on Windows servers at your location, and Aloha Cloud POS which operates on Android-based mobile terminals connected to cloud systems. Hardware costs approximately $1,000 per terminal or available through subscription.

Source
Aloha POS: What features does Aloha include for restaurant operations?

Aloha includes kitchen automation, table management, staff rosters, payment processing, inventory tracking, reporting, customer loyalty programs, and employee time tracking.

Source
Aloha POS: Is Aloha POS available as a subscription?

Yes. NCR Aloha offers an all-in-one monthly subscription model that includes software, hardware, payment processing, and 24/7 customer support. Upfront implementation costs vary based on specific needs.

Source
Aloha POS: What are the network requirements for Aloha POS?

Aloha Essentials requires a stable network connection between terminals and the Windows server. Network disruptions cause terminals to lose access to the central database, resulting in transaction failures and payment errors.

Source
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