Softwr

Food & Restaurant · head to head

Aloha POS vs SalonBiz

Aloha POS logo

Aloha POS

Food & Restaurant

Industry-leading restaurant POS solution

From
$150/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SalonBiz logo

SalonBiz

Beauty & Salon

Complete salon and spa management suite

From
$89/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; SalonBiz pricing is per location: $160 per month for Basic, $265 for Essential and $370 for Premium
  • They diverge on capability: Aloha POS covers Table management, SalonBiz covers Appointment scheduling.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Aloha POS and SalonBiz actually diverge.

Attributes where Aloha POS and SalonBiz differ
AttributeAloha POSSalonBiz
Starting price$150/month$89/month
PlatformsWindows, AndroidWeb, Windows
CategoryFood & RestaurantBeauty & Salon
Founded19882005

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 SalonBiz

  • Appointment scheduling
  • Point of sale
  • Inventory management
  • Client database
  • Staff management
  • Marketing automation
  • Business reporting
  • QuickBooks

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Windows support

What people use each for

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

Aloha POS

  • Point of Salenot SalonBiz
  • Order Managementnot SalonBiz
  • Inventory Controlnot SalonBiz
  • Staff Schedulingnot SalonBiz

SalonBiz

  • Salon appointment booking and point of sale priced per locationnot Aloha POS
  • Integrated card payments through SalonBiz Paymentsnot Aloha POS
  • Beauty school and institute management with student recordsnot 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

SalonBiz

  • Pricing is per location: $160 per month for Basic, $265 for Essential and $370 for Premium
  • Each tier caps service professionals at 5, 12 and 20 respectively, with extra staff sold in blocks of 10 at $55 per month
  • Not using SalonBiz Payments raises the monthly fee by $25 to $45 depending on tier
  • School and institute plans are capped at 100 students on Essential and 200 on Premium, with extra students at $15 per month per 25
  • Enterprise and multi location pricing is quote only 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

SalonBiz

$89/month
  • Standard$89/month
    • Scheduling
    • POS
    • Client database
  • Premium$179/month
    • Everything in Standard
    • Inventory
    • Staff management

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 SalonBiz if

  • You need appointment scheduling.
  • You work on Web, Windows.
  • You also want point of sale.
SalonBiz review

Questions people ask

Is Aloha POS or SalonBiz better?
Neither clearly leads. Aloha POS starts at $150/month and SalonBiz at $89/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Aloha POS or SalonBiz?
Aloha POS starts at $150/month and SalonBiz at $89/month.
Does Aloha POS or SalonBiz run on more platforms?
Aloha POS runs on Windows, Android. SalonBiz runs on Web, Windows.
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 SalonBiz is typically brought in for.
What can Aloha POS do that SalonBiz cannot?
Aloha POS covers Table management, Order management, Labor scheduling, Inventory control. SalonBiz covers Appointment scheduling, Point of sale, Inventory management, Client database. Both handle Web support, Windows 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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