Softwr

Food & Restaurant · head to head

Clover vs Salonist

Clover logo

Clover

Food & Restaurant

Point of sale system that grows with your business

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Salonist logo

Salonist

Beauty & Salon

Complete salon software from India

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Salonist has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Clover the App Store listing (Clover Network, Inc) requires an existing Clover merchant account to use the app at all; there is no self-serve signup or published subscription price inside the listing, confirming the product is sold only through merchant onboarding contracts; Salonist free plan limited to 50 appointments per month
  • They diverge on capability: Clover covers POS system, Salonist covers Appointment booking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Clover and Salonist actually diverge.

Attributes where Clover and Salonist differ
AttributeCloverSalonist
Starting price$29/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsHardware, Ios, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryFood & RestaurantBeauty & Salon
Founded20122017

Identical on both: 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 Clover

  • POS system
  • Payment processing
  • Employee management
  • Reporting
  • QuickBooks
  • Yelp
  • Gusto
  • PCI DSS

Only in Salonist

  • Appointment booking
  • Billing & invoicing
  • Loyalty programs
  • Staff management
  • GST compliance
  • Marketing automation
  • Business analytics
  • Razorpay

Both cover

  • Inventory management
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Clover

  • Point of salenot Salonist
  • Payment processingnot Salonist
  • Business managementnot Salonist

Salonist

  • Indian salon managementnot Clover
  • GST billingnot Clover
  • Customer loyaltynot Clover
  • Inventory controlnot Clover

Where each one falls short

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

Clover

  • The App Store listing (Clover Network, Inc) requires an existing Clover merchant account to use the app at all; there is no self-serve signup or published subscription price inside the listing, confirming the product is sold only through merchant onboarding contracts

Salonist

  • Free plan limited to 50 appointments per month
  • Pricing listed in AED (UAE currency) with regional variations
  • Offline capabilities not clearly documented for mobile app
  • Advanced AI features (AI Automation Marketing) only on Expert plan

Pricing, plan by plan

Clover

$29/month
  • StarterFree
    • Mobile payments
    • Basic reporting
  • Standard$14.95/month
    • Full POS
    • Employee management
    • Inventory

Salonist

Free
  • Marketplace ListingFree
    • 50 appointments/month
    • Online booking
    • Staff scheduling
  • Essential$2900/year
    • Point of Sale
    • Sales reports
    • Customer history
  • Advance$4180/year
    • All Essential features
    • Customer surveys and loyalty
    • Gift cards and campaigns
  • Expert$6580/year
    • All Advance features
    • Multi-branch management
    • Dedicated account manager

Which should you pick?

Choose Clover if

  • You need pos system.
  • You work on Hardware, Ios, Android.
  • You also want payment processing.
Clover review

Choose Salonist if

  • You need appointment booking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want billing & invoicing.
Salonist review

Questions people ask

Is Clover or Salonist better?
Neither clearly leads. Clover starts at $29/month and Salonist at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clover or Salonist?
Salonist has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for Clover and Free for Salonist.
Does Clover or Salonist run on more platforms?
Clover runs on Hardware, Ios, Android. Salonist runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Salonist for free?
Yes. Salonist has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Clover starts at $29/month.
What is Clover best used for?
Clover is most often used for point of sale, payment processing, business management. Of those, point of sale and payment processing are not what Salonist is typically brought in for.
What can Clover do that Salonist cannot?
Clover covers POS system, Payment processing, Employee management, Reporting. Salonist covers Appointment booking, Billing & invoicing, Loyalty programs, Staff management. Both handle Inventory management, Ios support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Salonist: Does Salonist offer a free plan?

Salonist offers a free Marketplace Listing plan with 50 appointments/month, online booking, staff scheduling, and marketplace access. Unlimited staff are included on every plan.

Source
Salonist: What features are included in the Essential plan?

Essential ($2,900 AED/year or approximately $59/month) includes Point of Sale, sales reports, customer history, coupon management, retail product and expense tracking, automated reminders, memberships, e-wallet, and staff commission tracking.

Source
Salonist: Does Salonist support multiple locations?

Multi-branch management is available on the Expert plan ($6,580 AED/year) with centralized reporting and a dedicated account manager.

Source
Salonist: What payment gateways does Salonist support?

Salonist integrates with multiple payment gateways including Stripe, PayPal, Razorpay, and other regional providers. The Advance plan and above include multiple payment integration options.

Source
Salonist: Does Salonist have a mobile app?

Yes, Salonist offers mobile apps for iOS and Android allowing clients to browse services, check prices, view customer reviews, and book appointments.

Source
Salonist: What is included in the Advance plan?

Advance ($4,180 AED/year or approximately $109/month) adds customer survey management, loyalty rewards, gift cards, SMS/email campaigns, inventory management, lead management system, and advanced onboarding to Essential features.

Source
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