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Beauty & Salon · head to head

DaySmart Salon vs Square for Retail

DaySmart Salon logo

DaySmart Salon

Beauty & Salon

Intelligent salon and spa business platform

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Square for Retail logo

Square for Retail

E-commerce & Retail

Integrated point of sale and retail management

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Square for Retail has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: DaySmart Salon the $29 per month Basic plan includes only 1 user and excludes resource management, packages, memberships, payroll and digital forms; Square for Retail limited customer support with primarily email and online forums, slow response times for urgent issues
  • They diverge on capability: DaySmart Salon covers Online booking, Square for Retail covers Contactless payments.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DaySmart Salon and Square for Retail actually diverge.

Attributes where DaySmart Salon and Square for Retail differ
AttributeDaySmart SalonSquare for Retail
Starting price$99/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidiOS, API
CategoryBeauty & SalonE-commerce & Retail
Founded20102009

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 DaySmart Salon

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

Only in Square for Retail

  • Contactless payments
  • Inventory tracking
  • Employee management
  • Customer profiles
  • Sales analytics
  • Receipt printing
  • Integration with Square Online
  • Reporting tools

What people use each for

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

DaySmart Salon

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

Square for Retail

No use cases recorded yet. See the Square for Retail review.

Where each one falls short

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

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

Square for Retail

  • Limited customer support with primarily email and online forums, slow response times for urgent issues
  • Internet connectivity required for normal operations; weak signal impacts transaction processing and experience
  • Restricted to Square's payment processing with higher transaction fees compared to some competitors
  • Limited to iOS devices and Square's proprietary hardware, excluding Android or third-party devices
  • Limited advanced retail capabilities and deeper third-party integrations compared to enterprise POS systems

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Square for Retail

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Payment processing at 2.6% + 15 cents
    • Basic inventory management
    • Invoicing
  • Plus$49/month
    • In-person: 2.5% + 15 cents
    • Online: 2.9% + 30 cents
    • Product exchanges
  • Premium$149/month
    • In-person: 2.4% + 15 cents
    • Online: 2.9% + 30 cents
    • Advanced features

Which should you pick?

Choose DaySmart Salon if

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

Choose Square for Retail if

  • You need contactless payments.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, API.
  • You also want inventory tracking.
Square for Retail review

Questions people ask

Is DaySmart Salon or Square for Retail better?
Neither clearly leads. DaySmart Salon starts at $99/month and Square for Retail at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DaySmart Salon or Square for Retail?
Square for Retail has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $99/month for DaySmart Salon and Free for Square for Retail.
Does DaySmart Salon or Square for Retail run on more platforms?
DaySmart Salon runs on Web, Ios, Android. Square for Retail runs on iOS, API.
Can I use Square for Retail for free?
Yes. Square for Retail has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. DaySmart Salon starts at $99/month.
What is DaySmart Salon best used for?
DaySmart Salon is most often used for appointment booking and staff scheduling for hair and beauty salons, salon point of sale with packages and memberships, commission based stylist payroll and expense tracking, client reminders and marketing by text and email. Of those, appointment booking and staff scheduling for hair and beauty salons and salon point of sale with packages and memberships are not what Square for Retail is typically brought in for.
What can DaySmart Salon do that Square for Retail cannot?
DaySmart Salon covers Online booking, Appointment scheduling, Point of sale, Inventory management. Square for Retail covers Contactless payments, Inventory tracking, Employee management, Customer profiles.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Square for Retail: Does Square for Retail have a free tier?

Yes, Square for Retail's free tier includes payment processing at 2.6% plus 15 cents per transaction, basic inventory, invoicing, online shop, and booking tools with no monthly subscription fee.

Source
Square for Retail: What are the transaction fees across Square's pricing tiers?

Free tier: 2.6% + 15 cents. Plus tier ($49/month): 2.5% + 15 cents in-person, 2.9% + 30 cents online. Premium tier ($149/month): 2.4% + 15 cents in-person, 2.9% + 30 cents online.

Source
Square for Retail: What devices can run Square for Retail?

Square for Retail runs on iOS devices (iPad and iPhone) using Square's proprietary hardware or compatible mobile devices, and requires integration with Square's payment processing.

Source
Square for Retail: Can I use Square for Retail offline?

Square for Retail depends on an internet connection for optimal functionality. Offline functionality is limited, and high-traffic operations may require recharging or connection verification.

Source
Square for Retail: Does Square for Retail support third-party integrations?

Yes, Square offers integrations through its App Marketplace and provides APIs for custom development including payments, inventory, orders, customers, loyalty, and webhooks.

Source
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Related pages

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