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Software · head to head

GlossGenius vs Phorest

GlossGenius logo

GlossGenius

Software

Beautiful booking for beauty pros

From
$24/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Phorest logo

Phorest

Software

Salon software that grows your business

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: GlossGenius card payments are charged at a flat 2.6 percent, and instant payouts cost a further 1.8 percent; Phorest no price is published for any of the seven plans, and every route ends at a quote request
  • They diverge on capability: GlossGenius covers Custom booking pages, Phorest covers Appointment booking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GlossGenius and Phorest actually diverge.

Attributes where GlossGenius and Phorest differ
AttributeGlossGeniusPhorest
Starting price$24/month$99/month
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android, Api
Founded20162003

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 GlossGenius

  • Custom booking pages
  • Payment processing
  • Automated reminders
  • Marketing tools
  • Website builder
  • Reports & insights
  • Gift cards
  • Apple Pay

Only in Phorest

  • Appointment booking
  • Point of sale
  • Marketing automation
  • Reputation management
  • Staff management
  • Inventory tracking
  • Business reports
  • Mailchimp

Both cover

  • Client management
  • Instagram
  • Stripe
  • PCI DSS
  • SSL encryption
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

GlossGenius

  • Appointment booking and calendar management for salonsnot Phorest
  • Card payments and tipping at the chairnot Phorest
  • Client records, forms and waiversnot Phorest
  • Memberships and prepaid packagesnot Phorest
  • Medspa charting and photo markup on the clinical plansnot Phorest

Phorest

  • Salon and spa appointment booking with client recordsnot GlossGenius
  • Marketing, memberships and staff management for beauty businessesnot GlossGenius

Where each one falls short

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

GlossGenius

  • Card payments are charged at a flat 2.6 percent, and instant payouts cost a further 1.8 percent
  • Forms and waivers, waitlists and Google booking need the Gold plan at $56 a month
  • Team analytics, custom commissions and unlimited team members require Platinum at $168 a month
  • The medspa plans start where the beauty Platinum plan does, at $168 a month, rising to $298 for the full clinical suite
  • Payroll is a separate add-on at $40 a month plus $6 per staff member

Phorest

  • No price is published for any of the seven plans, and every route ends at a quote request
  • There is no free trial at all, which the company states plainly
  • The product is described as suited to 3 or more staff, so a solo operator is outside the intended range
  • The branded booking app requires the Ultimate plan, and two way SMS, memberships, lead management and the ads manager are all Elite only

Pricing, plan by plan

GlossGenius

$24/month
  • Standard$24/month
    • Custom booking site
    • Unlimited appointments
    • Client management
  • Gold$48/month
    • Everything in Standard
    • Marketing suite
    • Advanced analytics

Phorest

$99/month
  • Grow$99/month
    • Appointment booking
    • Client management
    • POS
  • Elevate$179/month
    • Everything in Grow
    • Advanced marketing
    • Online booking
  • Innovate$299/month
    • Everything in Elevate
    • Multi-location
    • Advanced analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose GlossGenius if

  • You need custom booking pages.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want payment processing.
GlossGenius review

Choose Phorest if

  • You need appointment booking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want point of sale.
Phorest review

Questions people ask

Is GlossGenius or Phorest better?
Neither clearly leads. GlossGenius starts at $24/month and Phorest at $99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GlossGenius or Phorest?
GlossGenius starts at $24/month and Phorest at $99/month.
Does GlossGenius or Phorest run on more platforms?
GlossGenius runs on Web, Ios, Android. Phorest runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
What is GlossGenius best used for?
GlossGenius is most often used for appointment booking and calendar management for salons, card payments and tipping at the chair, client records, forms and waivers, memberships and prepaid packages. Of those, appointment booking and calendar management for salons and card payments and tipping at the chair are not what Phorest is typically brought in for.
What can GlossGenius do that Phorest cannot?
GlossGenius covers Custom booking pages, Payment processing, Automated reminders, Marketing tools. Phorest covers Appointment booking, Point of sale, Marketing automation, Reputation management. Both handle Client management, Instagram, Stripe, PCI DSS.
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