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Beauty · head to head

Insight Salon Software vs Salonist

Insight Salon Software logo

Insight Salon Software

Beauty

Intelligent salon management with deep analytics

From
$40/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Salonist logo

Salonist

Beauty

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: Insight Salon Software cloud plans are login limited even at the top tier: Enterprise Premium Cloud is $250 a month for up to 8,000 SMS messages and only 5 logins; Salonist free plan limited to 50 appointments per month
  • They diverge on capability: Insight Salon Software covers Client management, Salonist covers Billing & invoicing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Insight Salon Software and Salonist actually diverge.

Attributes where Insight Salon Software and Salonist differ
AttributeInsight Salon SoftwareSalonist
Starting price$40/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20122017

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Beauty).

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 Insight Salon Software

  • Client management
  • Staff scheduling
  • Advanced analytics
  • Revenue tracking
  • Performance metrics
  • Point of sale
  • Stripe
  • Square

Only in Salonist

  • Billing & invoicing
  • Inventory management
  • Loyalty programs
  • Staff management
  • GST compliance
  • Business analytics
  • Razorpay
  • Paytm

Both cover

  • Appointment booking
  • Marketing automation
  • SSL encryption
  • Data backup
  • Cloud deployment

What people use each for

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

Insight Salon Software

  • Running point of sale and scheduling for a salon or spanot Salonist
  • Sending automated two way SMS appointment reminders to clientsnot Salonist

Salonist

  • Indian salon managementnot Insight Salon Software
  • GST billingnot Insight Salon Software
  • Customer loyaltynot Insight Salon Software
  • Inventory controlnot Insight Salon Software

Where each one falls short

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

Insight Salon Software

  • Cloud plans are login limited even at the top tier: Enterprise Premium Cloud is $250 a month for up to 8,000 SMS messages and only 5 logins
  • Premium Cloud's two way SMS is capped per tier, from 500 messages a month on Solo up to 8,000 on Enterprise
  • The installed one time purchase version only includes free software upgrades for 1 year, after which upgrades are not covered
  • Multi-year pre-purchase discounts of 10, 15 and 20 percent require paying 1, 2 or 3 years upfront

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

Insight Salon Software

$40/month
  • Starter$40/month
    • Appointment scheduling
    • Client management
    • Basic analytics
  • Professional$70/month
    • Everything in Starter
    • Advanced analytics
    • Staff performance tracking
  • Enterprise$120/month
    • Everything in Professional
    • Multi-location analytics
    • Custom reports

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 Insight Salon Software if

  • You need client management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want staff scheduling.
Insight Salon Software review

Choose Salonist if

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

Questions people ask

Is Insight Salon Software or Salonist better?
Neither clearly leads. Insight Salon Software starts at $40/month and Salonist at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Insight Salon Software or Salonist?
Salonist has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $40/month for Insight Salon Software and Free for Salonist.
Does Insight Salon Software or Salonist run on more platforms?
Insight Salon Software runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. 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. Insight Salon Software starts at $40/month.
What is Insight Salon Software best used for?
Insight Salon Software is most often used for running point of sale and scheduling for a salon or spa, sending automated two way sms appointment reminders to clients. Of those, running point of sale and scheduling for a salon or spa and sending automated two way sms appointment reminders to clients are not what Salonist is typically brought in for.
What can Insight Salon Software do that Salonist cannot?
Insight Salon Software covers Client management, Staff scheduling, Advanced analytics, Revenue tracking. Salonist covers Billing & invoicing, Inventory management, Loyalty programs, Staff management. Both handle Appointment booking, Marketing automation, SSL encryption, Data backup.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Insight Salon Software: What is the price difference between cloud and installed versions?

Cloud starts at $25-55/month (Solo tier) and goes up to $140-250/month (Enterprise tier). Installed software is a one-time purchase ranging from $400 (Solo) to $1,700 (Enterprise). Installed versions include one year of support, while cloud subscriptions include unlimited support.

Source
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
Insight Salon Software: Are there discounts for longer subscription commitments?

Yes. Cloud subscriptions receive discounts for multi-year commitments: 10% off for 1 year, 15% off for 2 years, and 20% off for 3 years.

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
Insight Salon Software: Can you pay for the installed version in installments?

Yes. Payment plans are available from 2 to 12 months. For example, Solo can be paid as $400 upfront or six payments of $80/month; Enterprise can be paid as $1,700 upfront or six payments of $325/month.

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
Insight Salon Software: What messaging features are included in different cloud tiers?

Premium Cloud tiers include SMS messaging capabilities that vary by tier: Solo and Partner get 500 texts monthly, Growth gets 1,000, Small Business gets 2,000, and Enterprise gets 8,000 texts monthly.

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
Insight Salon Software: Is a free trial available without contacting sales?

Yes, a free trial is available directly through the website without requiring a sales conversation.

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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